Chapter 13 – The Awakening and the Watchers

A sharp breath filled Kalen's lungs as his eyes snapped open. The world around him felt distant, like waking from a long dream, yet the weight of something… unnatural still lingered in his body. He sat up with a start, the last memory flashing through his mind—Seraphine in danger, the overwhelming surge of power, and then… nothing.

His head ached as he tried to move. The stiffness in his limbs made it clear—he had been unconscious for days. The room was dimly lit, and as his gaze adjusted, he saw Seraphine sitting near the fireplace, sharpening her dagger. The moment she heard him stir, she rushed over.

"You're awake," she breathed in relief, but the tension in her shoulders didn't disappear.

Kalen swallowed, his throat dry. "What… what happened?"

Seraphine hesitated. "You saved me. You… changed. That power—it wasn't normal, Kalen. It was beyond anything I've ever seen."

He clenched his fists, trying to recall the sensation. That immense strength, the sheer force that had allowed him to kill Vaelin Drex, was now completely absent. He felt normal—no, weaker than normal. The thought made his chest tighten.

"I can't feel it," he admitted. "I don't know how to trigger it again."

Seraphine's eyes darkened. "Good."

Kalen looked at her in confusion. "Good? Why?"

She sheathed her dagger, her tone firm. "Because you don't know how to control it yet. That kind of power… it could destroy you just as easily as it destroys your enemies. Until you understand it, you can't use it."

Kalen wanted to argue, but the memory of what happened—the unnatural way his body moved, the suffocating presence of his magic—made him pause. She was right. If he used it without understanding, it might consume him.

But something felt off. He turned to Seraphine. "How long was I out?"

"Almost a week."

His stomach twisted. That long?

"And the Council?" he asked. "They must be coming after us."

Seraphine hesitated again before shaking her head. "Not yet."

Kalen frowned. "What do you mean 'not yet'?"

Her expression was troubled. "They're watching."

The Council's Spies

Far beyond the tree line, hidden among the shadows, a pair of eyes watched the cabin where Kalen rested. The figures concealed themselves well, cloaked in darkness, their presence nearly undetectable. But Seraphine had sensed them—felt their eyes on her every night since they reached safety.

"He's awake," one of the figures murmured to his companion.

The second spy smirked. "Interesting. So the boy who killed Vaelin Drex finally stirs."

They weren't just scouts. These were Shroud Watchers—elite spies of the Council of Shadows, tasked with observing potential threats and reporting back. They didn't strike, not yet. The Council's orders had been clear: Observe. Report. Do not engage.

The first spy shifted uncomfortably. "You saw what happened back there. He killed Vaelin Drex. He awakened something dangerous. Are we really just going to sit here and watch?"

The second one chuckled darkly. "Let the higher-ups handle it. This boy isn't just some rogue warlock. He's something else. Something… terrifying."

As the shadows swallowed them, they disappeared into the night, heading back to report their findings.

Meanwhile, back in the cabin, Kalen sat in silence, the weight of Seraphine's warning pressing on him.

They were being watched.

And whatever was coming next—

It was only just beginning.