Prologue

Jessica and Randall stood up to fight once again, covered in cuts. Jessica sported a hole through her heart, and a sword had cut through half of Randall’s torso. “I don’t think we’re surviving this one,” Randall said, looking at the massively powerful individual who had done this to them.

“Yeah,” Jessica sighed.

She released a quick whisper, a mote of light entering her body and healing the hole through her heart. Another one flew into Randall, his torso completely reattaching itself. Jessica keeled over. “I’m out of energy… I can’t even See anymore.”

Randall nodded. “After us, he’ll probably go after the kid, for her power. I’m about on half. That’s probably enough for a Weave. If I consume the rest of my lifeforce, and yours, I can probably create a minor Truth. Enough to protect the child, at least.”

Jessica held out her hand. “Do it.”

Randall hesitated. “If I slice off a piece of my soul, I can make do. I can also send you away to live.”

She shook her head. “I know what price you have to pay for that. And besides, I’m going to die anyways, very soon. I couldn’t heal my heart completely, just enough to stay alive for a couple more hours.”

Randall finally nodded, taking her hand. Their oppressor stared at them from under his hooded cloak, only his eyes visible. “What is the child’s name?’

“Like I’d tell you!,” Jessica said, a green glow transferring from her to Randall.

Power collected in the air above the couple, a tiny amount splitting off and forming into a hand, solely to flip off the hooded figure. It returned to the sphere as the hooded man angrily laughed, his own power collecting and striking at the ball of power. Nothing happened. The man’s eyes closed, spheres of darkness forming around him. Randall held his hands up, the power collecting into a pen. Grabbing it, he started to write. His arm moved slowly, ponderously, as glowing runes formed in the air in front of him.

Randall finished half of the Truth, his pen moving slower and slower. His muscles strained, and he sped up once again. More balls of darkness collected around the man, now flowing towards him like water. The hooded man held out his finger, and a concentrated ball of dark power collected. As Randall finished the last rune, the ball of power shot out from the hooded man. Three new runes appeared at the end of the Truth just as Randall let his Truth into existence. Quickly, he moved his hand over to the dark letters and changed several portions just before the Truth was applied to the world. “What did he do?,” Jessica asked.

Randall heaved, dropping the pen. “The Truth’s protection will run out as soon as she can cultivate. And he knows her name. Then, the last rune… It prevents her from crossing into Core. I changed them. The Truth’s protection will run out as soon as she becomes a Whisperer; if she decides not to cultivate, she’ll be fine. The kid’s name… I couldn’t conceal it. He knows. I couldn’t change the last rune too much. I just weakened it as much as possible. She will have to break the Truth to get to Core. We must believe in her. I wasn’t nearly strong enough to know what a Truth was at Core, but there’s no other option. She must break it.”

Jessica nodded. She slumped to the ground, along with Randall. “We’ve given her the best chance possible. Time to let go of life.”

The hooded man showed no reaction. “You were formidable fighters, but it’s all in vain. I will find your daughter, and I will take her connection to the spirits for myself.”

Darkness flowed up around him, and he was gone. Jessica nodded to Randall. “The Truth didn’t take all of our lifeforce. We can leave her a message.”

Randall nodded, and together, the couple Whispered their message to the spirits of the area. “She’ll get it when she’s old enough,” Jessica said, her life slipping away.

Randall nodded to her dead body, the light in his eyes fading away.