The immediate aftermath of the attack was a raw wound. The main chamber was a scene of exhausted survivors tending to the injured, of hushed, fearful whispers, and the constant, low thrumming of The Void outside, a sinister heartbeat in the grey. The air still crackled with the phantom energy of Kael's light surge.
Elara ignored the wider chaos, her world having shrunk to the small, trembling form of Kael. She had helped guide him back to their corner near the fire pit, away from the fearful eyes and Gus's renewed accusations. Now, she knelt beside him, her hands gently checking his small body, her gaze fixed on his face, etched with disorientation and the familiar, horrifying signs of a new void.
He was numb to her touch, a chilling reality she was becoming accustomed to with this latest Bedel. But she could see the struggle in his eyes, the way he looked towards Captain (the familiar shape of the leader) with a profound, lost confusion, unable to place the face. Captain had left them, after a grim, silent exchange with Elara, his own face a mask of burden and shock at being forgotten.
"Kael," Elara murmured, her voice soft with concern. "Are you okay? Can you... can you hear me?"
He nodded weakly, his eyes finding hers, a flicker of recognition there – her face, thankfully, was not among the stolen memories. But the terror was plain in his gaze, a silent scream trapped behind his numb senses.
She tried to talk him through it, her voice a soothing anchor. "Captain is just over there. He's making sure everyone is okay." She pointed, even though she knew Kael couldn't feel the direction. "You used your light. It helped. It pushed them back."
He flinched at the mention of the light, a tremor running through his body. Bedel. The price. He looked towards Captain again, a fresh wave of confusion crossing his face. He knew the word, Captain. He knew the role. But the face was gone.
Elara's heart an aching void beside Kael's own literal ones. This Bedel was different, crueler in its specificity. Taking a face. Taking a connection. It wasn't just abstract; it targeted relationships. She remembered the fear in Captain's eyes when he realized Kael didn't recognize him.
Later, as the sanctuary quieted slightly, settling into a wary watchfulness, Elara continued her quiet vigil over Kael. She looked at him, so small, so broken by a power he didn't ask for. She thought of the old legends she had been researching, the 'Guardians of the Light' and the 'prices paid'. This Bedel... this targeted theft of self... it felt like something more than just a cosmic tax. It felt deliberate.
Was the Bedel a random consequence, or did it target what Kael valued, or needed? Joy, love, basic connection through sensation and knowledge, and now, the face of an authority figure who offered a semblance of safety. What would be next?
She reached out, not to touch (it was useless), but simply to be near him. The low thrumming of The Void felt closer tonight, almost personal. It was as if The Void itself was acknowledging Kael's power, and the price he paid.
Elara looked around the weary faces of the survivors, saw the fear, the mistrust, the exhaustion. The sanctuary was wounded, inside and out. The water was still scarce, the filter still broken. Gus's angry muttering could still be heard from across the chamber, fueled by the recent events.
They needed a solution. They needed hope. And Kael, broken by Bedels, feared by his own people, was the only chance they had.
Captain finally made his way back to Kael and Elara's corner, his expression a mix of grim resolve and deep unease. He looked at Kael, at the child whose Bedel had just stolen his face. He saw Elara's unwavering presence beside him. He addressed Elara, but his gaze remained on Kael.
"The attack seems to have stopped for now," Captain said, his voice low. "Your light... it bought us time. Again." He paused, then looked at Kael directly, his eyes holding a heavy question. "But the Bedel, child... Forgetting my face... Why that?" He didn't expect an answer Kael could articulate, but the question hung in the air.
Captain looked out at the rest of the survivors, still tense, still fearful, watching him. Gus was watching too, his eyes narrowed. The sanctuary was divided, and Kael was the wedge.
"He will remain here," Captain stated, his voice firm, projecting authority to the listening ears. "Near the fire. Under constant watch. Elara will continue to tend to him." His gaze hardened as he looked towards Gus's area. "Any further disturbance regarding the child will not be tolerated. Our survival depends on order."
He looked back at Kael, a new resolve solidifying in his eyes. "We need to understand this," Captain murmured, more to himself than anyone. "The light. The Bedel. Find out how it works. Find out... if it can be controlled. If the price can be managed." He looked at Elara. "Continue your research, Elara. Focus on the Bedel. On the old legends. Is there any record of... this?"
Elara nodded, her expression serious. This was the task she had already set herself.
Captain's decision was clear. Kael wouldn't be cast out, but his potential and the terrifying cost would now be actively, perhaps desperately, studied. The days of simple containment were over. Kael was no longer just a burden; he was a high-stakes mystery, a terrifying project for the sanctuary. His life, his Bedels, his light – they were now central to their desperate fight for survival against The Void. The Debt of Light was growing, and the price was becoming immeasurable.