Chapter 30. Ether & Echoes

  Raven jerked awake, heart hammering, as he realized someone was looming over him. Instinct took over, and he was halfway into a defensive roll when a familiar laugh cut through his panic.

  Uri.

  “What do you want?” he groaned, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “Is it even dawn yet?”

  “Yes, it is exactly dawn,” Uri replied smugly, arms crossed as she perched on the cot next to his. “And I wanted to talk to you.”

  Raven let out a long-suffering sigh, shifting onto his side. “Well, here I am. What’s so important that you had to wake me up for it?”

  She tossed something onto his chest. A book. The title glared at him in bold, faded lettering:

  Shadow and Darkness - A History of the Worst Criminals of the Sacian Empire.

  Raven blinked at the book, then back at her. “What the hell is this supposed to be?”

  Uri leaned forward, her usual playfulness dimming slightly. “It means you have a second trait. And, historically, that trait has been… well, reserved for psychopaths.”

  Raven frowned, gripping the book a little tighter. He wasn’t sure how to feel about that. He still hadn’t fully processed the revelation from the night before, let alone considered what it meant. But he did know one thing—he didn’t like the implications.

  He glanced back up at Uri, eyeing her warily. He still wasn’t sure what her game was, what she wanted from him. But she’d helped enough times that she’d earned some level of trust.

  So, reluctantly, he told her. He kept some details vague but described the feeling of being hunted, the way he had known something was watching him, the way the shadows had responded to him in ways he couldn’t explain. He told her how he discovered his night vision and what the grimoire had revealed.

  Uri listened intently, her playful air giving way to something more serious. When he finished, she sat back, brows drawn together.

  “That… doesn’t sound like how any of the villains in that book became affiliated with the dark,” she admitted. “You’re a mystery, Raven.” She studied him, her gaze sharp, almost calculating. “All I’ll say is—be careful how much you let that trait become a part of you. It can be insidious.”

  Raven held her gaze for a beat before sighing. “Great, existential dread first thing in the morning. Can I go back to sleep now?”

  Uri grinned, her mischievousness returning in full force. “Nope. You’re up now. Why don’t you meditate? You’ve been slacking in that department.”

  Raven groaned but sat up, stretching his arms over his head. He’d been meaning to ask about something anyway. “Since we’re having this bonding moment, maybe you can tell me why my ether pool has grown so much.”

  That smug, knowing look returned to her face instantly. “That’s easy,” she said, almost sing-song. “It’s likely due to your propensity to kill everything that moves.”

  He frowned. “Wait, really?”

  Uri nodded. “Ether adapts to how it’s used. You take in a lot from monsters when they die, and you burn a lot through your powers, so your pool has been expanding to keep up.”

  That actually made a lot of sense. He had wondered about it a few times. While he had the chance, he decided to clear up another lingering question. “Is there a way to see exactly how much ether I have?”

  Uri blinked, caught off guard. “You haven’t set up a page in your grimoire yet?”

  “…No?”

  She stared at him, incredulous. “Come on, Raven, I don’t need to tell you how to do everything.”

  He exhaled through his nose. “Let me guess. I just will it to be there.”

  “Ding ding,” she said, making a mock bell motion with her hand.

  Feeling stupid, Raven summoned his grimoire and flipped to a blank page next to his crest. Focusing, he willed it to show as much information about himself as it could.

  Immediately, text began to fill the page.

  At the very top, a section labelled Ether Pool glowed faintly: 110/110.

  Raven whistled lowly. “Huh. Not bad.”

  If he had started at fifty, that was more than double. He wasn’t sure if that was impressive, but it felt like progress.

  Uri smiled. “Welcome to self-awareness, Raven. Try not to let it go to your head."

  Raven took Uri’s advice and spent the next couple of hours meditating. Following Carter’s earlier suggestion, he made his way down to the basement and settled himself near the Sink Stone. The air was thick with ether here, a constant, subtle pressure that he could almost hear humming in the silence.

