Crystal of Creation

10. Your, The Voice in My Head!

Kael paced restlessly inside his small house, the wooden floor creaking beneath his boots. His thoughts were tangled, torn between guilt and frustration. The village had been attacked right after he'd left. He'd abandoned them when they needed him most. Countless battles had taken place, lives lost, homes destroyed—and he hadn't been there. Now, after days of agonizing over it, he had finally earned the forgiveness of most of the villagers. But their faces, filled with weariness and suspicion, still haunted him.

Somehow, it still wasn't enough.

A knock at the door startled him, but when he opened it, no one was there. Instead, a single piece of parchment lay at his feet, crudely scrawled with the words: "Coward. You left us all to die." His hands shook as he crushed the note. It stung more because he knew there was truth in it.

And then, there was Elara.

The girl in the alley, hidden by the shadows, had called him a coward. The voice had been so familiar, like a blade to the chest. And when she stepped into the dim light, her piercing eyes met his—Elara. Her words had been venomous, cutting deeper than any physical wound. She had sacrificed everything while he had... what? Cowered in fear?

Tonight, Kael needed to find her. To face her.

He stepped outside, the cold night air biting at his skin as he closed the door behind him. The village was eerily quiet now, save for the occasional rustle of the wind through the trees. He had to find Elara. He had to explain himself, though he doubted any words would ever be enough.

As he moved through the narrow, winding streets, the faces of the villagers he passed were barely illuminated by the flickering torches. Some looked at him with pity, others with resentment. They had forgiven him, but their scars remained. Kael's steps were heavy, each one laden with the knowledge that he had failed them when they needed him the most.

Elara... where are you?

He finally found her standing near the village square, her back turned to him, staring off into the distance where the forest loomed like a dark, waiting presence. His heart clenched at the sight of her, shoulders squared, the weight of her sacrifices evident in the way she stood. The air between them seemed to thicken as he approached, hesitant yet determined.

"Elara," Kael began, his voice barely louder than a whisper.

She didn't turn to face him. "What do you want, Kael?" Her voice was cold, distant, and he could feel the icy wall she had built between them.

"I... I need to talk to you. Please, just listen to me." His heart was pounding now. How could he make her understand? She had been through so much. More than anyone should have to bear.

"Talk to me?" she scoffed, finally turning around. Her eyes, usually so full of life, were hard now. "What could you possibly say that I haven't already heard? You left, Kael. You weren't here. We had to fight without you. And people died."

Kael flinched, the guilt crashing over him like a wave. "I know I left. I know I wasn't here when you needed me. But I had no choice—"

"No choice?" Elara's voice rose with anger. "We all had choices, Kael. You chose to leave. And now you're here, trying to make excuses, thinking that'll change what happened?"

Kael shook his head, his throat tightening. "I'm not making excuses. I swear I'm not. I'm trying to explain—"

She cut him off, her face twisting in anger. "You think your words can undo the nights I spent fighting while you were gone? You think they can bring back the people we lost?"

Kael's hands trembled. He knew she was right. His words wouldn't undo anything. But he had to try.

"Elara, I never meant for any of this to happen," he said, his voice cracking. "I was... I was scared. I didn't know what to do. I—"