Volunteering

Vin walked away excitedly, a huge smile plastered across his face.

He made his way to the shed—built specifically for the relaxation of masters who weren’t currently teaching or simply needed a break before their next session.

Inside, he found six mentors enjoying the cool breeze and chatting about trivial matters.

Time to talk about something of true importance, Vin thought, still smiling as he approached them.

“Good day, Masters,” he said, bowing slightly. “I come before you today to deliver a sacred and important message...” He paused deliberately, letting the weight of his words sink in.

One of the mentors—Master Victor—stood up from his seat and walked toward Vin. Vin instinctively kept a respectful distance.

Master Victor spoke first.

“What is it that you have to say, lad?” he asked gently. He was an elderly man, nearly as old as the village head, Master Liam, with deep wrinkles and a head full of white hair.

Vin frowned slightly. He didn’t like being referred to as “lad” or “boy.” Though his own master often called him that, he was determined to change how people saw him.

“My master, the village head, has given me the task of informing you all of a great and impending change,” Vin said, his voice clear and measured. He paused again as a ripple of unease moved through the group.

“What event is that?” asked the man beside Master Victor. “And be quick with your answers.”

He was a blind mentor, yet known for “seeing” more than most. Since birth, he had never had a single misstep. He was the instructor in charge of visions.

“Yes, Master. It’s about the prophecy. It’s going to take place in two days—three at most.” Vin spoke with pride and excitement. Pride, because he had seen the vision first—before even his master.

“The prophecy?” Master Victor asked, clearly surprised.

“Yes, Master. The prophecy,” Vin confirmed, bowing low.

“The meeting is to begin at sunset. I shall take my leave, if it pleases the Masters.”

He bowed again and remained that way for half a minute, until Master Victor nodded his release.

Vin stepped out of the building with a faint hope of catching a glimpse of Maree before heading off—but as luck would have it, he didn’t.

---

Vin laid out the bamboo benches in a neat line, preparing the space for the meeting set to begin in less than twenty minutes. He dusted the worn wood carefully, whistling a soft tune to himself. The cool breeze was calming, and a crocoo howled in the distance.

The village was quiet except for the occasional howls and Vin’s tune.

His mind wandered to the earlier events, and a smile crept onto his face.

“Good evening, Master Vin,” a familiar voice called.

Maree stepped out from behind a cluster of trees. Her expression was calm and friendly. Her hair was slightly tousled and her dress ruffled by the breeze, making her look more ordinary—more real—than usual.

She plopped onto a bench and faced Vin, who was still brushing dust from the seats.

“G–Good day, Master Maree,” he stuttered, feeling his heart pick up its pace again.

“Hey,” she said, laughing. “Just call me Maree. No need to get awkward.”

Her smile made him feel like he was melting on the inside.

“Then I insist you call me Vin,” he said.

She raised an eyebrow, unsure.

“Please,” he added.

“Alright then, Vin. Anything I can help with?” she asked playfully, wiggling her brows.

She had that aura—simple yet complex. Subtle yet outspoken. Mild yet brave. And something always lurked behind her crystal-blue eyes—mystery.

Vin couldn’t help but notice: she seemed like a woman of many secrets.

“Nothing I can’t handle myself,” he replied, still brushing.

Maree folded one leg over the other and rested her chin in her hands, watching him. Her stare made Vin forget how to breathe.

“So, how are your students doing? No more accidents, I hope?” he asked quickly, trying to ease the tension.

Maree chuckled and nodded.

“Well, they’re students. Some are eager to learn; others think they're too young. I don’t know who decided training young dreamchasers is dangerous. Some are brave, but most are cowards.” She rolled her eyes and clapped dramatically.

“You can’t call them cowards,” Vin replied. “Everyone’s different. The ones you call ‘courageous’ might end up knowing the least, and the ‘cowards’ might become the most brilliant.”

He sat opposite her on a cleaned bench.

“Hmm, I sense a little bias, Master Vin,” she teased. “Were you one of the ‘cowards’ in training?”

She laughed, and Vin joined in, smiling genuinely.

But soon, mentors began arriving, and the two went their separate ways to assist with preparations.

Master Liam came out last—and the entire space went silent.

“Masternar milived!” Master Liam announced in the old Catyra tongue. Dear beloved masters.

“Strealpfh valdd ton!” the small crowd replied in unison.

“I’ve gathered you all to inform you of the great changes. The moment our race of Dreamchasers has long awaited is upon us. Or, perhaps, it is about to begin,” Master Liam said, his voice firm with conviction and authority.

He stroked his beard and studied each face, his gaze intense.

Vin met his master’s eyes and smiled, because he felt it too: joy.

But his master’s stare carried more—it was a message. A silent one. Vin tried to read the lines on his forehead, the tilt of his mouth, the twitch of his brows... but he got nothing.

What is it he’s trying to tell me? Vin wondered.

He glanced at Maree and saw her staring at Master Liam, too. Was the master passing a message to each of them individually?

He didn’t know. He just hoped not.

“As you all know, many years ago, we made a vow—a promise we swore to keep with our lives. Did we not?”

“WE DID!” the crowd roared back.

“Now the time has come to prove our sincerity and our loyalty. As you all know, I am too old, too fragile, to embark on a long journey, let alone a brutal fight. So, I ask for a volunteer.”

Master Liam’s eyes scanned the group.

But no one raised a hand.

The mentors had grown too accustomed to peace, to quiet guidance, not storms and bloodshed.

“We made a promise, did we not?”

“WE DID!”

Then why is no one stepping up? Vin thought bitterly.

“For the last time, I’ll ask—who will volunteer?” Master Liam asked again. “In two days, the stars will align, and the prophecy will begin to unfold. Many lives will be changed. The world will become better. This is our time, Dreamchasers! We’ve lived in the shadows for too long. This is our chance to rise!”

Still—no hands.

Vin’s heart dropped. Was all of this going to crumble because of fear?

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath.

If no one will... then I will.

He raised his hand.

Silence fell again, but this time, all eyes turned to him.

“Very well, lad. Very well. I’ve always known you to be a man of knowledge and courage. Come forward,” Master Liam said, pointing at him with his walking stick—and smirking.

A smirk? Why is he smirking at a time like this?

Vin hurried through the crowd, dodging chairs and legs until he stepped into the open.

He looked

up—and froze.

There in the sky, seven stars shone brightly, perfectly aligned.

His heart thundered in his chest.

Finally... it’s starting.