THIRD POV
The fire crackled softly, fed by a mix of washed-up wood and scraps from the broken ship that had met its end not far from the shore. A young man crouched next to it, carefully stoking the flames. Despite their predicament—stranded on a tiny island with nothing but a lone palm tree for a company—his demeanor carried a strange ease, as though he'd faced worse before.
Thaddeus approached from the water's edge, the sand crunching faintly under his boots. His shoulders slumped slightly, a weariness visible in his every step. The young man glanced up, his sharp eyes catching Thaddeus's approach.
"Any luck?" he asked casually, brushing his hands off as he straightened.
"No," Thaddeus said, shaking his head and sighing deeply. "It's unsalvageable. The hull's too damaged to be repaired, and..." He hesitated, his voice softening. "And I don't have the magic anymore to fix it." His gaze drifted to the small island around them, taking in the limited expanse of sand and the solitary palm tree swaying gently in the ever-still breeze.
The young man nodded as if he had expected the answer. "Well," he said, brushing off his hands again, "it could be worse. At least you're alive and in one piece. That counts for something... mostly."
Thaddeus let out a bitter chuckle, folding his arms as he looked back toward the endless ocean. "What have I got left to lose anyway?" he muttered. "I'm too far from home. Doesn't matter anymore."
The young man stood, stepping closer until he was beside Thaddeus. His expression was calm but scrutinizing, as though he could see through the deflection. "Do you even want to go home?" he asked quietly.
Thaddeus didn't respond right away. His eyes stayed fixed on the horizon, where the orange glow of the sky seemed frozen in perpetual sunset. Finally, his shoulders shifted, but he didn't look away.
"That's what I thought," the young man said gently, placing a hand on Thaddeus's shoulder and giving it a firm but reassuring pat. "Come on. At least sit for a while. You look like you haven't slept in days."
Without a word, Thaddeus allowed himself to be led back toward the fire. He lowered himself onto the sand, his movements stiff as though the weight of exhaustion had finally caught up to him. The firelight flickered across his face, accentuating the shadows under his eyes. The sky above, as it had been since he entered the Silent Maw, remained eerily unchanged. The sun hung low in the east, casting a golden-orange glow that never fully surrendered to night or allowed the promise of a new day. It was as though the world itself was holding its breath.
The young man dropped onto the sand across from him, sitting cross-legged. He leaned back on his hands, the firelight casting his features into sharp relief. "Right," he said after a moment, breaking the silence. "We never really introduced ourselves properly, did we? I'm Kaden, but you can call me K." He stood again, a bit awkwardly, and extended a hand toward Thaddeus with a small, easy smile.
Thaddeus blinked at the gesture, his hazel eyes flicking to the offered hand. For a moment, he just stared, as though the simple act of friendliness was something unfamiliar. Eventually, he reached out and grasped Kaden's hand firmly, though he made no move to stand.
"Thaddeus," he said, his voice low. "You can call me Thad. Or Archie. Maybe Ash... I don't know. Whatever works."
"Thad it is," K said, his smile widening as he sat back down, crossing his legs again. "Those names are a bit of a mouthful anyway."
Thaddeus let out a faint, humorless chuckle, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. He stared into the fire, watching the flames dance. "What about you, K?" he asked after a long pause. "What's your story? How'd you end up here?"
K shrugged, his expression easy but unreadable. "Same as you, I'd guess," he said. "Ship didn't like the Silent Maw much. I washed up here a few days before you did."
Thaddeus tilted his head, studying the young man. "You don't seem too shaken up about it," he said, his voice carrying a faint note of suspicion.
K smirked vaguely, tossing a small twig into the fire. "You get used to it," he said. "Life's got a way of tossing you into the deep end whether you're ready or not. That doesn't mean you stop swimming." He glanced at Thaddeus, his gaze steady. "What about you? What were you running from?"
Thaddeus tensed slightly but didn't look away from the fire. "Who said I was running?" he muttered.
K raised an eyebrow but didn't press further. "Fair enough," he said lightly, leaning back on his hands again. "But whatever it is, you might want to figure it out. The Maw's not exactly forgiving to people who don't know where they're headed. This place doesn't exactly forgive aimlessness. People lose themselves here, you know."
Thaddeus finally looked up, his hazel eyes meeting K's. "Is that supposed to be wisdom?" he asked dryly.
"Take it however you like," K replied with a grin, the firelight glinting in his eyes.
