Two Suns Within

Chapter 16 - Two Suns Within

The darkness was no longer empty.

Slowly, it was pierced by the light of an oil lamp in the corner of the room. Shadows shifted along the wooden walls, rising and falling with the flicker of the small flame that never truly stayed still.

Zio took a careful breath and tried to open his eyes. He tried to move his fingers.

The command didn’t immediately follow. He felt as if he had to wait, giving his body time to fully return. Air filled his lungs deeper than he intended, then left with a pause that felt unfamiliar. The silence inside him was strange, but not frightening. It made him wonder whether he was truly awake or merely drifting from one dream to another.

Another beat thudded in his chest. Not fast, not painful.

Zio sensed something before he could fully see it. The first thing to touch his senses was a smell: a sharp herbal scent mingling with the aroma of aged pine wood. To anyone else, it might be comforting, but to Zio, it felt alien. He tried to remember the last time he had smelled anything like it, but his memory was fragmented, like the pages of a book turned too quickly.

Then, he heard Martha’s breathing.

She was trying to stifle her sobs. She saw him, but she didn’t rise from her chair or call for help. Her hand covered her mouth, holding back a breath that nearly escaped as sound.

If she spoke now, she feared what would come out wouldn’t be words, but something uncontrollable. So she remained silent, forcing herself to breathe slowly, just as she had always taught Zio.

Zio groaned softly.
“Dark.”

“The lamp is still on,” Martha replied quickly, her voice trembling but low. “You just haven’t focused yet.”

Zio blinked several times, his gaze empty as he tried to make out shapes.
“Where are we?”

“The clinic. We’ve reached Elen'shade.”

A few seconds passed before he spoke again.
“…I fainted?”

He didn’t turn immediately, staring at the wooden ceiling as he tried to piece together the events. It felt like waking up in the middle of a story without knowing the beginning.

“How long?” he asked, his voice quieter now.

Martha didn’t answer right away. She straightened Zio’s blanket, a small, unnecessary gesture.
“Long enough for me to start counting days by the lamp,” she said finally.

Zio furrowed his brow.
“Now... night or morning?”

“Night. But it’s not the same night.”

The answer didn’t explain much, yet Zio nodded. Somehow, it felt easier to accept a vague sentence than a truth too clear. He swallowed.
“Then... what about the bandits?”

Martha took a deep breath. “We’re safe. An elf patrol arrived shortly after, and they dealt with the bandits.”

Zio exhaled softly. Relief washed over him, but it mingled with a hollowness he couldn’t explain. His body hadn’t yet caught up with his mind.

“Enough, Zio. Don’t think about that. The important thing is that you’re awake now.”

He turned slightly toward her.
“Sorry... I caused you trouble.”

Tears ran down Martha’s cheeks. She opened her mouth, then closed it again; the words were too heavy to speak aloud.
“No, Zio. I was the one who got us into danger… but you… you saved me,” she said hoarsely, clutching his hand tightly.

Zio didn’t return the hug, not because he didn’t want to, but because his body hadn’t fully obeyed yet. Still, he allowed himself to lean in, accepting the warmth he had long ignored.

The voice was soft, not hysterical crying or screaming. Only the sound of deep, immense worry.

Martha stood again.
“Are you thirsty?”

Zio nodded, and she helped him take a small sip. Soon after, the sound of his stomach grumbling filled the room. Martha quickly fetched a bowl of food.
“Eat something first, though it’s already a little cold.”

“No need, Aunt.”

“Just a little. You haven’t eaten since you slept.”

Zio nodded and took the bowl. His first spoonful was slow, too slow. Martha didn’t scold; she simply watched, ensuring every movement was real. She smiled faintly, eyes wet.
“You really are like that.”

Zio tried to smile. Silence returned after the brief exchange.

Then footsteps echoed outside.

Martha looked first. The door opened.

Trod stepped in, his steps deliberate but restrained. Behind him, a tall man with light hair followed silently. His eyes were calm, too calm for a stranger at this hour.

Zio felt his chest tighten for no clear reason. Not fear, but as if someone had just opened a door to a room that had been closed for years.

“I thought you were still asleep,” Trod said.

“Uncle…”

“Finish your food first,” Trod instructed.

Zio smiled faintly. Then his gaze shifted to the man behind Trod. His chest felt warm, heavy, and familiar all at once. The man said nothing, merely observing Zio as if assessing something invisible.

Martha glanced at him. Not suspicious, just noting that his face… strangely resembled someone she knew. Jawline. Eyes.
She leaned close to Trod. “Who is he?”

“Later. Not here,” Trod replied shortly.

A few minutes passed. The man stepped closer to Zio. His hand rose, brushing the pendant on Zio’s chest, briefly.
“I expected it. It has reached its limit,” he said.

The words hung in the air. Zio didn’t know what limit he meant, yet his body reacted faster than his mind. He remained still.

“What do you feel now?” the man asked.

Zio hesitated, then placed a hand over his chest.
“My body… feels a little strange.”

Trod tensed. Martha held her breath.

The man nodded slowly.
“I must act immediately. But not here. We have to take him out first.”

“What?!” Martha exclaimed. “He just woke up! He hasn’t fully recovered!”

“We could take him to a large hospital,” she suggested quickly. “So it won’t relapse.”

Trod placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Martha.”

The man spoke again.
“Taking him to a large hospital will only create bigger problems. For the world.”

Martha wanted to argue, but the weight of his words was too immense. She chose silence, knowing shouting wouldn’t make the world smaller.

“All right,” she finally said. “But not now. He needs rest. We’ll go tomorrow. For now, we’ll take him to my relative’s house nearby.”

A healer and nurse entered. After a quick check, the healer said,
“Normal. Tomorrow, take him to the large hospital just to be sure.”

“No need,” Martha said firmly. “We’re taking him home.”

Trod carried Zio into the night air. The cold made everything feel sharper, more real. They walked until they reached the house, which was bright and lively even at this hour.

“Why at night?” a woman greeted. “If I knew you were bringing so many people, I would have prepared more food.”

Martha smiled tiredly. “Sorry.”

Her gaze fell on Zio.
“Why him?”

“A minor incident,” she said.

They were welcomed by the aroma of warm soup and the sounds of a home. Zio opened his eyes slightly, seeing lights brighter than the clinic. For the first time that night, he felt as if nothing was chasing him.

“Only two rooms are empty,” the relative said.

“That’s enough for Zio and Martha,” Trod replied. “I’ll go out for a drink with him for a bit.”

Trod and the man stood under the shadow of a massive tree. The sounds of the house were replaced by the hissing night wind. Trod sipped from a small metal bottle and offered it; the man declined, eyes fixed on the upstairs window.

“Almost,” Trod muttered. “I feared Martha would insist on taking the boy to the large hospital.”

The man squinted, the moon casting long, sharp shadows across the grass.
“If that happens… everything built over the past twelve years could be destroyed in a single night.”

Trod swallowed.
“Yes… they would witness something that shouldn’t exist.”

“Dual Mana Core. Two magical hearts in one human body,” the man said quietly. “The large scanner would detect it. Zio would no longer be a patient. He would be a threat.”

“The seal is starting to crack?”

“Yes. The two cores are beginning to react with each other. I must train him immediately, before it’s too late.”

The man stared at Zio’s window.
“When it breaks... the world will know someone was born with a power that should be impossible. Greyhollow is no longer safe. I will take him to the northern mountain foothills.”

Trod remained silent, staring into the darkness. The peace of their small village had died tonight.

Above, Zio slept, unaware that in his chest... two suns were about to collide.

And second by second... they drew closer.