I did my best to walk fast but not too fast, the sun is up and I still have time before the night.

  As I approached the cave, I caught a faint shimmer at the edge of my vision—a small figure creeping along the shadows by the entrance, just beyond the warm reach of the firelight. I was at the edge of the forest, It didn't see me watch it move with uling silence, small and crouched low, its form no bigger than a toddler’s. But as I switched to full mana-vision, a surge of unease washed over me.

  The aura around it was twisted, pulsing with a sickly green hue. I don’t he information From the the bestiary crystal I absorbed to know that thing is A geling.

  My aura quaked responding to my fear. gelings were the tales of nightmares, beings from the old stories mothers told to keep children close at night. But this wasn’t a story, and the creature was real, creeping closer to a young boy sitting alone by the entrance, pying with a bundle of dried grasses. The boy’s parents were nowhere in sight, and no one else seemed to notice the creature’s approach—it moved in a strange camoufge, nearly invisible in the dim light to those without mana-vision. But I could see it, it couldn’t hide from me.

  My grip tightened on my spear, every muscle tense as I felt my heart pick up pace, beating like a warning drum in my chest. Stay calm. Don’t make a sound. I kept my breathing steady, watg the creature’s slow, careful movements. It was ing closer to the child, its gaze locked on him with an unnerving iy.

  Not today goblin fucker.

  I adjusted my stance, lifting the spear, my left arm vibrating as I poured aura into it. A tight pain ched in my chest, my heart protesting the strain, but I pushed it aside. Every lesson, every teique for a spear throened in my mind, eae vital. I eled a bit of mana into the spear’s obsidian tip, giving it a faint gleam as I hardehe stone for impact. My pulse slowed, foarrowing until only the creature remained in my sight.

  I ’t let this thi any closer to the kid, Just one shot.

  With a smooth, trolled motion, I released the spear. It flew, slig through the air in a dark blur, and struck the geling square in the side of its chest, pinning it to the cave outer wall with a forceful thud. The creature’s illusion shattered instantly, its form flickering as the twisted aura broke apart. What was once a small, almost childlike shape dissolved into a hideous creature—skin stretched too tight over elongated limbs, eyes wide and glistening with a disturbing intelligehe boy looked up, startled, but the horror hadn’t registered yet. Others, though, turo the source of the sound, eyes widening as they took in the sight.

  A horrified scream broke the silence, one of the women pointing with trembling hands at the creature writhing against the wall, its form dissolving, leaving a dark, oily stain oone as its skin began to burn and crack, fking away in thin, ash-like tendrils.

  As the spear left my hand, the pain in my chest surged, stealing my breath. I staggered, feeling the edges of my vision blur. My heart throbbed with the reckless force I’d used, a heavy, punishing ache radiating through my body as I struggled to keep my bahe world tilted, voices blending into a distant hum, and I felt myself sinking, the strain finally too much to bear.

  ---

  When I opened my eyes, Someone was carryiowards the cave. the sound of voices surrounded me, rising in fearful whispers and urgent murmurs. The sharp st of smoke filled the air, mingling with a faiallig. My gaze drifted to the entrance, where athered around the faint stai on the wall, a dark, twisted reminder of what had nearly happened.

  A geling. In broad daylight.

  I closed my eyes.

  When the world slipped bato focus, slowly. The dim, flickering light from the rush-lights danced across the stone walls, casting uneasy shadows that seemed to g to every er of the cave. The cave entrance had been sealed for the night, and the distant murmur of voices mixed with the crag of the fire.

  Someone’s voice rose above the others—a hunter, his tone harsh and cutting.

  “Woman, I told you to keep an eye on the kids!” His voice echoed through the cave. “Instead you where watg the food pots you greedy woman”

  A woman’s voice trembled, trying to expin, “I... I was, I swear I—” The sound of a sp cut her off, a smack that reverberated through the tense silence.

  My eyes struggled to adjust,and I realized I’d been out for hours.