Thaddeus raised an eyebrow, leaning forward slightly. "How long have you been here in the Maw, exactly?"
K shrugged, still tracing symbols in the sand. "Oh, just a few weeks. Give or take." He glanced up, a wry grin tugging at his lips. "I stopped counting after the fifth week. Got bored."
Thaddeus's expression turned wary, his hazel eyes narrowing slightly. "Right..." he said slowly, suspicion creeping into his voice.
K laughed, the sound light and unbothered. "What?" he said, leaning back on his hands. "Afraid I'm some dark lord taking a summer vacation? Or maybe an evil overlord enjoying a bit of sand and sun?"
Thaddeus chuckled despite himself, shaking his head. "No," he said, though his tone carried a faint edge. "I just... Well, I've got a habit of meeting people under bad circumstances. And let's just say, first impressions usually aren't in my favor."
K shrugged again, his grin softening. "That's fine," he said easily. "I'm no stranger to bad first impressions. People tend to assume the worst before they know you, don't they?"
Thaddeus's gaze flickered to the fire, his expression tightening slightly. "Yeah," he said quietly. "Something like that."
K leaned forward slightly, "Still," he said, "you don't exactly strike me as the type to wander into a place like this without a reason. So, tell me, Thaddeus—what's a guy like you doing this far from home?"
Thaddeus hesitated, his hazel eyes closing briefly as he let out a slow breath. "It's... complicated," he admitted, his voice low.
K chuckled softly, his fingers idly tracing more symbols in the sand. "Mate, everything is complicated," he said lightly. "Doesn't mean you can't talk about it."
Thaddeus opened his eyes, fixing K with a skeptical look. "Even if I told you, you wouldn't understand half of it."
K's grin widened slightly, his curiosity undeterred. "Consider me interested," he said, gesturing for Thaddeus to continue. "I've got time."
For a moment, Thaddeus stayed silent, staring into the fire as though the flames held the answers he couldn't find. Then, he spoke in a quieter voice, tinged with something raw. "Fine," he said. "Maybe I left because I was too scared. Too scarred. Every time I was back home, the memories... the nightmares... they'd come back. Like ghosts that wouldn't let me breathe."
K's expression shifted slightly, his easy demeanor softening as he listened.
"I couldn't deal with it," Thaddeus continued, his voice growing more strained. "So I left. I left everything—everyone. Alicia, Rellana, the people who mattered to me... all of it." He exhaled shakily, running a hand through his hair. "I thought maybe if I got far enough away, I could find some answers. Maybe even find the people I lost along the way."
K was quiet for a moment, thoughtfully studying Thaddeus. "Not too bad of a reason, I guess," he said finally, "And you've definitely seen your fair share of the world. You've got that look in your eyes—like someone who's been through a lot more than they let on."
Thaddeus glanced at him, his brow furrowing. "How can you tell?" he asked. "You a mage? A seer? No... seers don't leave their domains."
K smirked, leaning back on his hands again. "Kinda-ish," he said, his tone teasing. "Except magic's not really my thing."
Thaddeus raised an eyebrow, his suspicion returning faintly. "Then what is your thing?" he asked cautiously.
K grinned, his finger still idly tracing patterns in the sand. "Oh, you know," he said vaguely. "Observing. Listening. People tell you a lot if you let them talk long enough."
Thaddeus snorted softly, shaking his head. "Sounds like you've got a talent for being nosy."
"Call it what you want," K replied with a shrug. "But you're the one who told me all that without me asking twice."
Thaddeus chuckled despite himself, leaning back slightly as he glanced at the unmoving sky. "Fair point," he admitted. "So don't go getting any ideas."
K laughed again, his grin widening. "Don't worry, mate," he said. "Your secrets are safe with me. For now, anyway."
The young man's calm demeanor and mysterious air had started to wear on him, curiosity bubbling to the surface despite his best efforts to stay detached. Finally, he spoke.
"Right," Thaddeus said, his tone casual but probing. "What about you? What's your story? Ran away from home too, or are you just another wanderer looking for something to fill the time?"
K paused, leaning back on his hands with a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Well," he began, his voice slow and measured, "I wouldn't say I ran away. I'm... looking for people. Or rather, just one person."
Thaddeus raised an eyebrow, intrigued despite himself. "One person?" he echoed, his tone skeptical.
