"So, this... Lumine," Vysse began, his voice barely a whisper. "How... how does it work? How did you... awaken it?"
Carrian sighed, running a hand through his brown hair.
"It's different for everyone, Vysse. For some, it's a sudden surge in a moment of extreme peril. For others, it's a slow awakening. The specifics... they vary. What matters is the will to stand against the darkness, the resonance within your soul."
Before Carrian could elaborate further, a figure burst from the treeline bordering the grasslands, stumbling towards them.
It was Elara, a young messenger from the village, his face pale and streaked with sweat, his chest heaving for breath. He clutched a crumpled piece of parchment in his trembling hand.
"Carrian!" Elara gasped, his voice ragged. "They... they're here! The Befallen... closer than ever before! The village... they need you!"
The urgency in Elara's voice was palpable.
Carrian's brow furrowed, but not with alarm. He glanced at Elara, then back at Vysse, a hint of frustration in his yellow eyes.
"Hundreds," Carrian said, his voice low and a little rough. "I've faced down hundreds of those twisted things. I've seen what they can do, and I've paid the price for every victory."
He gestured towards the sheathed blade at his hip.
"This isn't some game. It takes its toll."
He looked back at Elara, his expression firm.
"I just returned. My family... they've been waiting. I won't leave them again so soon, not for every shadow that crawls out of that cursed pit."
He shook his head, a stubborn set to his jaw.
"The village has its own defenses, its own watch. They've managed before."
Elara's pale face crumpled further, his breath catching in his throat.
"But... but this is different, Carrian! They... they're not just the usual stragglers. There are... more. So many more than we've ever seen this close. They overwhelmed the outer watch in minutes. Elder Maeve... she sent me herself. She said... she said you're the only one..."
His voice trailed off, choked with fear. He held out the crumpled parchment, his hand trembling so violently the paper fluttered.
Vysse watched the exchange, his earlier awe of Carrian's potential replaced y a knot of unease. The messenger's desperation was palpable. If the threat was truly this significant, could Carrian, even as a newly awakened Luminary, afford to turn his back?
Carrian's gaze flickered to the trembling parchment, then back to Elara's terrified gaze. A muscle twitchd in his jaw. He looked at Vysse again, a complicated mix of longing and weariness in his expression.
The warmth of their earlier connection seemed to cool under the weight of Elara's words.
"They overwhelmed the outer watch... in minutes?" Carrian repeated slowly, the dismissive tone gone from his voice, replaced by a grim understanding.
He finally reached out and took the parchment from Elara's shaking hand, his yellow eyes scanning the frantic scrawl. A long silence stretched between them, broken only by Elara's ragged breathing and the distant chirping of birds.
"Carrian... please," the messenger pleaded. "They... they moved so fast. Even with the watch's Lumin... it wasn't enough."
Carrian swallowed hard.
"My... my Lumine is only at the Third Triad, with First Sphere Exalted. Elder Maeve said it was strong, above average for our Luminaries... but it was like trying to hold back a flood with a teacup."
He wrung his hands, his gaze fixed on Carrian's face, searching for any flicker of understanding.
"Master Theron... he tried. His Lumine is Second Triad, First Sphere Hallowed, the strongest we have. But even he... he was forced to retreat. They're coming for the village, Carrian. There are too many."
Vysse's unease intensified. The messenger's words painted with a grim picture. If their strongest Luminary, one with a Hollowed Sphere, had been overwhelmed, what hope did the village have?
He looked at Carrian, waiting for his brother's response.
Carrian's yellow eyes scanned the parchment again, his brow furrowed deeper. The mention of Master Theron's retreat seemed to finally break through his reluctance.
He looked from the parchment to Elara, then to the worried expression on Vysse's face. The weariness in his eyes was still there, but now it was tinged with a grim resolve.
He sighed.
"Hallowed, you say?" Carrian murmured, more to himself than to Elara.
"That's... that's not insignificant. But if Theron..."
He trailed off, the implication hanging heavy in the air.
However, Carrian finally folded the parchment. He looked at Vysse, his gaze now firm.
"Vysse... go back to the cottage. Make sure Mother is safe. Bolt the doors and windows. Don't open them for anyone but me."
