The academy was silent at this hour. Most of the students had gone home for their two-week break, leaving the dorm halls feeling like hollow shells. Kael followed Jorin quietly through the back passages of the compound, the teacher moving like he had memorized every shadowed corridor. No guards questioned them—whether out of respect for Jorin or fear of his lightning, Kael couldn't tell.
Outside, a discreet transport waited on the far edge of the landing strip. Its hull was matte grey, unmarked, like it had been stripped of any insignia. Jorin didn't speak until the two of them were inside, the craft lifting into the air with a low hum.
"You're too exposed here," Jorin finally said, eyes on the stars beyond the viewport. "The families have ears everywhere. If they saw you spar the way I did, they would already be fighting to claim you. That mask and plate will help, but it's not enough. You need to fight something real."
Kael clenched his fists. "Another beast?"
Jorin gave the faintest of smiles. "A higher one. Stronger than the rock moles you faced. I want to see how far your training with that… dagger… has gone."
Kael stayed quiet, but Nathan's voice stirred in the back of his mind.
[He's testing you. Good. We need this.]
Kael shifted in his seat, his chest still heavy with questions. He finally asked, "Why? Why help me at all? You said it yourself—if the families knew, they'd want to use me. Wouldn't it be safer for you to hand me over?"
Jorin's gaze flicked to him. There was steel in it, but also something Kael hadn't seen before—weariness. "Because once, I was you. When the gates opened and abilities first awakened, I was just a soldier, no one special. Then lightning found me. The families tried to drag me under their banners. I refused, and the only place left for me was war." He looked away, his jaw tightening. "I won't let them do the same to you. You need strength, and you need to learn how to hide it."
Kael swallowed. He didn't know what to say. The silence stretched until the transport rattled, descending toward a barren planet surface. Dust storms swirled in the distance, painting the horizon in shades of rust and blood. Jagged rock formations jutted like the bones of a dead giant.
"Where are we?" Kael asked.
"Training ground," Jorin replied simply, stepping out into the dry heat once the hatch lowered. He breathed in the air like it was familiar. "You'll fight here until your body understands what it means to survive."
Kael followed, his boots crunching on cracked earth. The heat pressed down on him like a weight. He pulled his hood up out of instinct, shadowing his eyes. Nathan's whisper echoed within him.
[Stay sharp. The beasts here aren't weak like before. Your dagger will be tested.]
Jorin strode ahead, his hand lazily flexing as faint arcs of lightning sparked across his fingers. "There's a pack that hunts these ridges," he said. "Fast. Coordinated. If you hesitate, they'll tear you apart. But if you win…" He glanced back at Kael. "You'll know your weapon isn't just for show."
A growl cut through the wind. Kael stiffened. From between the rocks, glowing eyes blinked open—three, then five, then more. The shapes moved low to the ground, their limbs too long for their bodies, claws dragging sparks against stone. Their hides shimmered faintly like molten glass, giving them a sickly glow.
Kael reached instinctively for the hilt of his shadow dagger—and it appeared, black steel dripping with purple embers. His heart pounded as the creatures crept closer, circling him. Jorin didn't move to help. He just crossed his arms.
"This is your fight."
The first beast lunged. Kael reacted faster than thought, stepping sideways in a blur—Shadow Step. The dagger cut across its flank, but the hide resisted, sparks flying instead of blood. The second came from behind; Kael ducked, rolled, and slashed upward, embers hissing across its chest. Still shallow. Still not enough.
"They're harder than moles," Kael muttered, panting.
[Of course,] Nathan replied. [Adapt. Don't just cut—flow. Let the dagger move as an extension of you.]
Another beast lunged, jaws wide. Kael pivoted, shadows coiling at his feet. He slashed once, twice, faster than he thought possible, and this time the blade sank deep, cutting through glowing flesh. The beast collapsed, its body fading into dust and leaving behind a dull, pulsing core.
Kael froze. He had actually done it.
The others growled louder, circling tighter. Jorin's voice carried through the storm. "Don't stop now. Take them all."
Kael lifted the dagger again, sweat stinging his eyes, and stepped forward to meet the pack.