Chapter 36: Racing Toward the Ripples
Senra's instincts screamed before her mind could catch up.
The forest was silent—too silent. The rustling leaves and distant calls of wildlife had all but vanished, replaced by a subtle vibration in the air that tugged at her senses. Threads she could no longer see quivered under her influence, and the faint, lingering pressure of the Force still pressed against her chest.
It was her mistake. She could feel it.
The collision of the threads, the small yet tangible chaos in Pony Village—it was moving outward like a ripple, faster than she had anticipated. She could not wait for events to unfold passively. Every second mattered.
Silver blood trailed along her palms as she ran, feet pounding against the soft, moss-covered earth. Every branch that whipped past, every root she stumbled over, felt like a warning: hurry, or the consequences will worsen.
She thought of Elena—of the girl's unease this morning, her sensitive reaction to the subtle disturbances, Lyria's frightened whispers, Daisy's alarmed eyes. Senra clenched her jaw. None of them deserved this. Not because of her, not because of her blind steps.
The path from the forest to the village twisted unnaturally as though reality itself was reacting to her presence. Senra's hand brushed against a tree trunk and the bark shivered under her touch. A flash of green-tinted light streaked across the ground, warning of threads misaligned, of danger yet to arrive.
She surged forward. Faster. Her breaths came short and sharp. The Force's mark—the debt she carried—pulsed painfully against her sternum. Two counts. But she knew it was rising with each step, each uncontrolled influence, each ripple of chaos she had set into motion.
When the village came into view, the first signs of her mistake were unmistakable. A cart lay overturned, apples and vegetables rolling across the square. Children were frozen mid-motion, caught between play and fear, their small bodies quivering with confusion. Birds circled unnaturally above the rooftops, their flight jittering with invisible interference.
Senra skidded to a halt at the edge of the square, eyes darting. "Elena! Lyria!" she called, voice sharp but low, urging them to safety.
Elena looked up from where she had been helping Lyria steady herself. Recognition crossed her face, relief mingling with fear. "Senra!" she shouted. "It's—something—"
Senra cut her off with a wave of her hand, her silver-tinted aura flaring faintly. "No time to explain. Get back inside—now!"
But the threads of consequence were not so easily managed. A stray log from the fallen cart had begun to roll toward the group, and a flicker of unstable light danced around the square, unpredictable and sharp.
Senra reacted, throwing a hand forward, manipulating the energy of the present moment as best she could. The log halted mid-roll, balanced improbably as if suspended by invisible strings. The flickering light stuttered, then dimmed, leaving only a faint shimmer in its wake.
Her chest heaved. "Too close," she muttered. "Much too close."
Eldorin Vael, observing from the hall, felt the sudden stabilization. His brow furrowed as he muttered, "She's here. The one causing the disturbances… she's come to intervene herself."
From the edges of the village, Lyria's small voice trembled. "Who… who is she?"
Elena didn't answer immediately, her gaze fixed on Senra, whose presence radiated power and urgency. "She… she's… protecting us," Elena said softly, though she did not fully understand how or why.
Senra exhaled, lowering her hand. Her silver aura dimmed, but the pulse of the debt marker was louder than ever. She had slowed the immediate chaos—but the threads remained fragile, unstable, waiting for the next careless step.
"This is just the beginning," Senra whispered to herself, scanning the village. "If I don't act, someone will get hurt… badly."
And above them all, unseen, the Force watched, patient and calculating, ready to exploit the smallest miscalculation.