Chapter 4 - The Academy of Shadows
The light swallowed Kael whole.
For an instant, there was no ground beneath his feet, no air in his lungs - only the roar of the storm in his blood and the pressure of Ember's fur brushing against his hand. Then, with a jolt that rattled his bones, his boots struck stone.
Kael staggered forward, gasping. Ember landed beside him with feline grace, hackles raised.
The world around them was unlike anything Kael had ever seen.
They stood in a vast courtyard paved with marble shot through with veins of silver. Beyond it, towers spiraled upward into the clouds, their spires glowing faintly with runes that pulsed like beating hearts. Bridges of glass and light arched between them, students crossing effortlessly as if walking on air.
The air itself thrummed with magic. Kael could taste it - sharp, metallic, alive. Banners snapped in the wind, each bearing a symbol: a circle broken by a jagged bolt.
The Academy.
Kael's chest tightened. This was no myth, no whispered story from fireside tales. This was real - and he was standing in the middle of it, in his torn clothes and ash-streaked skin, clutching nothing but a splintered branch.
He swallowed hard. I don't belong here.
A shout split the courtyard. "Look!"
Kael froze as dozens of heads turned. Students of every age and rank filled the space - training, dueling, even conjuring sparks of flame and streams of water between their hands. Now, every eye fixed on him.
Or rather, on Ember.
The wolf padded to Kael's side, silver eyes glowing faintly. Whispers rippled through the crowd.
"A spirit-beast?"
"No - look at its markings, that shimmer... it's bonded."
"But bonded wolves are extinct!"
Kael clenched his jaw. He hated the way they stared, as though he were some spectacle dragged in from a sideshow. Ember bared his teeth, silencing a few of the bolder whispers.
Before Kael could retreat, a flare of fire cracked against the stones nearby. He flinched.
A boy, maybe a year older than Kael, stepped forward. His auburn hair gleamed like copper in the sun, and flames curled lazily around his fist as if it were nothing more than play. A hawk with feathers tipped in gold circled above him.
"Well, well," the boy drawled. "The Academy must be desperate, dragging strays through portals."
Snickers rose from the crowd.
Kael's grip tightened on his branch. He had been mocked his whole life - in Greyhaven's streets, under his father's roof, in Darius's shadow. He would not bow here, not again.
But the boy was already turning away, dismissing him. "Don't get too comfortable, exile. This isn't a place for the weak."
Heat prickled Kael's skin - not from the flames, but from his mark. The storm stirred, responding to his anger. He forced it down, fists shaking.
Ember growled low, eyes fixed on the boy. The hawk screeched in reply, swooping low in challenge.
The tension crackled, on the edge of violence -
And then, a bell tolled. Deep, resonant, carrying across the spires. The crowd broke apart instantly, students hurrying toward the great doors of the central tower.
The boy smirked at Kael, fire winking out in his hand. "See you inside, stray."
Kael exhaled shakily, shoulders tight. Ember pressed against his leg, steadying him.
"I don't know what we've walked into," Kael muttered, "but I get the feeling we'll have to fight for every step."
The wolf's silver eyes gleamed as if in agreement.
Together, they moved toward the doors. The Academy loomed ahead - vast, alive, and waiting.
The doors of the Academy groaned as Kael pushed them open. Inside stretched a hall larger than any cathedral he had ever imagined. Arched ceilings soared high above, constellations painted in shimmering starlight that seemed to shift and move as if alive. The air hummed, filled with whispers of spells and the faint thrum of runes carved into the very stone.
Students streamed around him, flowing like a river toward their classrooms, their robes marked with sigils of rank and discipline. Kael stood at the edge of it all, Ember at his side, feeling every bit the outsider.
A girl paused in front of him. She had raven-black hair pulled into a braid, her posture calm but precise, as though she weighed and measured every movement. A hawk landed lightly on her arm - its feathers crystalline, refracting light into a hundred colors.
"You're new," she said simply, her tone neither cruel nor kind. Her eyes, pale grey, studied him with unsettling clarity. "And unmarked."
Kael frowned. "Unmarked?"
She gestured to the students passing by. Kael noticed now what he hadn't before - tattoo-like runes inked across their wrists, glowing faintly with power.
"Every student admitted to the Academy undergoes binding," she explained. "A mark that channels their discipline. Fire, water, shadow, air. You - " her gaze lingered on his bare wrist, then on Ember " - are different."
Kael shifted uneasily. "And you are?"
"Selene," she said. No arrogance, no warmth - just a statement of fact. The hawk tilted its head at him, its crystalline feathers clicking faintly.
Before Kael could reply, a voice cut across the hall. "Don't waste your breath on him, Selene."
