With his 18th year on the horizon, the echoes of his mother's sacrifice reverberated within him, a reminder of the strength and resilience that coursed through his veins.
Kaelan stood alone in the heart of the ancient temple Orin brought him,the cold stone beneath his feet vibrating with an energy he could barely comprehend. He had been here countless times before, but today was different. Today, the being who had raised him—nurtured him from the moment of his birth—spoke to him once again.
"Lost one" Orin said "Your time is near. The world is shifting. Your power, the Soulfire, it is ready to awaken. You must ignite it now, or the moment will pass and it will fuel more in you bursting in an outrageous wrath".
"I know father,I can feel it everyday calling to me".He replied looking backward at Orin who is still obsessed with nature's care.
"You know lost one...never let anyone take off your necklace.....its as important as life itself".Orin said as he stops his nurturing as if wanting to relay the message more vividly to kaelan.
"Okay papa". kaelan replied, crossed his legs and took a deep breath ready to sync with the flow of wind around him and ignite his fire.
He felt it, the surge of power stirring deep within him, a fire that burned not in his body but in his very soul. Soulfire. The gift of destruction and creation, both a blessing and a curse, and yet he had never fully harnessed it. The potential was there, waiting for him to reach out and claim it.
Kaelan closed his eyes, steadying his breath. The air around him crackled as he began to call upon his Soulfire, his hands glowing faintly with an ethereal blue light. He could feel the power growing, filling him from the inside out, ready to explode in a burst of raw energy. His heartbeat quickened as the flames within him began to roar to life.
But then, just as the fire within his chest threatened to break free, something shifted.
A presence. Something unfamiliar.
Kaelan's eyes snapped open, the light from his hands flickering and dimming as he turned toward the entrance of the temple. The storm outside intensified, wind howling and the sky darkening even further.
"What's wrong papa?" kaelan asks.
" Sometimes it's best to let nature have its way son"
The wind howled through the ancient trees of the forest, a foreboding cry that seemed to echo the restless stirring inside Kaelan's chest. Today, something would change. The pull of destiny had led him to this sacred clearing, where the air shimmered with an unseen energy, as if the very earth itself knew the significance of the day.
"Okay son something is wrong,nature is never this harsh " Orin says as he took a defensive pose ready for any attack.
Kaelan stood in the center, his eyes fixed on the swirling storm above, the sky darkening with unnatural speed. Thunder rumbled like a distant warning, but his focus remained unshaken. His parents had died for him, and on his eighteenth birthday, was a day that promised both answers and power. But what lay beyond the storm, he couldn't yet see.
Then, as if the storm itself parted to make way for something greater, a human figure was noticed.
A beam of light pierced the clouds, illuminating the figure descending from the heavens—a woman cloaked in ethereal radiance, her hair flowing like liquid silver. Her presence felt both familiar and alien, a paradox Kaelan couldn't quite grasp. She landed lightly on the ground, the air around her humming with an energy that mirrored his own, but warmer—brighter.
Kaelan's heart thundered in his chest, not from fear, but from something deeper. He has never felt like this before. Such pull and connection urged kaelan to follow the whirlwind of this woman figure.
Orin transforms into an huge wolf too and went after him.
A few paces ahead , Kaelan encountered a young woman,at least if he'd knew it was a woman,her presence like a calm in the chaos. She was not of the temple, not of this world, but somehow she was here, as if she had always belonged. She stepped forward, her gaze meeting his with an intensity that sent a ripple through his very being.
For a moment, Kaelan forgot to breathe.
Her eyes—bright and full of something unspoken—locked with his, and in that instant, something inside him stilled. The Soulfire that had been building within him suddenly quieted, like a flame doused by an unseen hand. The pull between them was undeniable, an ancient connection that neither could ignore.
Without a word, Kaelan took a step back, the power that had surged within him dissipating into the air like smoke. He could feel the storm, the winds whipping around them both, but he remained still, eyes locked on her. Something had changed. The world had shifted.
"Who are you?" Kaelan whispered, unable to tear his gaze away from her.
She smiled softly, the hint of a knowing glimmer in her eyes.
"I.....don't.....know," she replied as if learning how to speak, her voice soft and trembling, as though she was speaking for the first time. "But I know I was meant to find you."
Kaelan took another step toward her, his pulse pounding in his ears. The storm was gradually reducing, thunder rumbling like the earth itself was groaning under the weight of their meeting. Orin, the entity who had raised Kaelan, growled low from the shadows, his massive wolf form prowling forward, ears flat and teeth bared.
The girl flinched, her gaze flickering to Orin before returning to Kaelan, as if seeking his reassurance. Kaelan raised a hand instinctively, calming the beast with a firm gesture. Orin hesitated but did not retreat, his glowing eyes locked on the girl.
Kaelan's voice was steadier now, though his heart still raced. "Why now? Why today?"
She tilted her head, her silver hair catching the dim light of the temple's torches. "I don't know the answers you seek," she said, her words laced with uncertainty. "But I felt it—something pulling me here. To you."
The way she talked sent a shiver down his spine. It wasn't just that she knew it—it was the way the words rolled off her tongue, as if she had spoken it a thousand times before in a thousand different lifetimes.
Orin growled again, stepping closer, his immense frame towering over both of them.His voice rumbled, low and guttural in the air. "This is a distraction. The Soulfire waits for no one. Do not let this girl pull you from your path."
"A girl?"Kaelan asks in return,confused and in his thought were a wild flashes of actions"so this is what a girl looks like..."lost in thought then snapped.
Kaelan turned to Orin, his brow furrowing. "She's not a distraction," he said, the conviction in his voice surprising even himself. "She's… something else. Something important."
