The Elder stood at the centre of the grand hall, shoulders heavy, eyes distant. The vast chamber felt colder now, the echoes of history pressing down on everyone within it. The Chosen stood before him in silence as he gathered himself, memories clearly weighing on his mind.

  “There was nothing we could do,” the Elder said at last, his voice low and tired. “There was no hope left for any of us. We didn’t know how to fight them. So… we surrendered. Well, those of us who were still alive and hadn’t already fled.”

  He took a slow breath, his gaze drifting across the marble floor.

  “The planet was theirs. We became nothing more than tools to them.” His jaw tightened. “The council ran. We had to. We knew that if Shahero was ever to know peace again, we would have to rebuild it in secret. We fled to the mountains and established six hidden bases.”

  He paused, swallowing hard.

  “Three were discovered and destroyed. Well… four now.”

  The words hung heavily in the air.

  Freya broke the silence, her voice soft but steady. “So… this is when you created us?”

  The Elder nodded. “Exactly. You were all created for this purpose, to save us. Only you have the power to do it. No one else does.” The Elder looks to them all. “Every generation, when the world loses it's balance, something must rise to restore that balance, unfortunately this time it is you.”

  He turned slowly, meeting each of their eyes.

  “After ten years of enslavement, we knew we could not endure any longer. We created the weapons, except one.” His gaze settled on Cid. “A pair of gauntlets, found in Slaten. The same ones you wear now.”

  Cid glanced down at his hands as the Elder smiled faintly, a smile that doesn't quite sit right.

  “Each weapon has unique abilities,” the Elder continued. “And now, your mission begins. It will not be easy.”

  He stepped closer, pausing slightly.

  “I want each of you to go alone.”

  The words stirred unease among them. Samantha felt cold ripples across her skin, like a memory, she has not lived yet. For a heartbeat, she thought she heard silent voices, layered beneath the Elder's words, whispering in an ancient language. For the first time since meeting, the Chosen looked at one another like people about to be torn apart.

  “You cannot work as a team until you understand how you work by yourselves. I want you to see the vermin, the filth, the disease-ridden corners of this world. You must know what you are saving.” His tone softened slightly. “Because one day, each of you will be asked what you are willing to give to save this world.” He smiles, an uneasy smile. “But I also want you to see the beauty, the seas, the rivers, the people who still believe in hope.”

  He looked at them all.

  “You need to understand what you are fighting for. And ask yourselves… is it truly worth it?”

  Lazarus frowned. “Of course it is,” he said, confusion edging his voice. “That’s why we’re here, isn’t it?”

  Zara stepped forward before the Elder could answer. “Hang on. My ability, I’m the catalyst. Doesn’t that mean I have no ability unless I’m near the others?” For the first time, Zara wondered who she was without the others nearby.

  The Elder smiled gently at her. “My dear Zara, there are people in this world with extraordinary abilities who have no idea how to unlock them. Your mission is to find them. To collect those abilities.”

  He nodded firmly. “It is the only way you can all stand against the Shoven. There may be powers you do not even know exist yet.”

  “The world itself is cracking. Magic fractures. Life and light fades. You must gather what remains...before all is lost.” The Elder lets out a small smile, not a complete smile, it doesn't quite reach his eyes, like he is hiding something. “You will begin in Nduja.”

  “Where is that?” Zara asks not letting him finish.

  “Don't worry Zara, all transports will be set for you.” He says to Zara, his eyes lingering on her too long.

  Zara straightened. “Ok. I’ll do my best.” Zara tries to stay relaxed, but she has never truly been alone, even in the palace she was still surrounded by people who loved her, she thought that finally she has a group of friends, people who will support her, but again she has been torn from them.

  “I know you will,” the Elder said warmly.

  His attention shifted to Samantha.

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  “Speaking of control,” he said, his tone sharpening slightly, “you cannot simply freeze time. You must learn how to start it again, without rewinding it.”

  The others turned to Samantha in surprise. The Elder looks at her she looks at him awkwardly, she feels like he is holding something back from them.

  “Zara was right,” the Elder continued. “You were careless. You could have frozen your friends forever.”

  Samantha smiled awkwardly and shrugged, cheeks flushed. Her stomach tightened as she realized how close she had come to erasing them all.

  “You are more than someone who sees the future,” the Elder went on. “You are the future. You are a timekeeper.”

  He took a step closer.

  “You can manipulate time, but you must also protect it. You are responsible for every ripple caused by time travel. The present must not be altered.” The Elder steps closer to Samantha again, this time it's almost a whisper “If time falls out of balance, the consequences do not end in this world alone.”

  Samantha swallowed and nodded. She feels the pressure weighing down on her, the pressure of time, pulling on her, almost like its trying to pull her to a different timeline.

