Chapter 12: Part 2: Chapter 12: The World Cracks Open

My heart slams against bone, trying to break free. Once, it hummed with ease, flowing steadily through my veins. It skipped after hearing good news, and settled with the lowering sun.

But not today.

I tip-toe across the flatlands in the faint moonlight. Drinn’s glow fades behind me, the land I know stretching out of my reach. The icy planes extend forever, not even a ghost can hide. Out here, the world is cracked wide open.

At the forest’s edge, the trees whisper ancient secrets to the wind. They sway in a slow, rhythmic hush that makes me stop and listen. The tang of falling sap hovers like perfume. I stare into the darkness, straining to hear the forest’s lull. I whisper, “are you welcoming me in?”

The wind cuts the exposed spot on my cheek. I duck from its edge, and reach into my pack to secure the compass into my palm. I follow the teetering needle until it slows to a stop. My path ahead reads clear. With my blade in one hand and my fist in the other, ice cracks below my trot. I sink into the shadows of the forest, the moonlight disappearing behind the treeline. Just a few paces East until I reach my….

A twig snaps. I yank my chin left, nothing. Ancient wood surrounds me, closing in from above. I turn, each tree is the same dark stalk. The whispers of the wood turn to howls, gasping at the moon for air. I squeeze my blade.

A growl bellows, low and threatening. Warm breath draws in and out. Piercing blue eyes catch mine. Crouched low, a wolf baring teeth stalks from afar.

My feet lunge back but my body stays still, holding his gaze. Shallow breaths and minimal blinks, the space between us grows, his vibrations fade. He holds his position. I hold everything else.

My boot catches a root, my hip meets the earth. The wolf surges forward, the forest erupts. But something cracks in me too. I rise up and sprint.

Wind rips past my ears. My lungs burn. He's close. Too close. I glance over my shoulder, his long-lean frame cutting across my vision. I dive aside. He crashes into a tree trunk, whimpering. I jolt upright and dash left. Snow collapses beneath my boots. I skid to a stop, but dozens of eyes snap open. Staring. Looking around with nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, I’m stranded in the center of a wolf pack. Posing as dinner. This is a trap.

They inch closer, one wolf leads. I zero my gaze, holding my blade out in front of me. Dozens of glowing eyes take hold, and in this moment, I accept it. I’m going to die. A howl surges from the leader's throat. He rises onto his haunches in slow, deliberate movements. I know what’s coming. I shut my eyes and reach inward, calling to whatever stirs beneath me. Begging. Praying to Gods I don’t understand.

The ice cracks, his growl grows near.

Suddenly,

A guttural cry, a crashing body. My eyes fly open. The pack scurries, the wolf lies still with an arrow through the ribs.

I look up, scanning for the source. The forest lies still.

Soft whimpers rise, his blue eyes go gray.

“No, no,” I beg. Tears pour out slowly, then all at once. Relief and guilt fight for first place. I stare at his lifeless body. Guilt wins.

I whisper, “I’m sorry,” palm pressed to the wound. Blood opens across the snow. His breath rattles shallow, then stills. His eyes flatten. Through glazed vision, a figure inches into the frame with a bow in his hands.

I snap upright, blade raised.

“Stop right there.”

The figure hovers, tall and mighty…

“I said stop!” I yell, my voice deep.

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He halts, but his moonlit face emerges. Our eyes snap together, his glow with something unspoken. He holds that look, patient—waiting for me to see.

He already knows why I’m here. He stands folded in meshed leather, blonde locks pulled back tightly.

“Leo?” I ask, in utter shock. “What the fuck?”

He holsters his bow behind him, my chest releases slightly.

“We really need to get you trained in weaponry, Jo,” he quips.

I stand ready, dagger at my side.

“What are you doing here?” I ask.

“Well I should ask you the same thing,” he replies, eyes on the fallen wolf. He dips and presses lightly against its chest, shaking his head.

“You killed him,” I say.

“You’re welcome, by the way,” he counters.

“Fuck this. I’m leaving…” I pivot west.

But another figure appears, towering over Leo like he belongs with the trees. I face them dead on, waiting for what’s next. He steps closer, the moonlight slipping from his cloak’s folds. The fabric sways softly against the brush of wind.

Salt and pepper coats his medium-length beard, a hood shields his eyes. He looks almost…Godly. Like his wisdom alone could defeat an enemy.

“43.8271° N, 17.6634° E?” The bearded man recites.

I tilt my head, “What’s it to you?” I listen to the wind, hearing its call.

“I am who sent you here.”

He drifts toward me but I remain firm in place, watching.

“I’m Rain,” he says, voice steady, warm. “It’s good to meet you.”

My shoulders loosen. Up close, his Godly glow softens. The fine lines on his brow solidify in the moonlight. My pounding heart slows for the first time in days.

His calm is like living stone, quiet but unyielding. Across this continent, humans are faint whispers, lost in the void. But he echoes. His presence spreads wide and true, bending the hush with force. His hand hangs, covered in leather. My eyes sweep up and down – two blades sheathed at his ankles, and one at his hip.

I grab his hand and feel his grip, tight but welcoming.

“Jo,” I say, flatly. “And why did you send me here, Rain?”

He lifts his chest. “I have led the Shadowseekers for decades. Thank you for making the hike.”

I look around, eyes wide. “Is this where you meet?”

Leo smirks, Rain glares.

“No, certainly not,” Rain replies. “We bring seekers here to be tested. To see how they handle the elements, so to speak.”

My hand flings forward, blade at the ready, “So you lured me here to get me mauled by wolves?”

“I had you clocked the whole time, Jo, you were safe,” Leo replies, arms out to settle me. I face him.

“A wolf didn’t have to die for this, you know,” I say through clenched teeth.

“It’s very rare this happens,” Rain insists, his tone a brush of calm. “And it’s unfortunate. But it's my duty to ensure that anyone who joins the rebellion is prepared.”

Leo looks at me with a crooked smile. He’s youthful – barely my age. When did he join?

I face Rain.

“Do I meet your criteria, then?”

Rain lowers his hand, his eyes steady. “For now.”

I frown. “How? I froze when that wolf struck.”

He doesn’t flinch. “Most people wouldn’t last ten seconds in that encounter. Your instincts prove valuable. That’s something I can sharpen.”

I fold my arms, voice cold. “Lots of people have instinct. Why me?”

Rain’s hand shifts to the hilt of his sword. He pauses. Then quietly, “I can’t disclose our strategy. Not yet. But the rebellion is growing across the West. Prove you belong, and I’ll tell you everything.”

Leo chimes in,“You can trust us, Jo.”

A gust of wind blows, sending shivers down my spine.

“I can’t trust anyone.”

The forest stirs. Rain adjusts his hood, eyes sweeping the tree tops. “We need to move. Our base lies due West, we must arrive before the Enforcers take their posts,” Rain says.

Leo looks at me, lips pursed. “Follow us now, or walk away and pretend this never happened.”

They cast their gaze toward the ridgeline and move off in perfect sync. Heat bursts from my chest into every fingertip, spreading like flame.

They don’t look back.

“If we’re caught,” Rain shouts from ahead, assuming I’ll follow. “I trust you can protect yourself.”

My breath catches. I sink my dagger into my waistband and cinch my backpack tight at my shoulders. I don’t know what’s next– maybe this ends at the ridge, or any time after. But if there’s a shot at fighting—I have to.

They’re ten strides ahead, marching with carved resolve.

Here goes nothing.