Kaelen sat on the edge of his makeshift bed in the dilapidated house, staring at the meager scraps he had left. His stomach growled, a constant reminder of the hunger that gnawed at him day and night. He couldn't keep stealing and running forever. He wanted a life where he could walk through the city without fear, where he didn't have to look over his shoulder every second. Today would be his last day stealing—if things went right, anyway.
But first, he needed food. And not just any food—enough sustenance to fuel days of meditation so he could dive deeper into the Ocean of Insight. With renewed determination, Kaelen slipped out of his hideout and made his way toward the wealthiest part of town. The merchants there were well-guarded, but their riches tempted him. If he could pull off one final heist, it would set him up for weeks.
He targeted a merchant whose stall overflowed with gold coins and fine goods. This time, though, luck wasn't on his side. A guard caught sight of him as he tried to slip past, and before long, shouts echoed through the streets. "Thief! Stop him!" Kaelen ran as fast as he could, weaving through alleys and leaping over crates, but the guards were relentless. By the time he lost them, his stomach growled louder than ever, and his hopes of stealing money crumbled.
Defeated, Kaelen trudged back to his hideout, collapsing onto the dusty floor. Hunger gnawed at him, but he pushed it aside. There was still hope—if he delved deeper into the Ocean of Insight, he might uncover ways to improve his abilities. Perhaps then, he wouldn't need to rely on theft anymore.
Closing his eyes, Kaelen focused, letting himself drift into the golden expanse of the Ocean. He searched for knowledge that would enhance his illusions, pushing further than ever before. Slowly, fragments of insight began to form in his mind. He could now create sounds that seemed real enough to draw people away from their senses—a child's laughter, a beautiful voice singing softly, or even the rustle of footsteps approaching from nowhere. Shadows became his allies—he could manipulate them, moving them from the corners of someone's vision to instill fear or uncertainty. These new techniques felt sharper, more refined, giving him greater control over perception itself.
As Kaelen explored deeper, a sudden vision surged through him, unbidden yet vivid. It showed him the city—not as it was now, but as it might become if he stayed. In the vision, shadows darker than any he had ever seen crept through the streets, consuming everything in their path. People screamed, fleeing from something unseen, while hunters with cold eyes stalked the alleys, searching for anyone who dared to resist. At the center of it all stood Kaelen himself, surrounded by these hunters, his body battered and broken, his mind fractured by forces beyond his comprehension.
The vision shattered like glass, leaving Kaelen gasping for air. For a moment, he couldn't move, the weight of what he had seen pressing down on him. If he stayed in this city, bad things would happen—things far worse than anything he had imagined. The Ocean had given him a warning, a glimpse of a future he desperately wanted to avoid.
By the afternoon, Kaelen emerged from his meditation, shaken but resolute. His plan solidified: tonight, he would steal enough money to sustain him for days. Then, he would leave the city behind, disappearing into the wilderness where no one could find him. Determination burned in his chest. He couldn't afford to hesitate; every extra day put him closer to the fate the Ocean had shown him.
As night fell, Kaelen crept back into the city, his senses heightened. Using his newly enhanced abilities, he created an illusion that would lead his target astray. Near the wealthy merchant's stall, he conjured the sound of a beautiful voice laughing—a melodic, enchanting giggle that seemed to come from deep within the alleyway. The merchant paused, curiosity overcoming caution, and followed the sound.
Kaelen guided the merchant deeper into the alley, stretching its length slightly to make it seem longer than it actually was. Shadows flickered along the walls, teasing the merchant with glimpses of movement. By the time the merchant realized he had wandered too far, Kaelen was already slipping silently behind him. In moments, the pouch of coins was gone, replaced only by the lingering echo of the laughter.
When the merchant returned to his stall, panting and frustrated, the pouch was nowhere to be found. Fuming, he searched the area, but there was no sign of the thief—or the source of the mysterious laughter.
Back at his hideout, Kaelen stashed the stolen coins into a small pouch, his mind racing. The vision lingered in the back of his thoughts, haunting him. He could stay for a few more days, using the city as a temporary refuge while he gathered more supplies and planned his next move. But the Ocean's warning rang clear in his mind: if he lingered too long, the darkness would find him.
Hunger gnawed at him, but so did urgency. Another day or two might seem harmless, but the vision had shown him how quickly things could spiral out of control. Pride whispered that he could outrun anyone with his illusions, but the truth was stark—he needed to leave sooner rather than later.
In the end, Kaelen chose to act immediately. He wouldn't wait until tomorrow or the next day. Tonight, under cover of darkness, he would gather whatever food and supplies he could carry and vanish from the city. The coins in his pouch would sustain him until he reached another town, somewhere safe and unfamiliar.
As he settled down for the night, the faint sound of laughter echoed in his ears—not the illusion he had created earlier, but the memory of the Ocean's vision. It was both a reminder of the power he wielded and a warning of the dangers ahead. Every step forward brought new challenges, new hunters lurking in the darkness.
For now, though, Kaelen let himself rest, his plans forming slowly in the quiet of the night. Tomorrow, he would begin again, stealing not out of desperation, but out of necessity—one last time before he left this place behind forever.
And Kaelen Veyl prepared, biding his time, ready to flee the city before the darkness could claim him.