Dark Born

Hey, everyone. Read all your feedback and suggestions in the last post, and I thank you all immensely. Nothing is decided yet, but I'm considering shifting from weekly releases to monthly, that way I can compile more chapters together. But a lot of readers have stated they prefer the weekly releases even though it means shorter chapter. It's a tough decision, so I'm going to think about it some more. The first arc of dark born concludes at chapter 25, if there's going to be any change to posting schedule, it'll be after that.

Here's chapter 20, Enjoy!

20

A Helpful Hand

The inn was completely ablaze, flames pouring out of its windows, the wooden frames crumbling down, and thick black smoke choking the night. People were shouting, buckets clanging, bells ringing somewhere far off. A woman wailed--someone's mother, or maybe someone's wife--but the sound felt distant, muffled. Adam was unable to move, shock and disbelief freezing him in place. His eyes followed the flames crawling up the second-floor windows, Katryn's window. Was she... no, he shook his head. There were bodies lying on the street already, some charred beyond recognition, some still smoldering, dragged out by desperate neighbors. None of them were moving, and any one of them could be...

Adam didn't finish the thought, he couldn't, he just stared, guilt settling inside his chest. It was all his fault. He had miscalculated--thinking Katryn and her mother would be safe as long as he wasn't here, thinking Julius and the Hand wouldn't come after them since they weren't involved. He had assumed they would consider the inn to be little and insignificant, but that assumption had been wrong. Katryn, her mother... it was because of him. He might not have caused this fire, but he had led trouble straight to their door by staying too long, by letting them become important, then he had abandoned them.

He should have expected this. He'd misjudged Julius and the Hand, imagined limits and restraints where none existed. He was the one they were after, but he should've known, or at least, anticipated they'd be willing to burn an entire inn full of people if they thought that it had anything to do with him. They were that kind of men.

A wave of anger followed behind the guilt that gripped him, simmering and coiling so tight in his chest it felt like breath couldn't pass through. His fingers closed into fists at his sides, and his nails bit into his palms hard enough to draw blood. The dark energy inside him stirred, restless, responding to his surging anger, his grief... his hatred. Unbeknownst to him, his eyes bled into pitch black, the whites consumed by the hatred burning through his soul, and black smoke slowly began to curl around his feet as his shadow lengthened. Adam noticed none of this, his entire mind fixed on the targets of his hatred.

He already knew the ones responsible. Every instinct he had inside of him screamed for immediate action, for blood, for retribution. Forget whatever future plans he had, they deserved to suffer now, deserved to die. And not alone. Anyone they cared about, anything that mattered to them, would be reduced to ashes, and only then would his revenge end.

"They're safe," a voice suddenly said behind him.

At the words, Adam's heart stopped beating and his fists slowly unclenched. It felt like a splash of cold water to his face, bringing him back to the present. He blinked, trying to process the words. They were safe? How could they be... safe?

He turned slowly, then he saw Elliot standing behind him, wearing a long cloak that hid his armor. The knight took a shaky step back as soon as he faced him, then dropped to his knees, his eyes going wide with fear as though he'd just seen his own death.

"They're... safe?" Adam's voice didn't sound like his own.

Elliot hesitated with his response, then he swallowed past a lump in his throat and gave a quick nod. "Yes... shaken, but they're safe... they're safe," he said, his voice tight. "I got them out before the fire spread all over the inn... they're safe, I swear."

Immediately, Adam's rage came crashing down--not fading entirely, but no longer burning out of control--smothered under a rush of relief so sudden it left him weak in the knees, and the dark energy that had been rising inside of him sharply receded. He let out a deep, heavy breath, his head suddenly feeling lighter as the murderous thoughts faded. He scrubbed his face with his palms, steadying himself, then glanced back at Elliot.

Surprise flickered through him. Why was he on his knees?

Adam reached out a hand to help him up, but the Silver-Rank knight refused to take it, pushing himself up to his feet instead. Adam suddenly remembered what Elsa had told him, that Elliot was deathly afraid of his magic. Was that what had happened? Had he used his power without realizing? He'd been so angry, so utterly consumed by loathing, that it hadn't registered to him. The last time he'd felt that kind of rage and hatred was in that room, where he'd been tortured... where he'd drawn on dark energy, did that mean--No, that wasn't important right now. He would have time to think about what it meant later.

