TFOS- Chapter 5
The night stretched on, the fire flickering low as the cold crept in. Sol and Mia remained side by side, neither willing to break the quiet between them. Max lay close, his ears twitching at every distant sound. His presence was comforting, but Mia couldn’t shake the feeling that he was more alert than usual—as if he sensed something beyond their understanding.
Max suddenly stiffened, his nose twitching, then stood abruptly and trotted toward the frisbee resting beside Mia’s pack. He nudged it with his snout, then let out a low whine. The sound sent a shiver down Mia’s spine.
“What is it, boy?” she murmured, reaching out to scratch behind his ears.
Max didn’t relax. Instead, he circled the frisbee, his body tense, eyes locked onto it as if he expected it to move. Then, in a swift motion, he picked it up in his mouth and trotted into the darkness beyond the fire’s glow.
“Max?” Sol was already on her feet, eyes narrowing. “Where’s he going?”
Mia grabbed her pack and slung it over her shoulder. “Let’s find out.”
They followed Max into the woods, moving carefully through the thick mist that clung to the trees. The night was eerily silent, the usual forest sounds muted as if the world itself was holding its breath. Max moved with purpose, occasionally glancing back to make sure they were still with him.
After a few minutes, they arrived at a clearing—one that hadn’t been there before.
Mia swore under her breath. “This wasn’t here earlier.”
The trees around them had parted unnaturally, revealing a stretch of ground covered in strange markings, etched deep into the earth. At the center of the clearing, Max finally stopped, gently placing the frisbee down onto one of the symbols. The moment it touched the ground, the air vibrated with energy.
Sol inhaled sharply. “Did you feel that?”
Mia nodded, watching as faint lines of light began tracing through the markings, pulsing like veins under the ground. “Yeah. And I don’t like it.”
Max sat beside the frisbee, staring at it as if waiting for something.
Before they could process what was happening, a rustling sound came from the trees behind them. Sol and Mia spun around, hands reaching for their weapons. A shadow emerged—a figure, hooded and cautious, stepping into the dim light.
“Don’t be afraid,” the stranger said, voice smooth and even. “I’ve been looking for you.”
Mia gripped her blade. “Yeah? Well, we don’t exactly take kindly to people sneaking up on us.”
The figure hesitated, then pulled back their hood, revealing a woman with short silver hair and striking golden eyes. She looked at Max first, then at the frisbee. “That’s Lytheran technology,” she murmured, almost reverently. “And your dog… he knows more than you think.”
Sol tensed beside Mia. “Who are you?”
“My name is Kael.” She stepped forward cautiously. “And I might be the only one who can help you understand what’s really going on.”
Mia exchanged a glance with Sol before eyeing Kael warily. “You said Max knows something. What do you mean?”
Kael knelt beside the frisbee, running a careful hand over its surface. “Dogs, especially ones from Earth, have a unique connection to Lytheran energy. It’s… hard to explain, but they can sense things the rest of us can’t. They’re attuned to the technology, to the history buried in places like this.”
Sol crossed her arms. “And you just happened to show up now?”
Kael smiled faintly. “I’ve been following the Revenants. And when I saw you escape, I knew you had something important. That frisbee—it’s not just a piece of tech. It’s a key.”
Mia’s heart pounded. “A key to what?”
Kael’s expression darkened. “Something the Revenants will stop at nothing to get their hands on.”
The energy beneath them pulsed again, stronger this time. Max let out a soft bark, standing protectively in front of the frisbee.
Then, without warning, Sol stumbled back, clutching her head. “Sol?” Mia grabbed her shoulders, steadying her. “What’s wrong?”
Flashes of light seared through Sol’s mind—images she didn’t recognize yet felt achingly familiar. A city bathed in golden light, a sky filled with strange, shifting symbols, and a voice whispering her name. Her breath came fast and shallow as the vision faded, leaving only a deep, unsettling certainty in its wake.
“I—I saw something,” Sol whispered. “Or remembered something.”
Kael’s gaze sharpened. “You’re Lytheran, aren’t you?”
Sol hesitated, then nodded. “Half.”
“That explains it.” Kael gestured toward the frisbee. “It’s reacting to you. And that means you’re more connected to this than you realize.”
Mia tightened her grip on Sol’s arm, worry flickering in her eyes. “Are you okay?”
Sol nodded, though her hands still trembled slightly. “I think so. But if the frisbee is reacting to me, does that mean the Revenants will come looking for me, too?”
Kael’s expression was grim. “If they weren’t already, they will be now.”
Mia clenched her jaw, stepping protectively closer to Sol. “Then we need to move. Fast.”
Kael hesitated. “I might be able to help with that. I know a place—one the Revenants don’t. But you have to trust me.”
Mia studied her, instincts screaming not to trust someone who had just appeared out of nowhere. But Max wasn’t growling, wasn’t on edge. He was watching Kael with quiet curiosity, as if he recognized something in her.
Mia sighed. “I don’t like it. But right now, we don’t have a choice.”
Sol met her gaze, something unspoken passing between them. Then she nodded. “Alright. Lead the way.”
As they left the clearing, Mia stole a glance at Sol. Even in the dim light, she could see the tension in her jaw, the uncertainty in her eyes. Reaching out, she brushed her fingers against Sol’s wrist, a silent reassurance. Sol glanced at her, surprised, but didn’t pull away.
Neither of them spoke, but the warmth of that brief touch lingered between them, a quiet promise in the midst of the unknown.
