Hillel bolted upright with a panicked gasp, nearly colliding with Eujal as he struggled to free himself from the rope binding his wrists. The wagon lurched beneath them, wheels grinding over uneven terrain. Dusk had fully given way to night now, leaving only a dim lantern''s glow filtering through cracks in the wagon''s canvas.


    "W-why—?" Hillel sputtered, eyes darting around. He tugged at the restraints on his own wrists. "What''s going on—?"


    "Keep your voice down," Eujal hissed, his heart hammering. He''d almost severed his bonds before Hillel stirred and started panicking. "We got captured, remember? You were knocked out."


    Hillel''s breathing quickened, and he thrashed, only to realize the ropes wouldn''t budge. "Let me out!" he cried, voice rising.


    Eujal clenched his jaw. "Stop shouting!" he snapped, but it was too late. Heavy footsteps approached from the front of the wagon. The canvas flung back, revealing Caladeus''s wide-brimmed hat and broad grin.


    "Well, look who''s awake," he said, voice thick with amusement. He pulled aside the blanket that had been covering them, letting in a gust of chill air. "Boss! We''ve got a lively one here—and the other nearly cut through his ropes."


    Eujal shot Hillel a sharp look, furious. "If you''d just stayed calm—"


    But Hillel was too busy shrinking away as Caladeus reached in, looming over them. The wagon rumbled on for a moment, then slowed as if the driver had eased the oxen''s pace. Sure enough, a second figure soon appeared—Ezra, the scarred man—climbing into the back.


    "Keep us moving," Ezra muttered to Caladeus. "I''ll handle this."


    Caladeus shrugged, threw them one last smirk, and hopped back to the front. The wagon picked up speed again, leaving Ezra crouched near Eujal and Hillel.


    Eujal tensed. He remembered how swiftly Ezra had taken down Hillel before, and Hillel clearly did too—he recoiled as Ezra drew closer. Ezra raised both hands in a placating gesture.


    "Easy," he said, voice quieter than before. "I''m not here to beat you up again."


    Hillel stared at him, teeth clenched. "Y-you knocked me out. Why should I trust—?"


    Ezra exhaled, a hint of regret crossing his features. "Because I was on edge. I sensed… something from you. Not from your friend here, but definitely from you."


    "Sensed what?" Eujal interjected, anger tinging his voice. "And why attack him over it?"


    Ezra settled onto a crate, eyeing Eujal with the same calm intensity as before. "You want the short version? Fine. Your friend has a spark—a power—drawn from what we call ''rinshu.'' I felt it when you two were hiding in the grass. However, because you two were hiding in the grass right next to the path...I thought you were trying to do something ill advised."


    "Ahh, I know what that is!" Hillel exclaimed.


    Huh? Eujal was surprised. How could Hillel know something that I don''t? What was the deal with his intellect?


    Ezra noticed Eujal''s puzzled expression. "Doesn''t ring a bell, does it?"


    Eujal shook his head slowly.


    Ezra''s expression shifted, part sympathy and part exasperation. "Guess that explains why you looked so clueless. Sparks are special abilities that only a few folks ever get. Comes from drawing on rinshu—energy that''s pretty much everywhere. But it''s not exactly common knowledge everywhere. Especially in places that refuse to acknowledge it. Some people live their whole lives without knowing their true potential."


    Hillel swallowed hard. "So… you''re saying I have that?"


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    Ezra shrugged. "Seems like it. Your presence lit up like a beacon." He jerked a thumb at Eujal. "His didn''t. That''s why I went for you first."


    Eujal groaned. Why does this guy keep emphasizing that? What''s his deal?


    Hillel rubbed the spot on his temple that still throbbed. "You didn''t have to… to hit me so hard."


    "I didn''t plan on letting you strike first," Ezra answered, not sounding particularly proud. "Look, you caught me off-guard, too. If I''d known you''d go down that easily, maybe I wouldn''t have swung so hard."


    Eujal suppressed a growl, glancing at the ropes around his wrists. "So what happens now? You gonna keep us tied up forever?"


    Ezra sighed. "I just don''t trust you. Not yet."


    Eujal felt a flare of fury but forced it down. "So we''re just your prisoners."


    Ezra leaned forward, lowering his voice. "If you want to think of it like that, go ahead. Just know, I''m doing this out of the kindness of my heart."


