The silence in the little valley was so quiet, like everyone was holding their breath after a scream. The Siphon was dead, not sucking at the world anymore, but it felt like a heavy, cold weight. I looked down at the Ash-Singer, who was out cold, and I was breathing hard. Using my power like that took everything out of me. I felt empty, like I'd poured my brain into a single, silent shot.
Lyra was already moving fast. She flipped the Ash-Singer over, face down, and used a thin, silver cord from her pack to tie his hands behind him, real tight. She wasn't being mean, just getting things done.
He'll be out for a while, she said. I could barely hear her over the ringing in my ears. But we can't stay here. Killing one of these Siphon things will send a signal. Other bad guys are gonna come check it out."
The words "other bad guys" made me jump. I looked at the guy on the ground. His helmet had fallen off when we were fighting, and he looked… younger than I thought. He had short, boring brown hair, and his face was smooth and almost normal-looking now that he was passed out. He wasn't a monster. Just a man who was trying to suck all the life out of the valley.
What do we do with him? I asked quietly.
Lyra finished tying him up and stood. We're taking him with us. He knows stuff. Like where the other Siphons are. How strong the main Chroma people are in this area… his head is like a map of what they're doing.
Take him? How's that gonna work? He'll wake up and try to kill us."
"Then we stop him from doing that, she said, not leaving any room for discussion. She knelt down and put her hands on his head. Her eyes started to glow purple. This will keep him in check. It won't hurt him, but it'll cut him off from the Chroma. He won't be able to use his powers, and he won't be able to sense things as well. He'll just be a pain to carry, but worth it.
I watched her, feeling uneasy. I knew we had to do it, but the way she shut him down, turning a strong fighter into a helpless prisoner, felt wrong. It was just another shade of gray in the messed-up world we were in now.
We made a kind of stretcher out of branches and our cloaks, dragging this armored guy through the rough woods was hard work. We were happy we won, but now we were just tired and sweaty, and things were looking grim. The forest used to be cool because I could sense the Chroma, but now I was scared that enemies were hiding everywhere. Every leaf that moved, every twig that snapped, made my heart jump.
We went as far as we could before night, trying to get away from the Siphon. We found a spot to hide in a small cave, more like a dent in the side of a cliff, but it was out of sight. Lyra leaned the Ash-Singer against the wall since he was still tied up and knocked out. I just fell to the ground. My muscles were burning.
She gave me some dried meat and a water bottle. Eat. You used up a lot today.
I chewed, but I couldn't taste anything. I was just staring at the prisoner. What's his name?
Lyra looked at him. It doesn't matter. He gave up his name. He's just an Ash-Singer, someone who does what the Chroma wants.
"It matters to me, I said. I was being difficult. Calling him a title felt like what the Chroma did – taking away who people are.
Lyra sighed. She didn't do that often. Maybe he used to be called Finn. Or Corbin. It doesn't change anything.
Like he heard us, the Ash-Singer – Finn – started to move. He groaned. His head fell to the side, and he opened his eyes. They weren't glowing anymore; they were just hazel-colored and confused. He blinked, trying to see in the dark. He tried to get free, but he was weak and clumsy.
What… what did you do? he mumbled. His voice was rough. He looked down at his hands, then at us. He seemed confused and scared. I can't… I can't feel it. The Chroma… I don't hear it.
That's the ward, Lyra said, sounding cold. It's to protect us, and you..
He stared at her, then at me. He realized who we were. The Grey-Scribe. The traitor." His confusion turned into hate, but not as strong as before. You stop us from fixing things. You're making the world suffer longer.
I stopped you from killing a valley, I snapped back. I was still angry about what he did.
Killing? He laughed a little. We're setting it free! You saw how messed up it was, all the pain and fighting! We're saving it from itself! The big Chroma boss wants everyone to be together. A world without sadness, anger, or wanting things."
He was saying almost the same things Lyra had said before. He really believed it. He wasn't just following orders; he was a true believer.
What about the good stuff? I asked, quieter. What about watching the sunset? What about being in love? What about just being happy for no reason? You take that away, too.
He looked unsure for a second. His eyes flicked to the cave entrance, at the last bit of blue light. Then he frowned. It's worth it to have peace forever. The Chroma people are showing us the way. You're just kids. You don't get it."
Lyra had been quiet the whole time. Now she leaned forward and stared at him. Your 'peace' is just a graveyard. We've seen it. Where are the Chroma's armies? How many Siphons are working up North?
He just glared at her and didn't say anything.
Lyra didn't change her face at all. She just reached out and touched his forehead with one finger. Her fingertip glowed purple. Finn looked terrified and in pain. He gasped and started shaking.
Stop! I yelled, jumping up. It looked awful and wrong.
Lyra didn't listen. She just looked at the Ash-Singer. Tell me. I don't want to mess up your brain to get it. You're weak now because of the ward.
Lyra, stop it! I shouted.
She took her hand away, and the light went out. Finn fell forward, panting. She looked at me, her eyes cold. Being nice is a waste of time, Kaelen. The lives of everyone in the path of what the Chroma is doing are more important than how he feels. What matters more?
We're not like them! I pointed at Finn. We don't hurt people. We don't break them. If we do, what's the point? We're just fighting for something messed up in a different way!
The cave went silent. All we could hear was Finn breathing. Lyra looked at me. I couldn't tell what she was thinking. I had never talked to her like that before.
The point is, we're right, she said quietly. It doesn't matter if we're right if we fail to win the fight." She stood and went to the cave entrance, leaving me with the prisoner and my own thoughts.
I looked at Finn. He was really scared. He was really in pain. He believed in something bad, but he was still a person. I picked up the water and slowly gave it to him.
He looked at me like he didn't trust me, but he drank it fast. Water ran down his face.
Why? he asked. His voice was scratchy.
Because I'm not your Chroma boss, I said quietly. And I don't want to be.
I went to the other side of the cave. Lyra was mad at me. I could feel it. I had saved the valley, but I might have made things harder for us. I had stood up for what I believed in, but I might have hurt other people by doing it.
Winning didn't feel good. It tasted like ash. I was learning that when you're fighting for the world, everything costs something, and sometimes, you have to give up a part of yourself.