"Relax," she said, voice carrying just enough edge, "we're not here to cause problems." No one moved. No one spoke. Their eyes weren't on her. They were on him. Camron slowly stood behind her—Unsteady. Visible. Different. The murmurs started immediately.
"What is that?"
"Is that…?"
"That's not one of us—" Azaliyah's jaw tightened. "He's with me." That didn't help. If anything, It made it worse.
The circle tightened slightly. And then the elder stepped forward. Calm. Controlled. Too calm. His eyes landed on Camron first. Then shifted to her.
"…you brought this into our village?"
Her spine straightened slightly. "He needed help."
"That is not what I asked."
Her eyes narrowed.
"…and I didn't stutter." A ripple moved through the crowd. The elder didn't react. Not outwardly.
"…you practice unstable magic," he said, voice even, "and now you bring unknown creatures into a dying realm."
Her hands clenched slightly at her sides. "He's not a creature."
"Then what is he?"
She didn't answer. Because she didn't fully know. And that—They noticed. The elder's gaze hardened slightly.
"…exactly." The tension snapped. Magic sparked at her fingertips. Uninvited. Uncontrolled. "Don't," she said under her breath. But it was already happening. The air shifted. Gold light flickered around her hands. Then surged outward. She moved. Instinctively, drawing her blades in one smooth motion spinning once a full circle, Then crossing them in an X.
"Stop—" someone shouted. Too late. The spell was released.
A blast of magic tore outward from her. Violent. Unstable. Beautiful. Destructive. It tore through the ground, cracked stone, sent villagers stumbling back and then stopped. Mid-air. Frozen. The elder hadn't moved. But his hand was raised. And her magic—Wasn't hers anymore. It dissolved. Like it had never existed. Silence dropped heavy over everything. Azaliyah's chest rose and fell unevenly.
"…I told you," the elder said quietly, "you do not control your power."
Her grip tightened on her blades. "I was defending—"
"You were losing control."
Her voice sharpened. "They were about to attack—"
"And now they have reason to."
That hit. Hard. She looked around at the fear. The distance. The judgment. None of them saw her. Not really. They saw a problem. The elder lowered his hand.
"…you will leave this village."
Silence. No protests. No one spoke up for her. Not one. Her throat tightened.
"…right," she said quietly. Too quietly.
She turned. And walked. And just like that, She had no home. No one followed her. That was the first thing she noticed. Not the whispers. Not the looks. Not even the silence that stretched behind her like something unfinished. Just that no one stopped her. Azaliyah walked through the village like she still belonged there. Back straight. Steps steady.
Expression unreadable. But inside It was louder than the collapse. That's it? Her jaw tightened. That's all it takes? A lifetime. Gone. just like that. She passed people she had known her entire life. Faces that used to soften when they saw her. Voices that used to call her name. Now? Nothing. No one spoke. No one reached out. No one even pretended to hesitate. Her hands curled slowly into fists at her sides. Have they forgotten? The question burned hotter the longer it sat. Do they not remember who my parents were? That thought almost stopped her. Almost.
But she didn't give them that. She kept walking. Because if she stopped she might turn around. And if she turned around—She might not leave quietly. And right now quiet was the only thing she had left. Camron followed behind her. Not close. Not far. Watching. Not interrupting. For once. The village thinned as they moved toward the edge, the homes becoming smaller, quieter, more spaced out. Less important. Less seen. That's where her hut was. Of course it was. Azaliyah stopped in front of it.
For a second, Just a second her expression cracked. Not visibly. Not enough for anyone else to see. But enough for her to feel it. Then it was gone. She pushed the door open. It creaked. Louder than it should have. Everything inside was exactly how she left it. Simple. Organized. Untouched. Like her life had been paused waiting for her to come back. She didn't look around much. Didn't let herself. Instead she walked straight to the back.
There was a small wooden box tucked beneath a shelf. She crouched. Opened it. Inside was the only thing that mattered. The amulet. Gold. Worn slightly at the edges. Not flashy. Not overly magical looking. But powerful. Because of what it held. She picked it up carefully. Inside a small, preserved image. Her mother. Her father. Standing side by side. Strong. Respected. Untouchable. Everything she was supposed to be. Her throat tightened.
"They used to listen to you," she muttered quietly, staring at the image. "They used to care." Her fingers curled around the amulet. "And now they act like I don't even exist." Silence. Behind her a shift.
"…you gonna take anything else?" Camron asked, voice quieter now. She didn't turn around.
"No."
A beat.
"…nothing else here is mine. That wasn't fully true. But it felt true. And that's what mattered. She stood, slipping the amulet around her neck, letting it rest against her chest like something grounding. Then finally she turned. And looked at him properly. Not as a problem.
Not as a situation. As a person.
"…I didn't even catch your name," she said.
He blinked once. Like he wasn't expecting that. Then straightened slightly. "Camron." She nodded once.
"…Azaliyah." A pause.
"…figured," he said. Her brows lifted slightly.
"Oh, you did?"
He gave a small shrug. "You look like someone with a name people expect things from." That— She didn't respond to that right away. Because it was too accurate. Instead she turned toward the door.
"Come on."
"Where are we going?" he asked.
She stepped outside. Didn't stop walking. "I don't know." Honest. Blunt. Real. He followed.
"…that's comforting."
"Get used to disappointment." They walked past the edge of the village. No one tried to stop them. No one called her name. That part she felt. But she didn't show it. Instead she kept moving.
"Where will you go?" Camron asked after a moment. Her laugh was quiet. Dry.
"Nowhere," she said.
"Everywhere." A pause.
"I have power I can't control," she added, voice sharper now, more real. "No training. No guidance. No one is willing to teach me." Her eyes flicked toward him briefly. "Apparently I'm the problem."
He didn't respond immediately. Then "…I get that."
She glanced at him again. "Oh yeah?"
"Yeah."
A beat.
"I don't fully control my shifts," he admitted. "Not anymore."
She slowed slightly. "…not anymore?"
His jaw tightened. "…it used to be easier." That was all he said. But it was enough. She let out a small breath.
"…so what," she said, tone laced with dry sarcasm, "you just wander into random realms hoping they don't fall apart while you're there?"
"…basically."
She let out a quiet, humourless laugh. "That's insane."
"Didn't say it wasn't." Another pause. Then…"what happens when they do?" she asked.
His expression didn't change. But something behind it did. "They blame me," he said simply. She scoffed lightly.
"Of course they do."
"They don't know what I am," he added. "I show up, things go wrong, magic starts dying—"
"They connect the dots." "Even if they're wrong."
She nodded slightly. "…sounds familiar." Silence stretched between them again. Not uncomfortable. Just heavy. Then she exhaled. "…so going back to wherever you came from—"
"Not an option."
She nodded once. "Yeah." Another step. Another. Then she glanced at him sideways. "…so I guess this is happening. "
He looked at her. "…what is?"
She shrugged slightly. "This." A small gesture between them. "You. Me. No plan. No home."
A beat.
"…great," she added dryly. He huffed a quiet breath.
"…yeah." Another pause. Then—"Well," she said, adjusting the amulet slightly against her chest, "guess I'm stuck with you." He looked ahead.
"…yeah." A second passed. "…same." No smiles. No agreement. No trust. Just two people with nowhere else to go. Walking forward anyway.