  Closing his eyes, he let himself flow with the feeling, focusing on drawing the energy inward. His core swelled as he filled it to capacity, then pushed beyond, condensing more and more ether into its structure. The process was slow but steady, each breath matching a rhythm that seemed to pulse in the stone itself.

  He was making good progress, feeling a deep resonance with the ether when a faint noise stirred behind him. His eyes snapped open, senses sharpening instantly.

  Turning, he found Anny standing near the stairs.

  For a moment, words left him.

  She was wearing the clothes he had bought for her. The simple blue blouse and calf-length cream skirt suited her in a way that made his breath catch. She looked… stunning. Not in the forced, overdone way some girls tried to be, but effortlessly so.

  "I’m sorry," she said quickly, as if worried she’d disturbed him. "I didn’t know anyone was down here."

  Raven pulled himself together, giving her a lopsided grin. "No need to apologize. What brings you down to the creepy basement?"

  She smiled at that, stepping closer. "I was going to meditate. Carter found me at dinner last night and asked if I’d help teach. I don’t really have another way to contribute right now, so I agreed."

  Raven blinked. Dinner.

  Shit.

  He was supposed to have been there. He had meant to ask her himself about helping Carter, but instead, he had disappeared into the city to escape his own thoughts.

  Before she could say anything else, he pushed himself to his feet and crossed the room. "I’m really sorry I never made it to dinner last night," he said, his voice softer than usual. "I don’t have an excuse. I chose to go out scouting… I just—had some stuff going on." He rubbed the back of his neck, looking at her earnestly. "I hope you’ll forgive me."

  Anny studied him for a moment, her expression unreadable. She appreciated the apology, but without him saying why he had left, it left her feeling slightly confused.

  "It’s okay," she said after a beat. "But Tabby was really disappointed."

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  Raven exhaled, relieved she wasn’t mad. He let out a small chuckle. "She was, huh? Well, I guess I’ll have to make it up to her."

  Anny folded her arms, giving him a mock stern look. "Yes, you will."

  He grinned. "Alright then, I was just getting into my groove. Want to meditate with me?"

  Anny’s expression softened, and she nodded. "Yeah, I’d like that."

  They both moved to sit near the crystal, legs crossed, facing the faintly pulsing stone. The moment stretched between them, quiet and calm.

  For the first time in a long while, Raven felt at peace.

  Peeking out of the corner of his eye, he found Anny doing the same. They both grinned, caught in the moment. Without thinking too much about it, Raven reached out and took her hand.

  She didn’t pull away.

  They sat there together, breathing in time, tethered by the quiet energy between them.

  Eventually, the sounds of the hospital waking up filtered down to them—the movement of people, the distant murmur of voices. The world was pulling them back.

  "Time to get back to work, I’m afraid," Raven said, stretching slightly.

  Anny sighed. "Shame. This was nice."

  She turned to him with a radiant smile, and for the second time that morning, Raven had to remind himself to breathe.

  Before he could overthink it, she added, "Dinner tonight. No excuses. You owe me now."

  He smirked. "Okay. I’ll be there."

  Raven stepped out into the morning light, stretching out the stiffness from his meditation session. His mind felt clearer, more focused. He still had plenty of unanswered questions, but at least now he was starting to figure out how to find answers.

  He made his way through the hospital, nodding to the guards at the entrance before stepping outside. The air was crisp, and despite the destruction around them, the plaza had taken on an almost organized feeling. People were moving with purpose now—officers patrolling, survivors tending to small tasks, a sense of community beginning to form.

  He moved toward the officer at the front doors, recognizing him as one of Henson’s trainees. “You see Wilkes?”

  The officer nodded and pointed to one of the buildings across the plaza. “He’s over there, checking out the new storage area with Liu.”

