The Weight of Regret

Chapter 15: The Weight of Regret

The three of them pressed onward, the ruins of Everglen twisting around them like a maze. The shadows relented for now, but the oppressive energy of the city clung to the air. Kaelin walked beside Verrin, his mind racing with questions.

Finally, he couldn’t hold back any longer. “You need to tell me everything. About the shards, the city, and your part in all this.”

Verrin’s jaw tightened, his eyes fixed ahead. “This isn’t the time, Kaelin.”

“It is,” Kaelin insisted. “You’ve been holding back since the beginning, and I’m done following blindly. If I’m supposed to fix your mistakes, I deserve to know what those mistakes were.”

Anara, walking slightly ahead, paused and glanced back. “For once, I agree with him. You’ve been shady since the start, Verrin. If you don’t spill, don’t expect us to keep trusting you.”

Verrin stopped, his shoulders sagging under an invisible weight. He glanced around to make sure the path was clear, then gestured for them to sit by a broken stone column.

“You want the truth?” Verrin said, his voice low but firm. “Fine. But you won’t like it.”

Kaelin and Anara exchanged a glance before nodding.

Verrin took a deep breath. “Everglen wasn’t always like this. It was once a thriving city, a center of knowledge and power. The shards weren’t just relics; they were part of its foundation, channeling energy that sustained the city and its people. But with power like that, there’s always someone who wants more.”

Kaelin frowned. “You?”

Verrin nodded, his expression grim. “I was young, ambitious, and foolish. I was part of a group of scholars and warriors called the Circle of Arcanum. We believed we could unlock the shards’ full potential—harness them not just to sustain the city but to expand its influence. To make Everglen the most powerful civilization the world had ever seen.”

“And that didn’t go as planned,” Anara said, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

“Not even close,” Verrin admitted. “The shards resisted us. They weren’t just tools; they were alive, connected to the very fabric of the world. Our attempts to control them caused a backlash—a surge of energy so powerful it destroyed half the city in an instant. Those who survived... well, they weren’t the same. The shards corrupted them, turning them into the guardians you’ve seen.”

Kaelin’s stomach churned. “And you? How did you survive?”

“I was one of the lucky ones,” Verrin said bitterly. “Or maybe unlucky. I wasn’t at the center of the ritual when it failed. I watched from the outskirts as everything fell apart. I tried to save those I could, but it wasn’t enough. The shards consumed the city, and the survivors cursed my name for leading the Circle.”

Anara crossed her arms. “So, you ran.”

“Yes,” Verrin said quietly. “I ran. For years, I lived with the guilt, trying to understand what went wrong. That’s when I realized the shards weren’t meant to be controlled—they were meant to choose. And now they’ve chosen you, Kaelin.”

Kaelin stared at Verrin, his thoughts a whirlwind of anger and confusion. “Why me? I’m not a scholar or a warrior. I’m just... me.”

“The shards see something in you that they didn’t see in us,” Verrin said. “Maybe it’s your heart, your determination. Maybe it’s because you’re not blinded by ambition like we were.”

Kaelin looked away, his hand brushing against the pouch at his side. The shards pulsed faintly, as if responding to his uncertainty.

“And what happens if I fail?” he asked quietly.

Verrin’s face darkened. “Then the world ends, just as Everglen did.”

The weight of Verrin’s words hung in the air, suffocating in its finality. Anara broke the silence with a sharp exhale.

“Well, this just keeps getting better,” she said. “But if we’re all doomed anyway, I’d rather go down fighting.”

Kaelin met Verrin’s gaze, his expression hardening. “No more secrets. No more half-truths. If we’re doing this, we’re doing it together.”

Verrin nodded solemnly. “You have my word.”

The three of them rose and resumed their journey, the path ahead more uncertain than ever. But for the first time, Kaelin felt like he understood the stakes—and the man who had brought him here.

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