WORLD'S APART

chapter 4:The Baker's Secret

The sun had barely set, and the town of Elderwood was abuzz. The streets were a strange mixture of fear and resolve as the townsfolk worked together to fortify their homes and prepare for whatever came next. There were barricades at every corner, every window shuttered, every door reinforced with whatever materials could be found.

Kaelen stood at the center of it all, her eyes scanning the town square. It was chaotic, but the people were determined. The fear that had once gripped them was now tempered with purpose. She could feel the shift in the air — the townspeople had united, just as she’d hoped.

Bram approached her from the bakery, wiping his hands on a towel. “Lira.” His voice was softer than usual. “We need to talk.”

Kaelen turned, noticing the weight in his tone. She’d spent enough time with the baker to know when something was off. “What’s happened?”

Bram hesitated, glancing around to ensure no one was listening. He led her toward the back of the bakery, past the ovens and counters where the warm scent of freshly baked bread filled the air.

“I didn’t want to get anyone involved,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “But I think you need to know.”

He stopped near a cupboard at the back, glancing around once more before pulling open the wooden door. Inside, tucked behind bags of flour and barrels of sugar, was a trapdoor. Kaelen’s brows furrowed.

“What is this?” she asked, already feeling the weight of suspicion settle in her chest.

Bram met her gaze, his usual warmth replaced by a quiet seriousness. “This is why I’ve been keeping my distance. Why I’ve been… cautious about the rift.” He moved aside and gestured toward the trapdoor. “I’ve been hiding something.”

Kaelen’s hand instinctively moved to the dagger at her belt, but she didn’t draw it. Not yet.

Bram sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly as he crouched by the trapdoor and pulled it open. Beneath was a narrow staircase leading down into a dark cellar.

Kaelen peered into the shadows, sensing something ancient and mysterious. “What’s down there?”

“I didn’t mean for it to get out of hand,” Bram said quietly. “But I think it’s been feeding the rift. The magic… it started here.”

Kaelen frowned. “You’re not making sense, Bram.”

He met her eyes, his face taut with worry. “When I first came to Elderwood, I found something buried beneath the bakery — something ancient. I didn’t know what it was at first, just a strange stone with carvings I didn’t understand. But I felt it. The power. I thought I could use it, tap into it. I thought it could be… helpful.”

A chill ran down Kaelen’s spine. “What do you mean, helpful?”

Bram paused before answering, his voice barely a whisper. “It started small — a few extra loaves of bread when the ovens were too hot, crops growing a little more vibrant, the town getting a little more prosperous. It was magic, I think, something old.”

“Was?” Kaelen pressed. “What happened?”

“I don’t know,” he said, shaking his head. “But I think the rift is tied to it. The more I used it, the more I felt something else grow underneath. Something I couldn’t control. At first, it was just whispers in the walls. Then, it was the animals — disappearing at night. Strange things, odd occurrences, until the rift appeared, and everything… everything changed.”

Kaelen’s mind raced. The idea that the magic Bram had unwittingly tapped into could be responsible for the rift didn’t sit well with her. She stepped forward, her voice firm. “You’ve been using forbidden magic, Bram. And now the rift has opened because of it.”

Bram looked away, ashamed. “I didn’t mean for it to go this far. I thought it was just harmless magic. I thought it would help the town.”

“But now it’s threatening the entire town,” Kaelen finished.

Bram swallowed hard. “I didn’t know what else to do.”

She was quiet for a moment, thinking. “We need to stop it. We need to close the rift before it consumes everything.”

“I know.” Bram’s voice was hollow. “But I don’t know how to undo it. The magic — it’s too far gone. Whatever I did, it’s bigger than me now.”

Kaelen took a deep breath, her thoughts swirling like the storm brewing outside the bakery. “We’ll need help. We’ll need more than just the townspeople. We need to find whoever knows how to undo this.”

Bram stood and walked toward the cellar stairs, his expression lost in thought. “I’ll take you down. You’ll see for yourself.”

