Chapter 11: The Price of Power

This village was quiet, disturbed, while the dust of his encounter with Dorian settled around them. The immediate danger had been averted, yet the tension was still hanging there in the air, waiting for a signal to release a bigger storm. Saga's victory had come at a high cost, and as he lay in his small, modest home, the weight hit hard on his mind.

Lysandra had insisted on staying with him, so she had refused to let the others take her away. Tending to his wound, she cleaned and bandaged it, her face adorned with concern. Thick silence, filled with unuttered worries and questions, was suspended in the air.

"Saga," she finally broke the silence, her voice soft. "What are you going to do about Dorian? He won't stop, you know that."

Saga flinched slightly as she tightened the bandage to his arm, but he nodded. "I know. Dorian's not the type to back down easily. He'll come after me again, and next time, he won't be alone."

At this, Lysandra's hands paused, and she looked up at him with the search in her eyes. "Then we have to be ready; you need to get stronger, faster."

Saga's eyes wandered to the artifact beside him on the table. It was still glowing—just not that much—but he could feel the power it had. "Well, the System will help me," he said, but a thread of uncertainty couched his voice. "Still, I need to understand it better, surely not to rely blindly on it.

Lysandra nodded, her face resolute. "Then we'll study it together. We'll figure out how to use its power to protect you—and to stop Dorian."

Saga couldn't help but grin at her determination. "I'm a lucky man to have you at my side, Lysandra."

She flushed, waving off the praise. "We're in this together, remember? Besides, you'd be lost without me."

This lightness was a fleeting moment, though; the attention of the two shifted when the knock on the door was suddenly forced. Saga tensed; his hand flitted instinctively to the weapon at his side. But the door was pushed open by Aric, who stepped inside, a grave expression upon his face.

"Saga, Lysandra," the elder greeted them, a burden in his thoughts as his voice boomed low. "May I speak with you both?"

Saga nodded and waved a hand for him to sit. The older man lowered down into the chair, clasping his hands in his lap tightly.

"I'll not take up much of your tea," he started, looking with a flick of his eyes over to the artifact on the table. "But I could nae help meself from thinkin' today—about Dorian. About what you managed to get back." A low glance shared between Saga and Lysandra, a conversation without words.

"Saga," Aric continued, "through the years, I have witnessed, and watched many things, and I have realized that with great power always comes a price to pay. The artifact you hold is no ordinary artifact. It's tied into something so much greater, which could turn the very fate of our world around."

Saga scrunched his face in thought again, curiosity just not letting him leave that alone. "What do you mean?"

Aric sighed, watching afar with eyes glazed, as though he had seen something that reminded him of memories long erased. "The System, the power you've awakened—it is not for personal gain. This is something from an ancient power, one which has set the stage for history in fashions most people do not even recognize. One who possesses its power has a destiny marked by fate—for better or worse.

Lysandra leaned forward, obviously interested. "So, you mean to say that Saga is—chosen?"

"In a way, yes," Aric said, his voice serious. "But with that comes great responsibility. The power of the System is not to be taken lightly. It will demand much of you, Saga—more than you can imagine. And it will attract enemies, not just like Dorian, but far more dangerous forces than him.

Saga felt a shiver run down his spine. The weight of Aric's words settled heavily upon his shoulders. "What should I do?

Their gazes met, and Aric was earnest in his expression. "You have to ready yourself, body and mind. Learn what you can about the System—its history, its purpose. And watch out for those who would try to use you for their own purposes. The road you tread is full of danger, but it also offers great opportunity. You can change the world, Saga—if you're willing to pay the cost.".

Aric's words caused Saga's thoughts to race. This System had given him strength, but with it, it had plunged him into a world of dangers far off what he could have imagined. Yet, for all the fear that ravenously chewed at his mind, he felt resolve growing.

"I will do whatever it takes," Saga said, firm-voiced. "This power will not consume me, and I won't have it taken from me by Dorian or anyone. I will grow strong enough to protect the people I care about and to fulfill whatever destiny the System has put before me."

He nodded slightly, a small smile forming that touched his lips. "I believe in you, Saga. But remember, you don't have to face this alone. There are those who will stand with you, if you let them."

Saga looked over at Lysandra, who nodded her head in encouragement. "Thank you, Aric. I will not forget your advice."

The elder rose to his feet, a look of satisfaction on his face. "Good. Then I will let you rest. You have had a long day and there are greater challenges ahead."

As Aric left the room, silence settled between Saga and Lysandra under the weight of their conversation. Though the days ahead would surely be dangerous and filled with unknowns, now, for the first time, Saga felt something other than turmoil. He was determined to master the System, to find out its secrets, and to master his destiny.

With Lysandra at his side and the power of the System in his hands, Saga was ready for what was to come, against any odds.