  Raven thanked him and made his way toward the shop Wilkes had apparently commandeered. As he stepped inside, he took in the space—a proper storefront in the front, but a sizable storage area out back. Makes sense, he thought. If they were going to expand, they’d need a dedicated place to keep supplies.

  He spotted Wilkes and Liu further inside, inspecting the area. He cleared his throat as he approached. “What are we up to?”

  Wilkes glanced over his shoulder and nodded in greeting. “Morning, Raven. We’re setting up some of the construction constructs today.”

  Liu added, “We’re focusing on woodwork and masonry first. We can only afford two right now, but it should be enough to start putting up proper shelters and fortifications.”

  Raven nodded approvingly. “That’s a good plan.” Then, a thought occurred to him. “Wilkes, get out your grimoire.”

  Wilkes frowned but complied, flipping to the pages regarding the Sink. Raven held his own grimoire against it, willing access to be shared.

  Sure enough, a collection of new pages lit up in Wilkes’ book.

  Raven smirked. “Figured it was about time we got that sorted.”

  Wilkes stared at the pages for a long moment before looking back at Raven with an unreadable expression. “Thank you,” he said simply.

  With that settled, Raven moved on to give his scouting report. “No sign of large goblin groups inside the Sink. Still, it’s been too quiet. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.”

  Wilkes absorbed the information before nodding. “That’s good to hear, but we can’t assume it’ll stay that way.”

  “Agreed.”

  Wilkes then gave Raven an update of his own. “We had another group successfully form their seed cores this morning—two officers and seven recruits. Most of them have unlocked traits tied to weapons, either inherently or through trait stones. Henson’s already assigned gear—spears, shields, and even an extra crossbow. We also found a cheap set of leather armour in the shop. It costs fifty ether per set and can mend itself if you pump ether into it.”

  Raven quirked a brow. “Not bad. Self-repairing will be very helpful.”

  Raven could tell Wilkes wasn’t just giving him an update—there was something else coming. He folded his arms. “You want them out patrolling?”

  Wilkes shook his head. “Not them. You.” His expression was serious. “I want you to lead a scouting group and go on an extended recon mission.”

  Raven’s posture straightened slightly. “Extended?”

  “We haven’t cleared even a quarter of the city,” Wilkes explained. “There were over ten thousand people in this city, and we’ve only accounted for around two hundred. There have to be more survivors out there.”

  Raven let that sink in. If their numbers were that low, what did that mean for the rest of the world?

  Wilkes continued, “We’ll do a proper mission briefing this afternoon. But I want you on the road by dawn tomorrow.”

  Raven took a deep breath, nodding as the weight of the responsibility settled on his shoulders. “Understood.”

  “Take the day,” Wilkes added. “It might be your last break for a while. We’re expecting you’ll be out there for at least two days, probably more.”

  Raven exhaled. “I’ll be ready.”

  As he left the shop, the weight of his next mission pressed on him, but at the same time, he felt something else.

  Purpose.

  For the first time in a long while, he had something to work toward that mattered.

  Raven settled himself in the dimly lit basement, joining the meditation class as the hum of ether pulsed through the air. The group was silent, each person lost in their own flow of energy. Hours passed as he focused on the swirling current of ether within him, pushing it into his core, refining and compressing it.

  But there was a shift—an almost imperceptible resistance.

  It wasn’t a wall, exactly, but a weight pressing back against his efforts. Was that a sign of progress? Or a warning? He needed that book back from Carter.

  Feeling the strain of mental fatigue creeping in, he exhaled and opened his eyes, blinking against the dim glow of the Sink Stone. He had done what he could for now.

  With his ether fully replenished, he made his way upstairs to the shop.

  What he wasn’t expecting was a stocky middle-aged woman standing behind the ledger, arms crossed and eyes sharp.

  “Hello,” he said, introducing himself cautiously.

  She gave him a once-over with clear disapproval. “Oh, you’re that one, aren’t ya? Well, no causing problems here deary.”

