Kael's body was wrecked. Every step pulled at bruises, every breath tugged at sore ribs. But after seven days of Brann's madness, Darius' drills, and Selene's sharp corrections, he was still standing.
Brann tossed him an apple as the sun cracked the horizon.
"Not bad, kid. You actually look alive today."
Kael caught it clumsily. "I feel half-dead."
"That's progress," Brann said with a grin, biting into his own.
Selene glanced up from adjusting the straps on her daggers, her hood shadowing most of her face.
"He lasted. That's something."
Kael blinked. Coming from her, that almost sounded like a compliment.
Even Darius, who hadn't cracked a smile since Kael met him, gave a short nod.
"Don't think this week makes you strong. It only means you didn't break."
"I'll keep going," Kael said, and for once he didn't just mean it to sound brave, he meant it.
They were packing up camp when Brann froze mid-laugh. His easy grin vanished.
"Quiet."
Everyone stilled. Kael felt it then too, a faint vibration in the air, like a string pulled just out of tune.
"Trouble," Selene murmured.
Dark shapes broke from the treeline, their steps pulsing with twisted resonance. The man leading them pointed a crooked blade toward Kael.
"Hand over the cursed one."
Kael's stomach dropped.
Darius stepped forward, sword ready. "Try us."
The forest erupted. Brann was already in the thick of it, laughing like a madman as his blades danced. Selene's resonance cut through attacks with needle precision, while Lyra's harp sang shields into being.
Kael… froze. His chest tightened, fear choking him still. Until one of the enemies rushed Lyra.
Something in him snapped. Kael threw out his hand. The air hushed, every sound cut short. The enemy's resonance fizzled out like a candle snuffed, and in that silence Kael's echo rang out, sharper, stronger, blasting the attacker back.
He staggered, heart pounding. "I… I stopped him."
Brann's laughter rang over the clash. "Look at you, curse-boy! You've got bite after all!"
Kael moved then, clumsy but determined, each strike a tug-of-war with fear and training. He stumbled, he bled, but he didn't break. Every time he silenced, his echoes hit harder, surer.
By the time the last of the attackers fled, Kael was on his knees, chest heaving, but alive.
Darius sheathed his blade and gave him a long, heavy look.
"You're not ready. But… you will be."
Kael swallowed hard, fighting the sting in his eyes. For the first time, he almost believed it.