Paths Beyond (Under Rewrite)

As before, the golden pool stretched outward, tendrils of light snaking their way to the two pale red nodes. These lights pulsed faintly, representing the strangers. Grey watched as the pool surrounded them, its glow branching from the center, growing more intricate—like the sprawling roots of a tree. The process was familiar now, though these connections were weaker. The golden light condensed into two small, clear orbs around the nodes. They were tiny compared to the ones formed by the villagers.

"Must be how most people are," Grey murmured. "Not having Giant's blood makes a difference."

Turning his focus to Shot's orb, Grey saw its color intensify, deepening to a rich hue. But it wasn't enough yet. He could tell that her breakthrough would require one more Central Organ. He began the enhancement process, channeling energy into her orb. The golden pool drained rapidly, nearly emptying as her orb grew to match Keen's in size. At last, her talent reached its peak, and she would be ready to advance with the right energy.

Satisfied but exhausted, Grey let out a slow breath. The golden pool was nearly dry, only enough remaining for two more enhancements. He resolved to let it replenish slowly through the cauldron's elixir.

As he opened his eyes, his senses returned to the present. But something strange lingered—a faint voice echoed in his mind, unfamiliar yet unmistakable.

"What do we do, Aedric?" The soft, feminine tone was laced with uncertainty and tension. Grey's head whipped toward the two strangers near the doorway.

Their lips moved, speaking their strange, alien language aloud. Yet in his mind, Grey understood them perfectly, as if their words had bypassed the barrier of speech.

"I—I don't know, Leora," Aedric's voice responded, weary but measured. "We have time. They don't seem to want to harm us."

The clarity of the words startled Grey. He blinked, trying to process what he was experiencing. Was this another layer of its power?

"Grey?" Shot's voice pulled him back, her brows furrowed with concern. "Is something wrong? I—I can advance, right? There's no problem?"

"Huh?" Grey shook his head, refocusing. "Oh, yeah. You're fine. Just need more time," he replied, though his voice carried an edge of distraction.

Across the room, Aedric and Leora suddenly stiffened, their heads snapping toward the cauldron. Their movements grew tense, their eyes darting around as if searching for an unseen enemy.

"Who's there?" Aedric shouted, his voice trembling with rising anxiety. His tone was sharp and defensive, though his words were indecipherable to everyone but Grey.

"Brawl, what's going on?" Elder asked, frowning.

"How should I know?" Brawl responded, crossing his arms, his voice laced with confusion.

The strangers' bodies shifted into defensive stances, their eyes scanning the room with urgency. It was as though they had sensed something—someone—watching them.

Grey's curiosity surged. Turning toward them, he spoke hesitantly, "Can... can you understand me?

His words seemed to strike a chord. Aedric's gaze locked onto the cauldron, wide with a mixture of fear and disbelief. "You?" he started, his voice audible in Grey's mind but unrecognizable to the rest. "The boy... no, you can't be this young, using this skill. Why did you not reveal this telepathy before? What do you want?"

Though Grey could hear the word telepathy clearly in his mind, he didn't recognize its meaning. His understanding of such terms was limited by his world's knowledge. "What do you mean?" he asked, his tone cautious.