The Coreborn

Time seemed to stand still as Alyssa struggled to grasp what had just happened. The result of her aptitude exam had been negative. It wasn’t possible. Coreborn were identified without fail, so how could this be happening?

The light began to seep away from her, her eyes fading from their burning brightness, but as if to spite her, she could still feel the power writhing within her. By the Core it was strong, so strong, but she didn’t want it.

She looked over at her father imploringly, like the small girl who used to run around his workshop, bumping into things. Hoping that he could fix this. Fix her.

Alyssa saw the truth hit him. For all his steady, unshakable presence, this broke something in him.

Alric took a step forward, his hand lifting, hesitating, then dropping. His breath came out in a heavy exhale. “Alyssa…”

He didn’t need to finish the sentence. His expression darkened, lost in the past. He was seeing her mother. Reliving the worry that gripped him before every expedition, the grief that shattered him when she never returned. Echoes of that pain flickered across his face as he looked at the only thing in the world that still truly mattered to him.

His fingers clenched at his sides, jaw tight, as though bracing himself. She could see him focusing on the last glimmers of light shimmering across her skin. His gaze settled on hers, softening. “We’ll figure this out, Alyssa.”

“Alric.” Flo’s voice was quiet, firm, yet beneath it, there was a wariness. “You need to tell Grayson. It’s clear she’s Coreborn, but-” she shook her head, brow furrowing, “I’ve never seen or heard of any with golden irises before. And the reactor….did you see the way it responded to her? No record, no study has ever mentioned anything remotely like this.”

Alyssa opened her mouth, wanting to deny it, but her reflection burned in her mind, a golden blaze where there should have been normal, hazel brown eyes. Dimly, in the recesses of her mind, the part that was removed from her confusion understood.

Red, green, blue, violet, these were the four paths of the Coreborn. But gold? That wasn’t supposed to exist. So what did that make her?

Alric hesitated, staring at the ground before looking back at Alyssa, a wild and frantic touch to his stare.

“She took the test.” His voice was rough, hoarse. “It was negative.”

“Then the test is wrong.”

An uncomfortable silence settled between them.

Flo hesitated, glancing between father and daughter before adding, softer now, “Alric, I’ve spent my entire career studying lost technologies. I’ve read every historical text we have, pre and post catastrophe. There is nothing in our recorded history that explains this.” Her voice wavered slightly. “But as head of the Coreborn, Grayson may have access to records we don’t. If there’s anything out there, anything that could explain this, he’ll know.”

Alric breathed, slow and heavy, running a hand through his hair. “If there is an answer.”

“Regardless,” Flo pressed on, her voice firmer now, “whatever else she is, she is Coreborn. And you know as well as I do, Coreborn need training. That kind of power, without control -” she shook her head. “It’s too dangerous.”

Alric’s shoulders slumped in defeat. Alyssa couldn’t speak. Couldn’t even move. She just stood there listening while they discussed her fate. It felt like she was watching a performance, distant and surreal.

“I know, Flo.” Her father’s words hit her like hammer blows, undeniable. Tides, it was real. Alric studied her before swallowing hard and shaking his head.

“Alyssa, we’ll-“

Footsteps thundered down the tunnel interrupting him before he could finish. They all turned as a young man burst through the doors, breathing heavily.

“Scouts are back!” the messenger gasped. “Council wants all assembly – now.”

Alric and Flo exchanged a glance. That meant them, leaders in their respective fields. They wouldn’t be called to attend unless there was news and, the way things were going, neither looked like they were expecting it to be good.

Alric turned to Alyssa. “I need you to come with me. Stay close.” Then, to Flo, “Let’s go.”

As she fell into step beside him, he placed a hand on her shoulder and lowered his voice. “Let me talk to Grayson first. I’d appreciate your discretion for now. He’ll be at the meeting and I want it to come from me.”

Flo gave a brief nod, and without another word, the three of them followed the messenger toward the core transport.

