I returned to the outpost with Veyra’s words and Elandor’s revelation still turning over in my mind. The mist clung to my clothes as I made my way back through the camouflaged platforms and half-sunken structures. Lira was waiting near our hut, speaking quietly with Harlan. Both of them looked up as I approached.
"How did it go?" Lira asked, visibly relieved and happy to see that I was back.
I glanced around to make sure no one was close enough to overhear, then lowered my voice. "The southern governor was exactly what I expected. It’s as suspected, they’ll be offering the bare minimum, there’s nothing else to it."
Harlan gave a short, humorless nod. "Sounds about right."
I hesitated, then continued. "There’s more. Elandor interrupted the meeting. He told Veyra he succeeded. He created a mage."
Lira’s ears twitched. Her expression shifted from curiosity to clear discomfort. "Created? You mean... forced?"
"From the way he spoke, yes. Some kind of process. I don’t know the details, but he claimed the subject is stable and conscious."
Lira’s tail flicked once behind her, a sharp, agitated motion. "That’s not natural. Forcing power into someone... it’s wrong. What happens if it fails? How many people did he already—" She stopped herself, jaw tightening. "I don’t like it."
Harlan said nothing for a long moment. His face had gone carefully blank, but I could see the tension in his shoulders.
"You already knew," I said quietly, a bit disappointed that he hadn’t considered us trustworthy enough to be told that information. What if we had been turned into Elandor’s lab rats?
Harlan exhaled through his nose. "I knew he was trying. I didn’t know he had succeeded." He met my eyes briefly, then looked away. "My uncle has always believed the ends justify the means. Especially now."
I stopped for a second, "he’s your uncle?" I asked just to be sure I hadn’t misheard.
"Yes, it’s a long story, but you get the point." He answered.
Lira glanced between us, clearly sensing there was more to Harlan’s reaction, but she didn’t push, and neither did I. The three of us stood in silence for a while before deciding it was best to busy ourselves with something else.
Later that afternoon, a small crowd gathered near the central platform. Word had spread. Elandor appeared with a young man in tow—thin, pale, and wrapped in a simple cloak. The newly created mage moved with a slight unsteadiness, as if his body was still adjusting to something unfamiliar. His eyes held a distant, almost feverish intensity.
Elandor addressed the gathered rebels in a calm, authoritative voice. "This is the result of careful research. A human who has successfully awakened magical potential through guided means. With time and refinement, we will be able to strengthen our forces in ways we never could before."
There were murmurs of awe, hope, and unease. I kept to the edge of the crowd, studying the young man carefully. Quietly, I focused inward and activated the system’s analytical function.
[Analyzing Target...]
[Name: Unknown]
[Race: Human (Modified)]
[Status: Artificially Awakened Mage]
[Level: 5]
[Condition: Unstable Magical Core – Residual Strain Detected]
[Note: Forced integration of external magical energy. Long-term stability uncertain.]
The information confirmed what I had already suspected. The process was imperfect. The young mage’s power was real, but it sat uneasily inside him, like something forced into a space that had not been ready to receive it. And also the fact that he was already this powerful upon creation. This was dangerous, if this new mage should lose control, the damage he’d cause could be severe.
Elandor’s gaze found me across the crowd. For the first time since I had arrived, there was less open suspicion in his expression and more calculated assessment. He no longer looked at me as the only unpredictable source of power in the camp. He had an alternative now, or at least he believed he did.
That evening, Veyra summoned me again.
"I have a new task for you," she said without preamble. "Scouts report increased movement along the northern edge of the marshes. We need eyes on a forward outpost Grimgor’s forces have been reinforcing. Confirm numbers, supply levels, and any signs of an imminent push. Take a small team. Be back within three days."
It was a more dangerous assignment than the caravan raid, deeper into contested territory, higher chance of contact with stronger enemy forces. I understood the dual purpose. She needed the information, and she needed to keep testing me.
"I’ll take Lira and Harlan," I said.
Veyra nodded. "Be ready by first light."
I was turning to leave when Elandor stepped into the command area. His timing felt deliberate.
"Commander," he said. "I request that the new mage accompany Antoine’s team."
Veyra frowned. "He’s only just stabilized."
"Which is precisely why field exposure under controlled conditions is necessary," Elandor replied smoothly. "We need to know how the awakening holds under stress. Antoine has proven capable of handling difficult situations. There is no better opportunity for an initial test."
His eyes met mine. There was no request in them—only insistence wrapped in logic.
Veyra looked between us, then exhaled. "Very well. But if his condition deteriorates, you pull him out immediately. I won’t lose an asset for the sake of an experiment."
Elandor inclined his head. "Of course."
I kept my expression neutral, but internally I weighed the complications. An unstable newly created mage would be a liability in a scouting mission. At the same time, refusing would only deepen the political friction. And there was value in observing Elandor’s creation up close.
"I’ll take him," I said.
Elandor’s mouth curved in a thin, satisfied smile. "Good. His name is Cael. I’ll prepare him."
As I left the command area, the mist seemed thicker than before. Lira would not like this development. Harlan would like it even less. But it was crucial that we found out what exactly this new mage was capable of, and how to handle him should he lose control.
I had accepted the mission and the extra burden that came with it. Now I would have to make sure none of us paid the price for Elandor’s ambition.