Devvyn's breath came in sharp, ragged gasps as he sprinted through the tall stalks of the cornfield. His legs burned with every step, his lungs desperate for air, but still, he ran. Behind him, footsteps thundered closer and faster.
Panic twisted in his chest.
He stumbled over a jagged stone, crashing to the ground. Before he could rise, the dead Echo Hunter loomed above him, knife gleaming in the harsh sunlight.
Devvyn's voice cracked as he begged, "Please… don't hurt me…"
The Hunter's eyes were dark, glittering like obsidian. "You killed me. Now I'll do the same to you."
He plunged the knife into Devvyn's chest.
Darkness curled around Devvyn, suffocating him. Blood bubbled and pooled in his throat. As he struggled for air, the Hunter's face began to ripple and change. Half of his face became mottled and burnt, and his eyes turned a sickly green. He pointed dark, stained fingers in Devvyn's face and said, "You can't escape the chaos, boy…"
Devvyn's eyes snapped open. He gasped, struggling to breathe. His lungs were straining like he'd been underwater too long. Sweat clung to his skin despite the steady whir of the fan overhead. His heart thundered almost painfully in his chest. For a long moment, he just lay there, trying to catch his breath.
When he finally turned his head, he saw Jelric still asleep in the bed above, with one arm flung over his face, the covers twisted around his legs, completely unaware.
An involuntary shiver ran through him. He looked down at his hands and saw that they were shaking uncontrollably. Every part of him was. And his chest ached as though he'd really been stabbed. He touched the place where the knife went through him, checking.
The nightmare clung to him like a parasite as the early light crept through his window.
Slowly, he forced himself back into the present, blinking against the fading remnants of the nightmare. He heard the sound of steady, relentless drilling, echoing from somewhere nearby, pulling him fully awake. And then it stopped.
"What was that?" he muttered to himself. He sat up and pulled the duvet off his legs. Then he made his way to the bathroom.
He splashed cold water on his face, the shock helping him feel more present. As he looked up into the mirror, a flash of the dead Hunter's pale, twisted face appeared behind him. Devvyn jumped back, heart racing. The stranger in the field had said the same thing.
"I'm going crazy," he whispered, forcing himself to breathe deeply.
He grabbed his toothbrush and began brushing his teeth, using the mundane action to ground himself.
After finishing, he crept downstairs so as not to wake Jelric up.
Maelis's room door was open. He peered inside. She wasn't there. "Grandmother?" He went up to her workshop, and she wasn't there either.
Devvyn checked the clock on the wall.
7:02 a.m.
His stomach tightened. That can't be right. Maelis usually worked late into the night and rarely got up before eight. Something was wrong.
He hurried to the sitting room and came to a halt. The front door was wide open.
His pulse spiked. "Grandmother?" he called again, louder this time, stepping outside onto the porch. No answer. The early morning air felt too still, the house was too quiet, and it felt off.
His eyes went to the gate, and his heart dropped. It was open, too.
No. No, no, no.
His thoughts raced. They know. The Unbound. They must've found out. They took her. They—
Without thinking, Devvyn dashed back inside. He rushed to the kitchen drawer, flung it open, and pulled out the biggest knife he could find. His hand trembled as he tightened his grip around the handle. Then he ran. He sprinted out the door, down the front steps, and past the garden hedge, expecting the worst.
And then he stopped.
Just outside the gate, standing casually in the street, was Maelis. Right beside her stood Aela, holding her little brother's hand, with her younger sister perched on her hip.
Devvyn blinked, chest heaving.
Maelis turned, brows lifting in surprise. "Devvyn? What are you doing with a knife?"
Devvyn looked down at the knife in his hand, then up at Maelis, and then over to Aela. "I thought you were—"
"I asked to borrow the knife yesterday," Aela cut in smoothly, her expression unreadable. "He was just bringing it out for me."
Maelis looked at the knife, then at Devvyn, a beat too long.
Then she waved a hand, her voice warm. "Aela, you always know you can come and take whatever you need. No need to ask." She was about to say something else when the low rumble of drilling started again, distracting her. The mechanical hum was rising from the direction of the lower blocks.
Devvyn turned his head sharply. "What is that?"
Aela shifted her baby sister in her arms and scowled. "It's Pyrethorn's men. They've been drilling nonstop near our place. I woke up to it. Thought it was the apocalypse or something. The noise was horrible. I had to grab Orryn and Melo and get outta there."
Devvyn looked at Maelis. "I thought you said you sent a petition."