Excerpts from A History of Torhelm by Albert Dane

The Assembly (n.) – A broader ruling body of Torhelm, composed of the Council alongside respected individuals from each Guild. While the Council holds ultimate authority, the Assembly ensures that the city’s greatest minds play a role in governance. Decisions made here shape the city’s day-to-day survival, balancing expertise with leadership.

As they neared the Council Hall, the streets were packed, bodies pressed into every available space. The murmur of voices filled the air, tension rippling through the crowd. So much had happened over the past few days, and the unease was palpable.

Alric patted an older gentleman on the shoulder. “What’s going on? Why the crowd?”

The man turned, his expression grim. “It’s the scouts.” A shadow crossed his face. “They look like they fought a battle… and lost.”

They pushed through the throng, Alric using his broad shoulders to great effect. A few people shot them irritated looks, but any protests died as soon as they met his cool, steady gaze. Reaching the front, Alyssa caught sight of the scouts marching towards the hall entrance and her stomach twisted.

The scouts weren’t just Coreborn, they were the best. Hardened survivors, trained to endure anything the Corelands could throw at them. Their excursions had been pushing further afield, taking greater risks. It was out of necessity, but to see the cost in reality…

They looked exhausted. Cuts and bruises littered their skin, bandages hastily wrapped around wounds. But more unsettling than their injuries was their silence, the set of their jaws, their distant stares. A quiet, restrained dread.

They were scared.

And if something could scare the scouts, then the rest of the city should be terrified.

Excerpt from The Coreborn Doctrine by Magnus Veyne

“The Scout Division of the Coreborn stands as Torhelm’s first line of knowledge and defence. Tasked with charting the ever-changing dangers of the Corelands, they push beyond the city’s borders, gathering intelligence, mapping anomalies, and tracking the movements of the Hollowed and Ferox. The role demands exceptional endurance, tactical adaptability, and an acute understanding of survival mechanics. Statistically, the survival rates of the Scout Division are the lowest among the Coreborn; however, their impact, through the knowledge and resources they have gathered, has been instrumental in Torhelm’s survival and evolution.”

Her father and Flo moved toward the hall entrance, the crowd beginning to disperse as they realised there was nothing else to see. Inevitably the rumour mill would begin its endless grind and Alyssa knew the council would have to say something soon, otherwise the whispers in the marketplace would have the city doomed before sundown.

As they entered the outer chamber, Alric turned to Alyssa and beckoned her closer.

“You’ll need to wait here, girl. As soon as I’m out, I’ll need to visit Grayson. Please, whatever you do, don’t draw attention to yourself while I’m in there. The last thing we need is for you to be noticed before I’ve had a chance to explain what’s happened.”

“I won’t, Da.”

She felt subdued, numb, the damning evidence of the morning still haunting her like a fresh wound. Worse still, she felt ashamed. Most people would be ecstatic to find out they were Coreborn. She imagined Lyra’s face when she told her, knowing how much her best friend longed to join the Coreborn division. But for her, it felt like she had been found guilty of a heinous crime, one she hadn’t meant to commit.

And yet, a thought pushed through that fear. A memory of that impossible, searing energy, a connection to something infinite. That small part of her wondered if she could be more.

She thought of the Coreborn battling the Behemoth, myth and legend made flesh, leaping through the air, unstoppable. Could she be that? Someone the people of Torhelm would look up to with awe and admiration?

For a second, the thought flickered, an image of herself performing great feats, charging into battle, a hero defending the weak.

Then she scoffed. No. She was no hero.

She brought herself back to reality.

“I promise. I don’t want to get noticed either. Right now, all I want to do is go and hide away in the workshop.” Her shoulders slumped, fighting back a tremor.

Alric lifted her chin and took her by the shoulders. “It’s going to be alright, girl. I mean it.” His eyes held a quiet resolve, the kind that refused to accept any other outcome.

In that moment, she let herself believe him. She found comfort in his strength, as though she were once again that small girl being wrapped in his big arms. Warm and safe. She nodded once.

With a final squeeze of her shoulder, Alric turned and strode through the great council doors. The guards stepped back to let him pass, then closed ranks behind him.

