The golden stalks blurred past as he ran, heart thundering louder than his footsteps. Devvyn didn't stop until he reached the weathered boulder Gaur had marked on the map. Panting and slick with sweat, he dropped to his knees beside it and tried to calm the racing thoughts in his head.
"You're late."
A voice startled him.
Devvyn's head snapped up. A figure stepped out from behind the boulder, cloaked in layers of drab brown and grey fabric, every inch of their body obscured. Even their face was hidden behind a cloth wrap and dark goggles. It was the kind of attire someone might wear to shield themselves from a sandstorm… except there was no wind here, and the sun blazed mercilessly overhead.
"I got lost," he muttered, pushing himself to his feet. "What's the code?"
"The orchard's full this season."
Devvyn let out a shaky breath and stepped around the boulder. As he approached, he noticed something odd—the person's hands, gloved at first glance, weren't gloved at all. Their fingers were stained black, almost as if ink or soot had seeped into their skin, crawling up from the nails like roots.
He looked away from the blackened fingers and pulled the Echo from his bag, and extended it toward them. The figure took it reverently, cradling it as if it were a sacred relic. In return, they handed Devvyn a heavy pouch. He opened it just enough to catch the glint of silver coins inside.
But just as he was turning to leave, the figure spoke again. "I sense the mark of Chaos on you. Be careful."
"Huh?" Devvyn said, voice taut.
The figure didn't elaborate. Just stood there, silent, as if they hadn't spoken at all. A gust of wind stirred the corn behind him. Devvyn took a step back. Then another. His pulse pounded in his throat.
Nope. Nope. Not doing this. He wanted to get out of the Cornfield, away from everything, from the dead Hunter and now the stranger babbling weird things.
"Whatever." Devvyn hissed. Without another word, he turned and bolted.
He took the alternate route Gaur had shown him. Skirting a field, crossing a rickety wooden bridge, and slipping through the narrow trail behind an abandoned mill. Every snap of a twig or rustle in the grass made him flinch. But no one was following.
Eventually, he reached the station and caught the next train heading west. He slumped into a corner seat, arms wrapped tightly around the coin pouch, and didn't relax until the sprawling marshes of the Azure Shores came into view.
He made his way back to Gaur's office, trying not to collapse from exhaustion. It took a lot of strength for him to raise his hand and knock.
Gaur's rough and familiar voice came through the door. "Who is it?"
"It's Devvyn."
A moment later, the door creaked open. Gaur stood in the doorway with a deck of cards between his fingers. "Back already, little Devvyn?" he muttered, not looking up. "Didn't think I'd see you for another hour or—"
He stopped. His eyes snapped to Devvyn's face, taking in the dirt, the sweat-matted hair, the blood smeared along one sleeve, the faint tremor in his limbs.
"What in the name of Ignisara happened to you?" Gaur said, his tone shifting instantly. His hand lowered as he scanned Devvyn head to toe. He dragged Devvyn into the room and locked the door.
Devvyn thrust the bag of coins at Gaur and stumbled inside.
Aela and Jelric sat at the small table in the corner, a mess of cards scattered between them. Aela was mid-sip from a cloudy glass that looked suspiciously like berry juice. Jelric had a smug grin, one eyebrow raised as if he'd just pulled off a winning hand.
"You guys were playing cards," Devvyn said, his voice hoarse. "And drinking… while I almost died."
The cards dropped from Jelric's hands. Aela's glass hit the table with a thud.
"Ignisara's flames, Devvyn… who…" Aela was already up and moving toward him.
"Are you okay?" Jelric added, his grin gone in an instant. "What happened to your face? Is that blood?"
Devvyn gave a short, humourless laugh. "You should see the other guy."
Gaur shut the blinds with a snap, his expression stony. "Sit—all of you. I want to know everything. Start talking, Devvyn."
Devvyn swayed slightly but nodded. His knees hit the couch, and he sank into it. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, fingers still trembling as they laced together. He stared at the floor for a second, trying to steady his breath, then looked up.
"Someone followed me," he said quietly. "On the train. I didn't even notice till it was too late. He tried to steal the Echo from me."
Gaur muttered a sharp curse under his breath, pacing a step. "Son of a—You're sure?"
Devvyn nodded, and then he reached into his boot and brought out the blood-stained knife. "Very sure. I cut him. Yeah. And… I think you know him. Or at least saw him. Remember the Hunter who brought you that paper before I left? The tall one with the birthmark around his eyes, like a mask?"
Aela stared at the bloodied knife, shocked.
Gaur's brow furrowed. "Yeah. Quiet bastard. Didn't say a word beyond delivery protocol."
"It was him," Devvyn said. "He followed me all the way to the Golden Fields. Tried to take the Echo." Devvyn swallowed hard. "He said he's been stealing Echos. For the Unbound."
