Chapter:22 The Warning
I knelt on the obsidian floor, my head bowed low. The pressure coming from the White Entity was immense, like standing next to a blast furnace.
"You are doing well, Asher," It spoke. The voice didn't come from a mouth; it vibrated directly into my bones. It was deep, ancient, and terrifyingly calm.
"W-who are you?" I asked, my voice trembling. I tried to look up, but the light was too blinding.
The Entity let out a sound that might have been a laugh, though it sounded more like rumbling thunder.
"You will find out when the time comes," It said. "For now, the 'Who' does not matter. The 'What' does."
The light shifted, swirling around me.
"You must prepare yourself," the Entity commanded. "The Ven Dor Hoven family is in danger. Their rivals, House Blackwood, are moving. You must stop them."
"Stop them?" I blurted out, confusion overriding my fear. "Wait a minute. I'm an Engineer. I build bridges and fix engines. I'm not a soldier. I'm not a fighter. If you want a hero, you picked the wrong guy."
The Entity leaned closer, the heat intensifying.
"You do not need a sword to fight, Asher. You have something far more dangerous."
It paused.
"It is your fate."
WHOOSH.
The white light collapsed inward. The floor vanished.
"Big brother! Big brother, wake up!"
My eyes snapped open.
I gasped for air, sitting bolt upright in the massive bed. The blinding white void was gone. Instead, morning sunlight was streaming through the windows, and Finn was jumping on the mattress, shaking my shoulder.
"You were sleeping like a rock!" Finn laughed. "Alfred says breakfast is ready!"
I wiped the cold sweat from my forehead. A dream? No. That felt too real.
I shook it off and followed Finn to the dining room. If the dinner was a feast, breakfast was a revelation.
The table was set with silver trays. There were stacks of fluffy pancakes, golden-brown and steaming, served with a pitcher of warm maple syrup. Next to them were strips of bacon—crispy and thick-cut—and sausages that smelled of sage and pepper. There was a bowl of fresh fruits: red berries and sliced melons that I hadn't seen in years. And in the center, a pot of dark, rich coffee that filled the room with the scent of roasted beans.
I ate with speed and precision, fueling my body. The Entity's warning echoed in my mind: House Blackwood is moving.
"Slow down, brother," Elera giggled, spreading butter on a piece of toast. "The food isn't running away."
"I know," I said, wiping my mouth with a silk napkin. "But time is."
I stood up, grabbing a final piece of bacon.
"I promised Lucas a miracle in two days," I said, my eyes narrowing as I thought about the workshop. "I'd better get building."