The girl stepped forward again, closing the distance between them. Her movements were cautious, almost hesitant, as if she were unsure whether she was welcome. But her eyes never left his.
"I've been looking for you," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "And now that I've found you… I feel whole. Do you feel it too?"
Kaelan didn't answer, but the truth was written on his face. He felt it—a completeness he hadn't even realized he'd been missing. The pull wasn't just physical; it was something deeper, something elemental.
The storm suddenly stopped. The winds stilled, the thunder quieted, and a heavy silence fell over the temple. It was as though the world itself was holding its breath.
Orin's growl faded, replaced by a begrudging rumble. "If this is the path you choose," the wolf said, his glowing eyes narrowing, "then follow it, lost one.But know that the Soulfire waits for no one. Your destiny will not pause."
Kaelan nodded slowly, his gaze still locked on the girl before him. "I know," he murmured. Then, louder, he added, "What are you called,a girl?"
The girl hesitated, her lips curving into a small, uncertain smile. "Elara," she said finally. "My name is Elara."
Kaelan repeated the name under his breath, as if testing its weight. "Elara," he said, a strange sense of familiarity washing over him. "You feel like... you've always been here. With me."
Elara's smile grew, though it was tinged with sadness. "And you feel like home," she replied. "Even though I've never had one."
For the first time in his life, Kaelan felt the world shift beneath him—not with chaos, but with purpose. Whatever lay ahead, whatever battles or mysteries awaited, he knew one thing for certain: Elara was meant to stand beside him.
Kaelan's breath hitched as Elara stepped closer, the flickering lights of the temple casting soft shadows over her. She was bare, unguarded, her pale skin glistening faintly as if she were sculpted from moonlight itself. Kaelan's eyes darted downward as the remaining whirl of wind surrounding Elara vanished and his cheeks burned with an unfamiliar heat.She was naked all along!
He looked away quickly, his voice faltering. "You're… you're not wearing anything."
Elara tilted her head, confused by his reaction. "Is that… wrong?" she asked, her voice innocent and unsure. She crossed her arms over her chest, not out of shame but as if sensing his discomfort.
"I—no, I mean, yes,"He stammered, his words tumbling over each other. "I think it is? Or maybe it's not? I… I don't know." His gaze flickered back to her despite himself, curiosity warring with embarrassment. He had never seen a woman before—not like this.
Elara studied him for a moment, her expression softening. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I didn't think…" She paused, glancing down at herself. ".....this would matter."
Kaelan shook his head, his heart racing. "It's not—it's not your fault. It's just… I've never…" He gestured vaguely, his words failing him. "I've never seen anyone like you."
The air between them grew heavy, the silence broken only by the soft growl of Orin, who stepped closer, his massive wolf form towering protectively behind Kaelan. "The world beyond this temple is full of dangers," Orin said, his voice low and rumbling. "If she is to walk it, she must be clothed."
Elara nodded, her expression thoughtful. She glanced around the temple and spotted a ceremonial cloak draped over a nearby altar. With graceful movements, she retrieved it and wrapped it around herself, the fabric flowing over her like liquid silver.
"Better?" she asked, her gaze meeting Kaelan's.
He nodded quickly, the flush in his cheeks refusing to fade. "Yes. Thank you."
As they left the temple, Orin led the way, his glowing eyes scanning the dark forest that stretched before them. The silence of the storm's aftermath was eerie, the only sound the crunch of their footsteps on the undergrowth.
After a while, Elara spoke, her voice breaking the quiet. "Do you..."she began, her tone uncertain. "Do you know your true name?"
Kaelan frowned, glancing at her. He wouldn't want to call himself " lost one" but what other options does he have."I'm... Papa calls me lost one"
"Ohhhh ...I see"She looked back at Orin whose wolf eyes also made contact with hers as if watching her every move,it was no surprise since Orin has lived for countless years, seeing a feminine image of a man was not shocking to him but to Kaelan it was everything.Orin had only described life outside their hideout but irrespective kaelan couldn't get a picture together of what Orin meant as he was bad at description or rather with details.
She shook her head gently, her silver hair catching the faint light of the stars in the approaching night above. "Your name is Kaelan Darksong," she said, her voice carrying a weight that made him shiver. "And your bloodline is one of the most feared to ever walk this world."
"Kea…..what?"
He stopped in his tracks, his heart pounding. "What are you talking about?"
"It's true lost one ...whatever she says is true of you so listen attentively to her"Orin said as if he was expecting this moment to come.
Elara turned to face him, her eyes steady and unflinching. "You are the last of the Darksong bloodline," she explained. "Your ancestors wielded the Soulfire— a force of immense…immeasurable power that could destroy even gods. It's why they were hunted, why they were feared. And it's why you were hidden."
Kaelans gaze fell upon Orin….."Whats she saying,papa?"
"I found you in the hands of your deceased mother boy,decided to help you as I noticed your powers…The Soul fire ".Orin explained.
Kaelan stared at her, his mind racing. "The Soulfire in me can… burn gods?"
"Yes," Elara said, her gaze intense. "It is the only thing in existence that can challenge the divine. And now, that power rests within you.I can see it flowing through your veins."
"So you hid me from....."kealan spoke,as if from realization.
" Yes I did,it was the only way to protect you from the outside world" Orin cuts in.
Orin growled softly, his ears flicking back as he scanned the shadows around them. "Keep moving," he commanded. "This place is not safe."
Kaelan nodded absently, his thoughts swirling as they resumed their journey. Elara walked beside him, her presence both calming and unsettling. He couldn't shake the feeling that everything he thought he knew about himself was just a replica of who he actually is ,a truth far greater—and far more dangerous—than he had ever imagined.