The sun hadn't yet risen when Kael slipped from the dormitory, careful to avoid the patrols of senior students. The academy grounds were quiet, cloaked in mist, and the faint scent of dew mixed with the distant smoke from the city beyond. His heart thudded, not from fear, but anticipation. Tonight, he would train alone—really train.
The Shadowfire pulsed faintly around his palms, sensing his intent. Yes… we move together, now. Its whisper was softer than usual, almost coaxing. Kael inhaled deeply. "No distractions. No mistakes."
He moved to the secluded courtyard behind the eastern wing, where the old statues of the founders stood like silent guardians. Here, the teachers rarely came, and even Darius would not bother searching. It was perfect.
Kael knelt, placing his hands on the ground, and let the Shadowfire hum beneath his skin. Every fiber of his being ached to release it—to feel its full strength—but he resisted. Control came first. Discipline. If I let it loose now, I could lose myself… or worse, hurt someone.
The memory of the sparring match with Daeron surged through him. The way the Thunder Path energy had cut through the air, the way his own Shadowfire had answered instinctively. For a moment, he felt pride—but it was fleeting, quickly replaced by doubt. Am I strong enough? Will I ever truly control this?
A voice, calm but firm, broke the silence. "Doubt is natural, but fear is a choice."
Kael spun around, eyes wide. From the shadows stepped Master Riven, the mysterious mentor whose presence always seemed to arrive at the exact moment Kael needed guidance. His long cloak brushed the ground, and his eyes gleamed like dark coals, sharp yet unreadable.
"Master… I didn't hear you approach," Kael murmured, heart racing.
Riven's lips quirked into a small, almost imperceptible smile. "That is because I choose to be silent. And I observe those who are not."
Kael swallowed, feeling both relief and tension. "I… I need to control it," he admitted, gesturing toward the faint black flames dancing across his hands. "Shadowfire… it's too powerful sometimes. I can't… I can't always hold it back."
Riven stepped closer, gaze piercing. "Power without control is a blade that cuts only the wielder. You are not ready to release it fully, but you are ready to understand it."
Kael felt a spark of excitement and fear. "Understand it?"
"Yes," Riven said. "The Shadowfire is not just energy. It is sentience, hunger, and memory. It remembers your bloodline… your past… and the betrayal that shadowed it. To wield it, you must first accept what it is… and what you are."
The words struck Kael like lightning. Memories of his parents, of the burning temple, of the stolen night, flooded him. His chest tightened, and a lone tear slid down his cheek. "I… I don't want to be like them. Power without reason… it destroyed them."
Riven nodded slowly, resting a hand on Kael's shoulder. "Then learn to wield it with heart. With restraint. With the courage to forgive, and the strength to endure betrayal."
Kael blinked, overwhelmed. For the first time, he realized mastery was not just physical—it was emotional, spiritual, and mental.
They began.
Riven guided Kael through exercises that tested not only strength, but focus, patience, and perception. Kael was forced to sense the Shadowfire's subtle moods—the hunger that pulsed when anger surfaced, the longing that appeared when he remembered his parents, and the mischievous curiosity that flared when he challenged the impossible.
Hours passed, though time felt suspended. Kael fell, sweat stinging his eyes, muscles screaming. Shadowfire flared uncontrollably, sending sparks into the air. Each flare of the black flame made him tremble—not from fear, but awe. It is alive. It is part of me. And I must respect it.
"Again," Riven said simply, eyes steady on Kael. "And this time… do not fight the Shadowfire. Flow with it."
Kael closed his eyes, letting the fire hum beneath his skin. He felt it stretch, pulse, twist, and grow. Then, slowly, he moved with it instead of against it. The black flames followed his will with a reluctant, almost shy obedience. A smile flickered on Kael's lips. I can do this. I can master it.
Later, when Kael finally collapsed against the cool stone of the courtyard, Riven's shadow loomed over him. "Tonight you have done more than any student in their first month. You have learned the first lesson: the Shadowfire listens to the heart, not the hand."
Kael laughed softly, exhaustion and relief mixing into a strange warmth. "I… I never knew it could feel like this."
Riven's eyes glimmered, unreadable. "Few do. And fewer still can endure it. That is why you are dangerous… and why the world fears what you carry."
The words sent a shiver down Kael's spine. Dangerous? Fear?
He thought of Darius, of the other students, of the hidden eyes watching him from afar. They don't know yet… but they will.
The following days passed with rigorous, clandestine training. Kael learned to summon Shadowfire in controlled bursts, to channel it into precision strikes, and to shield himself from its more volatile urges. Each session tested not only his skill, but his patience and his emotional resolve.
One evening, after an especially grueling exercise, Kael sat beneath the ancient academy oak, staring at the darkening sky. Taren appeared quietly, carrying two mugs of warm tea.
"You've been hiding out a lot lately," Taren said, sitting beside him. "Training alone?"
Kael nodded, hesitant. "I… I have to. Shadowfire… it's not like anything else. I can't let it get out of control."
Taren handed him a mug. "I get it. But Kael… don't isolate yourself. You're strong, but even the strongest need someone who cares."
Kael took a slow sip, savoring the warmth. For the first time, he realized that his power, his pain, and his purpose didn't have to be carried alone. There were friends, allies… maybe even Daeron, someday, though that thought made him wince.
"Thanks," Kael said quietly, eyes lingering on the horizon. "I… I'll remember that."
Taren smiled. "Good. Because you'll need it. The academy isn't the only place where you'll be tested. Out there… the world doesn't care who you are. Only what you can do."
Kael clenched his fists, feeling the Shadowfire stir, a low hum vibrating through his chest. "Then I'll show them," he whispered. "I'll show them all."
And as the wind stirred the branches above, carrying the scent of distant fires and unseen dangers, Kael knew—this was only the beginning.
The Shadowfire pulsed stronger than ever, hungry, alive, and ready.
And so was he.