The Weight Of Remaining

CHAPTER 9

Dinner gradually dissolved into smaller conversations and people started to slowly drift away from the table. Some carried dishes to the kitchen. Others claimed couches and armchairs around the common room. It was surprising how normal the atmosphere could be in a house full of monster hunters.

I was helping Talia collect empty plates when a voice interrupted us.

“Caelyn.”

I looked up and saw Elias standing near one of the doorways. His hands were tucked into the pockets of his coat. His expression was unreadable.

Talia glanced between us.

“Good luck,” she whispered as she walked past.

“Why does everyone keep saying things like that?” I frowned.

Talia only laughed before disappearing into the kitchen with the empty plates.

“Walk with me.” Elias motioned toward the hallway.

It didn't sound like a request, but it wasn't quite an order as well, something in between.

I followed him.

The corridor was quieter than the common room. The distant sounds of laughter faded behind us. For several seconds, neither of us spoke. The man seemed content with the silence.

I wasn’t.

“So.” I said. “You’ve been evaluating me all evening.”

A small smile appeared on his face.

“Observant.” he replied without even looking at me.

“I try.” I said not knowing where exactly this conversation is headed.

We reached a balcony overlooking part of the estate grounds. Moonlight silvered the gardens below.

Elias rested his forearms against the railing.

I remained standing.

“You don’t trust us.” he stated.

Straight to the point. I respected that.

“No.” The answer left my mouth before I could consider a more polite version.

“Good.” His smile widened slightly as he looked almost relieved by the answer.

That wasn’t the response I expected. How could anyone be pleased with an answer like that?

“What?” I narrowed my eyes suspiciously.

“You shouldn’t." He turned toward me. "For all you know, we could be terrible people.”

“Are you?” I asked not really expecting an honest answer.

“No.” Elias answered without breaking eye contact.

The answer came without hesitation. That didn’t necessarily make it true.

Still...

It was interesting that he hadn’t tried to sell me some heroic fantasy. There wasn't a big speech about how people with power had to do something to protect the others, no promises for money or glory. No manipulation... or at least not obvious one.

“What exactly is this place?” I asked interested to hear if his explanation would be different than the one Kaiden gave me.

The boss looked out over the estate.

“A second chance.” he replied with a bitter note in his tone “Or at least that's what my sister would have said.”

That was not the answer I expected either. Apparently this guy liked some dramatic effect, I thought as I rolled my eyes in my head.

But suddenly something changed in his expression for a brief moment. A shadow crossing his face that was gone almost immediately.

“My team isn’t made up of heroes, Caelyn.” he continued as his gaze shifted back to me. “Most of them ended up here because they had nowhere else to go.”

For a moment, I thought about Kaiden. The way everyone seemed to trust him. The way he carried himself. And how he never quite relaxed.

“Some lost family.” he added.

His voice remained steady.

“Some lost homes. Some made mistakes they couldn’t undo.” He paused for a second. “And some are just idiots.” He shrugged

A subtle laugh escaped me before I could stop it.

“There she is.” Elias smiled.

I narrowed my eyes.

“You’ve spent the entire evening pretending you’re harder to impress than you are.” he continued.

“I am hard to impress.” I said trying to hide how annoyed his assumptions made me feel.

“Not really.” Elias gave me a confident side eye.

The audacity of this man... He looked far too pleased with himself.

I was beginning to understand how Rowan survived here. Apparently confidence was a contagious disease.

Elias straightened.

“The reason Kaiden brought you here is because he thinks you can help fight the monsters.”

“And if I don’t want to?” I folded my arms.

“Then you leave tomorrow morning.” he said with some weird certainty that this won't happen.

He didn't try to pressure me or bargain, he was simply stating the truth.

Elias started walking back toward the hallway. Then paused.

“Oh.” he turned back towards me. “If you decide to stay for training tomorrow...” he said with a faint smile on his face. “Try not to embarrass Kaiden too badly.”

For the first time all evening, I genuinely laughed and the sound echoed across the balcony.

And somewhere below, in the training yard illuminated by moonlight, I noticed a familiar figure practicing alone.

A blade flashed through the darkness.

Kaiden.

Of course it was Kaiden.

Apparently some people actually enjoyed exercising after midnight.

Psychopath.

He lowered the weapon. Then glanced upward. Our eyes met across the distance. And for a brief second, neither of us looked away.

Then he raised one eyebrow. A silent question.

I wasn’t entirely sure what possessed me. But I found myself lifting a hand and pointing toward the training yard.

His expression shifted as he gave me a dareing smile.

A challenge accepted.

Elias had already left the balcony and I had some time alone with my thoughts, which gave me the opportunity to overthink the situation. What if by mistake I slipped up and showed more than one power tomorrow? Normal people couldn't have more than one after all. I had to be careful.

"Okay Caelyn, you can only show the speed that Kaiden has already seen" I murmured to myself as a reminder to not blow off everything I've worked so hard for.

I left the balcony a few minutes later, because standing there staring at Kaiden from across the estate was beginning to feel slightly embarrassing. And partially because the night air was getting colder.

Mostly the first reason.