The last sovereign

Max sat alone in the dimly lit room, the walls closing in around him. His fingers brushed the stone, now resting on a makeshift altar. The glow it emitted was faint, like a dying ember struggling to stay alight. He had barely slept in the past few days, too consumed by the swirling emotions and possibilities that came with the strange power now embedded within him.

Each day, it felt heavier. The stone was no longer a simple object of curiosity. It was a constant reminder of the path he was about to walk—one he couldn't turn back from, no matter how much he wanted to. The power it promised was tempting, but at what cost?

"I should have never touched it," Max whispered to himself, his voice hoarse from lack of rest. The thought came unbidden but lingered in his mind, like an echo he couldn't shake.

Tessa's voice broke through his brooding thoughts. "Max, you're brooding again."

Max opened his eyes to see her standing at the entrance of the room, her arms crossed. She had a way of appearing out of nowhere, as if she could slip in and out of the shadows unnoticed.

"Do I look like I'm brooding?" Max replied, a slight smile tugging at his lips.

"You always do when you're thinking too much." She walked toward him, her gaze dropping to the stone. "Is that thing really worth all this? You look like you haven't slept in days."

Max didn't answer immediately. Instead, he picked up the stone and held it up, watching the faint glow intensify for a moment. "I don't know anymore, Tessa," he admitted, his voice quieter than usual. "This power… it's pulling me in, but I don't know what it's asking for. It's like a parasite, feeding off me."

Tessa hesitated but then placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's not the stone, Max. It's you. You're the one who's pushing yourself too hard. You're trying to control something you don't even fully understand."

Max's jaw clenched. She was right. He was pushing himself, not just to understand the stone, but to master it. To prove that he could stand tall in a world that had cast him aside, to show that he wasn't just a forgotten orphan but someone who could rise to the top. But how could he do that when he couldn't even control the power coursing through him?

"I have to keep going," he said, his voice more forceful now. "I can't stop. Not when this is the only chance I have to survive."

"Survival isn't everything," Tessa replied softly. "There's more to life than just power. Don't lose yourself in it."

Max turned away from her, the weight of her words hanging in the air. "Maybe. But it's all I have left."

Outside, the night air was thick with tension. The city of Velarion was alive, even at this hour, the streets filled with the hum of activity. But beneath the surface, hidden in the shadows of the alleyways and dark corners, a far more dangerous game was unfolding.

Kael had been watching Max from a distance, a quiet observer to the boy's growing struggles. It was clear the stone was taking its toll, but Kael had his own plans. The Black Syndicate had made their move, and Max was now a pawn in a game far larger than he realized.

"I need to know more about him," Kael muttered to himself as he slipped into the shadows of the alley. He had his reasons for wanting to keep an eye on the orphan, but those reasons were far from altruistic.

His movements were fluid, silent as he disappeared into the night. Kael knew that Max was dangerous, but he wasn't sure if the boy would rise to the challenge or burn himself out.

As he made his way to the rendezvous point, Kael's thoughts turned to the Syndicate. The Black Syndicate wasn't a group that allowed anyone to stand in their way. They would come for Max sooner or later, and if he didn't learn to control the stone, he would become a target—one that no one would hesitate to eliminate.

Back in the hideout, Max couldn't sleep. The stone still called to him, its pulse steady and rhythmic. He could feel it deep in his chest, like a heartbeat that wasn't his own. He had to fight the urge to reach for it, to let its power flow through him.

But each time he did, the cost became clearer. His body ached as if he were being torn apart from the inside out. The Aether, raw and unrefined, crashed through him like an unstoppable tide, overwhelming him with its force.

He stood and paced the room, the walls closing in as he tried to shake the feeling of helplessness. How was he supposed to control something that he couldn't even understand?

The answer came to him like a whisper in the dark.

"Patience."

Max froze. He had heard the voice before, a voice that came from within him. It wasn't the stone—it was something else. But what?

"Who's there?" Max demanded, his eyes darting around the room.

No response.

"Patience," the voice repeated, and this time, Max understood. It wasn't just a word—it was a command. He had been rushing, pushing himself to harness the power before he was ready. The voice was telling him that to master the Aether, he would need more than just strength. He would need time.

Max sat down slowly, his hands shaking as he placed the stone before him. He had to learn to listen—to wait.

The next morning, Tessa was gone.

Max searched the hideout, his heart racing as he realized she had vanished without a trace. The place she had been sleeping in was empty, her belongings gone. A sense of dread settled over him like a heavy fog.

"Where the hell is she?" he muttered under his breath, his fingers tightening around the stone.

He didn't have time to waste. The Black Syndicate was closing in, and if they had taken her—

A sound interrupted his thoughts. A soft knock on the door.

Max quickly turned, his hand instinctively going to the blade at his side. He opened the door cautiously, only to find Tessa standing there, her face flushed and her eyes wide with a mix of excitement and fear.

"What the hell, Tessa?" Max hissed. "Where were you?"

Tessa's eyes flickered nervously, and she hesitated before answering. "I was meeting someone… someone who knows about the stone."

Max's eyes narrowed. "Who?"

"I couldn't tell you. They'll be watching. We need to move—now."

The next few days were a blur of movement. Max, Tessa, and Kael—a reluctant ally—were on the run, constantly moving from one hideout to the next as the Syndicate's grip tightened around them. The city felt smaller, more suffocating with every passing moment.

Max's powers were growing, but so was the toll they took on him. Each time he tapped into the Aether, he could feel his body protesting, his bones creaking under the strain. But the power, the sheer force of it, kept drawing him in.

"I need to master this," Max muttered one night as he sat alone in a darkened alley, his hands trembling. "I need to be stronger. I have no choice."

The stone pulsed in his palm, its glow steady and constant, like a heartbeat. Max closed his eyes and steadied his breath. This was no longer just about survival. This was about proving to himself that he could control the chaos inside him.

A new determination settled within him.

"I will control it. I will rise."