Reborn as an Elemental Wisp

Chapter 16: The Silver Shadow

The woman's glowing eyes locked onto Ren with an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine. She didn't flinch, didn't waver, as if time itself had slowed just for her presence. I instinctively stepped between her and Ren, drawing my dagger, though I knew it was useless against someone with her kind of power.

"Stay back," I warned, though my voice trembled slightly. "I don't know who you are, but you're not getting to him."

Her lips curved into a cold smile. "You're brave, Kaito, but bravery alone won't protect him from what's coming."

I froze, caught off guard by the fact that she knew my name. "How do you—?"

"Names are the least of what I know," she cut me off, stepping closer. "But the real question you should be asking is whether you truly understand who he is. Do you know what it is you're protecting?"

I tightened my grip on the dagger. "He's my friend. That's all I need to know."

The woman raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed by my answer. She glanced down at Ren, her eyes softening slightly as if she could see something I couldn't. "You think you've already faced the worst of what's coming? You've only scratched the surface of the storm you're caught in."

Her words sent a fresh wave of dread through me, but I refused to let her shake me. "Who are you? What do you want with Ren?"

She didn't answer immediately. Instead, she reached into the folds of her cloak and pulled out a small, silver pendant. It shimmered faintly in the dim light of the tower, casting strange patterns on the stone floor. She held it out to me, her eyes never leaving mine.

"This is for him," she said quietly. "A token from those who still walk the paths beyond this world."

I stared at the pendant, unsure whether to take it or not. Something about it felt... wrong. Like it was a key to something I wasn't supposed to touch.

"I don't want anything from you," I said sharply. "You still haven't answered me. What do you want?"

She sighed, lowering the pendant slightly. "You don't trust me. I can understand that. But if you refuse my help, he won't survive. The power inside him is unraveling too fast. Without guidance, without control, it will consume him."

My throat tightened. The words hit too close to what I feared all along. Ren's unstable power had been growing more dangerous by the minute, and I knew I was in over my head. But trusting this stranger... that felt like a gamble I wasn't ready to take.

"I don't trust you," I said bluntly. "How do I know you're not here to use him? Everyone seems to have an agenda when it comes to Ren's power."

The woman's eyes flickered, something like regret passing through them. "I'm not the enemy here. But you're right—there are others who want to use him. They'll come for him, Kaito, and when they do, you won't be able to stop them alone."

I glanced back at Ren, still unconscious, his breaths shallow. The weight of the decision pressed down on me like a crushing burden. Every instinct screamed not to trust her, but what choice did I really have?

"Tell me the truth," I said quietly, my voice tight. "Why him? What makes Ren so important?"

The woman hesitated, then finally spoke. "He carries the mark of the Chosen, the one destined to either break the chains of fate or bind them forever. His power is tied to an ancient force, older than this world itself. The Council of the Ancients has been watching, waiting for someone like him to emerge."

I swallowed hard. The weight of her words made the air in the room feel even colder. "And you... are you one of them?"

"No," she said softly. "I walk a different path. But my loyalty lies with keeping the balance between worlds. If Ren's power is left unchecked, that balance will tip, and everything will fall apart. That's why I'm here."