# 🌌 **Saiyan of the Red Dawn**
## **Chapter 4 – The First Kill**
*(Part 3 – Conclusion)*
---
The dropship descended into the valley in a cyclone of grit and wind.
Kael didn't bother shielding his eyes.
He stood in the open, the Alpha's severed head resting against his hip, blood dripping steadily onto the rocks.
As the hatch opened, Varis stepped out. His long cloak fluttered in the exhaust blasts.
For a moment, the old warrior said nothing. His eyes traveled from the ruined camp—scattered corpses, smoking embers—back to Kael.
"Report," he said finally.
Kael straightened. His voice was hoarse.
"Target neutralized. Camp destroyed. No survivors."
Varis eyed the gash along Kael's ribs, the purpling bruise on his cheek.
"And how do you feel?"
Kael thought about that.
He remembered the fear—the certainty, in that single blinding instant, that the Alpha would tear him apart.
He remembered the eruption of power that had answered that fear.
And he remembered the joy.
"I feel," he said slowly, "alive."
Varis's mouth curved, just barely.
"Good."
---
Caldas emerged next. When he saw the skull, a rough chuckle rumbled out of him.
"Almost thought you'd die out here, whelp."
Kael lifted the Alpha's head and let it drop at Caldas's feet with a wet splat.
"Not today."
Caldas's smile widened, all teeth.
"Then maybe you're worth training after all."
---
Mistress Seris did not join them. She watched from the ship's ramp, arms folded.
Her eyes met Kael's—and in their depths, he glimpsed something he hadn't expected: approval.
Just for a heartbeat.
Then it was gone, hidden behind her usual cold mask.
---
**They returned to the citadel as dusk fell.**
Kael sat alone in the cargo bay, staring at his blood-stained hands.
He did not feel remorse.
Only a strange, humming certainty—
That this was what he was born for.
---
When they landed, Varis gestured for him to follow.
Instead of the training yards, he led Kael through a long corridor that ended at a reinforced door.
Varis placed his palm against the scanner. The locks disengaged with a heavy *thunk.*
Inside was a small chamber lined with empty alcoves.
One alcove, nearest the door, glowed softly.
Varis pointed.
"This is your place," he said. "When you bring back trophies—proof of your victories—they will remain here."
Kael stepped forward, cradling the Alpha's skull.
He placed it on the pedestal. The sensors hummed as the platform sealed around the base, locking it in place.
Red light washed across the chitinous surface, illuminating every crack and fracture he'd inflicted.
Varis's voice was quiet behind him.
"You are no longer a child playing at strength."
Kael didn't turn.
"I know."
"You are a killer," Varis continued. "And you will be more. Because a Saiyan is only ever defined by one thing."
Kael's throat felt tight.
"Power," he said.
Varis's hand settled briefly on his shoulder—a gesture so unexpected it stunned him.
"Yes," Varis murmured. "Power—and what you choose to do with it."
---
**He left Kael there alone.**
The chamber door sealed with a final click.
Kael watched the pedestal, feeling something twist in his chest—something that wasn't quite pride, or fear.
*What will I become?*
The question echoed through the silent chamber.
He closed his eyes, remembering again the woman from his vision—the impossible, unknown future.
He didn't know if she was real.
But he swore, in that moment, that he would survive long enough to find out.
And to build something more than death.
---
Hours later, when he finally stepped into the cold night air, the stars overhead seemed closer than ever.
He looked up, a faint smile tugging at his bruised mouth.
*This is only the beginning.*
---
**End of Chapter 4**
---