K nodded, reaching into the inside of his coat. "Yeah," he said simply. From the folds of his coat, he pulled out a small, pentagon-shaped object. It shimmered faintly in the firelight, its edges smooth and its surface marked with faint, glowing symbols. "And I think... I've found that person." As he spoke, the pentagon began to emit a bright blue light, the glow intensifying as if responding to something—or someone.
Thaddeus instinctively leaned back, his body tense. "What the—look, I'm not in the mood for a fight, alright?" he said, raising his hands defensively. "If you're here to start something, take it somewhere else."
K held up his free hand quickly, shaking his head. "No, no, no," he said, his voice calm and reassuring. "That's not what I meant. Just... relax." He tapped the pentagon gently, and the object responded, its sides flipping outward and spinning slowly around the glowing core.
Thaddeus stared at it, equal parts wary and fascinated. "What is that?" he asked, his tone guarded.
K ignored the question, his gaze fixed on the glowing pentagon for a moment before turning back to Thaddeus. "I've been meaning to ask you something," he said, his voice carrying a subtle weight. "Do you want to go on an adventure?"
Thaddeus blinked, his brow furrowing. "Look," he said, his voice firm but tired, "I'm done with all that, alright? If you're looking for someone to go on some 'unexpected journey,' you're barking up the wrong tree. I'm no longer the great Archmage or whatever you think I am. I've hung up that hat, okay? I'm done."
K tilted his head, his calm gaze never wavering. "Hmm," he murmured thoughtfully. "You look like you're done. You sound like you're done. But..." He leaned forward slightly, his tone shifting to something more deliberate. "The more you say it, the less convincing it sounds."
Thaddeus stiffened, his expression darkening. "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked sharply.
K shrugged, the motion casual but deliberate. "It means," he said, his voice steady, "that the more you deny it, the more it chases after you. You might leave things behind, but that doesn't mean they stop existing. They'll always find a way to come back."
Thaddeus's hands clenched into fists at his sides. "I don't need a lecture," he muttered.
"I'm not lecturing," K said, "I'm asking. One more time." He leaned forward, holding the glowing pentagon between them. "Would you like to go on an adventure?"
Thaddeus scoffed, turning his gaze back to the fire. "I already told you—"
"Just think about it," K interrupted, his voice brushing aside Thaddeus's protest. "Everything you've been through. The death of your aunt—by your own hand. Your cousin, too far gone to save. Your parents, still missing. The boy who was destined to die for the sake of it all but somehow didn't. The one who banished his own grandfather for the sake of the world. You've died. You've come back. And now... what? You're just going to leave it all behind? Again?"
Thaddeus froze, K's words hitting him like a physical blow. His hazel eyes flickered toward the fire, but his thoughts were far from the flickering flames. For a long moment, he said nothing, his chest rising and falling with slow, deliberate breaths.
K leaned back, watching him with an unreadable expression. "You don't have to answer now," he said softly, his voice losing some of its intensity. "But you should. Sooner or later."
Thaddeus let out a slow sigh, his gaze still fixed on the fire. For once, he had nothing to say, his mind too tangled with thoughts he'd been trying to bury for years. K said nothing more, letting the silence stretch between them as the fire crackled softly in the background. The glowing pentagon dimmed, its light fading as K tucked it back into his coat.
The fire crackled softly as K watched Thaddeus, his expression calm but intent. The silence stretched between them, heavy with the weight of unspoken truths. Finally, K leaned forward slightly, his voice measured and steady.
"Now... do you understand?" he asked.
Thaddeus scoffed, his hands clenching at his sides as he stared into the flames. "What's the point?" he muttered, his voice low but growing more intense with each word. "The longer I stay home, the more I endanger everyone. And my 'grandfather'—" He laughed bitterly, shaking his head. "He's still out there. Somewhere."
He turned away, running a hand through his hair as he began to pace. "I still find it funny, you know?" he said, his voice tinged with something between anger and despair. "Funny how the hell I'm even alive. Do you know how long it was for me in that... place?"
K tilted his head, waiting silently.
"Three hundred forty-seven thousand, six hundred eighty-nine years," Thaddeus said, his voice rising as he began to count on his fingers. "Six months. Two hundred seventy-six days. Four hours. And twenty seconds." He stopped pacing, spinning around to point a trembling finger at the horizon. "That's how long it took me just to seal him. And for what? To end up here, pretending like it never happened?"
K didn't respond immediately, his gaze steady but unreadable.