The auburn-haired boy strode toward them, fire dancing along his fingers like lazy serpents. His hawk swooped above his head in a graceful arc.
Kael stiffened. Him again.
The boy's smirk was sharper up close. "A stray wandering in through a portal doesn't deserve your time. He won't last a week here."
Kael bristled. "And you are?"
"Joren." He gave a mocking half-bow. "Top of my year. Master of flame. Future commander of the Crimson Guard." His gaze slid to Ember. "And unlike you, I don't need a half-starved mutt to fight my battles."
Ember snarled, fur bristling. Sparks crackled faintly from his coat.
Kael's jaw clenched. His grip tightened on the branch he still carried, though it looked pitiful against Joren's flame.
"Careful," Selene said quietly. "The instructors don't tolerate duels outside sanctioned trials."
Joren's grin widened. "Then I'll wait. But know this, stray - when your trial comes, I'll be watching. And when you fall, I'll be the one to finish what the storm started."
With that, he turned and strode away, his laughter echoing. His hawk circled once before following.
Kael's pulse pounded in his ears. He wanted to strike him, to unleash the storm, to wipe that smirk away - but the memory of Greyhaven's fear anchored him. He couldn't afford to lose control. Not here.
"You shouldn't let him get under your skin," a soft voice murmured.
Kael turned. A girl leaned casually against one of the pillars, arms crossed. Shadows seemed to cling to her, as if the light bent away. Her eyes were dark, unreadable, but a small smile played at her lips.
"Mira," she said, before he could ask. "And don't worry - Joren makes a sport of tormenting newcomers. You lasted longer than most before he picked at you."
Kael raised an eyebrow. "Should I be flattered?"
She shrugged. "Depends. Are you planning to survive?"
Kael opened his mouth, then closed it. He wasn't sure of the answer.
Selene stepped closer, her hawk clicking its beak. "He'll need to, if he wants to stay. The Trial is soon."
"Trial?" Kael echoed.
Mira's smile widened. "Oh, they didn't tell you? To stay here, you'll have to pass. Fail... and the Academy erases you. Simple as that."
Kael's chest tightened. Ember pressed against him, a silent reminder of his strength.
He forced himself to meet Mira's gaze. "Then I'll pass."
For the first time, Mira's smile turned genuine. "Good. I'd hate for Joren to be right."
The next morning, the Academy's great bells tolled, deep and resonant, shaking dust from the ancient rafters. Kael had barely slept, his dreams filled with thunder and fire, with the mocking laughter of Joren and the cold eyes of the masked figure from the forest.
He followed the tide of students to the central courtyard, where a massive stone arena stood open to the sky. Its floor was a circle of runes, glowing faintly as instructors in dark robes whispered incantations. The air tingled with restrained power.
"Incoming," Mira murmured at his side. She walked as though she had no fear, shadows curling faintly at her fingertips. Selene joined them, her hawk perched like a silent sentinel on her arm. Ember padded close to Kael, hackles raised.
A tall instructor stepped forward, his voice carrying effortlessly.
"New initiates, today you prove your worth. The Trial of Admission tests not only your skill, but your bond to your companion and the strength of your will. Pass, and you may stay. Fail..." His pause was heavy. "...and the Academy will strip you of memory and power. You will leave this place with nothing."
Gasps and whispers rippled through the crowd.
Kael's throat tightened. Stripped of memory? He couldn't risk that - not with the shadowy threat still looming, not with Ember at his side.
The instructor raised a hand. "Step into the circle. Face your fears."
One by one, the new initiates entered the arena. Each time, the runes flared, shifting into illusions that clawed at their deepest terrors. A boy screamed as his illusion showed him drowning, thrashing until his companion - a serpent of living mist - dragged him free. A girl stood paralyzed as an army of fire-born soldiers advanced, only to rally with her wolf companion and scatter them.
Kael's turn came sooner than he was ready for.
"Stray," Joren called from the sidelines, his smirk gleaming. "Try not to embarrass yourself."
Kael stepped into the circle, heart pounding. Ember growled low, sparks flaring at his paws.
The runes ignited. The world twisted.
Suddenly Kael was no longer in the arena but standing in the ashes of Greyhaven. The sky was black with smoke, flames licking at broken beams. Voices cried out from the ruins - familiar voices.
"Kael!" His mother's voice, filled with terror. "Why didn't you save us?"
Figures emerged from the smoke - his parents, the villagers, their faces twisted, charred, eyes hollow. They reached for him, accusing, hands clawing.
Kael staggered back, throat raw. "No... you're gone. I couldn't - "
The ground cracked. From the fissure rose the masked figure, shadows writhing. Its voice cut into him like a blade.
