Chapter 3: A Spark In The Shadows

The sounds of crackling embers filled the night air as the charred remains of the enemy outpost continued to smolder. Rian stood up at the edge of the devastation, his heart pounding in his chest as he scanned the wreckage. Around him, the other members of the scouting party—each more formidable than the last—were regrouping. He could still feel the heat from the flames licking at his back.

Just hours earlier, they had been assigned what was supposed to be a simple reconnaissance mission. Now, they stood in the aftermath of a battle they hadn't expected, facing the brutal reality of what their enemies were capable of.

"Didn't see that coming," muttered Kiel, his broad frame standing in stark contrast to the flickering firelight. He shook his head, wiping the blood from the side of his jaw where he had taken a hit earlier. "That was supposed to be a routine watch. What in the Void was that?"

"They knew we were coming," Lyria, their leader, responded in a low, tense voice. Her piercing blue eyes swept the battlefield, calculating, always analyzing. "And they were ready for us."

Rian swallowed hard, his throat dry. He'd used his Flicker to dart between attacks, to avoid death by the skin of his teeth, but that was all he could manage. In the chaos, he hadn't contributed much beyond staying alive. While others were burning down their enemies with overwhelming power or cutting them down with brute force, Rian had done what he always did: survive.

"That flare of Essentium," Kiel grumbled. "It wasn't normal, right?"

Lyria nodded slowly. "No. It was too… concentrated. Someone's manipulating the power lines. It's not just wild energy."

A shiver ran down Rian's spine. Zephyr, the Dark Conductor, came to mind. His eerie control over Essentium had been at the heart of every major skirmish for the past year. If he was involved here, they were in much deeper trouble than they realized.

"I'll scout ahead," Lyria ordered, her voice sharp and controlled, despite the gravity of the situation. She turned to Rian. "You come with me."

His stomach tightened. Of all the people she could have chosen, why him? Surely someone else, someone stronger, could offer more than a mere Flicker.

But there was no room for doubt.

Not now.

They moved silently through the forest, the glow from the burning outpost gradually fading behind them. Lyria's steps were purposeful, each one placed with practiced precision. Rian struggled to keep pace, his heart thumping in his chest as he tried to silence the growing anxiety inside him.

"You fought well back there," Lyria said without looking at him, her voice low but clear.

Rian hesitated, unsure if she was serious. "I barely did anything. I just stayed out of the way."

Lyria slowed her pace slightly, turning her head just enough to catch his eye. "You stayed alive. Sometimes, that's the hardest thing to do."

He felt his pulse quicken at her words. Lyria had always been a figure of admiration for him—a warrior whose Essentium, the Blades of Wind, could cut through armies with effortless grace. She was strong, confident, and relentless. Hearing anything remotely positive from her felt… strange.

Still, doubt gnawed at him. He wasn't like Lyria, or Kiel, or any of the others who had Essentium that could turn the tide of a battle. His Flicker allowed him to move fast in short bursts, but compared to the raw power of his companions, it was barely noticeable. And now, with someone like Zephyr possibly in the picture, he felt his insignificance even more keenly.

Lyria came to a stop, holding up a hand. Rian froze instantly, following her gaze to the ridge just ahead. At the top, the faintest glow of light flickered, like a beacon in the night. Rian's pulse quickened. It wasn't fire—it was something else, something colder, more deliberate.

"Essentium," Lyria whispered. "There's someone up there, controlling it."

Rian narrowed his eyes, trying to make out the figure silhouetted against the glowing light. Whoever it was, they were channeling Essentium into something large, something powerful. He could feel the raw energy in the air, thick and heavy like a storm on the horizon.

"Zephyr?" he asked, though he already knew the answer.

Lyria shook her head, her expression darkening. "No. But whoever it is, they're using his methods. We need to disrupt the flow before they finish."

Rian swallowed hard, his mind racing. He didn't ask what she meant by "we." It was clear that Lyria intended for him to be part of this.

"What's the plan?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady.

"You're going to Flicker up there," Lyria said simply. "Get close enough to that conduit and disrupt the Essentium flow. Once it's destabilized, I'll move in and take them down."

Rian blinked. "You want me to… what?"

"Your Flicker is perfect for this," she continued, ignoring the hesitation in his voice. "You're quick, and you can get in before they notice. Once the Essentium's disrupted, I'll handle the rest."

Rian's heart pounded in his chest. This was it. The kind of moment he'd always dreaded—where his limited power would be tested against something far beyond him.

"I—" he began, but Lyria cut him off.

"Rian, you're the only one who can do this." Her gaze locked onto his, and for the first time, he saw something more than just command in her eyes. There was belief—belief that he could actually pull this off.

He exhaled slowly, nodding. "Okay. I'll do it."

Rian crouched low, watching the ridge carefully as he prepared himself. His muscles tensed, every fiber of his being focused on the single task ahead of him: get in, disrupt the Essentium, and get out. Simple in theory. But if he failed… no, he couldn't think about that.

With a deep breath, he reached into the core of his being, summoning the familiar flicker of energy. It was faint, but it was there, like the spark of a flame waiting to ignite. He felt the pull of the world around him shift as his Essentium connected, and then, in the blink of an eye, he was moving—faster than sight, faster than thought.

He reappeared just behind the figure on the ridge, his body trembling slightly from the effort of the Flicker. The figure didn't notice him, their attention fully absorbed in controlling the massive conduit of Essentium flowing into the air. Rian's breath caught as he saw it up close—a swirling vortex of power, unstable and barely contained.

This is it.

With a surge of determination, Rian stepped forward and thrust his hand into the conduit, his Essentium flaring as he attempted to disrupt the flow. For a brief moment, everything seemed to freeze. The power shuddered, the vortex wavering as if caught in a moment of indecision.

And then, it exploded.

The shockwave threw Rian backward, pain lancing through his body as he tumbled across the ground. His ears rang, his vision blurred, but he could feel the shift in the air—the Essentium had been disrupted. The conduit was collapsing in on itself.

Through the haze, he saw Lyria leap into action, her Blades of Wind slicing through the air with deadly precision. The figure on the ridge turned, but it was too late. In a flash of silver, Lyria's blades struck home, and the enemy fell.

Rian lay on the ground, gasping for breath, his body aching from the impact. He'd done it. He'd actually done it.

Lyria appeared above him, offering a hand. "Not bad, Rian. Not bad at all."

He took her hand, pulling himself to his feet with a groan. "Just… doing my part."

Lyria smiled faintly, her eyes gleaming in the dim light. "You did more than that tonight."

For the first time in a long while, Rian felt something stir inside him. Maybe he wasn't the strongest. Maybe he wasn't a hero. But he had a place in this fight—a place that only he could fill.

And for now, that was enough.