"No one," Thaddeus continued, his voice cracking, "has to know what I faced in... whatever that fucking place was. By the Aeons, K—loop after loop, I died. Again. And again. And again. Over and over, until I couldn't even tell what was real anymore." He laughed bitterly, the sound devoid of humor. "That's why everything feels so distant. My mind... stayed intact, but time just kept slipping further and further away."
He stopped pacing, his shoulders slumping as his voice softened. "I left Alicia because I couldn't handle it. I was too broken to accept that she'd moved on, that she's with someone else now. I left Rellana because... because I didn't even know I had a child with her. The whole time, and I had no idea." His hands dropped to his sides, his head hanging low. "And my adopted kids... I left them too. What kind of person does that make me?"
K stood, brushing the sand from his hands as he stepped closer. "You're asking the wrong question," he said simply.
Thaddeus looked up, his hazel eyes brimming with frustration. "Then what's the right question, K?" he snapped. "What is there left for me to give? To want? To need? What's the point of any of this?"
K met his gaze, his own calm and steady. "Peace," he said softly, the word carrying a quiet weight. "That's what you seek. And that's what you'll find—if you let yourself."
Thaddeus let out a sharp breath, his hands balling into fists again. "Peace," he repeated, his voice dripping with disbelief. "Do you have any idea what that even means to someone like me? I've been at war for so long—with the world, with myself—that peace feels like a fairytale."
K smiled faintly, "Maybe," he said. "But it's not impossible. It's a good offer, Thad. The best you'll get."
Thaddeus stared at him for a long moment, the firelight flickering across his conflicted face. Slowly, he sank back onto the sand, his head in his hands as he let out a long, shaky breath. The silence stretched between them again, broken only by the soft crackle of the fire and the faint rustle of the unmoving horizon.
"I don't know if I can do this," Thaddeus admitted finally, his voice barely above a whisper.
K crouched down beside him, "You don't have to know," he said. "You just have to try."
Thaddeus didn't respond, his mind a tempest of memories, regrets, and the faint, distant shimmer of something that might have been hope—or perhaps exhaustion. K stood again, giving him space, but his presence stayed unchanging, like an anchor against the chaos swirling inside Thaddeus's mind.
"Well," K said, at last, his voice light but tinged with meaning. "In any case... it seems you're a bit interested. Ish."
Thaddeus snorted, though it lacked humor. "Leave me alone," he muttered, not looking up. "I don't need your pity."
K didn't respond right away. Instead, he stood, brushing sand from his coat as he walked toward the edge of the island where the waves lapped at the shore. His posture was unhurried, but there was an unmistakable purpose in his movements. Thaddeus glanced up, watching him warily.
As K reached the water's edge, he raised his right hand, palm outstretched toward the heavens. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, a faint twinkling light appeared in the sky, growing brighter as it descended, almost like a falling star. The light landed gently in K's palm, glowing and pulsing as though alive.
Before Thaddeus could fully process what he was seeing, the air around K shimmered and twisted. The glow in his hand expanded outward, splitting reality itself with a soundless rupture. A crack formed in the fabric of space, widening into a doorway that seemed to defy description. The colors within it were... everything. Hues Thaddeus couldn't name swirled and blended in an endless dance, both mesmerizing and unsettling.
K turned back toward Thaddeus, his expression calm but unreadable. "Feel free to follow," he said simply. Without another word, he stepped into the rift and disappeared, his silhouette swallowed by the shifting, kaleidoscopic light.
For a moment, Thaddeus didn't move. His eyes remained fixed on the swirling doorway, his mind warring with itself. Every instinct told him to stay put, to let K and his cryptic invitation vanish along with the rift. And yet...
"Damn it," he muttered under his breath, pushing himself to his feet. He glanced back at the fire. It would be so easy to stay—to let the fire keep him rooted, safe, and alone.
But Thaddeus had never been one for easy choices.
With a frustrated sigh, he broke into a run, his boots kicking up sand as he charged toward the rift. The light grew brighter as he neared, its energy pulling at him, filling his chest with a strange mix of fear and exhilaration. "Screw it," he said aloud, his voice lost in the hum of the rift.
And then he leaped, plunging into the kaleidoscopic light just as the doorway began to close behind him.
The rift sealed itself with a quiet shimmer, leaving the small island untouched—save for the fading footprints in the sand and the faint, lingering hum of possibility.
The island fell silent. The fire continued to crackle, its flames flickering softly against the ever-still sky. The warmth lingered, steady and unchanged, as though nothing at all had happened.