The sun was barely up, casting a pale light through the high windows of the Academy's east wing. Kael sat in the mess hall with a bowl of plain stew in front of him, untouched. The scent of spiced vegetables and hot bread filled the air, but he barely noticed.
Across the table, Lior picked at his food, still shaken from the Vault.
"Do you think they sent us in there to kill us?" he muttered.
Kael didn't respond right away. He stirred the stew slowly, eyes distant.
"I think they wanted to see who would break," Kael finally said.
"And you think we passed?" Ryne asked, dropping her tray beside them. She looked fine. Bruised maybe, but still sharp-eyed and grinning like usual.
Kael shrugged. "Well, we're still here."
Ryne chuckled and leaned in. "That thing you did… the flame. It's not standard core stuff, is it?"
Kael gave her a look.
"No," he said simply.
She raised her hands. "Fine. Keep your secrets, mister mystery. Just try not to burn me if we end up in the same squad again."
Kael made a small nod. Ryne wasn't a friend, but she wasn't a threat either—not yet.
---
Later that day, Kael was walking back to the Class C dorms when he was stopped by a tall boy in green robes. A noble crest was embroidered on the chest—one Kael didn't recognize.
"The Council has requested your presence," the boy said flatly. "Follow me."
Kael hesitated. "For what?"
"I wasn't told. Just delivering the message."
Kael nodded and followed.
"Why now?"
"Did someone report what I did in the Vault?"
But no panic rose in him. Only focus. If this was a trap, he'd find the edges before it closed.
---
They didn't take him to the Council Chamber this time.
Instead, he was led to a smaller hall—a quiet room near the Academy archives. Inside was a single figure: ElderMira, the same woman who'd spoken during his initial evaluation.
She stood by the window, arms folded behind her back. Her long silver robe shimmered slightly as if reflecting something unseen.
"Kael," she said without turning. "Sit."
He did, slowly. The chair was simple wood. The kind that creaked even when you tried not to make a sound.
"I won't keep you long," she said. "You've done well."
Kael tilted his head. "You expected me to fail?"
"No," she said calmly. "But others did."
She turned now, meeting his eyes.
"What happened in the Vaults wasn't normal. A Void Entity hasn't surfaced there in decades. Yet one appeared during your trial."
Kael stayed quiet. Careful.
"I'm not accusing you of anything," she added. "If anything, I'm… intrigued."
He narrowed his eyes. "Why tell me this?"
"Because you're not the only one hiding something," Mira said.
That made Kael pause.
"You're not under suspicion, Kael. You're under observation—just like many others here. The Academy is a forge. It reveals and reshapes. You're simply reacting faster than most."
She walked to a desk and placed something on it.
A silver pendant.
"This is a key," she said. "To the restricted archive wing. Limited access. One hour per day."
Kael's brow furrowed. "Why give this to me?"
"Because I believe you'll use it."
---
Kael left the room without more words. He didn't fully trust her—but her offer wasn't a threat.
It was an invitation.
And maybe… a warning.
---
That evening, he returned to the dorms. Ryne was sitting near the window, sharpening a new dagger. Lior was asleep, books stacked beside his bed.
Kael lay down, staring at the ceiling.
Restrictedarchives…
His system pulsed faintly.
[ Side Objective Unlocked ]
[ Location: Archive Sub-Level 3 ]
[ Classified Fragment Detected – Unknown Link to Origin Protocol ]
[ Time Limit: 6 days ]
---
The next day passed quietly.
Training was focused on core compression—learning to control the energy within your body instead of just releasing it. Most students struggled.
But Kael didn't. His system helped him sense the energy flows more clearly, adjusting how much power he released with precision.
He didn't show off. He blended in.
No more vault-level chaos, Not yet.
But others started noticing him more.
Not in awe, Not with suspicion.
Just curiosity.
Whispers.
"Who's that new guy from Class C?"
"He kept pace with Ryne?"
"Some say he scored higher than any first-year in the Vault."
It wasn't fame.
It was attention.
Kael ignored it.
He didn't need followers. He needed freedom.
---
That night, Kael slipped into the archive wing.
The pendant worked. The rune-lit doors opened with a soft click, and he stepped into a maze of ancient shelves, scrolls, and tomes.
Dust floated in the air like mist.
The deeper he walked, the colder it became.
His system pinged once. Then again.
[ Origin Fragment Detected ]
[ Location: Section E-7 ]
He found it tucked between two larger books—a small, sealed box. As soon as he touched it, the system reacted.
[ Fragment Secured: Protocol Echo Shard – Alpha 01 ]
[ Processing… ]
[ Unlocking Memory Thread…]
Kael felt a sharp pulse behind his eyes.
Then something strange.
A vision.
A man in black armor stood on a burning hill. His face was hidden, but Kael felt a pull—something deep in his blood.
The man raised a hand. Thousands knelt before him.
Words echoed—not from the vision, but from the system.
"They feared his power. So they sealed it away. But they could not erase the bloodline."
The vision faded.
Kael stumbled back, heart racing.
Was that… him?
Or one of his ancestors?
The memory was old. Too old to be natural.
The room suddenly felt smaller.
They sealed him. Just like me.
---
Kael returned to the dorms late.
He didn't sleep that night.
He kept thinking about the man in the vision.
And about what it meant to be "heir" to something the world had forgotten… or buried.
---
The next day, training continued. More physical drills. Group formations. Core-resonance sparring.
Kael partnered with Ryne.
She grinned. "Try not to kill me."
He didn't smile.
Their fight lasted longer than anyone expected.
It was fast-paced, precise, and Controlled, with neither fighter using their full force. But in the end both walked away with bruises.
"Instructor Vale watched the whole fight."
Kael noticed InstructorVale watching from the far corner, arms crossed, saying nothing.
When the match ended, Vale gave a single nod.
"Efficient."
That was all. But in the Academy, that kind of word from someone like Vale wasn't small. It was a mark—subtle, but real.
Ryne sat beside Kael after training, rubbing her shoulder.
"You've trained before," she said. "Not street fights, Real structure, Discipline. But not Academy-style."
Kael glanced at her. "What makes you say that?"
"You don't rely too much on your core strength. You notice how people move before you sense their magic. That's not how we were taught."
He didn't say anything, but deep down, he knew she was right. His instincts came from a different world, one shaped by experience rather than noble upbringing or book learning.
They were instincts passed down through his family, hidden away for years, and now they were starting to resurface.
---
That evening, Kael returned to the archive again.
Only this time, someone else was already there.
AerinDuskveil.
She stood by a shelf, flipping through a worn text. She didn't look surprised to see him.
"I thought you'd come here," she said.
Kael kept his expression calm. "Are you spying on me?"
"No. Just following patterns."
She stepped closer.
"I don't know what you're carrying. I don't know what you unlocked in the Vault. But I know it's not normal."
Kael stayed still.
"I'm not your enemy," Aerin continued. "But I will be if you turn into a threat."
Kael's voice was low. Steady.
"Good. I'd rather know where my enemies stand."
She gave him a nod—one that wasn't friendly, but not hostile either. Respect, perhaps.
Then she left.
---
As the doors shut behind her, Kael exhaled slowly.
His hands touched the pendant at his neck.
The system remained quiet. But he could feel it now. Deepening.
Like layers of locked doors slowly opening inside him.
The Academy is a game of masks.
And he was learning the rules.
Soon, he'd start rewriting them.