Jelric let out a low whistle, and Aela's eyes widened.
Devvyn let the weight of those words hang for a moment, then added, "He didn't know what they do with them. Just said he drops them off in some alley in Eternis."
"Where's he? He saw you. You could be in danger." Jelric's legs shook nervously as he spoke.
"He's dead. He tried to attack me, and he slipped and hit his head on a stone. Died instantly." Devvyn answered.
"Oh, Devvyn…" Aela started, but she folded her lips and went quiet.
Gaur's jaw tightened. He paced the office, back and forth, for moments. Finally, he leaned against a wall, close to the window, and said: "Here's what's going to happen. Three of you are going to go back to the Lower City and not breathe a word about this to anybody."
"But—" Devvyn started.
"Nope. Nuh uh uh." Gaur pushed off the wall and crossed the room in a few strides. "Nothing," he said, holding out his hand.
Devvyn blinked. "What?"
"The knife," Gaur said. "Give it here."
Devvyn handed it over. Gaur took it with a grunt and walked over to his desk drawer, pulling it open just long enough to toss the knife in and slam it shut again.
"I'll take care of this," he muttered. Then, louder: "You three, home. Now."
Aela opened her mouth like she wanted to protest, but Gaur was already waving them toward the door.
"Go on. Out. If any of what happened today ties back to Devvyn, I'll let you kids know and get you out of Sinai. And until then—if then happens—don't do anything stupid."
He ushered them out with an impatient hand and shut the office door behind them with a dull thud.
Outside, the three of them stood in silence.
Aela clutched her half-empty glass, her brow furrowed. Jelric shifted awkwardly, his fingers still holding the cards he'd brought out of the office by reflex.
Devvyn just stared at the floor for a moment, his face pale under the flickering hallway light.
They all looked at each other, confused, tense, unsure of what to say next.
Finally, Aela spoke. "…What in the name of Ignisara, did we just get ourselves into?"
Jelric let out a shaky breath and ran a hand through his hair. "Let's just go home," he muttered. "Do what Gaur said. Forget about everything."
Devvyn nodded slowly. "Yeah," he said. "Forget it."
The three of them turned and began heading home.
"You should wear the hood. The gang…" Aela reminded Devvyn.
After that, they didn't speak much. The streets were quieter now, the bustle of Eternis fading as the sun began to dip behind the jagged skyline. Footsteps echoed. Somewhere in the distance, someone was shouting about fresh bread.
But Devvyn wasn't paying attention.
His mind was spinning—back to the cornfield, to the blood pooling in the dirt, to the way the Hunter had looked at him, panicked and cornered. They'll kill me if I fail. The words clung to his thoughts like burrs.
The Unbound.
It was as if no matter what he did, how far he ran, or how much he avoided trouble, their shadow kept finding him. Creeping into his life like smoke under a door.
He thought about the book Eamon Wynstros had left behind. Hours ago, he'd been thinking about tossing it into the fireplace at home, but now he couldn't let it go. He'd almost died because of the Unbound. If he kept stumbling on their plans, then he was supposed to.
The stranger in the field said he had the mark of chaos. This did feel a lot like chaos. And if he wanted to survive it, he had to know more.
A plan began to form. He needed to get to the root of it all. Who the Unbound really were. What they wanted with the Echos. Why they attacked at the festival.
And there was only one place to start.
With the one person he did know. Jelric's dad.
Before Devvyn even realised what he was saying, the words slipped out. "There's something I didn't tell you guys. About when I was in Sinai."
Aela and Jelric both glanced over at him.
Devvyn swallowed. "I… I ran into this man. He claimed to be one of the Unbound. A leader, actually. He was wounded. Dying, and he gave me a book. Said it contains the names of Unbound members," Devvyn continued, his voice quiet. "I didn't tell you before because I didn't know if it was real. But… after today, after the Hunter…"
He trailed off. He didn't need to finish the sentence.
Aela's brow furrowed in alarm. "Wait. Are you serious?"
But Devvyn wasn't looking at her. His eyes were on Jelric who had come to a full stop. The cards he'd been holding were now clenched tightly in one hand. His posture was suddenly rigid, his shoulders stiff, like he was bracing for a blow.
Jelric didn't speak for a moment.
Then, slowly, he exhaled through his nose and let his shoulders ease just a little. His grip on the cards loosened, and he turned to face Devvyn fully.
"Where's the book?" he asked.
Devvyn glanced between his two friends, then rubbed the back of his neck. "It's… at home. Hidden." He hesitated, then added, "You guys can come over tomorrow. I'll show you everything."
Aela still looked stunned, but she nodded. Jelric didn't say anything else. He just gave a single nod, barely noticeable, and turned to keep walking. His eyes darker than before.
Back home, Devvyn sat at the small kitchen table, his plate nearly empty, even though the food tasted like dust in his mouth.
