Chapter 14: Eldrian’s Suspicions. Ruby’s Secrets

Milliscent and I trudged back to the city, leaning on each other as if we were two drunks after a wild night. The forest around us felt alien, as if every tree whispered something sinister. My left hand still ached, though the pain was no longer as searing as it had been during the fight with the Shadow Beast. Milliscent was silent, her face pale, her eyes darting nervously through the forest as if expecting another monster to leap out from behind every bush. I tried to keep up a brave front, but honestly, I was shaken by what had happened. And that voice… it didn’t go away. It lurked somewhere deep in my consciousness, like a predator waiting for the right moment.

Oddly, she hadn’t asked about that power yet… Maybe she was too overwhelmed, or maybe she knew that even if I wanted to, I couldn’t tell her anything concrete.

“Are you okay?” Milliscent finally broke the silence, not looking at me.

“Alive,” I shrugged, trying to sound casual. “And you? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“I’ve seen something worse than a ghost,” she stopped, her gaze turning serious. “Bogdan, what did you do back there? That power… it’s not like any magic I know.”

I jinxed it… But we couldn’t avoid this conversation forever. Better to have it now than when we finally get back and can rest.

“I don’t even know myself,” I rubbed my left hand, feeling the dark veins beneath my skin pulse faintly. “It just… happened. That voice in my head… it said I could.”

“Voice?” Her eyebrows shot up. “You’re talking about it again. How does that even work…?”

“Nothing good,” I tried to joke, but it came out flat. “It either mocks me or suggests I destroy everything in my path. It said the ritual was…”

I realized I shouldn’t tell her the ritual was meant to kill her. I didn’t think she needed to know that at all. Our comrades died because of it. I haven’t known Milliscent long, but I’m sure she’d blame herself. Or worse — she’d run back to hunt down the mastermind.

“You didn’t finish…” she prompted. “What about?”

“Well… My head hurts… I don’t remember what else it said. It loves to talk, you can’t keep up with it all.”

Milliscent stopped, her eyes narrowing.

“Why didn’t you tell me about this sooner?!”

“Because I don’t even know what the hell it is!” I threw my hands up. “I didn’t ask for this voice or this power! I just wanted to get you out of that damned cross! I had to act! I didn’t want either of us to die. If I’d just lain there under that tree doing nothing, at best I’d be dead. At worst, I’d have watched it…”

She stared at me for a long time, as if trying to read my thoughts, then sighed and looked away.

“Sorry. It’s just… I’m not used to being helpless. Back there, by the cross, I couldn’t do anything. And I lost everyone…”

Her voice trembled, and I realized she was thinking about the Rangers. Rad, the elf healer, the others — all gone because of that ritual. A heavy weight settled in my chest.

“It’s not your fault,” I said quietly. “Someone planned this. We suspected it was a trap from the start…”

“But why…? Why did it all happen?” She clenched her fists.

“I used to be the type to… dwell on things like that. Replay the situation in my head a hundred times, only to end up back at the start… But…”

“But what?”

“I came to realize it just cruelly steals your time. Time for the moments you’re living in. I get that what happened to us wasn’t a beach vacation.”

“Beach? What’s a beach?”

“I’m not telling.”

“I want to know what a beach is! From what you said, it sounds fun!”

“I’m pretty sure your world has beaches. I’ve even been to one here…”

“Really? So we’ll go to a beach?!”

“Sure… If they don’t kill me when we get back, we’ll definitely go.”

“Yay!”

I didn’t finish my thought, but she was distracted, which was probably the best thing that could’ve happened in this situation.

“So what’s at the beach? What do you do there?”

“Well, you put on special clothes… and just enjoy the nice weather.”

“Special clothes? What kind?”

“A swimsuit.”

“What’s that?”

“Not telling.”

“But why?!”

I had to change the subject…

“Maybe because you’re a cool elf who can read minds?” I tried to smile, but she just looked at me like I was an idiot.

“Not funny, Bogdan. I’ll find out what a swimsuit is!”

“I’m sure yours will be the best!”

“Yeah, yeah…”

When we reached the city, the sun was setting, and the tree platforms glowed with soft golden light. The elves at the entrance looked alarmed. One of them, a tall warrior with a scar across half his face, gave us a suspicious glance.

“Where are the Rangers?” he asked sharply.

Milliscent pressed her lips together but answered calmly, “They’re dead. We were attacked.”

“Attacked? By whom?” The warrior stepped closer, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.

“A Shadow Beast,” Milliscent replied. “Summoned by a ritual. We barely survived.”

“What?! A Shadow Beast?! They’ve been gone for ages… That’s impossible!”

“Want to argue about it?!” Milliscent sounded incredibly convincing.

The warrior shifted his gaze to me, his eyes boring into me like drills.

“And what’s he doing here? He’s an outsider!”

“He saved my life,” Milliscent snapped. “We need to gather the elders! We have important information. Now!”

The warrior muttered something but nodded and led us to the elders’ hall. I could feel every eye in the city on us. The elves whispered, pointing at me. I probably looked like a battered dog after that fight — torn shirt, throbbing hand, and likely a face etched with pure shock. The locals had gotten used to me over time, but… I must’ve still been an eyesore, especially in this state.

The elders’ hall was still empty since we’d returned late at night, and the elders hadn’t gathered yet. But Eldrian — one of the city’s strongest mages — was already there. He wasn’t part of the council, but his authority and power were on par with Milliscent’s. Eldrian rose, his eyes gleaming like a predator’s, though tinged with worry and unease.

“Milliscent,” his voice was cold but laced with concern. “Tell me what happened.”

She briefly recounted the events: piles of dead animals, the cross of chaos, the Rangers’ deaths, and the appearance of the Shadow Beast. I stood beside her, feeling every gaze in the room turn to me when she mentioned how I’d destroyed the creature.

