The air was thick with tension, but not the dangerous kind Kalsei had grown used to over the last few months. This was a different kind of tension—the kind that clung to a person when they were doing something mundane while worrying about something much more important.

Kalsei, Steph, Darius, and now Seikan, who had been following the group’s lead more passively than usual, were once again back in the routine of daily quests. It was supposed to be a distraction, something to occupy their minds and keep their skills sharp while they waited for the next clue about the forces behind Seikan's abduction.

But for Kalsei, the distraction wasn’t working.

As they moved through the rocky terrain of the Emberfall foothills, gathering enchanted flora for a local alchemist’s order, Kalsei found his gaze constantly flicking to Seikan. His friend was quieter than ever, his once-sharp mind now dulled by whatever influence Morlin had managed to sink into him.

Kalsei forced himself to focus, but the cheerful facade he usually maintained was cracking.

"We need to gather the last batch near the river," Steph said, pointing ahead as her dark eyes scanned the rocky terrain. "Looks like this area hasn’t been picked clean by the other adventurers yet."

"Yeah, sure. Whatever," Kalsei muttered, his usual energy notably absent as he followed her.

Darius glanced between the two, noticing the shift in Kalsei’s mood but choosing not to comment. Instead, he hefted his sword over his shoulder and focused on the task at hand. "I’ll check the perimeter. The last thing we need is a rogue elemental or worse, some opportunistic bandits thinking they can jump us while we’re picking flowers."

Steph gave him a small nod of approval. "Good idea. Seikan, can you—"

But Seikan wasn’t paying attention. He stood a few paces behind the group, his gaze distant and unfocused, his once keen intelligence seemingly drowned in whatever fog Morlin had placed over him. Steph’s expression hardened for a moment before she turned away, hiding the worry in her eyes.

Kalsei walked over, giving Seikan a light tap on the shoulder. "Hey, buddy. You with us?"

Seikan blinked, his eyes slowly focusing on Kalsei. "Yeah. I’m here." But his voice lacked its usual cold confidence.

Kalsei forced a smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. "Good. Because, uh, we could use your brain on this one. Steph’s planning something dangerous with all these plants, I can feel it."

Seikan’s lips twitched into a brief, humorless smile, but the spark didn’t last long. He simply nodded and followed the others, his movements mechanical and subdued.

The hours stretched on as the group completed the quest, moving from one enchanted flower patch to the next. Normally, Kalsei would have been cracking jokes, lightening the mood, but today, there was none of that.

Steph seemed to notice. "You’ve been awfully quiet," she said as they knelt near the riverbank, plucking the last of the shimmering blossoms from the soil.

Kalsei shrugged, glancing at Seikan, who was sitting nearby, staring into the water. "I’m just... worried about him."

Steph’s gaze softened for a moment, but her tone remained pragmatic. "I know. We all are. But this is something we can’t fix overnight. Morlin—"

Kalsei cut her off, his voice dropping to a harsh whisper. "Morlin’s manipulating him, Steph. You can’t tell me you don’t see it."

She paused, her expression unreadable. "I see that Seikan isn’t himself. But I also see that he’s been through hell. If Morlin’s helping him work through that—"

"Helping him?" Kalsei scoffed, running a hand through his hair. "He’s not helping him, he’s making him worse! Seikan’s barely even talking anymore."

Steph’s lips thinned, her dark eyes flicking to Seikan, who was still lost in his own thoughts. "You don’t know that for sure. Maybe Morlin’s methods are different, but we’re not psychologists, Kalsei. This might be part of the process."

Kalsei opened his mouth to argue but stopped short, the words dying in his throat. He wanted to believe Steph was right, but every instinct in his body told him that something was wrong, that Seikan wasn’t getting better—he was slipping further away.

They returned to the Adventurer’s Guild just as the sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, casting long shadows across the city streets. Kalsei, still simmering with frustration, went through the motions of reporting the quest’s completion and collecting their reward.

"Good work today," Darius said, his deep voice breaking the silence as they left the guild hall. "I’ll see you all tomorrow for the next one?"

Steph nodded, her posture relaxed but her mind clearly still occupied with everything that had happened.

"Yeah, same time," Kalsei muttered, barely paying attention as he glanced over his shoulder at Seikan, who was trailing behind them like a ghost.

Later that night, after they had returned to their quarters, Kalsei sat across from Seikan at the small table in their shared room. The quiet was suffocating.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

"You’ve barely said a word all day," Kalsei finally said, breaking the silence. His voice was soft, but there was a desperation in it that he couldn’t hide. "This isn’t you, man."

Seikan didn’t respond for a long time. He stared down at the table, his fingers tracing idle patterns in the wood grain. "Maybe this is who I am now," he said quietly, almost to himself.

