Chapter 18: The Shifting Balance

Kael stood within the clearing, after-shocks of the Harbinger's threat still ratcheting through his mind. Tension-clotted air clung to his face like a bad miasma, for the quiet forest betrayed none of the urgency that had settled in his chest. He felt it, an unsettling vibration humming in the fabric of reality, and knew the leader's plan was set in motion.

The Legacy of the Cosmos came alive in him. "They're not playing games anymore, Kael. If what that Harbinger said is true, you don't have much time."

Kael's fists curled tighter as he kept his gaze trained on the ancient monolith. It had given him a hint of the truth-that the dissonance, the force the Harbingers worshiped, wasn't bad in and of itself. It belonged to the cycle of the universe, a needed force of change. But what the Eternals had intended was given the opposite, by the Harbingers who only believed in propelling dissonance, chaos, to move things. And they certainly were not going to harness dissonance but let it overwhelm everything and tip the balance of the cosmos upside down into chaos.

Kael's head spun. How would he be able to halt something this massive, something larger and beyond good or evil, like the very force of dissonance? His power was enormous, and yet there was no way he could eradicate this cosmic force without great cost; in fact, it could only be done in a way that would keep the balance but would not unloose the catastrophe the Harbingers were so anxious to unleash.

"You're thinking too much," the voice of Legacy cut off his thoughts. "You can stop them, Kael. You only need to act before a point where you cannot go back anymore."

Kael turned his face to the side from the monolith, his mind growing sharp. He can feel subtle differences in the world around him-the first ripples of dissonance, spreading like cracks in a fragile glass. If he failed to react soon, those cracks would deepen, impossible to mend once shattered.

Having made his decision, Kael tapped into the energy within him. Shockwaves of power ripped through the atmosphere, warping reality itself as Kael steeled himself to take off from the forest and backtrack the way back to the village. That was when he paused, something caught his eye-or rather, ear-a faint pulsing of energy deeper in the forest.

Kael stopped. This wasn't any power-it was known, ancient, and strong. And more importantly, not connected to the Harbingers or dissonance. It was something else, something that might hold the difference between stopping the impending catastrophe and not.

In one fluid movement, Kael transferred his energy and disappeared into the darker recesses of the forest. His senses attuned him in rhythm to the strange beat of power. The trees grew thick about him, their towering forms casting deep shadows as he moved with intent. The air here was denser, charged with an ancient magic which had lain dormant for centuries.

He soon reached a hidden grove. A huge tree occupied the center of it, its bark flushing with silvery light. That was the source of the pulse of energy he felt, pulsating outward like a beacon. It was neither chaotic energy of dissonance nor serene balance in the cosmos. This was something else—something primal and neutral, untouched by the forces that churned within the endless cycle of the universe.

Kael stepped forward, his hand stretching out, fingers extended to touch the bark of the tree. And though he touched it only, his hand seemed to merely sweep through a gentle signal, and knowledge poured through his mind. This tree-this great old sentinel-more ancient than the universe itself. It stood here when the first stars had yet to be born, before the first worlds took shape. And it had power to level chaos in catastrophic time.

The voice of the Legacy was quieter, almost as if it had finally realized what Kael found.

" This … this is what you've been looking for, Kael," the Legacy whispered. "The universe has its own method of keeping things in balance. This tree is part of that mechanism. It is a failsafe, something that goes into action when things get way off track."

Kael's eyes narrowed. "A failsafe…"

"But it's not automatic," the Legacy continued. "You have to choose to activate it. And doing so will come with a cost. The tree can reconcile, restore balance, but it requires a sacrifice-one tied to the forces of dissonance itself."

Kael stepped back, his head spinning. What if he was the one, what if he used this tree, at least he could derail their plan before it got completely out of control? But what would the sacrifice be? Would it take his power, his life, or something more than that?

All he had was a few minutes to make a decision. The distortion within the balance was expanding. If the Harbingers succeeded, this universe was a lost cause to become a mess that was more than his power could handle to fix. So Kael knew now was when he had to act.

Just as Kael made up his mind, a voice cut through the silence of the grove.

"You're not the only one who knows about the tree.".

It whirled from the head of Kael, for a second figure began approaching the clearing. And there stood Erasa, her pale hair glowing luminously as she stepped through the threshold of the grove beneath the dim light of the moon. Her hitherto unruffled, calculating eyes seemed to burn with an otherworldly intensity.

Kael's heart skipped a beat. Erasa had always been some sort of mystery—strong and intelligent, but distant. He'd never quite trusted her, though they'd fought side by side before. But seeing her here now in this place of ancient power, Kael realized there was far more to her than he ever had.

"What are you doing here?" Kael asked grimly, his voice as cold as the stone beneath their feet.

Erasa sneered again. Her eyes flicked to the side, toward the tree that stood behind him. "I could ask you the same thing. But I already know the response. You're here to halt the Harbingers, to maintain the balance. You always were predictable, Kael."

Kael's fists balled. "You're working with them, aren't you?

Not exactly, of course. The Harbingers have their way, but they're not the only thinking mind. You see, Kael, the balance you so desperately are trying to maintain—it is not that simple. The universe requires dissonance just as it requires order. Without both, there's no growing, no evolution. What the Harbingers are doing seems destructive, but in the long run, it is necessary.".

Kael's jaw set in a hard grimace. "Essential? You've seen what they're doing—how many lives they're willing to destroy in the name of their sickened ideals."

Erasa shrugged. "Sacrifices need to be done, Kael. You of all people should know that."

Kael's eyes darkened. "I understand sacrifice, but I won't let the universe tear itself apart because you think chaos is some cure-all."

Erasa's breathing grew closer, her eyes were unblinking and fixed. "So you will lose. For the universe has already begun. Is not something that must be stopped. It is a wave of tide and spreading already. Not even with the tree. Not if you are not going as far as it does".

Kael's breath caught in his throat. "What are you saying?"

Her eyes flashed with excitement. "The tree cannot balance itself, not by itself. It needs someone; someone like you, who can control chaos and order together. The only way you'll be able to stop the Harbingers is if you actually become the balance. Surrender your sense of self, your free will. You'll become the balance.".

This stumped him a step backward. The price the tree demanded was his existence? His identity? Could he trade in all that he was to save the universe?

The Legacy spoke in his mind. "She's telling the truth, Kael. It is up to you. But there's no going back.".

Kael stood there, silent, his eyes flicking from the ancient tree to Erasa's fierce stare. And in that moment the universe's weight came crashing down on him far more powerfully than ever before.

And it was in that moment Kael knew in his heart and mind that anything he chose in this decision, nothing would ever be the same again.