Alyssa exhaled, glancing around before making her way to the seats meant for those waiting to be heard by the assembly. The shock of her revelation loomed over her, too vast to process. She pushed it aside, focusing instead on the meeting. While it wasn’t unusual for the Scouts to meet with the council upon their return, the gravity of this meeting felt different.

Thinking back to their entrance, she remembered the way the crowd had watched, how every whispered conversation had hushed as the Scouts passed. It felt as though the entire city was holding its breath, waiting for the smallest hint of what was going on.

Torhelm had known hardship, but this felt different. For as long as she had lived here, she couldn’t remember the city being so tense, so full of fear. It was as though everything balanced on a knife’s edge, one misstep away from disaster. Too many terrible things had happened too close together.

The thought unsettled her. It reminded her of the old stories, myths and parables of the Tide, that spoke of terrible omens signalling the end of the world. Like a dark cloud hanging heavy over the land, waiting for the strike of lightning. But Torhelm was just one city. A single speck of existence in the grand scheme of things.

And yet, somehow, she felt responsible.

Between her strange connection to the fusion core, the bracer, and the revelation of her Coreborn powers, it felt like something was shifting, like she had a role to play. Except her script was written in a different language, and half the pages were missing.

Alyssa hated feeling helpless. Usually, when faced with a problem, she would get out her tools, tackle it head-on, and figure out a solution. But what did you do when you didn’t even know what the problem was?

Or worse, what if there wasn’t a solution?

She glanced to the towering doors of the inner chamber. If only she could hear what was being said, she might be able to piece things together, find another piece of the puzzle. However, the doors were sealed, and the guards flanking them stood rigid and watchful. Their presence alone made it clear that no one was getting through that way.

She shifted in her seat, making a show of stretching as though uncomfortable, before rising to her feet. She began walking toward the entrance to the hallway that circled the inner chamber. Maybe there was another way. If there was, she was going to find it.

Moving with purpose, she wandered down the hallway, stopping now and then to inspect a control panel, muttering numbers as though calculating readings in her head. She nodded to the occasional passerby, and as expected, they nodded back without question. Just an engineer on the job, nothing to see here.

As she walked, she scanned the hallway, looking for anything that might enable her to gain access to the council’s meeting. An open panel, a loose grate, anywhere sound might leak through. Her stomach sank. Nothing. Then, as she rounded a corner, she spotted it. A vent, tucked into the back of a small alcove. Holding her breath, she crouched beside it and tested the catches. Loose.

Glancing around, she eased it open and slipped inside, moving swiftly but carefully to avoid making a sound. The space was tight, but, thanking the Core that she had taken after her mother instead of her father, she was small enough to fit. Shuffling forward on her hands and knees, she edged along the narrow passage until, blessedly, muffled voices reached her ears. She let out a silent breath of relief. Edging forward, she strained to make out the words.

“—a goddamn nightmare, Francis,” a deep, gravelly voice growled. “I’ve been on more missions than any other Coreborn, and I’m telling you. Things are worse out there than ever before.”

“Worse how?” another voice, smooth and composed, asked. Alyssa recognised this as Francis Catton, Lyra’s father and the Head of the council. “What has changed?”

“I don’t know,” the first voice admitted. “All I can tell you is what we saw and heard. We practically had to fight our way to Breakwater. If it weren’t for their defences, our scouts would have more than a few injuries. Hell, we might not have made it back.”

“Did the council at Breakwater have any insights?” a quieter, studious voice asked. Possibly Ted Mabbett, the Medical Guild leader?

“Only confirmation. Their scouts went further north, and it’s worse the deeper you go.” A frustrated grunt. “The Hollowed are gathering in larger groups, but not in their usual mindless, aimless way. They’re organising. Moving like they have purpose.” His voice tightened. “Like wasps in a hive.”

A scoff cut through the room, nasal and mocking. A woman. Alyssa didn’t know the voice, but it made her bristle.

“That’s ridiculous,” the woman said in a voice thick with disdain . “The Hollowed have always been a threat, but we’ve defended this city for over a century. In all that time, they haven’t changed and now, suddenly, they’re strategists? “

“I think you’d feel differently if you had been out there.” The first voice responded through gritted teeth. “Go and look at my scouts, look at their wounds, their sacrifices, and then come back and tell me I’m making this up.”