  Raven frowned. “I don’t cause problems.”

  “If you say so, deary,” she replied, tone thick with disbelief. “What can I get for you?”

  Raven hesitated. He had gotten used to searching the ledger himself and wasn’t sure how this system worked now.

  “Don’t worry, deary,” she said, reading his hesitation. “You can look like usual, but don’t buy anything except coins. You can keep your share of them like everyone else.”

  Right. The tax.

  He had momentarily forgotten about that. A part of him wondered if he was exempt, but he figured if the system worked for everyone else, it was good enough for him.

  Tapping into the ether he had built up; he exchanged it for a pair of fifty-ether coins.

  The woman’s eyes widened slightly. “Never seen two of these from one person before.”

  Raven smirked. “Well, nothing to see here.”

  She scoffed, shaking her head. “What do you want, deary?”

  He scanned the available items, considering his options. Eventually, he settled on a book that was supposed to help archers unlock inherent traits related to the weapon. It cost thirty ether, but if it helped him improve, it was worth it. He also bought a few extra rations—having some emergency supplies could come in handy, and if nothing else, they could be traded if he found people in need while scouting.

  With his purchase secured, he made his way out to the plaza.

  A group of people were working to set up makeshift stalls, hammering together plywood and salvaged timber. Others carried buckets of water from the fountain, setting them up so people could use them for cleaning. Seeing an opportunity to be useful, Raven jumped in to help.

  The work was tiring but steady. After a few hours, half a dozen stalls had been erected, and several buckets were stationed near the fountain. The small signs of order made the place feel more like an actual settlement—like something worth fighting for.

  Taking advantage of the fresh water, Raven rinsed himself off and changed into clean clothes before making his way to the cafeteria.

  Raven joined Anny and Tabby for dinner, sliding into a seat across from them as the warm hum of conversation filled the cafeteria. The atmosphere was different tonight—lighter, almost comfortable. Maybe it was the fact that people were beginning to feel some sense of stability, or maybe it was just the company.

  Anny and Tabby were easy to be around.

  They spent the meal laughing as Raven regaled them with some of his scouting exploits, embellishing just enough to keep things entertaining. Tabby, for her part, had absolutely no filter, saying the most audacious, bold, and downright controversial things imaginable. Each time, Raven and Anny would stare at her in stunned silence before bursting into laughter.

  "There's no way you actually said that" Raven managed between laughs, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

  Tabby smirked. "Swear on my life."

  Anny, the perfect audience, gasped in all the right places, asked questions when needed, and let out the occasional horrified, "Tabby, oh my god!"

  It felt normal.

  For the first time in what felt like forever, Raven wasn't thinking about monsters lurking in the dark, about traitors from his past, or about the weight of responsibility pressing down on him. He was just here, sharing a meal with people who—somehow—had become important to him.

  But all good things had to end.

  As the night wore on and the cafeteria began emptying, Raven leaned back in his chair, rubbing a hand through his hair. "I should probably tell you both—I’m heading out on a scouting mission tomorrow. Wilkes wants me gone for a couple of days, maybe more."

  Tabby's smile faltered slightly, but Anny simply nodded. "You’ll be careful, right?"

  "I’ll do my best," Raven said with a grin. "Not making any promises, though."

  Anny rolled her eyes but smiled. "You better come back in one piece. You still owe me."

  Raven smirked. "That I do. Guess I’ll just have to make it back, then."

  "Guess you will," she said softly, her gaze lingering on him for just a moment too long.

  Raven felt something tighten in his chest but ignored it.

  "Alright, alright, enough of this," Tabby cut in, stretching her arms above her head. "If you two are gonna stare at each other, at least do it somewhere else."

  Anny turned red. Raven chuckled.

  "Noted," he said, standing and pushing his chair back in. "I'll see you both when I get back."

  And with that, he left, heading toward his cot for some much-needed sleep.