The room was dim, lit only by the pale glow of a single lantern resting on Jorin's desk. Kael stood stiffly in front of him, unsure whether to sit or keep standing. Jorin, however, didn't give him the option.
"They've seen the report," Jorin began, voice low and heavy. "The Families. All three of them."
Kael frowned. "The ones Feyla comes from?"
"Yes," Jorin nodded. "Her family, and two others. The Veyras, the Dros, and the Kaines. They hold more power over this academy than the council itself. When something like what happened on the beast planet reaches their ears, they don't just listen. They dig. They test. They control."
Kael's chest tightened. "But… I didn't—"
"That doesn't matter," Jorin cut him off sharply. "You need to understand this, Kael. Power in this world has never been about right or wrong. It's about leverage. The Families have fought each other for generations, each one clawing for the top. If they ever discover what you can do—what I saw you do—they will not leave you alone. They'll tear you apart just to make your strength theirs."
Kael looked down at his hands, still remembering the heat, the shadows, the red glow that pulsed when his blade appeared. "So what do I do?"
"You hide," Jorin said firmly. "You get stronger, yes, but you hide until you can stand tall enough that no one can take that power from you."
Silence lingered before Jorin leaned back in his chair, the tension in his shoulders never leaving. "There's something else. Those skybeast cores—crude, yes, but useful. I believe with the right shaping, one could form a mask. A mask that hides your identity when you fight, keeps you separate from Kael the student. If the Families ever come sniffing, all they'll hear are whispers of a figure cloaked in shadow. Not your name. Not your face."
Kael swallowed hard. The thought of fighting behind a mask made him uneasy, yet something about it felt… right. Necessary.
"So," Jorin said, locking eyes with him. "You'll keep your secret. You'll train. And when the time comes, you'll wear the mask — not for yourself, but for the safety of everyone else. Because if the Families catch even a glimpse of what I saw that day…"
He trailed off, but Kael already understood.
He clenched his fist, determination rising in him despite the weight pressing down. "Then I'll get stronger. Strong enough that they'll never be able to use me."
Jorin's expression softened, though his eyes still carried the sharpness of a man who had seen too much. "Good. That's the only path forward."
The lantern crackled, shadows stretching across the walls. And in that quiet, Kael felt the truth settle into his bones: his fight wasn't just against beasts anymore. It was against the powers that ruled this world.