Chapter 7

The howl of the wolves was interrupted by a dense silence, as if the night itself had held its breath. Castian stood beside his mother, his heart pounding in his chest. Outside, the darkness seemed alive, pulsing with hidden energy, as if something was lurking, waiting for the right moment to strike. He strained his eyes, trying to see beyond the shadows, but the village lay still, too quiet for his liking. The air, once calm, now felt heavier, saturated with something he couldn't comprehend. The sense of impending danger grew with each passing second.

"We need to do something," Castian finally said, breaking the suffocating silence. "I can't just sit here waiting for something to happen."

His voice seemed to echo through the house, yet at the same time, it was swallowed by the void of the night. Mei, his mother, remained seated for a moment, looking at him with a mix of understanding and sorrow, as if she already knew her son would be in turmoil that night, struggling against the uncertainty that loomed over them.

"Sometimes, there's nothing we can do but wait," she said gently, but her voice carried a seriousness Castian rarely heard. "There are forces beyond our control, my son. And we aren't always prepared to face them."

Those words fell on him like a stone, but Castian couldn't accept that. Something within him refused to stay still. He felt that the change he so feared was lurking, and he knew he couldn't simply ignore it. The feeling was visceral, something he couldn't explain but that screamed in his mind, demanding action.

"I can't wait, Mother," he said, frustration evident in his voice. "If something is coming, I need to be ready. Shen told me that the unknown is where we find out who we really are. Maybe that's it. Maybe this night will show me the way."

Mei sighed deeply, rising from the chair with measured slowness. Her expression was that of a mother battling her own instincts to protect her son, knowing she couldn't prevent what was to come. Destiny had already begun to move its gears, and she, more than anyone, seemed to understand that.

"Castian, I know you want to be prepared. But some things..." she paused, hesitating, as if the words weighed on her tongue. "Some things cannot be predicted or avoided."

He looked at her, his dark eyes reflecting the anguish and determination growing inside him. He knew his mother was partly right, but he also felt that this night was different. It was as if destiny was at the door, and he knew he couldn't ignore it.

The silence that followed was broken by a deep sound, coming from the bowels of the earth. It wasn't the howl of the wolves this time. It was something more resonant, almost like the echo of distant thunder, reverberating through the ground beneath Castian's feet. For a brief moment, the earth seemed to vibrate beneath him, as if something was moving deep below.

"What was that?" he asked, his voice low but filled with alertness.

Mei frowned, her body immediately going rigid, as if her instinct had put her on high alert.

"I don't know," she replied, clearly apprehensive. "But this isn't good."

Another tremor, this time stronger, shook the ground. The wooden floorboards of the house creaked under the impact, and the dishes on the table clinked like muffled bells. The atmosphere, which had only been heavy before, was now charged with a palpable tension. Something was about to happen, something big.

Castian stepped toward the door, his heart racing, hammering in his ears. He could no longer ignore that inner calling.

"I'm going to Shen," he said quickly, his hands already opening the door. "Maybe he knows what's going on."

Mei hesitated for a moment, her eyes filled with worry. She knew it would be futile to try to hold him back, but still, her instinct to protect him prevailed.

"Be careful, Castian," she said, her tone warning. "Whatever is coming... don't go toward it unprepared."

He stepped out the door before he could respond, feeling the cold night air wrap around him. The biting chill was more than expected for this time of year, as if nature itself were preparing for something grand, something beyond human understanding. As he walked through the silent streets of the village, the houses around him seemed to be asleep, unaware of the tension that was accumulating.

The village was calm, but Castian knew this tranquility was deceptive.

"Am I just imagining things?" he thought, his senses on high alert. No. There was something there, something he could feel in the air, an invisible yet tangible presence.

Suddenly, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed in the distance, causing him to stop. His heart raced, and he looked around quickly, trying to identify the source of the sound. Nothing. The village was deserted, but that feeling of being watched, pursued, wouldn't leave him.

Castian quickened his pace, moving swiftly toward Shen's house, the old traveler who always seemed to know more than he let on. When he finally arrived, he knocked on the door urgently, the sound echoing through the silent night. It took a few moments, but the door opened, revealing Shen, his eyes still half-closed from sleep but immediately alert upon seeing Castian's expression.

"What is it, boy?" Shen asked, his voice hoarse from age but carrying an authority that always seemed to calm Castian in other moments. Not now, though.

"Something is happening," Castian said, panting. "Did you feel the tremor? There's something wrong tonight. My mother is worried. The air is strange, Shen. As if... as if something is coming."

Shen furrowed his brow, pondering Castian's words for a moment. He stepped outside, looking around as if trying to feel what Castian was describing. His eyes narrowed, and for a moment, he remained silent, as if listening to something only he could hear.

"Yes..." Shen murmured, a dark air surrounding him. "Yes, there's something in the air tonight. A change... a rupture. The balance has been broken."

Castian looked at him, anxious and confused. "What does that mean? What is happening?"

Shen looked deeply into Castian's eyes, his expression now grave. "I don't know exactly what is coming, but I can tell you one thing, boy. You better be prepared. This isn't a mere storm. Something larger is moving, and it can change everything."

Before Castian could respond, a sound much louder and deeper echoed through the village. The ground trembled again, this time more forcefully, and the windows of some houses began to vibrate. The sound reverberated through the air, like a distant but powerful roar, something that shook the foundations of the village. The silence that followed was almost deafening.

"What is that?" Castian asked, his heart pounding in his chest.

Shen took a step forward, his eyes fixed on the distant mountains. He remained silent for a moment, his expression hardening, before speaking again, his voice low but filled with conviction.

"The awakening."

Castian felt a chill run down his spine. "Whatever is coming, it isn't natural."

In that moment, he felt that his life and the world around him were about to change forever.