18
Caden stared at the flickering blue barrier and considered his options. The reason he brought the stone up here still eluded him, so it likely wasn’t too important. Was it something he wanted to do, or someone else? The answer hovered at the edge of his mind, but it was clouded with uncertainty.
He looked back the way he’d come and considered going back down, but he couldn’t find a reason to do that, either. It was as if he were in a battle of tug-of-war, the two opposing thoughts vying for control of his mind, and the pressure made him tired. Caden wanted nothing more than to rest, but a strange force wouldn’t let him.
“Please,” he begged. “I can’t do it.”
The force increased, and he dropped to his knees, the pain in his ribs causing him to cry out in agony. The two forces continue