"Where are they?" Adam asked finally, his voice back to normal.

Elliot's jaw clenched, his gaze flicking to Adam's eyes as though he expected lasers to come flying out of them. "Somewhere safe," he said in a forced calm, then settled himself by clearing his throat. "We should get off the street. I'll take you."

Adam responded with a nod, and Elliot turned, pulling the hood of his cloak up as he began to move. He led Adam away from the chaos, down a narrow side street already filling with smoke and ash. The further they went, the more quiet it became, the shouts and bells fading until all that remained was the soft thud of their boots against the ground. They took several turns, Elliot choosing to walk along the alleys and back roads rather than the main thoroughfares. Adam followed in silence, his thoughts racing despite the immense relief still echoing through him.

"I'm glad you got them out," Adam said after a moment. "But... I thought you were gone with Elsa." He was a little suspicious, but he managed to keep it out of his voice.

"Elsa had me stay behind to keep an eye on things here," he said.

Adam had completely forgotten about that. Elsa had been worried before she left, it made sense that she wouldn't want to leave him--or the inn--defenseless. But why hadn't Elliot shown himself over the past two days? He could have made better plans if he knew there was help.

"Do you know why the inn was attacked?" Adam asked.

Elliot didn't answer immediately. He just slowed his steps, then exhaled through his nose, considering how much to say. "I received a tip from one of my contacts," he began. "The Hand decided to clear the board, a clean slate. Anyone even remotely associated with you was marked. Elsa will likely be attacked as well, if she hasn't been already."

Adam's steps faltered immediately. The words hit him like a blade through his chest, and his breath caught in his throat. It wasn't because of Elsa being attacked, she could take care of herself, his worry lay elsewhere. For a moment, the world narrowed again, the night pressing in tight around him. 'Everyone remotely associated with you', those were Elliot's exact words, and a single name shot to the forefront of his mind... Lorelei.

If they'd been keeping tabs on him, and they knew about the inn, then they certainly knew about her as well. Was she safe? 'Anyone associated with him', the words echoed in his head again. If there was a list, then Lorelei was sure to be included in it. Adam stopped dead as a sinking feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. His hands went cold at his sides, his chest tightened, and each breath suddenly grew too shallow, too strained.

Elliot turned when he noticed he wasn't following, and his posture shifted, suddenly snapping into alertness. "What is it?" he asked in a sharp voice.

"There's someone..." Adam forced the words past his clenched jaw. "I--"

"The demi-human?" Elliot interrupted.

Adam's head snapped up instantly. "What?" he asked, his eyes flashing with a faint hope, his gaze locked on Elliot's face, barely even blinking.

"She's safe," Elliot said evenly. "I moved her first before anything happened."

The tension holding Adam upright shattered, his shoulders sagged in relief, and he drew in a deep, shaky breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He took a step back and leaned against a wall, as if unable to stand. "She's safe?" he asked again, quieter now.

"Yes," Elliot confirmed. "She's with the innkeeper and her daughter."

Adam exhaled slowly again. "Thank you," he said, meaning it.

"It wasn't for you," the knight responded. "I only fulfilled my duties as a knight."

"Maybe... but I'm grateful all the same," Adam said.

Elliot gave a short grunt, neither dismissive nor proud, just acknowledging it.

Adam gathered himself and they began to walk again. But after a few steps, his face set into a frown, his relief giving way to curiosity. "How did you know about her?"

"I followed you while you were moving around the city," he replied simply. "Then when I learned about the Hand's plan, I made a judgment call. Figured you could probably handle yourself, you seemed to know what you were doing. But the inn, the orphanage, the children there... they were vulnerable. They needed to be saved."

Adam gave a nod, both understanding and grateful for the knight's choice. If Elliot had stayed shadowing him instead--if Katryn, Yara, Lorelei, had been left alone--Adam didn't doubt how the night would have ended. Katryn and her mother would certainly have been among the bodies cooling in the street, and Lorelei and her kids probably slaughtered in their home. And he had a sense what that would have turned him into. There was another reason he was grateful Elliot had stopped shadowing him, one that lingered at the back of his mind--Elliot hadn't witnessed his fight with the men who had pursued him.

