Paths Beyond (Under Rewrite)

Beneath Grey, the golden pool rippled and churned, its once-radiant glow beginning to shift. It wasn't flowing outward, wasn't being directed anywhere—it was changing.

At first, the alteration was subtle. The golden hue faded, tinged with an eerie green that darkened with every passing second. What had once been warm and brilliant now condensed into something dense, something unnatural. The glow deepened into a dark, ghoulish sheen, pulsating ominously.

Then, from the very center of the shifting pool, a single drop formed.

Grey watched, transfixed, as the drop detached and flowed seamlessly along one of the many golden vines branching from the tree. This one, he realized, was connected to Serene.

The energy traveled through the link, visible to Grey the entire time, weaving through the golden threads before finally reaching her orb. He expected the sphere to grow in size, as had happened with every other connection. But it didn't.

Instead, the core of Serene's orb—once a steady red glow—flared violently. It expanded outward, stretching almost to the very edge of the sphere, its intensity magnified several times over.

Serene's breath hitched. A sudden surge of energy exploded within her, raw and powerful, as if it had been lying dormant and had just been awakened.

Tear, sitting nearby and focused on carving an arrow under Carver's watchful eye, immediately noticed the change. "What's wrong?" she asked, pausing her work.

Serene stared down at her hands, squeezing them experimentally. Strength pulsed through her veins—fierce, untamed, but undeniably hers. It wasn't unfamiliar, yet it had never been like this before.

She forced herself to relax and looked at Tear, then at her father, who had also turned his attention toward her, curiosity flickering in his eyes.

"I–it's nothing," Serene murmured, shaking her head. She sat back down, forcing herself to focus on her unfinished arrow. Compared to Tear's pristine work, hers was rough, lacking the precision that seemed to coe so naturally to the young girl.

Carver sighed, leaning back against the wall as he watched her. "Serene," he said, shaking his head with a smirk. "I can't believe I ever resisted you becoming a hunter."

Serene raised an eyebrow. "Meaning?"

"Nothing," Carver muttered, running a hand through his hair. "Just thinking about passing my legacy to this one here." He ruffled Tear's hair, making the girl giggle as she playfully swatted his hand away.

"You mean it?" Tear asked excitedly, her eyes shining.

Carver's expression turned serious, though the warmth in his gaze didn't fade. "Of course. You've got a talent for this. You might be the only person in the whole village to have three occupations."

Tear's jaw dropped slightly, awed by the idea. Carver's words only fueled her focus as she doubled down on her work, carving with even more precision.

Then, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, Carver grinned and glanced at Serene. "I mean, she's gonna be family anyway."

Serene froze mid-motion, her thoughts grinding to a halt. A slow, creeping heat crawled up her neck, betraying her despite her best efforts to remain composed. She quickly stood, muttering something under her breath before turning to Tear with a small smile.

"I'll be back in a sec," she said, ignoring her father's smirk as she made her escape into the next room, where her mother was.

Carver simply chuckled, returning his attention to Tear, who was still too focused on her work to grasp what had just happened.