Page 40 of Beyond the Treaty

“You always did see too much,” she said, her voice tinged with regret. “I wish I could be here for you, Kaelen. Truly. But I’m not. I’m just...”

She faded away, her figure shimmering one final time before vanishing into the night.

And just like that, I found myself alone.

CHAPTER 24

The ensuing silence was deafening.

The beast’s growl returned, low and triumphant. It surged

forward in my mind, its power filling the void left by Elara’s absence.

“See?” it hissed. “Even your light is a lie.”

“No,” I whispered, although the word felt empty.

“You are mine now, Kaelen. You have always been mine.”

The weight of the beast’s presence overwhelmed me, and

I sensed the final remnants of my will fading away. Without Elara, without that delicate hope, I had nothing to ground me. The shadows encroached, and I felt my body transform, the

beast entirely consuming me. My claws flexed, my vision dimming as the power surged through me like molten fire.

In the distance, I heard voices, the council, their smug satisfaction resonating through the forest.

“He’s ours now,” Withers said, his tone brimming with pride. “The perfect weapon.”

“Indeed,” another voice responded. “The monster has finally awoken.”

Their words were fuel for the beast, which roared inresponse, its hunger and rage devouring every thought, every emotion.

Yet, deep within the darkness, a faint flicker endured, a memory, a whisper of Elara’s voice.You are capable of so much more than this, Kaelen. I have faith in you.

It wasn’t sufficient to halt the beast. Not yet. But it was sufficient to remind me that, even in the depths of despair, the struggle wasn’t over.

Not while even a fragment of me remained.

The transformation was complete. The beast, no, I towered in the moonlit clearing, my shadow stretching grotesquely across the ground. Every muscle in my body thrummed with unnatural strength, every sense heightened to a razor’s edge. The world was a tapestry of sounds and scents: the faint crackle of Withers’ robes brushing against the foliage, the metallic tang of blood lingering in the air, and the muted heartbeats of the council as they encircled me like vultures.

I turned my head towards them, my glowing eyes narrowing. Their faces displayed a mixture of awe and trepidation, as though they had finally succeeded in summoning a force they were not entirely certain they could control.

“Kaelen,” Withers began, his voice smooth yet cautious, “or should I refer to you as... something else now?”

The beast within me laughed, a guttural sound that shook the ground beneath my feet. “You think you can command me, Withers?” I rumbled, my voice layered with a growl. “You think you can leash what you’ve unleashed?”

He smiled thinly, yet I could see the flicker of unease in his eyes. “I believe you misunderstand, my dear Kaelen. You are not our prisoner. You are our weapon, a force the world has never witnessed, crafted to restore balance to a realm descending into chaos.”

The others nodded, their cloaks shifting like dark waves in the darkness.

“Balance?” I echoed, my voice laced with disdain. “Is that

what you term your tyranny? Your deceit? I’ve witnessed your balance, Withers, and it rests upon the bones of the innocent.” Withers’ expression darkened, his façade cracking. “Be

cautious, Kaelen. You are on the brink of greatness. Do not allow your emotions to obscure the gift we have bestowed upon you.”

“Gift?” I let out a laugh, the sound harsh and guttural. “This is no gift. It’s a curse. And you’re nothing more than cowards concealing yourselves behind masks of righteousness.”

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