Adam wasn't ready for anyone to know what he was fully capable of yet. That truth, like the darkness stirring inside of him, needed to remain hidden longer. It said a lot about his character that he could even have such thoughts in a moment like this, but it was simply the way his mind worked. Eighteen years of life had carved those instincts into him.

"Did you run into any trouble?" Elliot asked after a while.

Adam shook his head. "Not much," he said simply.

They fell silent and walked for awhile longer, then at last, Elliot stopped in front of a small, nondescript building tucked between two warehouses. Its windows were dark, its door unmarked, the kind of place no one paid attention to twice. He pushed the door open just enough to slip inside, and Adam followed behind him, slowly. As he entered, the cool air hit him first, followed by the thick smell of old wood and dust. A single lantern burned near the back of the room, and there, huddled on a pile of folded blankets was Katryn, and by her side was Lorelei.

Katryn looked up first, and the moment she saw him, her eyes widened, and she was on her feet in an instant. "Adam!" She crossed the room in a few hurried steps and threw her arms around him, gripping him tight like she was afraid he might vanish.

Adam froze for half a second. He was usually hesitant to show his feelings, but this time he wrapped his arms around her, holding her far more tightly than he intended. She stiffened in surprise as he pulled her so close--she knew this wasn't like him--then slowly melted against his body, releasing a breath as the tension eased from her slender frame.

"Are you alright?" he asked in a murmur and she nodded into his chest.

Lorelei rose up to her feet and approached them uncertainly. She looked weary and deeply shaken, but she was alive, and that was all that mattered. Adam released Katryn and stepped toward Lorelei, kissing her softly on the forehead as she collapsed against his chest, clinging to him tight. He held her, saying nothing, just feeling her shake with nerves.

As they separated, Adam glanced down at her. "Are you hurt?"

Lorelei gave a quick shake of her head. "No, just a little on edge," she responded in a low, wavering voice. "Someone attacked the house. The knight... Elliot, he saved us. He said we were in danger, that we had to leave, that you'd sent him. I left the children with a relative, but..." Her voice trailed off. "I still don't understand what's happening."

"I'll explain soon, I promise," Adam said quickly. He glanced around the room, then turned back to Katryn. "Your mother... where is she? Is she alright?"

Katryn's expression dimmed a little at the question, and she glanced toward a door at the back. "She's... in the other room," she said softly. "She hasn't said much."

Adam nodded once and moved past her and Lorelei, wanting to see the old woman and know how she was doing. The back room was small and bare, lit by a single candle set on a crate. Katryn's mother sat on a chair against the wall, her hands folded in her lap, and her posture stiff. Her eyes were fixed on nothing, unfocused, staring blankly at the wall. It felt as though something essential had been burned out of her along with the inn.

He approached slowly, then crouched down at her side, and only then did she turn her head to look at him. There was no recognition in her eyes as she did, nor the anger he half expected, not even relief. There was only a deep, bone-weary exhaustion.

"I'm sorry," Adam said quietly, the words feeling small and insufficient even as he spoke them. "For the inn, for bringing this to your door. I'm really sorry."

She said nothing for a long moment, then finally gave a slow, rigid nod and returned her gaze to the wall, as though that was all she could offer. Adam had no response to that, there was nothing he could say that would suddenly make her feel better. He pushed himself back to his feet and stared at her for a second longer, seeing her dim, listless eyes. He didn't like seeing her in this state. Despite her tough exterior, she was one of the kindest people he had ever known. Yet he had never returned a single kindness; instead, he'd invited only trouble. He felt anger rise sharp in his chest again, threatening to consume him.

"I'll fix this, I promise," he said in a whisper and left the room.

Adam returned to the main room, and he saw Katryn and Lorelei waiting, but Elliot was nowhere to be seen. Before going over to them, he went straight to the window. Pushing it open, he planted his hands on the sill and drew in a breath of cool night air, trying to calm himself. He could still see smoke billowing far in the distance, and he breathed again, more slowly, forcing the tension down. He didn't want to lose himself to the blinding rage that had seized him earlier, it made it difficult to think, to see things clearly.

