C5 Chapter 5 – The Boy Beneath the Ashen Peaks (Part 5)
For several moments, neither Kael nor the old man spoke. Only the distant murmur of the mountain stream filled the silence.
Kael carefully wrapped the dark jade pendant again and tucked it safely beneath his tunic.
For reasons he could not explain, the moment it rested against his chest, an indescribable feeling of peace washed over him.
Almost...
Like returning home after a very long journey. The old man's sharp eyes noticed the subtle change. He quietly looked toward the heavens.
"So... even after sixteen years..."
"It still remembers its true master."
His thoughts remained his own.
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"Young man."
The old man finally broke the silence.
"Tell me..."
"If one day you discovered that everything you believed about yourself was a lie..."
"...what would you do?"
Kael considered the question seriously. He had always answered honestly. Even when he did not know the answer immediately. After several moments, he smiled.
"I would search until I found the truth."
"And if the truth brought only suffering?"
Kael looked at the flowing stream.
"The truth doesn't change because I dislike it."
"If it hurts..."
"I'll still accept it."
The old man studied him for a long time. Then, almost imperceptibly...
He nodded.
"Good..."
"Your father would have answered differently."
"Your mother..."
"Exactly the same."
_____________________________________
Without warning...
A gust of wind swept through the valley. The leaves of every tree rustled together. Not chaotically. Rhythmically. As if countless unseen hands had touched them at once.
Kael frowned.
"Did you hear that?"
"Hear what?"
"It sounded almost like..."
He searched for the right word.
"...whispers."
The old man's expression remained calm.
"There are places where the world remembers."
"The mountains remember."
"The rivers remember."
"The stars remember."
"Only people forget."
Kael smiled awkwardly.
"Elder..."
"Sometimes I can't tell whether you're teaching me..."
"...or confusing me."
The old man laughed heartily.
"If you're confused..."
"That means you're thinking."
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They began walking back toward the forest path. The old man moved with the aid of a simple wooden staff. Despite appearing frail, every step he took was perfectly balanced. Not a twig snapped beneath his feet. Not a single leaf stirred. Kael noticed but said nothing. Instead, he asked,
"Elder..."
"Have you always lived alone?"
The old man gazed toward the distant mountains.
"No."
"Once..."
"I walked beside friends."
"What happened to them?"
The old man was silent for a very long time.
"When history changes..."
"...friendships often become legends."
"And legends..."
"...are eventually forgotten."
Kael sensed the sadness behind those words.
He wisely chose not to ask further.
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The forest gradually grew darker.
The sun had begun its slow descent behind the Ashen Peaks. Golden light painted the mountains crimson.
Then— Kael suddenly stopped. His eyes narrowed toward a patch of moss growing upon a weathered cliff.
"...That's strange."
The old man followed his gaze.
Upon the moss... Someone had carved an ancient symbol. Not recently. The edges had long since weathered away. Yet the mark remained unmistakable. It was identical to the symbol engraved upon the jade pendant.
A perfect circle... Surrounded by eight stars.
Kael instinctively touched the pendant beneath his tunic.
"The same mark..."
The old man slowly approached the cliff.
His fingers gently brushed across the faded carving.
"So..."
"It has begun appearing again."
Kael looked puzzled.
"What does it mean?"
The old man smiled.
"That..."
"...is a question worth spending a lifetime answering."
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Suddenly... The mountain shook. Not violently. Just enough for loose stones to tumble from the cliffs. Dust drifted through the air. A low rumbling echoed beneath their feet. Kael instinctively steadied himself.
The old man did not move. His eyes closed. He listened. Not to the sound... But to something beneath it.
His face changed. For the first time since Kael had met him... True concern appeared.
"No..."
He whispered.
"It shouldn't be today."
The rumbling grew louder. Birds burst from the treetops. Deer fled through the undergrowth. Even insects abandoned the forest floor. Every living creature was escaping... From something below.
The old man suddenly grabbed Kael's shoulder. His grip was firm. Far stronger than any ordinary elder should possess.
"Listen carefully."
His voice was no longer gentle.
It carried the unquestionable authority of someone accustomed to commanding nations.
"No matter what you see..."
"Do not panic."
"No matter what you hear..."
"Do not answer."
"And no matter who calls your name..."
"...do not follow."
Kael had never seen such seriousness in anyone's eyes.
He nodded instinctively.
"I understand."
The old man slowly released him.
Then...
He looked toward the summit of the Ashen Peaks. High above them, hidden by swirling clouds... A single beam of silver light pierced the heavens. It lasted only an instant.
Yet within that fleeting heartbeat...
Every ancient formation hidden beneath the mountain awakened. Deep underground...
Far below the roots of the oldest trees... Inside a cavern untouched since before the first kingdom was founded...
An enormous pair of stone doors trembled. Dust that had rested undisturbed for millennia drifted into the air. Countless chains, each thicker than ancient oak trunks, began to vibrate.
One by one...
Ancient runes carved into the chains lit up with pale golden light. From beyond the sealed doors... A heartbeat echoed.
Thump...
The sound was impossibly slow. Like the heartbeat of a sleeping giant. Several breaths passed.
Then...
Thump...
Across the Ashen Peaks... Every beast instinctively lowered its head. The old man whispered, barely audible,
"...You're awake."
Far beneath the mountain... A single ancient eye slowly opened in the darkness.
It did not burn with hatred. Nor madness. Instead...
It reflected endless loneliness. And after sixteen years of silence... A voice echoed softly through the sealed chamber.
"...you have finally returned."