    Outside, the wagon jostled, the sound of Caladeus snapping the reins drifting through the canvas. Then a muffled curse—likely the driver hitting another rough patch of road. Hillel''s breath hitched.


    "Then… what do you want with us?" he asked.


    Ezra hesitated. "Who knows. Maybe you two might join our—" He broke off at the sound of Caladeus''s voice in the front.


    "Oi, boss!" Caladeus yelled. "Check this out!"


    Ezra cursed under his breath, then hopped down from the wagon, canvas flaps swaying in his wake. Outside, muffled conversation drifted to the two captives, but the words were too distant to catch. Eujal glanced at Hillel, who looked equally nervous, then strained his ears to listen for any hint of what was going on.


    Moments later, the wagon gave a shudder, then stopped completely. The sound of boots crunching on loose gravel approached, and the canvas parted again—this time to reveal Caladeus. He carried a small knife, and for a terrifying instant, Eujal thought he meant to threaten them further.


    Instead, Caladeus slid the blade through their ropes, severing Eujal''s bindings in a few quick strokes. Then he cut Hillel''s as well, ignoring the boy''s startled gasp. "C''mon, get up," Caladeus grunted, rubbing the back of his neck. "Boss wants to see you outside."


    "But… I thought Ezra said he didn''t trust us," Eujal growled, massaging his raw wrists. The rope marks burned.


    Caladeus shrugged, turning to lead them out. "We''ve got no choice. You''ll see."


    They climbed down from the wagon into a blast of cold mountain air. Thin clouds swirled around the ragged peaks above, and though it was dark, the moonlight offered enough glow to make out the devastation on the path ahead. Boulders and shattered stone sprawled across the route, forming a towering jagged barricade that looked impossible to clear. Even the dirt beneath it was cracked and splintered, leaving a deadly drop-off on one side. The air was thick with cold mist, causing the two boys to shiver.


    "Rockfall," Ezra said flatly. He stood at the edge of the ruined trail, arms folded. "No way a wagon''s getting through."


    Hillel shivered, tugging at the thin shirt he wore. "So… what do we do?"


    Ezra turned his head slightly, acknowledging their presence without meeting their eyes. "We can''t go back. Patrols on the lower roads. And we don''t have time to find another route." He paused, almost as if recalling the officer''s warning. "Looks like the ''hungry mountain'' took a bite out of our path."


    "Wait—if we can''t bring the wagon," Eujal said, "then you''ll lose all your supplies?"


    Caladeus let out a theatrical sigh. "Ain''t you the observant one. Exactly: we''ll have to move on foot."


    "I don''t see a way across," Hillel murmured, peering at the massive boulders. "So...what now?"


    Ezra didn''t answer immediately. Instead, he gave Caladeus a curt nod. Caladeus raised an eyebrow, then flipped the small knife in his hand. With a flourish, he raked it across his own palm. Hillel let out a startled cry. But rather than blood, a brief flash of crimson light ignited in Caladeus''s cut, flickering like a guttering candle.


    That fire again....Does his power allows him to regenerate any injury? Eujal wondered. But that''s just...insane. Does that mean he''s immortal?


    Caladeus grinned, lifting his hand to show the spark dancing there. With a sharp gasp, he clenched his fist, and flames snuffed out on his palm, leaving no injury at all. Dropping to a knee, he transferred the diminishing sparks onto a small pile of kindling. Within seconds, embers glowed, and a fledgling fire crackled to life.


    "You light fires by… cutting yourself?" Hillel asked, torn between horror and fascination.


    "Yep," Caladeus said, shaking out his hand.


    Ezra ignored the exchange, he was busy scanning the debris field with the help of the flame''s light. After a moment, he bent to pick up a fist-sized stone from near the wagon.


    As Caladeus fed the fledgling flames with more tinder, Ezra paced in a slow circle around the rocky patch of ground, his boots crunching on gravel with each step.


    One… two… three…


    Eujal furrowed his brow, watching Ezra''s measured movements. The scarred man counted in a hushed undertone, each step precise.


    Seven… eight… nine…


    On the tenth step, Ezra stopped, pressing his foot down onto the stone he''d placed earlier. Then he picked it up and walked to the edge of the collapsed path. Without warning, he hurled the rock forward, sending it over the ruined path and into the mist beyond.


    Everyone fell silent, listening for the stone''s landing or rolling. A loud tok sound signified that the stone had made contact with something.


    "What is he—" Hillel started.


    Before anyone could react, Ezra vanished.