The celebration that should have followed the Coming of Age ceremony was replaced by a suffocating, formal tension. In the private dining hall of House Varrus, the only sounds were the rhythmic scrape of silver utensils against fine china and the crackle of the hearth.
Kael sat at the far end of the long mahogany table, feeling the weight of four pairs of eyes. He remained as he had for ten years: composed, quiet, and observant. But the "Singularity" revelation had stripped away his camouflage
.
The Tense Dinner
"A Singularity," his father, Lord Varrus, finally spoke. He didn't look up from his wine. "In a border house like ours. Do you have any idea what that means, Kael?"
Kael set his fork down perfectly parallel to his knife. "It means I possess multiple, potentially conflicting affinities, Father. And that my mana capacity exceeded the Stone's threshold."
"It means you're a target," Marcus interrupted, his voice sharp with a jealousy he couldn't quite mask. He gripped his glass too tight. "Spatial mana is the province of the Royal Guard and the Elven Archmages. For a ten-year-old third son to manifest it... people will say it's a fluke. Or worse, a curse."
"Marcus, that's enough," Lysandra whispered, though her eyes remained fixed on Kael with a mix of awe and newfound distance.
"Is it?" Marcus snapped. "He's been playing the 'quiet scholar' for years, hiding this. What else are you hiding, little brother?"
The Test of Wills
Kael looked directly at Marcus. In his old life as Satou, he had faced far more intimidating men than a teenage noble with a bruised ego.
"I hid nothing," Kael said, his voice calm but carrying that same grounding pressure from the ceremony. "I simply waited until I was strong enough to hold what was given to me. Is that not what a Varrus does?"
Lord Varrus finally looked up. There was a flicker of something new in his gaze—not pride, but a cold, calculating interest. "A Varrus protects the realm. But a Singularity... a Singularity changes the map. I have already received a bird from the Capital. The King's magisters will be here within the fortnight to verify the mage's report."
He leaned forward, the firelight casting long shadows across his face. "Until then, Kael, you are confined to the estate. Marcus will oversee your physical conditioning. If you truly have the mana of a Singularity, you'd better have a body that can withstand the strain of it."
Marcus's smirk returned, but it was predatory now. "Physical conditioning. Understood, Father. I'll make sure he's... ready."