The scent of pine gave way to the sharp tang of river silt as Kaelridge emerged from the trees.
Aiden paused on a slope above the village, cloak fluttering in the late-morning wind. Below, timber houses stood clustered near the riverbend, their roofs sloped and moss-covered, smoke curling lazily from chimneys. Wood carts trundled between mill and storage, pulled by sturdy oxen.
It looked… peaceful.
But he knew better.
In five days, this place would burn.
Unless he stopped it.
---
> [Location Discovered: Kaelridge Village]
Hidden Status: Leyline Anchor Detected – Dormant
Timeline Forecast: 5 Days to Event Horizon
Thread Instability: Moderate
---
He walked the final stretch on foot, boots kicking dust from the old trade road. Villagers glanced up from their tasks as he passed—some wary, some indifferent, none welcoming.
Strangers were rare here. Armed strangers, even rarer.
Aiden didn't hide the iron dagger on his hip. He didn't hide his eyes, either—cold, grey, and watching everything.
A boy leaned against a fence post ahead, half-chewed stalk between his teeth, bow slung over one shoulder.
"Never seen you before," the boy said. "You one of them surveyors?"
Aiden stopped. "No."
"Trader?"
"No."
The boy narrowed his eyes. "You look like trouble."
Aiden smirked. "I look like someone who knows what's coming."
The boy's chewing slowed.
---
Moments Later – Shrine Grounds
The village shrine wasn't much—just a stone basin and an old spirit tree, its trunk gnarled around the altar like it was guarding something.
And it was.
Beneath that tree was a leyline anchor. A pulse of dormant magic throbbed beneath Aiden's feet as he stepped into the grounds.
> [Thread Signature Confirmed – Anchor Site: Sealed]
Status: Dormant
Activation Potential: High
Safekeeper Detected: [Elya Varn]
That name.
Aiden turned—
And found her watching him from the shadow of the tree.
Elya Varn.
Older now than he remembered her. Still strong. Broad-shouldered. Her hair was braided tight, her boots muddy, and her arms crossed over a leather jerkin that had seen better days.
"State your name," she said. "And why you're walking on sacred soil."
Aiden inclined his head. "My name is Aiden Varos. I came to warn you."
Her eyes narrowed. "Of what?"
He met her gaze. "You'll be dead in five days."
---
Silence.
A bird trilled somewhere overhead. The river murmured nearby.
Elya's fingers twitched toward the small axe at her hip. "If you're threatening me—"
"I'm not," Aiden said calmly. "But others will. They'll come wearing false flags. They'll call it a rogue mage attack. They'll raze Kaelridge to the ground."
"And how do you know that?"
Aiden stepped closer, slowly, careful not to trigger a defensive reaction. "Because I've seen it happen."
---
> [Dialogue Check – Truth vs Doubt]
Charisma vs. Suspicion: Moderate
Passive Skill: Battle Instinct – Influence Modifier Active
Result: Partial Success
Elya didn't draw her weapon—but she didn't lower her guard either.
"You speak like a seer," she said warily. "But your aura's all wrong."
"I'm something else," Aiden replied.
A new voice spoke from behind the shrine.
"You carry a burn in time," it said. "A twist in the air."
Aiden turned.
A woman in grey stood there, fingertips pressed to the bark of the spirit tree. Long black hair draped down her back. Her face was serene, distant. Her presence… unusual.
Veyda.
Even now, he couldn't tell if she was human or something else.
"You see it too, don't you?" he asked her.
She nodded. "You walk against the Thread."
---
Elya looked between them, frowning.
"What the hell does that mean?"
"It means," Veyda said softly, "that fate's trembling."
Aiden met Elya's eyes again. "Let me help. If you don't want the village to burn, you'll give me three things: access to the old mill, ten willing hands, and one map."
She stared at him for a long moment.
Then: "You'll get the mill. Maybe the hands. The map's in the elder's house."
"And what do I give you?"
"Answers," she said. "You owe us that much."
---
As the deal settled, the wind picked up.
Overhead, clouds swirled unnaturally fast.
Aiden turned toward the forest edge. Something shimmered at the tree line—just for a second. Like a shadow that hadn't committed to form.
A presence watching.
---
> [Temporal Signature Detected – Observer Class Echo]
Status: Passive
Threat: Unknown
Note: The Weave is beginning to pay attention.