Chapter 42: A Serious Talk Part 4

Amador leaned back in his throne, studying Joshua with eyes that carried the weight of countless battles. The flickering torchlight cast long shadows over his hardened features.

"It seems you are trustworthy, outsider," he finally said, his voice low but firm. "Do you know why you wield such great power?"

Joshua met the chief's gaze and hesitated to speak.

Amador nodded and turned to his daughter. "Daughter, care to explain?"

Maydee leaned back in her chair, her golden eyes locked onto Joshua. The dim torchlight flickered against the wooden walls, casting shifting shadows across the room.

"You wield great power, Joshua," she finally said. "Do you know why?"

Joshua hesitated. He had theories, but he wasn't sure how much she already knew. "I have some ideas," he admitted. "But I'd rather hear it from you."

Maydee crossed her arms, studying him carefully. "An individual who can sense, manipulate, and wield energy is called Gifted. We are rare, but not unheard of. Most Gifted have one or two attributes—fire, wind, water, earth, light, shadow, spirit… There are many."

Joshua listened intently. This was the first time he was getting a real explanation about how abilities worked in this world.

"I have three attributes," she continued, "which is considered very rare. Fire, wind, and spirit. Since I awakened at the age of five, I have trained for twenty-five years to master them."

She paused, letting her words sink in before her gaze sharpened. "And yet, in mere weeks, you have achieved feats that took me decades to refine."

Joshua frowned. He had suspected that his growth was abnormal, but hearing it from her confirmed it.

"It is because you wield Blank—an attribute that should not exist."

Joshua's hands clenched.

"Blank is pure energy," Maydee said. "It is not bound by elemental limitations. It can take any form, follow any path, and be shaped in ways no other attribute can. It is both limitless… and dangerous."

A chill ran down Joshua's spine.

"The last recorded Blank existed hundreds of years ago," she continued. "And his power reshaped the world."

Joshua didn't miss the weight in her words. "Reshaped… how?"

Maydee didn't answer immediately. Instead, she took a slow breath before speaking again. "When a Blank is born… they are to be killed immediately."

Joshua felt the air leave his lungs. He sat frozen, his mind racing.

"This is not a legend," Maydee said, her tone serious. "It is a law. A necessary one."

Joshua swallowed hard. "Why?"

"Because the Blank attribute does not just grant power—it corrupts the mind," she said. "The longer you wield it, the more it consumes you. Strength without balance, knowledge without restraint, power without limits."

Joshua's heartbeat pounded in his ears.

"I have been observing you ever since you awakened," Maydee admitted. "And Bran, the one in the shadows, has been watching you as well. The moment you show signs of instability, the moment you stray too far—"

She didn't finish the sentence. She didn't need to.

Joshua forced himself to breathe. His fingers trembled slightly before he tightened them into a fist.

"Why are you telling me this?" he finally asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Amador let out a long breath, his gaze heavy with the weight of history. He studied Joshua for a moment before speaking, his voice grave.

"May it be your fortune or your misfortune… only time will tell."

His words hung in the air, thick with meaning. The flickering torchlight cast deep shadows across his face, making him seem both ancient and immovable—like a relic of a past that refused to fade.

"The last Blank… he was unstoppable," Amador continued, his voice laced with something between reverence and resentment. "He tore through thousands of warriors and Gifted alike. Cities burned, kingdoms crumbled beneath his hands. His thirst for power knew no bounds—he sought to conquer the entire world."

Joshua swallowed hard. The weight of history pressed down on him like a phantom hand tightening around his throat.

"And do you know who he was?" Amador's lips curled into something that wasn't quite a smile. "He was my ancestor. His blood runs in my veins… and now, in a cruel twist of fate, I find myself looking at another Blank, wondering if this cycle will begin anew."

Silence filled the room, thick and suffocating.

"Because of his madness," Amador continued, "our people were cursed. Banished. No matter where we go, we are treated as outcasts, exiled to this forsaken land, doomed to be nothing more than whispers in the dark."

He leaned forward, eyes burning with intensity. "But he did not just leave behind ruin. He left behind a legacy—a secret that only the chief of this village is entrusted with. Its location is known only to me."

Joshua's breath hitched.

"But do not let that tempt you," Amador warned, his voice turning sharp. "You are far too weak to even think of claiming it. Strength without control is destruction. Power without discipline is a curse. You walk a path no one else can walk, and if you stray—"

He let the threat hang, unspoken but undeniable.

Then, his expression softened just slightly. "But I am a man who knows how to take a gamble. And I am willing to bet on you."

Joshua's eyes widened.

"If you can master your power, if you can prove that you are not just another Blank consumed by madness, then perhaps… just perhaps… you can clear our name. You can break this curse. You can lead us out of this wasteland."

The firelight flickered, casting a long shadow behind the chief, as if the very weight of his ancestors loomed over them.

"The strong make the rules in this world, Joshua," Amador said, his voice deep with conviction. "And I hope—no, I expect—you to become strong enough to carve your own."

He stood, looming over Joshua like an immovable wall of history and expectation.

"Just don't lose your mind."

His gaze lingered for a moment longer before he gave a slow nod.

"You have the heart of a warrior."

After a brief pause, "You may leave. Remember my words Joshua and be careful. No one will ever know that you are a Blank. The villagers will not utter a word until their last breath. This village is proud. This village is strong. This village is united. You said you wanted purpose? Then, be stronger."

Joshua nodded solemly. "Thank you Chief. I will not let you down."

Joshua left the hall, his footsteps echoing in the silence. The weight of Amador's words still lingered in the air like a storm about to break.

Maydee watched him go, her golden eyes unreadable. Then, with a quiet sigh, she stood, ready to follow.

"A moment, my daughter."

Amador's voice was calm, but there was an undercurrent of something deeper—something heavier.

Maydee turned. "Yes, Father?"

Amador's gaze was steady, piercing. "Can we trust him?"

Maydee didn't answer immediately. She glanced at the door where Joshua had disappeared, then back at her father.

"He speaks the truth," she said finally. "Even though he is… different."

Amador raised a brow.

Maydee's expression tightened. "His mind does not work like ours. Even I find myself struggling to grasp the way he thinks. He thirsts for power, yes—but not out of greed or malice. He seeks strength not to dominate, but to prove something… to himself."

She paused, then added, "That is ambition. And his heart is determined."

Amador studied her carefully, his eyes searching for hesitation, for doubt. "And if you are wrong?"

Maydee's lips curled into something between a smirk and a grim smile. "Then I will end him myself the moment I sense a trace of madness."

A moment of silence stretched between them. Then, Amador leaned back in his throne, nodding slowly. "Very well."

He exhaled, the firelight flickering against his scarred face. "What are your plans for him?"

Maydee's eyes gleamed. "I'll take him hunting."

Amador chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound. "Hunting, is it?"

Maydee allowed herself a small smile. "It's time he learns what true strength means."

Amador nodded approvingly. Then, without turning his head, he spoke again.

"Bran."

From the shadows, a figure materialized, his presence barely more than a whisper in the air. His face was unreadable, his stance relaxed yet ready.

"You know what to do," Amador said.

Bran bowed his head slightly. "Yes, Chief."

Then, without another word, he vanished into the darkness.