Chapter 13: Kael’s Struggle

The alley was quiet, the only sound the faint rustle of leaves in the wind. Kael stood in the shadows, his hands trembling as he stared at the cat frozen mid-leap. Its body was suspended in the air, its eyes wide with fear, its fur bristling as if it could sense the unnatural force holding it in place. Kael's breath came in ragged gasps, his heart pounding in his chest as he tried to make sense of what had just happened.

He had been walking home, his mind racing with thoughts of the mutations, the Veil, and the ancient beings. The weight of it all had been pressing down on him, a constant, gnawing fear that he couldn't shake. And then, without warning, the world had slowed to a crawl. The people on the street had frozen in place, their voices stretched and distorted, like a record player spinning at the wrong speed. The air had thickened, the world around him becoming a blur of colors and shapes.

And then, just as suddenly as it had started, it had stopped. The world had snapped back into focus, the noise rushing back in a deafening wave. Kael had stumbled, his legs giving out beneath him, and collapsed against the wall of the alley. His head spun, his vision blurred, and he felt like he might vomit. But the worst part was the cat. The poor, frozen cat.

Kael took a step closer, his hand reaching out to touch the animal, but he stopped himself. What if he made it worse? What if he couldn't fix it? The thought sent a surge of panic through him, his breath coming in short, shallow gasps. He had always been in control, always been the one to keep his cool in a crisis. But this… this was something else entirely.

"What the hell is happening to me?" he whispered, his voice trembling.

The sound of footsteps behind him made him freeze. He turned, his heart racing, and saw Aurelia standing at the entrance of the alley. She was leaning against the wall, her arms crossed over her chest, a faint smirk on her lips. Her silver hair caught the faint light of the streetlamp, her eyes glowing faintly in the dark.

"Well," she said, her tone light and teasing, "at least you've found a way to stop cats from knocking things over. Humanity thanks you."

Kael groaned, running a hand through his hair. "This isn't funny, Aurelia. I could have killed it."

She shrugged, pushing off the wall and stepping closer. "But you didn't. And now you know you can do it. That's progress, right?"

Kael didn't respond, his gaze falling back on the frozen cat. He felt a surge of frustration, hot and sharp, burning in his chest. "I don't even know how I did it. One minute, I'm walking, and the next… this."

Aurelia tilted her head, studying him with a curious expression. "You're not like the others, Kael. Your power… it's different. It's tied to time itself. That's not something you can control overnight."

Kael shook his head, his hands curling into fists at his sides. "I don't have time to figure it out. The Veil, the mutations, the ancient beings… we're running out of time."

Aurelia's smirk faded, her expression turning serious. "You're right. We are. But that doesn't mean you can rush this. If you push yourself too hard, you'll only make things worse."

Kael didn't respond, his mind racing as he tried to process what she was saying. He knew she was right, but that didn't make it any easier. The weight of it all was pressing down on him, a constant, gnawing fear that he couldn't shake. He felt like he was drowning, like the world was closing in around him.

Aurelia stepped closer, her gaze locking with his. "You're not alone in this, Kael. We're all in over our heads. But we'll figure it out. Together."

Kael didn't respond, his gaze falling back on the frozen cat. He felt a surge of frustration, hot and sharp, burning in his chest. "I just… I don't know if I can do this."

Aurelia's expression softened, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "You don't have to do it alone. That's what we're here for."

Kael didn't respond, his mind racing as he tried to steady his breathing. The weight of it all was pressing down on him, a constant, gnawing fear that he couldn't shake. But Aurelia's words, her presence, gave him a moment of clarity. He wasn't alone. He didn't have to do this alone.

He took a deep breath, his hands unclenching at his sides. "Okay. What do we do?"

Aurelia's smirk returned, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "First, we unfreeze the cat. Then, we figure out how to control your powers. Sound good?"

Kael nodded, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Sounds good."

Aurelia stepped closer, her gaze locking with his. "Good. Now, focus. Feel the energy around you. The flow of time. You're not stopping it. You're bending it."

Kael closed his eyes, trying to focus on the energy Aurelia was talking about. It was faint, almost imperceptible, but it was there—a low, steady hum that seemed to vibrate through the air. He reached out, his mind grasping for it, trying to bend it to his will.

The world around him slowed, the air thickening as time began to warp. He could feel the energy flowing through him, a strange, electric sensation that made his skin prickle. He focused on the cat, on the frozen moment, and willed it to move.

The cat twitched, its body jerking as time began to flow again. It landed on the ground with a soft thud, its fur bristling as it darted away into the shadows. Kael let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding, his hands trembling as he opened his eyes.

Aurelia was watching him, a faint smile on her lips. "See? Not so hard."

Kael didn't respond, his mind racing as he tried to process what had just happened. He had done it. He had controlled his power. But the weight of it all was still pressing down on him, a constant, gnawing fear that he couldn't shake.

Aurelia stepped closer, her gaze locking with his. "You're not like the others, Kael. Your power… it's tied to something deeper. Something older. You just need to learn how to control it."

Kael didn't respond, his mind racing as he tried to make sense of what she was saying. He felt a surge of frustration, hot and sharp, burning in his chest. "I don't even know where to start."

Aurelia's smirk returned, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "Start with the basics. Focus on the energy. Feel it. Control it. And remember, you're not alone in this."

Kael nodded, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Thanks, Aurelia."

She shrugged, her tone light and teasing. "Don't mention it. Just try not to freeze me next time, okay?"

Kael chuckled, the tension in his chest easing slightly. "I'll do my best."

Aurelia's smirk faded, her expression turning serious. "Good. Because we're going to need you, Kael. The storm is coming, and we need to be ready."

Kael didn't respond, his gaze sweeping over the alley as he tried to steady his breathing. The weight of it all was pressing down on him, a constant, gnawing fear that he couldn't shake. But Aurelia's words, her presence, gave him a moment of clarity. He wasn't alone. He didn't have to do this alone.

He took a deep breath, his hands unclenching at his sides. "Okay. What's next?"

Aurelia's smirk returned, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "Next, we find the others. We have a lot of work to do."

Kael nodded, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Let's get to it."