The Weight Of Remaining

CHAPTER 11

Talia turned out to be the one who showed me to my room.

The room itself was surprisingly normal.

A bed and a desk next to it. A wardrobe big enough to fit only half the clothes I have at home, unfortunately. And a window overlooking the estate grounds.

There were no hidden weapons or secret passages. Which was slightly disappointing, honestly.

“This used to be Rowan’s room,” Talia said.

“...Used to?” I stopped halfway through setting my jacket on the chair.

“We moved him.”

“Should I ask why?”

“No.” The answer came immediately. Which told me everything I needed to know.

“Get some sleep.” Talia smiled.

“You say that like it’s easy.”

“It isn’t.” she said with some weird sympathy I didn't expect.

For a moment, something tired flickered across her expression.

Then it disappeared.

“Goodnight, Caelyn.”

“Goodnight.”

The door clicked shut behind her and silence settled over the room. The kind I’d grown used to over the last two years.

I sat on the edge of the bed. I knew sleep wasn’t happening. Not anytime soon at least.

The ceiling above me was unfamiliar. The mattress was unfamiliar. The entire house was unfamiliar. Yet somehow it felt less foreign than it should have.

I leaned back against the headboard and stared out the window.

Moonlight spilled across the training grounds below. It was empty now as Kaiden had apparently gone inside at some point. My gaze drifted toward the darkness beyond the estate walls. Toward the forests and the distant lights of the city.

Two years of moving carefully... Two years of avoiding questions and people who looked too closely.

My power had never told me exactly why. Not in words at least. Just certainty. A feeling buried deep enough that it felt older than thought.

Hide. Don’t be found.

Sometimes that certainty came with fragments- A skill or a piece of information that appeared from nowhere and left me wondering how long it had been waiting.

Other times... Nothing. Just silence.

I knew what I was.

The Third Hybrid.

My power had made sure of that. The Knowledge wasn't something everyone could possess. I now knew what Kaiden was capable of. His powers made sense. But mine? It's like having all the information in the world, without knowing how to access it. I didn't even know what exactly The Knowledge could do. How to use it? It felt more like this power was using me instead of the other way around.

I just knew I wasn’t supposed to be found, because someone was searching for me. And I knew that if they succeeded, something terrible would follow. Everything else was guesswork.

I closed my eyes.

Axton. The first Hybrid, he had the power of Creation. He was making the creatures. He was the reason people slept with weapons beside their beds. The name alone carried enough weight to make cities nervous. And he was the reason I had spent two years looking over my shoulder.

And somehow... I still knew almost nothing about him.

A strange thought crossed my mind.

What if he knew as little about me as I knew about him? The idea was oddly comforting.

It didn’t last as The Knowledge stirred. Only slightly, but enough to make something cold settle in my chest.

Danger.

My eyes opened instantly. For a second I didn’t understand why. Then an alarm went off.

A sharp metallic pulse echoed through the estate as the silence shattered. Doors flew open throughout the hallway. Footsteps thundered past my room. The estate had transformed in seconds.

I was already on my feet when someone pounded on my door.

“Caelyn!” Talia shouted with urgency that couldn't be ignored “Get dressed!”

Another alarm pulse echoed through the building.

My pulse quickened. Not with fear. Adrenaline.

Something was happening. And judging by the speed everyone was moving... It wasn’t unusual.

Outside my room, I heard Rowan’s voice.

“Why do monsters always attack at night?” he asked with obvious annoyance.

“Because they hate you specifically,” Finn replied.

A second later, something hit the wall.

“Move!” Talia shouted.

I didn’t need to be told twice.

By the time I stepped into the hallway, the entire house was already awake. People moved with practiced efficiency. Rowan was pulling on a jacket as he jogged down the corridor. Finn was already fully dressed somehow. Which was concerning, nobody should be that prepared in the middle of the night.

Talia appeared beside me carrying a pair of gloves.

“Follow us.” she ordered as she was already walking ahead

“Always this dramatic?” I asked.

“Usually worse.” Finn said with his usual calm expression.

We hurried downstairs.

The common room looked completely different from how it had less than an hour ago. Maps covered the main table. Weapons had been pulled from storage. Several people were already gathering supplies.

At the center of it all stood Elias, calm and focused, giving orders.

The moment he noticed me, he nodded once. He wasn't surprised. As if he’d expected me to be there.

“Report.” he ordered with urgency in his tone.

A young woman I hadn’t met yet stood near the table.

“South district. Witnesses reported two creatures near the river.”

“Only two?” Elias asked with a hint of surprise in his voice.

She shook her head.

“We’ve confirmed six.”

The room immediately grew quieter.

Rowan swore under his breath.

“Six?” Finn frowned as he apparently didn't expect to hear that.

“That’s what the scouts reported.” the woman replied.

“That’s more than usual,” Talia muttered.

I noticed the way Elias’ expression tightened. He didn’t like that number.

Kaiden appeared from another hallway. Unlike everyone else, he wasn’t carrying any equipment.

My eyes narrowed.

“What?” He caught the way I was looking at him immediately.

“You forgot your sword.” I said half jokingly half serious.

“I didn’t.” he replied with subtle confidence.

“That seems irresponsible.”

“The sword is mostly decorative.” he said with a faint smirk on his face.

“That might be the most arrogant thing you’ve said all day.” I rolled my eyes.

Before I could say anything else, Elias interrupted.

“Focus.” he said gathering all the attention to himself as he placed both hands on the table.

“Same objective as always. Contain the creatures. Protect civilians. No heroics.” he said as his gaze landed on Rowan.

“That’s targeted.” Rowan scoffed.

“It is.” Elias said done with Rowan's jokes.

A few people laughed. Even now, which felt insane. Then again, maybe joking before running toward monsters was healthier than screaming.

“Kaiden.” Elias turned the attention back to the mission “You’re with Rowan and Finn.”

“Understood.” Kaiden nodded.

“Talia, east side.”

“Got it.”

Then Elias looked at me.

For the first time since the alarm started, I felt every eye in the room shift my way. Wonderful. I already disliked whatever came next.

“Caelyn.” Elias said like he didn't know exactly what to do with me “You stay with me.”

“Excuse me?” I blinked in surprise.

“You don’t know how we operate.” Elias explained “You don’t know the city layout and you’re not officially part of the team.”

“I feel attacked.” I muttered, pretending to look offended.

“Get used to it.” Elias replied without missing a beat.

Rowan laughed and I considered throwing something at him. Unfortunately Elias continued before I could.

“You observe.”

“Observe?” I folded my arms.

“You wanted to know what we do.” he said calmly “You’re about to find out.”

I wasn’t sure whether that was reassuring or terrifying.

A loud bell rang somewhere outside. The final signal. Everyone immediately started moving. Doors opened and cold air rushed inside as the team spilled into the darkness.

“Last chance.” Elias said as he stepped beside me.

“For what?” I looked at him.

“To decide this isn’t your problem.”

The offer surprised me more than it should have.

Outside, I could hear distant shouting. The city was waking up.

I thought about my room. About leaving tomorrow and forgetting all of this. Then I thought about the creatures from the bar and the people who hadn’t been able to defend themselves.

And about the fact that I’d never been particularly good at walking away.

“Lead the way.” I sighed.