Kalsei shook his head, his frustration bubbling to the surface. "No. That’s not true. You’re stronger than this. Whatever Morlin’s telling you, whatever’s going on in your head, it’s not real. You’ve always been the one who sees through the bullshit, Seikan. Don’t let him control you."

Seikan’s eyes flicked up to meet Kalsei’s, and for a brief moment, there was a glimmer of something—the old Seikan, the sharp, calculating mind that had guided them through so many challenges. But just as quickly as it appeared, it was gone, swallowed by the fog that clouded his thoughts.

"I don’t know anymore," Seikan whispered. "I don’t know what’s real."

Kalsei leaned forward, his voice low and intense. "You know us. Me, Steph, Darius. We’re real. We’ve got your back, no matter what. But you have to fight this, Seikan. You can’t just give up."

Seikan’s hands clenched into fists on the table, his jaw tightening. For a moment, it seemed like he might push through the fog, might snap out of whatever hold Morlin had on him. But then his shoulders slumped, and he looked away.

"Maybe I don’t want to fight anymore."

Kalsei’s heart sank, but he didn’t let the frustration show. He couldn’t push too hard, not yet. But he wouldn’t give up on his friend—not now, not ever.

"Get some rest," Kalsei said softly. "We’ll talk more tomorrow."

Seikan didn’t respond, but he stood slowly and moved to his bed, his steps heavy and lethargic. Kalsei watched him for a long time before finally heading to bed himself, the weight of the day pressing down on him.

The next morning, the group found themselves assigned to yet another seemingly simple quest—dealing with a group of rogue fire elementals that had been causing havoc in a nearby forest. It was supposed to be an easy job, something well within their capabilities. But nothing felt easy anymore.

Kalsei led the way, his usual lighthearted banter replaced by a heavy silence as they made their way through the dense woods. The elementals were wreaking havoc, their fiery forms flickering between the trees, igniting everything in their path.

Darius, as always, was the first to engage. His sword sliced through the air, cutting down one of the smaller elementals in a flash of light. "These things are tough, but nothing we can’t handle."

Steph followed, her dark magic flaring as she cast a series of Void Shackles, binding two of the larger elementals in place. "Keep them at bay. We don’t want this fire spreading any further."

But it was Seikan who caught Kalsei’s attention. He stood back, his hands glowing faintly with the magic he once wielded so effortlessly. Yet now, there was hesitation in his movements, as if he wasn’t sure what to do—or if he even wanted to act at all.

Kalsei’s chest tightened. He couldn’t stand seeing his friend like this—lost, broken, unsure of his own strength. With a flash of frustration, Kalsei activated Reality Blink, warping space around him as he closed in on one of the elementals, his Shattering Blade cutting through its fiery form in a burst of energy.

"Seikan!" Kalsei shouted, his voice sharp. "I need you! We all need you!"

Seikan’s head snapped up, his eyes locking onto Kalsei’s for the first time in what felt like days. There was something there—a flicker of the old Seikan, buried deep beneath the surface.

For a moment, Seikan raised his hand, the familiar runes glowing faintly in the air. But then, as if something inside him snapped, the magic faltered. His fingers curled into fists, and the glowing runes dissipated like smoke in the wind. He lowered his hand, his expression blank, almost defeated.

Kalsei’s heart sank. "Seikan! Come on, you’ve got this!"

The fire elementals surged forward, flames crackling as they attacked. Steph moved quickly, casting Void Shackles to restrain as many as she could, while Darius darted between the flaming creatures, his sword flashing in arcs of silver.

"Kalsei, focus!" Steph shouted as she parried a burst of flame with her staff. "We’ll deal with him later. Right now, we need to stay alive!"

Kalsei’s eyes flickered with frustration, but Steph was right. He couldn’t afford to lose focus. With a deep breath, he activated Temporal Fracture, tearing a rift in time around the largest elemental. The creature froze, caught in the distortion, and Kalsei took the opportunity to drive his Shattering Blade through its core.

The elemental exploded in a burst of flame and ash, disintegrating into the air as Kalsei turned his attention to the others. "Keep pushing! We’ve got this!"

Darius struck with precision, taking down two more elementals with swift, calculated movements. Steph, despite her growing fatigue, continued to bind the creatures with her dark magic, weakening them for Kalsei and Darius to finish off.

As the last of the fire elementals fell, the group stood in the charred remains of the forest clearing, the smell of burnt wood and ash hanging heavily in the air.

System Alert: Fire Elementals Defeated! Experience Gained: 3200

Kalsei let out a breath, wiping sweat from his brow as he turned to Seikan. His friend was still standing in the same spot, staring at the ground, his hands clenched at his sides.

"Seikan..." Kalsei began, his voice softer now, almost pleading. "You didn’t even try. What’s going on with you?"