"You were born cursed. Death follows you. Embrace it."
Ember snarled, flames rippling along his fur. The illusions pressed closer, whispering, accusing, drowning Kael in guilt. His hands shook, lightning crackling uncontrollably at his fingertips.
If I unleash it... I'll destroy everything again.
"Kael."
The voice was steady, grounding. He looked down - Ember pressed against him, golden eyes fierce. No accusation, no fear. Only trust.
Kael drew a shuddering breath. He remembered Mira's question. Are you planning to survive?
He clenched his fists. "I am not my curse."
Lightning roared from him, but not wild - focused, channeled. Ember leapt beside him, flames joining the storm. Together, they tore through the illusion.
The ash-figures dissolved. The masked figure hissed and crumbled into smoke. Greyhaven's ruins faded.
Kael stood panting in the arena once more, the runes sparking erratically beneath his feet. Ember pressed against his side, steady and solid.
Silence hung heavy. Then the instructor's voice rang out. "Accepted."
A cheer rose from some students, whispers from others. Mira's smile was sharp with approval. Selene inclined her head, as though she'd expected nothing less.
But Kael barely heard them. Across the courtyard, Joren's eyes burned - not with mockery now, but with something darker.
And high above, cloaked in shadow where no one else seemed to notice, the masked figure lingered. Watching.
The crowd's cheers still echoed in Kael's ears as he stepped out of the circle. His hands trembled from the lightning he had unleashed, though he tried to steady them. Ember pressed close, fur still glowing faintly, tail twitching like a banner of defiance.
Mira appeared at his shoulder, a smile curling her lips. "Not bad, stray. You almost looked like you belonged."
Kael huffed a laugh, though his chest was tight. "Almost?"
Selene joined them, her hawk shifting on her arm, crystalline feathers glimmering faintly in the morning light. Her gaze was calm, assessing. "He controlled it. That matters more than the display."
Kael glanced at her. "You thought I couldn't?"
"I thought you wouldn't."
Before Kael could answer, a hand slammed into his shoulder. He spun to see Joren standing inches away, fire coiling lazily in his palm. His hawk screeched overhead, wings catching sparks.
"You got lucky," Joren said, voice low, edged with fury. "The Trial feeds on fear. That's all you showed - fear and desperation. Don't mistake that for strength."
Kael clenched his fists. "And what would you know about it?"
Joren's grin was all teeth. "Enough to know I'll crush you in the next test. The instructors won't protect you forever."
Flame licked higher in his palm, reflecting in Kael's eyes. Ember bristled, sparks snapping along his fur.
Before the clash could ignite, a booming voice cut through the tension. "Enough!"
The instructor from earlier strode forward, his dark robes swirling. His eyes burned with restrained power. "There will be no duels outside sanctioned grounds. Save your rage for when it serves the Academy."
Joren let the fire flicker out, though his smirk remained. He leaned close to Kael, voice barely above a whisper. "When that day comes, you won't walk away." Then he turned sharply, striding off, his hawk soaring after him.
Kael exhaled, only then realizing how tightly his muscles were coiled. Ember nuzzled against his leg, grounding him.
Mira chuckled softly. "Congratulations, you've earned yourself an enemy. That was quick, even for this place."
Kael scowled. "I didn't ask for it."
Selene's voice was cool. "Enemies rarely wait for permission."
The three of them walked together across the courtyard. All around, students whispered, glancing Kael's way. Some looked impressed. Others wary. A few - jealous. Kael felt the weight of their stares press on him like chains.
At the edge of the courtyard, he paused. For an instant, he thought he saw something - movement where there shouldn't be. A ripple in the shadows cast by the high walls.
His chest tightened. The memory of the masked figure in his trial was still raw. But this was no illusion.
The shadows seemed to shift, almost like a cloak. A faceless presence lingered, watching.
Kael blinked, and it was gone.
"Kael?" Mira tilted her head, sharp eyes catching his distraction.
He shook his head quickly. "Nothing. Just... thought I saw something."
But his hands trembled again. Ember growled low, ears pricked, staring at the same stretch of empty stone.
Selene's gaze followed Ember's line of sight. She said nothing, but her hawk clicked its crystalline beak, as if uneasy.
The bells tolled again, calling students to their first lessons. The courtyard began to empty.
Kael looked up at the towering spires of the Academy, their shadows stretching long and dark across the courtyard stones. He had survived the Trial. He had allies - maybe even friends. But he had also gained an enemy.
And somewhere, unseen, something older and darker was watching him.
For the first time, Kael wondered if the Academy had saved him... or simply delivered him into the jaws of a greater trap.