Morning came heavy over Durnfield.
Sunlight spilled across broken streets, catching dust still hanging in the air from nights of unrest.
Smoke lingered faintly—
burned wood.
Cooking fires.
Old ash baked into the village itself.
Durnfield was already moving.
Merchants lifted shutters from crooked stalls.
A blacksmith hammered bent iron back into shape.
Guards changed shifts along the wall.
Children raced through alleys as if danger had already become yesterday's problem.
Near the western gate—
Roku tightened the straps of his pack.
Quick.
Efficient.
Ready to leave.
Solara stood beside him, adjusting her satchel more slowly.
Her gaze drifted back toward the village.
Patched roofs.
Cracked wells.
People already working.
"Hard to believe this place keeps going," she murmured.
Roku glanced toward a pair of guards struggling with a damaged gate hinge.
"People don't have much choice."
Solara looked at him.
"That almost sounded compassionate."
"Don't spread it around."
She smiled.
They started toward the gate.
Their assignment was finished.
The supplies had been delivered.
The caravan had returned.
Durnfield was no longer their responsibility.
Then—
"WAIT!"
Roku stopped.
Solara turned.
A group of children came racing down the street.
Bare feet kicked dust into the air as they surrounded them.
One boy stared up at Roku.
"Are you really the lightning warrior?"
Roku blinked.
"The what?"
"The one from Welther!"
Another child pointed toward Solara.
"And she's the goddess healer!"
Solara's eyebrows lifted.
"The goddess healer?"
Roku looked at her.
"I like mine better."
Solara ignored him.
"Where did you hear that?"
The children started talking at once.
"Luno!"
"He told us about the raid!"
"He said there were two hundred bandits!"
"There weren't two hundred," Roku said immediately.
"He said Kel fought all of them!"
Roku stared.
"What?"
Another child jumped in.
"He said Kel saved the guards!"
"And found the leader!"
"No, Luno found the leader!"
"Kel told Roku!"
"And then Roku said they were amazing!"
Roku's expression slowly flattened.
Solara pressed her lips together.
Roku noticed.
"Don't."
"I'm not doing anything."
"You're laughing."
"I haven't laughed."
"Yet."
A younger girl tugged on Solara's sleeve.
"Did Kel really save both of you?"
That did it.
Roku crossed his arms.
"No."
The children quieted.
"He helped."
Roku pointed toward the village.
"Luno helped."
Then toward himself.
"I did not need saving."
Solara tilted her head.
"I healed you twice."
"That was different."
"How?"
"I wasn't dying."
"You were bleeding."
"I've bled before."
Solara smiled.
One of the children whispered—
"Luno said he'd say that."
Roku slowly looked down.
"What else did Luno say?"
The children exchanged glances.
Then one pointed down the road.
"They're at the orphanage."
Roku adjusted his pack.
"Good."
Solara sighed.
"Roku."
"What?"
"They're children."
"Exactly."
He started walking.
"Someone has to stop this before tomorrow I hear Kel defeated the entire Badlands by himself."
Solara followed.
"I'd give it three days."
Roku looked at her.
"You're enjoying this."
"A little."
---
The rumor had traveled farther than either expected.
People glanced toward them as they passed.
Whispers followed.
"Those are the two from the caravan."
"That's Roku Aster."
"The healer too."
"I heard the orphan boys fought beside them."
Roku's jaw tightened.
Solara noticed.
"You really don't like stories."
"I don't like bad information."
"That's not the same thing."
"It becomes the same thing when people believe it."
They continued walking.
After a moment, Solara spoke again.
"You're not actually angry at Kel."
Roku said nothing.
"Luno told the story."
"I know."
"Kel corrected him."
"I know."
Solara studied him.
"Then what is bothering you?"
Roku stopped.
For a moment—
his usual confidence disappeared.
"He shouldn't be able to do what he's doing."
Solara's smile faded.
Roku continued walking.
"No training."
"No understanding of Qi."
"Broken ribs."
"And somehow when everything goes wrong, his body knows what to do."
Solara remained beside him.
"And Luno?"
"Different problem."
"How?"
Roku glanced at her.
"He watches a battlefield like he's standing above it."
Solara nodded.
"And that bothers you?"
"No."
Roku looked toward the orphanage ahead.
"It makes me curious."
---
Laughter spilled from inside.
Roku stopped outside the gate.
The orphanage looked even worse in daylight.
Crooked fencing.
Mismatched boards.
Repairs built over repairs.
Solara looked through the open doorway.
Several children crowded around Luno.
He stood on the same overturned crate from the night before.
"And then Roku goes—"
Luno lowered his voice dramatically.
"'You two are the greatest warriors I've ever seen.'"
Kel sat nearby.
His head slowly turned.
"I was there."
Luno froze.
Kel stared at him.
"He didn't say that."
The children laughed.
Luno raised one finger.
"Emotionally, he did."
"No."
"He felt it."
"No."
"Deep down."
"Get off the crate."
Then a voice came from the doorway.
"Yeah."
Everyone froze.
Roku stood there.
"Get off the crate."
Luno slowly stepped down.
"Oh."
Kel looked toward the entrance.
Roku.
Solara beside him.
Kel stood.
"What happened?"
Roku pointed at Luno.
"He happened."
Luno looked offended.
"I was telling a story."
"You were inventing one."
"Stories need excitement."
"There were dozens of armed men trying to kill us."
Roku stared at him.
"How much more excitement did you need?"
Luno considered that.
"Fair."
Solara covered a smile.
Kel crossed his arms.
"You came all the way here for that?"
Roku's eyes shifted toward him.
"No."
The room became quieter.
Kel felt it immediately.
This wasn't about Luno anymore.