"I did," she said with a sigh. "But clearly, Lord Pyrethorn didn't listen."
Maelis adjusted the shawl around her shoulders and gave them both a firm look. "Wait for me here. I'm going to speak to the men myself." She turned and headed off in the direction of Aela's home.
As soon as she was out of earshot, Aela turned to Devvyn. "Okay. What was that about with the knife?"
Devvyn rubbed the back of his neck. "I got nervous, alright? Thought the Unbound might've found out something. I panicked."
Before Aela could respond, Melo tugged at her collar. "Are the Unbound monsters?" the girl asked, eyes wide and worried.
Aela shook her head gently. "No, love. They're just… people who did some really bad things. But they're not monsters." Aela glanced at Devvyn and mouthed, Later.
They followed the kids back into the house. Aela settled her siblings with some toys and pillows in the sitting room, then gave Devvyn a look.
"Upstairs?"
Devvyn nodded again, and the two of them quietly made their way up to his room.
Aela stepped into Devvyn's room and immediately spotted Jelric sprawled across the bed, snoring softly. She raised a brow. "What's he doing here?" Without waiting for an answer, she leapt forward and landed on the mattress with a bounce. "Wake up, lazyhead!"
Jelric groaned, twisting under the sheets. "Ugh, Aela, seriously?" He reached out blindly and gave her a light shove. "Why are you like this?"
Aela laughed and rolled off to the side. "I was trying to save Devvyn's pillow from your yellow drool."
Jelric muttered something unintelligible and buried his face in the blanket.
Aela turned to Devvyn. "So? The book. Where is it?"
Devvyn answered without missing a beat. "I think I lost it. Checked the clothes I was wearing that day, and it wasn't there anymore."
Aela made a face and waved a hand dismissively. "It was probably useless anyway."
She didn't press further, and Devvyn gave a small, silent breath of relief.
From behind Aela, Jelric sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes. When she wasn't looking, he shot Devvyn a quiet thumbs-up, his expression a mix of gratitude and relief. But the sound of the drilling outside made him pause. He turned his head toward the window, frowning.
"What's that noise?"
Aela crossed her arms, annoyed. "Pyrethorn's men. They're drilling near my home. Maelis's petition didn't work."
"She's out there talking to them now," Devvyn added. "Told us to wait."
Jelric cursed under his breath. "We should've protested. Actually stood in their way." He swung his legs off the bed, more awake now. "And maybe we still can."
Aela rolled her eyes and gave Jelric a light shove. "Sit down, rebel boy. Maelis has it covered."
Jelric huffed but dropped back onto the bed.
"Anyway… I have something to say. And first, promise me that you both won't try to change my mind because you can't."
Devvyn and Jelric looked up.
"I've decided to go for the Gauntlet Trials," she said.
Jelric blinked. "Wait, seriously?"
"My siblings need me," Aela said, glancing toward the door where their distant laughter came from downstairs. "It's not just about having an Echo. That's not enough. If I want to give Orryn and Melo a better life, I need the Academy connections, the allowance they give students, the training... all of it."
Devvyn raised a hand. "Hold on. Just… hold on." He looked at Aela, his brows furrowed in concern. "Let us think about this, if something happens to you. If you get hurt or worse, your siblings will be alone."
Aela shook her head, determined. "That's why nothing will happen. I'll start training, reading up on the Gauntlet, everything. If I'm well prepared, I can pass."
Jelric leaned forward, rubbing the back of his neck. "I don't like it," he muttered. "But… I'll support you. Whatever you wanna do, I'm with you."
Devvyn flared. "Are you kidding me?" He threw his hands up, frustration pulsing in his voice.
Aela held up a hand, trying to calm him. "Devvyn, relax—"
"No," he snapped, taking a step forward. "I can't believe this. After everything that's happened, you still want to throw yourself into more danger? Why? Why do you always feel like it's your job to fix everything alone?"
Aela blinked, stunned.
He pressed on, his voice rising with emotion. "You need to stop trying to be a saviour for your siblings. You're not alone. Maelis and I have always been ready to take them in, to help. So why are you so bent on doing this by yourself?"
Her lips trembled. Tears welled up in her eyes and spilt down her cheeks, but she didn't speak. She blinked them away quickly and stood up, brushing her hands on her skirt. "I should go check on my siblings," she mumbled, turning toward the door.
She had barely taken two steps when a boom tore through the house like a thunderclap.
The floor vibrated under their feet as a shockwave slammed into the walls, rattling windows in their frames.
