Kael pressed the flute to his lips, breathing softly. A low, uncertain note trembled out. For a heartbeat, the faint glow of Lyra's resonance flickered near him, warm, golden threads of emotion she hadn't even realized she was letting slip.
Then… gone.
Kael's eyes widened. The threads had cut off, like a harp string snapped mid-song.
He lowered the flute, startled. "I… I think I stopped it."
Lyra tilted her head, a half-smile tugging at her lips. "You paused it. Just for a moment."
Her voice carried pride, but also a shadow of worry. Pausing another's resonance, even accidentally, was no small thing. It meant his Silence was no longer just faint background noise, it was beginning to interfere.
Before Kael could try again, the heavy doors of the hall creaked open.
Lyra's father stepped in, his expression grim, his robes trailing like the shadow of a storm. He looked between the two of them, then fixed his gaze on Kael.
"Enough," he said flatly. "If the boy is learning, then the walls of this estate are no longer safe."
Lyra's brow furrowed. "Father"
He raised a hand to silence her. His voice carried the weight of authority, but also fear, buried deep.
"Six years ago, the one they call the Death Resonance came searching in this land. Searching for the Silent note in the grand music. He did not find it then, but if Kael's power is stirring now, they will know. They always know."
The words struck Kael like cold water. They're looking for me…?
"Then what do we do?" Lyra asked, tension rising in her tone.
Her father clasped his hands behind his back, eyes fixed on the harp fountain beyond the window, where moonlight shimmered on the water.
"He cannot stay here. Not while the estate is vulnerable. I will arrange mercenaries, hardened men and women, trained to cut down anything that stalks you. Kael will leave the city walls tomorrow. And Lyra…" His gaze softened, just for her. "…you will go with him."
Lyra's breath caught. "With him?"
"You will both grow stronger. Before the Academy opens its gates, you must learn to wield your Resonances with purpose. Kael must master control before his curse devours him, or draws Death back to us. And you must learn to keep him alive."
Kael gripped the flute in his hands until his knuckles went white. His throat felt dry, his chest tight. He wanted to speak, to refuse, to ask why this fate was being forced onto him, but the words wouldn't come.
Death is looking for me…? Because of me, people could die again?
Lyra glanced at him. Her golden eyes burned with a fire that defied her father's cold decree. She placed a hand on Kael's shoulder and whispered, low enough only for him to hear:
"Don't look so afraid. If Death is searching, then let it search. We'll make sure it regrets ever finding us."
Kael swallowed hard, staring down at the flute. A cursed boy, hunted by powers he barely understood, about to be thrown into a world of mercenaries and training he wasn't ready for.
And yet, for the first time… he didn't feel completely alone.