The night felt colder as Kaelem and Selkor made their way back to Ashbarrow. The confrontation with Eryndor had left them both silent, lost in their own thoughts. As they neared the town, the dim street lights flickered in the distance, followed by the familiar stench that filled the streets.

Kaelem almost found himself missing the smell; having lived there his entire life, he had grown accustomed to it. Selkor, on the other hand, raised his sleeve to cover his nose. "I don't know how you can live here," he muttered, his voice muffled by the cloth.

Kaelem shrugged, dismissing Selkor's comment. He appreciated the attempt to break the tension, but it did little to ease the turmoil inside him. His mind was spinning with questions, and it felt like every time he got comfortable with his situation, something new threw him into confusion.

"Who was she, really? Eryndor. You said you fought together, but what happened?" Kaelem finally asked as they continued their approach into town.

Selkor's expression hardened, his jaw clenched as he looked ahead. He took a deep breath before answering, his voice lower than usual. "Eryndor and I were allies, part of a larger collective. We fought together in the War of Kings - a war that could have plunged both kingdoms into chaos." He paused, recalling memories he had buried. "She was brilliant, one of the most gifted mages I have ever known. But she was never satisfied with her power. She always wanted more."

They continued walking, nearing the gates of the town. Kaelem listened intently, Eryndor's cruel smile still fresh in his mind.

"In the middle of the war, we were at a strategic loss," Selkor continued. "She had been researching obsessively, seeking power from the darkness. She uncovered an ancient weapon that had been sealed away long ago and lost to history. But it wasn't just a weapon - it was magic. A primordial form of it, at least, that corrupted even those with the strongest of wills. She thought she could control it, that it could be used to win the war and reshape the world in her image."

Kaelem's stomach dropped as he recalled Eryndor's ghostly companion's words: 'Something darker than I've ever felt… ancient.'

"But you stopped her?" Kaelem asked, his pace slowing as he became entranced by Selkor's tale.

"I had no other choice," Selkor replied, his voice growing colder. "We were close - closer than I'd care to admit now. But what she was trying to do was madness. That level of power is not something anyone should wield. I was trying to protect her from herself, but yes, we fought, and I barely stopped her. The seal was broken, and whatever was stored there exploded into the world. I thought she had been consumed by it, that she had died…" He trailed off, his voice filled with regret.

They entered the gates of Ashbarrow, walking through the streets toward the inn where Selkor had been staying. "Of course, we now know that she survived, but I've spent the last twelve or so years searching. The power she released seemed to disappear with her. I thought the legends were exaggerated, until tonight…"

Kaelem shuddered at Selkor's words. He couldn't help but feel like he had been inadvertently thrown into something far greater than himself. Based on Eryndor's return and what had happened tonight, this felt like only the beginning. The unknown connection they believed he had to such an unfathomable power weighed heavily on him.

"What did she mean about me?" Kaelem asked cautiously. "They seem to think I'm connected to all of this somehow." He wanted answers, to understand what this dark power he felt truly was.

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Selkor glanced at Kaelem, his eyes glowing with an intensity that made Kaelem uneasy. For a moment, Selkor hesitated, carefully weighing his words.

"That, boy, is what troubles me," Selkor said gravely. "What Eryndor said is true. I've sensed something within you since the day we met - a raw, untamed power, beyond anything I've ever seen in someone so young. Before tonight, I thought it was just a large buildup of magic, perhaps from your ancestors, or maybe just luck…"

Selkor broke off as they reached the inn. The pair made their way up to Selkor's room. Selkor set down his wand and outer cloak, placing his bag in the corner. Finally able to relax, Kaelem took a seat, set his satchel beside it, and poured himself a cup of water from the table.

"Your fight against the hobgoblin…" Selkor continued, once they were comfortable. "I sensed the same darkness Eryndor had tried to harness."

Kaelem felt a knot in his stomach, remembering the overwhelming darkness that had given him the edge against the hobgoblin. If it weren't for that power, he wasn't sure if he would have survived. But the power also seemed… sentient, like it had acted to protect him. Not once, but twice.

"I… I lost control," Kaelem admitted. "It was too powerful. I couldn't contain it. Before I knew it, the magic was acting on its own."

Selkor remained silent, deep in thought. His expression softened slightly.

After what felt like an eternity, Selkor finally spoke again. "That's why I gave you the bracer. The darkness stirred when you first awoke your magic in the alleyway. That's what drew me to you, and likely Eryndor as well."

Kaelem swallowed, his throat dry despite the water. "I thought the bracer was meant to stabilize my magic?"

Selkor let out a faint smile and nodded. "It is, and it does. But when I first gave it to you, I added an extra enchantment - to keep the darkness at bay, until you're ready."

Kaelem glanced down at the bracer, feeling defeated. He had already accomplished so much, but the gravity of the situation continued to loom over him.

"What if I'm like her? What if, without the bracer, my magic is just darkness?" Kaelem asked, feeling as though his fate had already been sealed.

"You're not," Selkor said firmly, his voice calm and sincere. "Eryndor made her choices. She sought out the darkness willingly, convinced she could control it. But you haven't made that choice. For all we know, this power has been with you since birth. It may be as much a part of you as you are of it."

Selkor paused, gazing out the window at the street below. He combed through his beard as he pondered. "The power within you is dangerous, yes, but it doesn't define you. What matters is how you choose to use it - whether you control it, or let it control you."

The reassurance helped, a little. But Kaelem wasn't sure if he could control the power. The whispers that had flooded his mind earlier had made it impossible to focus, drowning out the world until the voices were all he had left to rely on. It felt like a force beyond his will, and he wasn't sure where to begin if he was going to fight it.

"We'll figure this out, boy," Selkor said as he lay down on his bed. "But for now, you need to rest. We both do."

Kaelem nodded and sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the stars through the window. The world outside was quiet now, peaceful. And he wasn't one to argue with the idea of some sleep.

He thought back to Eryndor's words - her promise to return and seek him out. Then he remembered the whispers, the haunted chorus that still faintly echoed in the silence. 'What if I can't control it?' he thought, the weight of uncertainty pressing down on him.

"Selkor?" he asked quietly.

"Hm?"

"Do you think there's a way to get rid of it?"

Selkor was silent for a moment, and Kaelem wasn't sure if he had fallen asleep until he heard a soft reply. "I don't know, boy. The magic within a person can change… but it's not something you can choose. It just… happens."

Kaelem didn't respond. He lay back in bed and stared at the ceiling. The room was quiet now, and exhaustion had finally taken hold. His eyelids grew heavy, and despite the whirlwind in his mind, he drifted off to sleep.

Sleep claimed him. But even in his dreams, the darkness loomed.