“No one is suggesting you’re lying, Grayson,” Francis cut in, tone careful, diplomatic. Alyssa shivered at hearing the name. She had, of course, known of him before, but he somehow seemed more real, now that she knew she was Coreborn herself. She hadn’t realised he was so actively involved in the excursions. Not just a politician, then, she thought to herself.

“But we have to be sure before we make any decisions,” Francis continued. “If we make the wrong call now, it could spell disaster for the city.”

Grayson’s fist hit the table with a dull thud. “I’m not asking you to tear down the walls and charge into the Corelands, Francis. I’m saying we need to be prepared. Reinforce the garrison, bolster the defences, start making contingency plans. If even a fraction of the rumours reaching Breakwater are true, we are not ready.”

“I hear you, Gray-“

“Then do something about it!” Grayson’s voice cracked, his frustration boiling over. “Breakwater says entire cities, bigger than Torhelm, have been wiped out. Entire populations, gone. Hordes of Hollowed, Francis. Hordes.”

“This is a council meeting, Grayson,” The woman from before cut in, her voice dripping with contempt. “Not a pub brawl. Lower your tone and have some respect.”

There was a pause, the tension palpable even to Alyssa. “Now, now, Emma.” Francis’ tone was placating, laced with weariness. “Grayson is right to be concerned. This is important. But,” seeming to redirect his response to Grayson, “if we rush into action, it could be just as dangerous as doing nothing. Our resources are finite, and the city is already one breath away from a full-scale panic. Everyone is scared. This needs to be handled with the utmost care.”

“We also need to consider the fusion reactor,” another voice cut his tone firm and clear. Marek. Her father’s guild head. “We’ve seen two failures in the past three days. That’s unheard of. It has to be our priority, or it won’t matter how big our army is. The wall is our first line of defence and without the reactor’s energy, we have nothing.”

Francis spoke again “Agreed. Let’s start there. We’ll subtly reinforce the city’s defences. No panic, no unnecessary alarm.” His voice shifted slightly. “Marek, I want you and Alric to assemble a task force. Find out exactly what’s happening with the reactor. We need answers before it escalates.”

Francis directed a question to someone new. “Janys,” he continued, his voice carrying the same measured authority. “Your thoughts on our defences?”

Janys responded, her voice crisp and controlled. “Grayson is right, we’re not prepared. I’ll increase drills. Quietly. We need defence plans for a no-power scenario. I’ll have proposals ready by the next meeting.” No wasted words, no small talk, just straight to the point.

Silence. The weight of responsibility settled, pressing heavy on every shoulder.

Finally, Francis exhaled, slow and weary. “Keep this to yourselves until we’re ready to share it. You’ve all walked the streets, you’ve seen the fear. Right now, the people need reassurance, not another reason to panic. Give it to them.” He straightened, shoulders squared, voice firm. “We reconvene in three days. Bring whatever information you can. If we don’t stand together on this, Torhelm won’t stand at all.”

A murmur of agreement. Then, one by one, chairs scraped against stone as the council began to disperse.

Alyssa sat, her back pressed against the wall of the vent, her mind racing to process everything she had heard. The voices drifting through were quieter now, small groups of assembly members discussing the meeting, some leaving through the doors.

Tides, they were leaving.

Her stomach lurched. Her father would expect her to be exactly where he left her, sitting sensibly in the outer chamber, not crawling through vents like a delinquent.

Abandoning any attempt at being quiet, she scrambled backward, shoving the vent back in place. Forcing her breathing steady, she stepped into the hallway, moving at brisk pace. She reached the entrance to the outer chamber and faltered.

Alric was standing there, speaking quietly to a tall, imposing figure.

The man radiated authority and power. His uniform bore the insignia of a Coreborn officer, the jacket was practical, well-used rather than ceremonial. Grey dusted his otherwise dark, close-cropped hair, but it was the scar that caught Alyssa’s attention, a jagged line cutting from his ear to his chin, partially concealed by a thick, well-kept beard that framed his weathered face. Even at a glance, Alyssa could tell he was different from the other officers she had seen in the city. He stood with the battle readiness of someone who had spent years honing his instincts.

