Elara presented her findings to Captain in the command center. The salvaged texts, her interpretations, the chilling possibility that The Void was drawn not just to Kael's light, but to the voids left by the Bedel. The room, already heavy with the recent tension, grew colder.
Captain listened intently, his pragmatic mind struggling to grasp the abstract horror Elara described. The Void seeking 'resonance', 'echoes', the emptiness within Kael's mind... It sounded like something out of a nightmare, yet it aligned disturbingly with the 'seeker' entity's behavior and Kael's sensing.
"So, every time he... pays the Bedel," Captain said slowly, the implication settling heavily upon him, "every time he loses something to save us... he becomes more visible to them? More desirable?"
Elara nodded grimly. "That's what the fragmented lore suggests. It's a twisted form of attraction. The Void consumes reality, yes, but perhaps it's also drawn to the absence of reality, the gaps, the... non-being it creates."
The strategic dilemma was immediate and brutal. If using Vispera and paying the Bedel made Kael a target, the safest course would be to prevent him from ever using his power again. But his power was their greatest weapon against manifestations, and his sensing was often their only warning. Without it, they were blind and defenseless.
"We can't just... stop him from using it," Captain ran a hand over his tired face. "His sensing is vital. And if a major manifestation hits, we need Vispera."
"But if using it brings more of those 'seekers'..." an advisor trailed off, the fear evident in his voice.
Elara spoke, her voice quiet but firm. "We need to understand this connection better. Is it the act of using the power, or the paying of the Bedel? Is there a way to use Vispera without triggering the Bedel's draw? The lore is maddeningly vague on this."
Captain looked towards the door leading to Kael's room. How could he explain this to a child? That the very sacrifice that kept them alive was marking him for death?
Kael, sensing the shift in the command center's atmosphere – a new, sharp anxiety mixed with the familiar fear – felt the weight of it settle upon him. He didn't fully grasp the complex words Elara used, but he understood the feeling. The feeling of being connected to the 'seeker', the feeling of "Found! Light! Here!"
His Bedel of Helplessness pulsed stronger. It wasn't just the helplessness of being small or unable to stop the fear. It was the helplessness of his power being the problem. The light inside him, meant to protect, was also a beacon for the hunting darkness.
He clutched his smooth stone, focusing on Vispera's warmth, trying to find the counter-signal of "Hold. Fast. Here." from the sanctuary. He felt the fear, the worry, the strategic dilemma radiating from Captain and Elara. But he also felt their resolve. Their determination to protect him, even as the source of the danger seemed to be him.
It was a heavy burden for an 8-year-old mind to bear. The Bedel had taken many concepts, but it hadn't taken the raw emotional weight of being the center of such a terrifying, complex conflict.
Captain entered Kael's room, his expression carefully neutral. He sat beside Kael, not saying anything for a long moment. He didn't know how to explain the latest terrifying theory. All he knew was that this child, in his brokenness, was their best hope and their greatest vulnerability, now inextricably linked by the enemy's chilling new understanding.
The chapter ends with Elara presenting her theory about the Void seeking the Bedel's 'voids' to Captain, creating a severe strategic dilemma: using Kael's power saves them but might make him a greater target. Kael senses the new tension and feels his Bedel of Helplessness intensify with the understanding that his power is the problem. The chapter highlights the gravity of the new threat and the moral/strategic challenge it presents to the sanctuary leadership regarding Kael.