The freezing shock of the Stillness refill subsided, leaving Alex reeling. His chest felt heavy, the core dense with acquired energy, but the chaotic, rapid influx had momentarily scrambled his senses.
He stumbled back from the iron-barred window, his breath coming in ragged gasps. The man on the other side of the bars—the Imprisoned Witness—stared back.
The man was gaunt, his face a road map of hardship. His eyes were wide, not with terror, but with a terrifying, absolute comprehension. He had witnessed the sudden, chilling vacuum of Stillness acquisition, a power only whispered about by those who dealt with the most dangerous Dark True Users.
Alex's analytical mind immediately took over, classifying the threat: High-risk information holder. Possible True User. Requires immediate assessment.
The Exchange of Stillness
Alex knew the raw power radiating from him—the cold of the freshly acquired Stillness—was obvious to the man. He couldn't pretend to be an innocent runaway anymore.
He flattened himself against the stone wall, keeping his voice a low, cold rasp. "You saw me."
The man did not flinch, did not beg, and did not scream for the guards. He simply nodded slowly, his eyes fixed on Alex's chest.
"I saw the cold," the prisoner whispered, his voice thin and dry, barely audible through the bars. "I felt the pull. A Stillness drain, and a raw one at that. You're charging yourself on our despair, boy."
His calmness was more unnerving than any threat. Alex recognized the chilling clarity of someone who has stared at death for so long that they are no longer afraid of it.
"Who are you?" Alex demanded, ignoring the accusation.
"Name is Jax. They say I spoke too much truth about the Quantifiers," Jax replied, the name of the ruling elite carrying a bitter weight. "But that's irrelevant. You. You're not one of Theron's brutes. You are using the Stillness to live."
Jax leaned closer to the bars, his breath fogging the cold iron. "You just consumed half a month of this place's ambient output in one gulp. They track that. The Registrars will know within the hour that a Stillness rupture happened here. You have minutes."
The Stillness Map
The critical information was confirmed: He was dealing with a larger, systemic threat than just Theron. The Quantifiers and Registrars were actively tracking his fuel source.
Alex had to trade his last remaining asset—the truth of his power—for a path forward.
"Theron is here," Alex stated, his gaze fixed on Jax's eyes. "He is looking for me and he's blocking the square. I need to leave this Thorp now. Tell me the safest route."
Jax gave a dry, humorless chuckle. "Safest? You carry a bomb in your chest, and you ask for safety. Theron is a brute, but he's not the problem. He's just a dog on a leash."
Jax tapped the cold stone wall with a bony finger. "The stone wall on the north side of the Thorp runs directly into the old King's Road Cut. It's the only way out, but it's secured by a True User of Living Earth. Every stone is his eye. He'll see your shadow and collapse the cut before you take two steps."
Jax paused, letting the fear sink in. "Unless... you use your other skill."
"What other skill?" Alex demanded.
"The Cold Hand, boy! The Stillness that freezes things! The Earth User sees movement. Freeze the stone beneath your feet. Turn his own earth against him. Make the world still." Jax's voice was low, conspiratorial. "It's a massive drain, but with your tank full now, you might have enough to cheat the man who owns the road."
A Necessary Alliance
Alex felt the profound, chilling weight of the choice. To use the Stillness on the Earth True User was a monumental risk, but Jax had confirmed the terrifying capabilities of the power Alex had inadvertently used on the wolf.
He had to trust the witness.
"Why are you helping me?" Alex asked.
Jax smiled, a gaunt, cold expression. "Because the cold is the only truth in this world, boy. And you, walking out of here with a full tank of our suffering, are a far more interesting variable than my own slow death."
A sudden, sharp yell echoed from the square. "He's here! That wretch is by the prison!"
Theron had arrived.
Alex gripped the iron bars. "If I make it through the Cut, how do I find the nearest high-concentration Stillness site? I cannot pause."
Jax's voice dropped to a frantic whisper. "North, past the Cut. Look for the black ash. It leads to the Charred Plain of Wyllow. They buried hundreds after the fever. It's the largest unmarked field in the region. Go. Now!"
Alex pulled back, the decision made. He had a target, a plan, and a terrifying new maneuver to attempt. He was not just fighting for his life; he was fighting a Living Earth True User who owned the road.