  “You will first travel to Dalan,” the Elder said. “There is a man who lives in the mountains. He will teach you control. After that, you will have a mission into the past.” He smiled faintly. “But more on that… in the future.”

  “Sorry, is this a joke.” Cid says, “You bring us together into this grand hall and told of our glorious purpose, and the you send us away?”

  “Cid, Cid, Cid, I understand the confusion, but this is the mission, you all need time to become yourselves.” The Elder speaks up.

  Samantha suddenly joins in. “Are you telling us everything?”

  The Elder pauses, “I am telling you everything that you need to know.”

  “So that's a no then? You are telling us to risk our lives but you won't tell us anything else.” Samantha gets slightly heated.

  “Samantha, when the time comes you will learn the rest.” The Elder says in retaliation.

  “Come on Sammy, there is no need for all of this, they are telling us what we need to know.” Freya says trying to calm the situation.

  “My name is not Sammy, it is Samantha, I suggest you remember that.” Samantha says in a stern voice.

  Freya jumps back slightly fire crackling across her finger tips. “Sorry, Samantha, I didn't realise.”

  The air grew thick and heavy, tensions rose, and they all fall silent for a moment, the Elder waits for the silence to drag on long enough to interject again.

  The right moment comes, he turns to Lazarus with a wry smile.“My sharpshooter,” the Elder said. “You are not a born killer, and that is a good thing. But you lack the instinct to kill.”

  Lazarus shifted uncomfortably.

  “You are a sniper,” the Elder continued. “To survive, you must understand what it means to take a life.”

  “So you want me to kill for fun?” Lazarus said with an uneasy chuckle.

  “In a way,” the Elder replied calmly. “Yes. You need to understand the weight of it. There is a man named Wolf. He lives in Tarule. He will help you.”

  Lazarus felt the line between justice and cruelty blur in a way he didn’t like. He glanced at Cid, then back at his rifle. “I’ll… try.” Lazarus says it with as much confident as he can muster. He knows he has to save the world, but at what cost, he has to kill, but that's what the Shoven do, he has to become the thing he hates.

  The Elder turned to Freya.

  “You possess incredible magic,” he said. “But power without control is useless.”

  Freya’s grip tightened on her staff.

  “Control is the true strength of magic,” the Elder said. “Without it, you are no more useful than fire in the ice fields of Taun.”

  Freya’s voice trembled. “How do I control it?” Freya wondered how many people she could burn before learning restraint. Freya has always known that she could lose control, but she has never really known what would happen if she lost control.

  The Elder knelt before her, placing a steady hand on her shoulder. “With time. And effort. You will meet an Ancient, once a mage, deep within the caves of Alsamar. Dangerous. Treacherous.” He smiled reassuringly. “But I believe you can do it.”

  Finally, he turned to Cid.

  “My speedster,” he said. “Never have I seen talent like yours. But Keno tells me you lack discipline.”

  Cid grinned. “Sounds like fun. More people to beat.” Cid smiled, but the idea of being alone for the first time made his chest feel tight.

  The Elder’s expression hardened. “You were always cocky. Let’s hope that changes.”

  Cid looks down to the ground, feeling hurt and attacked, he has always been the cocky type to cover his true feelings, he never liked to appear weak. He is still thinking about the argument earlier, he knows something is being held back from them.

  He turned away, walking back toward the raised stands.

  “I’ve given you these tasks because I believe you can survive them. You six are the only ones who can.” His voice softened. “I only hope our leader is safe.” The Elder’s smile lingered a second too long, as if he knew more than he was willing to say.

  He seated himself behind the looming desk.

  “You may retire to your quarters. You leave at first light. You will be supplied before departure.” He paused at the doorway. “Rest well.”

  Then, almost as an afterthought, he smiled.

  “Oh, and before I forget… happy birthday.”

  The Elder stops and stares at them for a moment before he turns to leave the hall.

  The Chosen remained standing in silence.

  They filed out together, none of them speaking, each lost in their own thoughts, of fear, of purpose, and of the long road ahead.

  None of them had ever felt older than they did in that moment. They know now that they are walking away from their lives.

  Thanks for reading!

  Every time someone spends a few minutes in the world of Shahero, it honestly means more than I can properly put into words. Seeing people follow the journey of Tyron, Samantha, Lazarus, Freya, Cid, and Zara makes all the hours of writing worth it.

  If you enjoyed the chapter, feel free to leave a comment or follow the story. I read every comment, and it genuinely helps the story reach more readers here on Royal Road.

  A few people have also asked how they can support the project as I work toward eventually publishing the book. If that’s something you’d like to help with, there’s a support link below that goes toward editing and preparing the story for print.

  No pressure at all though—reading the story is already huge support.

  Question for readers:What moment in this chapter stood out to you the most?

  See you in the next chapter.

  — Matthew Cooke-Sumner