Seikan didn’t look up. His voice, when it finally came, was hollow. "I can’t... I don’t know how anymore."

Kalsei’s frustration boiled over. He grabbed Seikan by the shoulders, shaking him lightly. "That’s not true! You’re one of the strongest people I know! You’ve fought through worse than this, and you’ve always come out on top. So why are you letting this... this fear control you?"

Steph stepped forward, placing a hand on Kalsei’s arm. "Give him space, Kalsei. Pushing him isn’t going to help."

Kalsei released Seikan, but the anger and helplessness didn’t leave his face. He took a step back, running a hand through his white hair, the teal and pink streaks catching the light of the smoldering embers around them.

"I don’t understand, Seikan. I don’t get why you’re just... giving up."

Seikan’s shoulders slumped, and for a moment, Kalsei thought he might not respond at all. But then Seikan spoke, his voice so quiet it was barely audible. "Maybe... maybe I’m not who I thought I was."

Kalsei blinked, taken aback by the words. Steph’s expression tightened, and Darius, who had been cleaning his sword, paused to listen.

"What are you talking about?" Kalsei asked, his voice softer now, though the frustration still lingered at the edges.

Seikan’s gaze remained fixed on the ground. "All this time, I’ve been so sure of everything. Of my power, of my control. But when they took me... when they broke me... I realized how fragile it all was. How fragile I am."

Kalsei’s heart twisted painfully. He wanted to say something—anything—to snap Seikan out of this, to remind him of the strong, unyielding person he had always been. But the words wouldn’t come. He didn’t know how to reach him, not like this.

Steph stepped closer, her voice calm but firm. "Seikan, you’re not fragile. What happened to you wasn’t your fault. But if you let them keep controlling you, if you let them win, then they’ve already succeeded. You’re stronger than this."

Seikan didn’t respond. His eyes were distant, as if he were somewhere else entirely, trapped in a memory he couldn’t escape.

Back at the Adventurer’s Guild, the group reported the completion of their quest. But the usual sense of accomplishment that came with a completed mission was absent. Even Darius, who normally would have made a quip about how smoothly things had gone, remained quiet.

Kalsei lingered near the quest board, his mind racing. He had always been the one to lighten the mood, to keep everyone going even when things seemed grim. But now... he felt like he was losing one of the most important people in his life, and he didn’t know how to stop it.

Steph came up beside him, her arms crossed as she looked over the board. "You can’t fix everything, you know," she said quietly.

Kalsei sighed. "I know. But I feel like I’m letting him down."

Steph glanced at Seikan, who was sitting at a nearby table, staring into space. "We’ll figure it out. But right now, we need to keep moving forward. The guild’s already keeping an eye on Seikan, and we’ve got to stay sharp if we’re going to deal with whatever’s coming next."

Kalsei nodded, though the weight of it all still hung heavy on his shoulders. He didn’t want to give up on Seikan. But how much longer could he watch his friend fall apart before he couldn’t do anything to help?

That night, Kalsei lay in his bunk, staring up at the ceiling. Sleep didn’t come easily, not with everything weighing on his mind. He could hear Steph and Darius shifting in their beds nearby, and he knew they were just as troubled by Seikan’s state as he was.

Eventually, Kalsei sat up, running a hand through his hair. He couldn’t just sit here. He needed to do something—anything—to get his mind off things.

Quietly, he slipped out of the room, making his way down the hall to where Seikan was staying. He hesitated for a moment outside the door, his hand hovering over the handle.

But before he could knock, the door creaked open.

Seikan stood there, looking more alert than Kalsei had seen him in days. His eyes, while still clouded with the weight of everything that had happened, were sharp and focused for the first time in what felt like forever.

"Kalsei," Seikan said quietly, his voice steady but low. "I need to talk to you."

Kalsei blinked in surprise but nodded, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him. "What’s going on?"

Seikan sat down on the edge of the bed, his hands clasped tightly in front of him. "I’ve been... thinking. About what happened. About everything."

Kalsei pulled up a chair, his heart pounding in his chest. "Yeah?"

Seikan’s gaze met his, and for the first time in weeks, Kalsei saw a spark of the old Seikan. "I think I know who’s behind it. But I need your help to prove it."

Kalsei’s breath caught in his throat. "You think it’s someone in the guild, don’t you?"

Seikan nodded, his expression grim. "It’s Morlin. I can’t explain it, but I know he’s part of the group that took me. The way he talks, the things he says... it’s all too familiar. But we need proof."

Kalsei’s fists clenched at his sides, anger and determination burning in his chest. "Then let’s get that proof. Whatever it takes."

Seikan’s gaze was hard, his voice cold. "We’ll need to be careful. He’s dangerous, and if he realizes we’re onto him, he’ll do everything in his power to stop us."

Kalsei’s grin was sharp and determined. "Let him try."