Roku stepped inside.
"You and me."
Kel's posture tightened.
"What about us?"
"I want to see something."
Kel glanced at Solara.
She looked suspiciously calm.
"What?"
Roku raised his hand.
A tiny spark appeared between two fingers.
Several children gasped.
Kel didn't move.
"Relax," Roku said.
"I'm not attacking you."
Kel's eyes remained on the spark.
"Good."
"Because you'd lose?"
Kel looked at him.
"Because you'd owe Harven a new orphanage."
Luno immediately backed away.
"I'd like it officially recorded that I support neither side."
Roku almost smiled.
Then the spark vanished.
"I want to know what you felt during the raid."
Kel's expression changed.
"We already talked about this."
"You told me it moves."
"It does."
"Show me."
Kel stared at him.
"I don't know how."
"Try."
Kel's jaw tightened.
"That's your advice?"
"No."
Roku stepped closer.
"My advice was don't force it."
"Still is."
He tapped his own chest.
"Find it."
Kel looked around.
Every child was staring.
"No."
Roku frowned.
"No?"
"Not here."
Roku followed his gaze.
Children.
Old walls.
An orphanage built mostly from wood.
He nodded.
"Good answer."
Kel hadn't expected that.
Roku turned.
"Outside."
---
The courtyard filled within minutes.
Children lined the fence.
Luno stood near the front.
Solara leaned against one of the posts.
Kel faced Roku across the dirt.
"This isn't a fight," Roku said.
Kel raised his hands.
"Then why are you standing like that?"
Roku looked down at his stance.
"Habit."
Kel didn't lower his hands.
"Mine too."
For a moment—
neither moved.
Then Roku stepped forward.
Slowly.
Kel's eyes followed.
Roku changed direction.
Kel adjusted.
Another step.
Kel shifted again.
Roku accelerated.
Kel moved instantly.
Not attacking.
Avoiding.
Roku stopped.
The children murmured.
Again.
This time Roku moved faster.
Kel's body reacted before thought.
Foot.
Hip.
Shoulder.
The current stirred.
Kel slipped sideways.
Roku's hand stopped inches from his chest.
Kel froze.
Warmth spread beneath his ribs.
Roku felt the movement.
So did Solara.
Her expression sharpened.
Roku stepped back.
"There."
Kel looked down.
The current vanished.
"What?"
"You did it."
"I didn't do anything."
"Exactly."
Roku's eyes narrowed.
"You reacted before I committed."
Kel frowned.
"I saw you move."
"No."
Roku shook his head.
"You moved when I decided to."
Silence.
Kel looked toward Solara.
She pushed away from the fence.
"He's right."
Kel stared at her.
"How?"
"I don't know."
Luno raised his hand.
Everyone looked at him.
"What?"
Luno lowered it.
"I was going to guess."
Kel sighed.
Roku circled him.
"Again."
This time—
Kel closed his eyes.
Roku stopped.
"What are you doing?"
"Making sure I'm not watching you."
Solara's eyebrows lifted.
Roku smiled.
"Fine."
He moved.
Kel felt nothing.
Another step.
Nothing.
Roku changed direction.
Kel remained still.
Then—
the current twitched.
Kel moved.
Roku's hand passed through empty air.
The children erupted.
Kel opened his eyes.
Roku stared at him.
Not angry.
Not threatened.
Excited.
"You felt that?"
Kel looked at his hands.
"Yeah."
Solara stepped closer.
"What did it feel like?"
Kel searched for the words.
"Like…"
He frowned.
"Like my body knew something before I did."
Solara and Roku exchanged a glance.
Kel noticed.
"What?"
Roku shook his head.
"Nothing yet."
"I hate when people say that."
"You'll survive."
Roku picked up his pack.
The test was over.
Kel lowered his hands.
"So that's it?"
"For now."
Roku walked toward the gate.
Then stopped beside Kel.
"You've got good instincts."
Kel waited.
Roku continued.
"But instincts without training get people killed."
Kel's expression hardened.
"I know."
Roku nodded.
"I think you actually do."
He walked away.
Solara followed.
When she reached Kel—
she stopped.
"Don't force the current."
Kel nodded.
"I won't."
"And don't ignore it."
Another nod.
Solara smiled.
"Good."
She turned.
Kel watched her walk away.
Luno appeared beside him.
"You're staring again."
Kel immediately looked forward.
"No, I'm not."
"You absolutely are."
"Go tell another lie."
Luno grinned.
"Roku said I'm the greatest storyteller he's ever met."
From halfway down the street—
Roku shouted,
"I HEARD THAT!"
The children exploded into laughter.
Even Kel couldn't hold his back.
---
At the western gate, Roku stopped.
Durnfield stretched behind him.
Poor.
Broken.
Stubbornly alive.
Solara stood beside him.
"You like them."
Roku adjusted his pack.
"They're annoying."
"That wasn't a denial."
"They need training."
"Also not a denial."
Roku sighed.
His eyes found Kel in the distance.
Still standing outside the orphanage.
Luno beside him.
Children everywhere.
"What happens when Harven starts training him?"
Solara looked back too.
"We find out what he's becoming."
Roku's expression grew thoughtful.
"And if he can't control it?"
Solara was quiet for a moment.
"Then someone will have to teach him."
Roku glanced at her.
"You volunteering?"
She smiled.
"Maybe."
Roku shook his head.
"Of course you are."
They stepped through the gate.
Behind them—
Durnfield slowly disappeared into dust.
Kel watched until they were gone.
The warmth beneath his ribs remained.
Small.
Quiet.
But for the first time—
he knew it wasn't imagination.
It wasn't adrenaline.
It wasn't luck.
Something inside him was waking.
And now—
other people knew it too..