This was a man who had seen combat and survived it.

Excerpt from The Coreborn Doctrine by Magnus Veyne

“The Coreborn insignia carries layered meaning. Each half reflects the mountain of Torhelm, its shape mirrored to mark the fusion core at its heart. The central line is threefold in purpose: it represents the Coreborn themselves, bound to the core; it pierces the heart of the insignia, a reminder that they are forged by its power. And above all, it defines them: the wall against the wastelands, the first and final defence.”

Her father spotted her across the room. His expression didn’t change, but the flicker of a grimace asked the silent question.

Where have you been?

Alyssa braced herself and forced her feet to move forward. As she neared the pair, Alric gestured toward her and the officer turned.

“Alyssa,” her father said. “This is Grayson Woolfe, the Head of the Coreborn Division.”

Grayson’s attention settled on her. Not just looking at her, but through her. Measuring. Alyssa fought the instinct to shift under his scrutiny.

“I’ve explained the situation to him,” Alric continued.

The situation. That made it sound so simple, so trivial. She frowned.

Grayson extended his hand, and she took it. His grip was firm, not crushing as though to test her. Just steady. Certain.

“Hello, Alyssa.”

His voice carried the same deep gravel she had heard through the vent, but the frustration was gone. Instead, it was calm, reserved even. His tone was more gentle than she expected, as if he was giving her the space to speak first.

She hesitated. What was she supposed to say?

“So,” Grayson tilted his head slightly, “golden eyes?”

Alyssa felt her cheeks burn, her eyes shifting to the floor. “Yeah. I guess. I don’t really know what it all means.”

Grayson studied her a while longer before responding. “No one does.” He exhaled lightly, then added, “Yet.”

A pause.

Then, matter-of-fact: “You’ll start training tomorrow.”

Her stomach dropped.

“Wait. What?”

“You’re one of us now.” His tone was steady, but one that would brook no dispute.

Her mind scrambled to catch up. She thought she’d have time. Time to process, to understand, to figure out what this all meant.

Tomorrow was too soon.

“Tomorrow?” she echoed, a slight tremble to her voice.

“Yes.” He didn’t blink. “There’s no value in waiting.” A brief glance toward the council chamber, his tone shifting just slightly. “And we need our Coreborn more than ever.”

Alric shot him a warning look.

Grayson ignored it and continued, “Besides, you’ll be behind the rest of our trainees. You’ll have to work hard to catch up.”

Alyssa barely registered what he was saying. Her heart hammered in her ears. Tomorrow. She wasn’t ready for tomorrow. Couldn’t she have a few days?

“I don’t…I’m not ready.” She stammered.

Grayson’s gaze was unwavering. “None of us were.”

Alric placed a hand on her back. “This is the right thing to do, Alyssa”

She looked at her father, searching his face. Frustration still lingered on his features, but beneath it, there was a quiet resolve.

“You need to do this.” His voice was softer then, but certain.

She steadied herself and nodded. He was right. She knew that. She’d heard the stories of Coreborn who refused to train, who tried to suppress what they were. The ones who lost control, who unintentionally hurt people.

Grayson held her eyes, continuing to weigh her. Then, with a curt nod, he turned. “We’ll see you in the morning, trainee. Be ready.”

And just like that, he was gone, striding through the doors without another word.

Alyssa stood staring after him, his words echoing through her thoughts.

“Grey dusted his otherwise dark, close-cropped hair, but it was the scar that caught Alyssa’s attention, a jagged line cutting from his ear to his chin, partially concealed by a thick, well-kept beard that framed his weathered face.“

Her father placed a hand on her back, guiding her toward the exit. She followed, but her mind raced ahead, tangled in uncertainty and nerves.

She was Coreborn. Tomorrow, she would train.

It felt momentous, like the beginning of something. But what?

One thing was certain, her world was about to change forever.