New God(wheel of time)

Chapter 8: The Pattern ShiftsThe group moved swiftly through the woods, their pace steady but urgent. The weight of what had transpired—of what the boy had done—lingered thick in the air. Moiraine felt it pressing against her mind like a puzzle she could not yet solve.

Lan led them through the trees with practiced ease, ever watchful, ever ready. The others, though weary from the night's revelations, followed without complaint.

Except for him.

The boy.

He did not tire, nor did he stumble. He walked with an effortless grace, as if the world itself bent to his movement. His silver eyes gleamed in the moonlight, unreadable, distant. Moiraine had seen men of great power, had stood before those who commanded the very forces of existence—but never before had she seen one so detached from it all.

He did not belong to the Wheel.

And yet, here he was.

She fell in step beside him. "You do not seem troubled," she observed.

The boy glanced at her. "Should I be?"

Moiraine studied him. His expression was unreadable, but there was no arrogance in his tone—only curiosity.

"You erased a Myrddraal from existence," she said carefully. "That is not something easily ignored."

"I did not ignore it."

"Then what do you make of it?"

The boy was silent for a moment. Then, softly, he said, "I do not know what I am. But I know what I am not."

Moiraine frowned. "And what is that?"

He looked ahead, silver eyes reflecting the moonlight. "I am not bound by the same rules as you."

A shiver traced down Moiraine's spine.

She had suspected as much.

Lan, ever perceptive, turned his head slightly. "If you are not bound by the rules of this world, then what are you bound by?"

The boy did not answer immediately. Then, "Nothing."

The word sent a ripple of unease through the group. Even Rand, Perrin, and Mat—who had been trying to stay quiet—exchanged wary glances. Egwene, who had been walking just behind Moiraine, inhaled sharply.

Nothing.

No rules. No limits.

Even the Forsaken, as powerful as they were, were still bound by the Pattern. But this boy…

Moiraine did not allow herself to react outwardly. Knowledge was power. Fear was weakness.

"Even if that is true," she said evenly, "the Wheel weaves as it wills. And you are here now."

The boy tilted his head slightly, as if considering her words. "Perhaps," he mused. "Or perhaps the Wheel has begun to weave something new."

Lan's grip tightened on his sword hilt. The others did not speak, but the tension in the air grew heavier.

Moiraine exhaled softly. This child—this being—was not simply powerful. He was outside the Pattern. A force unknown, unchecked.

And yet… he was here.

And for now, she would ensure he stayed close.

"Come," she said at last, turning her gaze forward. "We must reach Baerlon before another shadow finds us."

The boy said nothing more, only following as the group continued through the night.

But Moiraine could not shake the feeling that the world had already begun to change.