His mind drifted to the thoughts he'd been having before, about the surge of fury he had felt, and how closely it mirrored the emotions he'd felt the night he was tortured. The dark energy had responded then, just as it had now, rising when he gave in to his rage and hatred, and the realization left him unsettled. It seemed that surrendering to those emotions might be how he could draw on the dark energy, how he could replenish what he spent.

But he didn't like that exchange, not even a little.

While the darkness he carried was changing him, carving him into something colder and more ruthless, there was still enough left for him to recognize himself. His conscience might be slipping away, and most people's lives--aside from a select few--meant little to him, but that didn't make him want to go on a killing spree. Until now, he had only killed those who tried to kill him, showing no compassion, and he wanted it to remain that way.

But when that rage and hatred filled his heart, it felt different...

This second time it surfaced, it had eroded away whatever shred of humanity he was still fighting to keep, leaving only dark, unrestrained impulses in its wake. He never would have considered killing innocents simply because they were loved by people he hated, yet he'd thought about it. No, more than thought about it. He had wanted to do it.

It felt like a glimpse of what awaited him should he ever succumb, should he ever lose himself completely to the darkness. He had to use it, not allow it to use him.

Adam heard footsteps and he turned to see Katryn approaching him, coming to stand by his side. He shook his head slowly, as if to clear the heavy thoughts from his mind, then he focused on her. "Where's Elliot?" Adam asked at last, his voice low.

"He's outside," she replied. "Keeping watch."

Adam nodded and fixed his gaze on the darkened street beyond the window. "Will your mother be alright?" he asked gently. "I've never seen her look like that before."

Katryn shook her head. "I don't know... the inn was her life."

Adam's attention was drawn away from the window as Lorelei stepped closer, her expression still tight with nerves but trying to offer some semblance of composure. She hesitated a moment before speaking, her voice soft but deliberate.

"May I join you?" she asked gently, looking to both him and Katryn.

"Of course," Katryn responded first. "I don't think I properly introduced myself to you earlier," she said, still holding Lorelei's gaze. "I'm Katryn."

Adam realized that he never told Katryn about himself and Lorelei. It wasn't that he was hiding it from her, he knew she would accept it. But their "relationship" had been stuck in limbo, it never seemed necessary to tell if they weren't going to become anything.

"I'm Lorelei," she said. "Adam told me there were... others, are you...?"

Unsurprisingly, Katryn grasped the situation in a few seconds and her lips curved into a faint, teasing smile as her eyes darted between Adam and Lorelei.

"One of his women?" she asked, her voice carrying a playful lilt. "No, but I hope to be soon." Adam shot her a quick, almost exasperated look, as if to sayreally, now?Katryn, however, only chuckled softly, the sound warm and disarming. "Don't worry," she pushed on, tilting her head. "I'm not the jealous type. It's... nice to meet you, Lorelei."

She was the jealous type, at least when it had to do with Elsa, Adam thought. But he kept that to himself. For now, he was just glad that she could still be herself despite everything that happened. He needed that sort of cheerfulness around him right now.

Lorelei's cheeks had flushed a little. "Yes, it's nice to meet you as well."

Adam cleared his throat and turned his body away from the window to face the both of them fully. "We should talk," he said, his voice quieter now, more serious. "About what happened today, about everything. I put the both of you in danger, and for that I'm sorry."

Katryn frowned, her teasing smile fading. "What do you mean?"

Adam told them everything, starting from the very beginning, how he had been in the forest, the battle he had witnessed, where Arryn had died. He explained how his chance meeting with Lorelei and his pity-driven decision to help her find the abducted children led him to discovering the truth about Arryn's death. He told them how far up the chain it went, and what had happened when he started looking into it, the torture, the explosion.

As he spoke, he couldn't shake the feeling of how tightly everything was connected, as if the hand of fate itself were pulling the strings behind the scenes. Every choice he had made, every decision, had led to an outcome he never could have predicted. From seeking answers about resurrection at the church and crossing paths with those thugs, to becoming an adventurer and meeting Lorelei, to his uncharacteristic plunge into danger, which had resulted in his kidnapping and the awakening of his power. It all felt inexorably linked.