“You?” Eldrian’s eyes narrowed. “A human with no magic killed a Shadow Beast? How?”

“I… don’t know,” I answered honestly. “Something in my hand… it just worked. I didn’t control it.”

“Show me your hand,” Eldrian ordered.

Reluctantly, I extended my left hand. The dark veins were still visible, but Eldrian leaned closer, his fingers humming with faint magical light as he touched my skin. I felt a slight tingle, but nothing more. He jerked his hand back, his face growing more suspicious.

“No magic,” he muttered. “Nothing. How did you do it?”

“I told you, I don’t know!” I couldn’t hide my irritation. “Something in my hand triggered, and I didn’t control it!”

“You’re lying,” Eldrian stepped closer, his voice colder. “No one can destroy a Shadow Beast without magic.” Eldrian was clearly hostile toward me. He seemed concerned for safety, but it was obvious he wasn’t interested in digging deeper. Maybe he was upset that he couldn’t understand the nature of the power in my hand, and it bruised his ego. “You need to be taken into custody until we figure this out.”

“What?!” Milliscent stepped forward, her eyes blazing with anger. “Are you serious? He risked his life to save me! How can you accuse him?”

“He’s an outsider, Milliscent!” Eldrian raised his voice. “You lost your magic, the Rangers are dead, and he’s the only one who survived with you. Don’t you see how suspicious that is?”

“He didn’t set up that ritual!” she was almost shouting. “Someone wanted us dead, and Bogdan saved me! Are you even listening to me?”

“Enough!” A sudden, raspy, tired voice cut through the tension. Lady Ruby entered the hall, her hair disheveled, dark circles under her eyes. She looked like she hadn’t slept in days. “You’re all acting like children. Eldrian, stop accusing the boy. Milliscent, calm down. You both look like you’ve been through a meat grinder. We’re not solving anything right now, and I want to sleep! You two should rest too.”

Eldrian pressed his lips together, his eyes flashing with displeasure.

“Lady Ruby, this outsider could be dangerous. We don’t know what power he has, and…”

“I said, enough,” Ruby raised her hand, her voice firm despite her fatigue. “I’ll talk to the other elders tomorrow. You, Eldrian, can keep an eye on him if you want. But for now, everyone’s dismissed.”

Eldrian shot me another suspicious look but nodded.

“Fine. But I’ll be watching you.”

“No problem,” I replied with a touch of irony. I understood his accusations made sense, but I had no strength left.

He turned and left, his cloak billowing ominously behind him. The tension in my chest eased slightly, but Milliscent’s gaze was filled with worry.

Lady Ruby approached us, her eyes carefully studying me, then Milliscent.

“You two, with me,” she said quietly. “We need to talk.”

We followed Ruby to a small room next to the hall. It was cozy but cramped — a few bookshelves, a faintly glowing magical crystal in the corner, and a wooden table. Ruby sat, gesturing for us to do the same.

“I’ll talk to the other elders,” she began, her voice soft but weary. “I’ll convince them not to lock you up, Bogdan. But we’ll need to meet again to figure out this… ritual. And what happened to your magic, Milliscent.”

“You think it’s connected?” Milliscent asked quietly.

“I don’t know,” Ruby sighed. “But it’s definitely not a coincidence… I believe you, Bogdan. But I’m just one person, and there are plenty of others. The fact that you killed a Shadow Beast… You probably realize that doesn’t help your reputation.”

I nodded, though my mind swirled with questions. Ruby looked at me, her gaze oddly warm.

“You saved her, Bogdan. And I’m grateful. But be careful. Whatever’s inside you, it could be dangerous not just to your enemies. If we can figure out what it is… It’d be great if you could learn to control it.”

She stood, signaling the conversation was over. I left the room but noticed Ruby held Milliscent back. I stood outside the door, trying not to eavesdrop, but caught fragments of their conversation. Ruby’s voice was low but tense, and I saw Milliscent look away sharply, her face paling. She muttered something, then quickly walked out.

“What happened?” I asked when we were alone.

“Nothing,” she brushed it off, but her voice trembled. “Just… Ruby’s worried about us.”

“Worried?” I narrowed my eyes. “You look like she scolded you… Whatever she said, I don’t think she should have.”

“Oh, come on,” she tried to smile, but it was forced. “Maybe I’m just tired. Let’s go home, hero.”

“Oh, are you flirting now?”

“Maybe a little,” she gave me a light shove on the shoulder, her smile becoming a bit more genuine. “But don’t get cocky. I can still lock you in a cage if you annoy me.”

We stepped out onto the city streets, glowing with the soft light of magical crystals. The night was cool, and the tree platforms hummed with the quiet whisper of the wind. Milliscent walked beside me, and I felt invisible sparks between us. She was hiding something, I could see it, but I didn’t want to push. Not now. We just walked, and I suddenly realized that for the first time in a long while, I felt… alive.

“You know,” I broke the silence, “in my world, I never just walked like this, for the sake of walking. But here… it’s different. I mean, I walked… but I could never just be in the moment. Enjoy it, savor it. Instead, I was always worrying about tomorrow or yesterday. And I missed out on moments like this.”

“Different?” She glanced at me, her eyes glinting in the dark.

“Well, like… it’s not so bad walking with you,” I smiled, and she lightly smacked my arm.

“Idiot,” she said, but her voice was warm. “But, you know, it’s not so bad with you either. I never walked like this myself… Only with my dad. But I was really little then.”

I wanted to know more, but… it felt like Milliscent cut herself off mid-sentence. She’d tell me when she was ready. For now…

We kept walking, and I felt the voice in my head stay silent. Maybe even it was swayed by this atmosphere, lulled by the whisper of the wind and the pleasant green leaves.