There was a new tone in Carrian's voice. The playful older brother was gone, replaced by someone who understood the gravity of the situation.
Then, Carrian turned to Elara.
"Take me to them. Now."
***
Turning on his heel, Vysse sprinted towards the small cottage nestled deeper within the trees.
His heart hammered against his ribs.
He didn't look back. He didn't need to. The urgency in Carrian's voice painted a vivid enough picture. His only thought was reaching their mother, ensuring her safety.
The familiar path seemed longer than usual, the shadows stretching like grasping fingers. The world had shifted, the comfortable normalcy he once felt... vanquished.
He burst through the cottage door, breathless and wide-eyed. His mother looked up from her weaving, her brow furrowed with concern.
"Vysse! What is it? You look like you've seen a ghost!"
"They're here," he gasped, his lungs burning. "The Befallen... they're attacking the village. Carrian... Carrian went with a messenger."
His mother's weaving shuttle clattered to the wooden floor. Her face paled, mirroring the fear Vysse felt churning within him.
"Carrian? But... he just returned."
"I know," Vysse said, his voice shaking slightly. "But they said... they said it was worse than ever before."
His mother rose quickly, her usual gentle demeanor replaced by a fierce one.
"The windows! Bar them now!"
Together, they worked quickly, securing their small sanctuary. The silence within the cottage was thick with unspoken fear.
Vysse kept glancing at the door, a knot of anxiety tightening in his chest. Carrian, barely understanding his own Lumine, was facing something that had overwhelmed even their most experienced protector.
He could only hope that the resonance within his brother's soul, the will to stand against the darkness Carrian had spoken of, would be enough. He could only pray that he would see his brother again.
***
The air thrummed with a nervous energy. It wasn't a chasm in the earth, not in the way Carrian understood it.
Tendrils of darkness snaked outwards, corrupting the once vibrant flora, leaving behind a trail of withered grey.
Around him, the Luminaries stood as silent sentinels, their faces etched with a mixture of apprehension and determination. They were a diverse assembly — some young and barely in control of their inner light, others that held wisdom of countless battles against the encroaching dark; the Abyss.
He recognized a few faces: Lyra, the Sunstone Weaver, whose light was said to mend even the deepest wounds, and Kaelen, the Lightspeed, a figure who's speed was unmatched within the lands.
A figure detached itself from the group and approached Carrian. He was tall and lean, his features sharp and his eyes the colour of a stormy sky.
"You're new," the Luminary stated. "I don't recognize your aura."
Carrian swallowed, his throat suddenly dry.
"My name is Carrian. I... I just awakened my Lumine."
The Luminary raised a questioning eyebrow.
"And you came all this way? Alone?"
"A messenger found me," Carrian explained, gesturing vaguely in the direction he'd traveled. "He said... it was urgent."
The Luminary nodded slowly.
"It is. I am Elmsworth. We are the first line of defense. This... this is larger than anything we've faced in years."
He gestured towards the abyss.
"It's growing. Feeding. And whatever lies within hungers for our world."
A collective murmur rippled through the assembled Luminaries. Carrian felt a chill despite the warmth radiating from their gathered light. He could sense the raw power within them, the barely contained energy that crackled in the air.
"What... what do we do?" Carrian asked.
Elmsworth's gaze was fixed on the Abyss.
"We hold the line. We channel our Lumine, pushed back the shadows, and pray that the reinforcements arrive before it's too late."
He turned his piercing gaze back to Carrian.
"Every spark of light matters now, young Luminary. Even yours."
'I see...'
Elmsworth continued, the tone in his voice almost sounding like arrogance.
"Even if every spark of light matters now, that doesn't mean that we're in absolute danger. We have Szer with us. He's the strongest Luminary I've known... personally."
Carrian nodded.
He felt a surge of both fear and a burgeoning sense of responsibility, but was also interested in Szer. He looked down at his own hands, a faint golden glow beginning to emanate from them. It felt small, insignificant, compared to the radiant power surrounding him.
'Vysse...'
He thought of those huddled in their small cottage. The Abyss threatened everything he held dear.
Taking a deep breath, Carrian stepped forward, joining the ranks of the Luminaries. As he focused his will, a stronger, steadier light began to bloom within him. He was a Luminary now, and he would stand against the darkness.