Chapter 2: The Weaver’s Warning

Aria stepped back instinctively, her gaze locked on the cloaked man who had materialized out of the shadows. His presence was unnerving, like he didn’t quite belong to the world she knew. His words echoed in her mind: Your thread is missing, isn’t it?

"Who are you?" she demanded, trying to mask her fear with defiance. Her fingers curled into fists, ready to bolt if he made any sudden moves.

The man tilted his head slightly, studying her with unsettling intensity. "A question with too many answers," he said cryptically. "For now, you may call me Kael."

"How do you know about my thread?" she asked. "No one else has noticed."

Kael gave a humorless chuckle. "No one else dares to notice. To the villagers, the tapestry is sacred and infallible. Admitting its flaws would unravel their belief in everything." He took a step closer, and Aria resisted the urge to retreat. "But I’ve been watching you for some time, Aria. You’re... unique."

Aria’s pulse quickened. "Why? What does it mean to be... threadless?"

Kael’s expression darkened. "It means you’re an anomaly. A threadless existence isn’t supposed to happen. The tapestry records every life, every fate, every decision. You—" he pointed a gloved hand at her—"are unbound. Unpredictable. And that terrifies those who seek control."

"Control?" she echoed. "Who’s controlling the tapestry?"

Kael’s eyes gleamed. "The Weavers’ Guild, of course. The masters of fate, the ones who spin, cut, and mend the threads. They ensure the tapestry remains flawless. And they don’t take kindly to… discrepancies."

A cold shiver ran down Aria’s spine. "Are you saying they’ll come after me?"

"They’ve already noticed," Kael said grimly. "The glowing sigil above the tapestry is their mark. It’s a beacon, calling a Hunter to eliminate whatever threatens the design. Right now, that’s you."

Aria’s legs felt weak, but she forced herself to stand tall. "Why are you telling me this? What do you want?"

Kael hesitated, then pulled a small, shimmering object from beneath his cloak. It was a shard of something—a fragment of thread, though it didn’t glow like the ones in the tapestry. Instead, it pulsed faintly, as though alive.

"Take this," he said, holding it out to her.

Aria stared at the fragment. "What is it?"

"An unspun thread," Kael replied. "Something not yet bound to the tapestry. It’s raw potential—dangerous, but powerful. It may help you… or destroy you."

"Why give it to me?" she asked warily.

Kael’s gaze softened, just for a moment. "Because the tapestry is trembling, Aria. Something is tampering with it, and if it unravels, the entire world will fall apart. Your threadless existence might be the key to saving it."

Her mind raced. None of this made sense, yet it felt terrifyingly real. "What do I do now?" she asked.

Kael’s voice dropped to a whisper. "You have two choices: seek the Weavers’ Guild and demand answers, though they may see you as a threat. Or run and stay hidden, but the Hunters will find you eventually."

Before she could respond, the ground beneath them shuddered. A low, menacing hum filled the air, and the glowing sigil in the tapestry above flared brighter. Kael’s expression turned grim. "They’re coming."

"Who?" Aria asked, panic rising in her chest.

"A Hunter," Kael said, stepping back into the shadows. "You must decide, Aria. Now."

And with that, he vanished, leaving Aria alone in the crumbling tower. The shard of unspun thread lay in her trembling hands, its faint pulse matching the frantic beat of her heart. Looking out at the glowing sigil, she knew her life in Lunaris was over. She had to leave—to find the Guild, to uncover the truth about her existence, and to confront whatever destiny awaited her.

With a final glance at the trembling tapestry above, Aria tucked the shard into her pocket and slipped into the forest, the first steps of a journey that would

reshape not just her life, but the world itself.