  My mother was the first face I saw, her gaze steady but filled with a relief that looked o breaking. “Anir,” she whispered, her hand reag out to touch my shoulder. “Thank the aors… You’re awake.”

  I forced a slight smile, my chest still ag from the strain of earlier. “Did I miss anything?”

  She nodded, her expression darkening. “They’re calling you a warrior.” Her voice was soft, tense, as if the word itself were dangerous. “You saved a child from… that thing.” Her eyes flicked to a spot by the cave entrance, and I followed her gaze. ”they’re saying. No one even saw it until you acted. The hunters are still talking about how deep your spear went into the wall.”

  There, a faint smear of darkness marked the wall where the geling had been pinned. But that was supposed to be oher side of the wall, yes am sure the creature’s remnants had withered down to little more than an oily stain oone, but some how that stain seeped through the stos preseill lingered in the heavy air, like a shadow that wouldn’t fade. My chest tightened, not from pain but from a realization that sank deep.

  I shifted, still feeling the dull ache from pushing my aura to its limits. my mother sat beside me, relief softening her face as she held a water pouy lips. I took a sip, but my mind was elsewhere.

  “What happeo its body?” I asked, my voice rough. “I remember throwing the spear, then… nothing.”

  Her face darkened slightly, and she set the pouch aside. “I was ihe cave when I heard something hit the wall hard enough to shake it, people screamed and I went out to pick up the kids, that's when I saw it.”

  I could see the memory hunting her eyes,”It inned against the wall, right there by the entrano one could see it clearly at first, not until the magic faded away. It looked almost human, Anir, but twisted, wrong.” She shivered, gng toward the cave entrahey told me You dropped to the ground right after throwing the spear, Monire and the othere boys picked you up,,, I saw you,,, for a moment,,, I thought you were gooo.”

  I gave a faint smile. “It would take more than an a evil to get rid of me.”

  She managed a smile back, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “While you were out, the thing started to ge. Its body… started breaking dowing, like dream, it wasn’t even real.” Her voice grew quieter, as if she were afraid to speak the memory out loud. “Its skin cracked and turo ash, leaving this… oily residue oone.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “It just vanished?”

  She nodded slowly. “I have only heard stories about the Night-Folk, I never imagio see one die. It left almost nothing behind, just a dark, dry stain on the wall. Bronlo and the others wouldn’t go near it, and after a while, the mark began to fade on its own. Tahya used fire on the pce where the stain was.”

  I frowned, leaning back against the rough wall of the cave. “gelings... they’re only shadows of something real. But even shadows have their in.”

  “gelings yes that good name for them, like shadows they shift there shape”. my maze was sharp. “Do you think there are more? Could another e?”

  I hesitated, gng at the cave entrance as if the answer y somewhere beyond. “It’s possible. If one made it this far, there might be others waiting. We’ll have to watch closely.”

  She nodded, her haing on his shoulder. “You saved that child. Everyone knows it now—they respect you for it. Use it.”

  Rokan gave a small, wry smile, gng at her. “Respect be useful. But we have to make sure they stay vigint.” Yes I feel it The geling was only the beginning. And faeries don't like it when there kind is killed even a stupid one walking in the sun.

  She watched me for a moment, her expression unreadable. “You’re strong, Anir. But strength be a heavy burden. So don’t push yourself to death. If you must chose agaiween your life and another,,, just e bae.”

  I held her gaze. “I wont leave you alone.“ No I wont my heroient was reflexive.

  Others had gathered nearby, a mix of awe, fear, and fusion in their faces. Bronlo, the tribe’s elder, stood by the entrance, his features hardened with suspi as he looked from the dark stain bae.

  I approached the group.

  “This happened in daylight,” Bronlo said, his voice low and gruff, his brows furrowed in suspi. “How could something like that get so close without any of us notig?”

  The hunters nodded in agreement, murmuring amongst themselves. They looked betweeain and me, as if both were mysteries they couldn’t uand. I could see the doubt creeping into their eyes. Good. Let them wonder. Let them fear. it will make what I did look bigger.