---

The cellar was cooler than Kaelen had expected, a damp and musty space filled with crates of flour and jars of preserves. In the far corner, a strange stone pedestal stood, its surface covered in intricate runes and carvings that glowed faintly with the same otherworldly light Kaelen had seen in the rift.

Bram walked slowly toward it, his hand trembling slightly as he brushed dust from the stone. “This is where I found it. The stone. The power.”

Kaelen stepped forward, her eyes narrowing. The pedestal seemed to hum with energy, the runes shifting subtly as if reacting to her presence. “This is no ordinary stone. It’s a conduit — a gateway of sorts. And now it’s linked to the rift.”

“You’re right,” Bram said softly. “I didn’t know what I was doing when I used it.”

Kaelen ran a finger over the stone’s surface, feeling a tingle of energy surge through her fingertips. It was cold to the touch, but not in a natural way. This was the kind of cold that seeped into your bones, a deep, ancient cold that spoke of forgotten realms.

“We need to destroy it,” Kaelen said firmly. “This has to go.”

Bram’s eyes widened. “No. We can’t destroy it. If we destroy it, it might collapse the whole town. The rift might be sealed, but the backlash—” He didn’t finish, but the implication hung in the air.

“Then we’ll find a way to neutralize it,” Kaelen insisted. “We need to stop it before it does any more damage.”

They stood in silence for a moment, the weight of the situation pressing down on them. Finally, Kaelen spoke again. “You said the magic began here. Can you think of anyone who might know more about this stone? Someone who could help us?”

Bram’s expression darkened. “There is one person. A traveler who passed through town a few months ago. He spoke of strange things, strange magic. He claimed to be a scholar of the old ways.”

“A scholar?” Kaelen asked. “Do you remember his name?”

Bram nodded slowly. “Alec. He was staying at the inn for a week. Left in a hurry, but not before telling me to be careful with what I was dabbling in.”

“Of course.” Kaelen’s eyes narrowed. “Alec. Do you know where he went?”

Bram’s face darkened. “I don’t know. But if he left anything behind, it would be in his room at the inn. The innkeeper’s sure to know where it is.”

Kaelen nodded, determination setting in. “We’ll find him. And we’ll find a way to close this rift, once and for all.”

---

By the time they returned to The Wren’s Roost, the evening had grown colder, the wind picking up and howling through the streets like a warning. Kaelen couldn’t shake the feeling that something — or someone — was watching her. The rift’s influence was already spreading through the town, like a sickness too thick to ignore.

She stepped inside the inn, and the warmth of the fire met her instantly, but the sense of dread still lingered.

The innkeeper, an older woman named Alma, greeted them from behind the counter.

“Lira,” she said, her voice soft but weary. “What’s happened? I heard the rift’s gotten worse.”

Kaelen nodded. “It has. And we need to talk. We’re looking for a man named Alec. He stayed here a few months ago. Do you know where he went?”

Alma’s expression faltered. “Alec? I remember him. He left in a hurry, didn’t say much. But he paid for his stay, and he didn’t leave anything behind except some old books in his room. I think it was the third room on the left.”

Kaelen’s heart raced. “Show me.”

---

The third room on the left was dark and musty, the bed unmade as if Alec had simply packed up and left in a rush. Kaelen’s eyes immediately fell on a stack of books piled high on the small desk by the window. She approached, flipping through the brittle pages of the first book she found.

“Here,” she said, turning toward Bram. “These are notes. A history of ancient rifts, mentions of stones and portals. Alec knew what he was dealing with.”

As Kaelen continued to sift through the books, she found one page that caught her attention. A drawing of a stone pedestal, identical to the one in Bram’s cellar, sat in the center of a diagram — surrounded by runes and symbols Kaelen couldn’t yet decipher.

The pieces were starting to fit together, but the puzzle was far from complete.

Kaelen closed the book, determination flashing in her eyes. “We’re getting closer. But we need more answers.”

And with that, she knew one thing for certain: the clock was ticking. And if they didn’t stop this rift soon, it would be too late for Elderwood — and for everything.