The guild hall was quieter than usual.
Not silent.
But subdued.
The Tenrou interruption still lingered in the air like smoke after a fire. No one said it openly, but everyone had seen it.
The Covenant had come.
And they had called Kael by name.
"Kael."
The voice was small — but it carried authority.
He turned.
Makarov stood at the base of the stairs, expression unreadable.
"My office. Now."
No anger.
No shouting.
That was worse.
Upstairs, the door closed softly behind them.
Makarov did not sit immediately.
He walked toward the window overlooking Magnolia, hands clasped behind his back.
"You know why I called you."
Kael stood straight but relaxed.
"Yes."
A long pause.
"Who are they?"
Direct.
No accusation.
Just truth demanded.
"The Ashen Covenant," Kael replied calmly.
"And how do they know you?"
Another pause.
Kael chose his words carefully.
"They've been observing me for years."
"Observing," Makarov repeated.
"Not recruiting?"
"No."
"Threatening?"
"Yes."
That made the air heavier.
Makarov finally turned.
His eyes were not those of a guild master in that moment.
They were those of an old man who had buried too many children.
"Are they a danger to Fairy Tail?"
Kael did not hesitate.
"Yes."
Silence.
"Because of you?"
That question cut deeper than any blade.
Kael met his gaze.
"Yes."
The word did not shake.
But it settled like stone.
Makarov's shoulders lowered slightly.
"I see."
He walked back to his desk and finally sat.
"When they appeared on Tenrou… they did not attack randomly."
"No," Kael said quietly.
"They were positioning."
"You noticed."
"I would expect you to."
Another pause.
Then—
"What are they planning?"
Kael's silver eyes dimmed slightly.
"Something is waking."
Makarov did not interrupt.
"Dragon energy," Kael continued. "Not metaphorical. Not theoretical. Real."
The old man's expression hardened.
"You're certain?"
"Yes."
"And the Covenant?"
"They are preparing for it."
"By interfering with my guild?"
"By controlling variables."
The room grew still.
"And you," Makarov said slowly, "are one of those variables."
Kael did not deny it.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Outside, Magnolia bustled peacefully.
Unaware.
Makarov folded his hands together.
"Answer me honestly, Kael."
"I will."
"If you stay… does Fairy Tail become a target?"
Kael's jaw tightened almost imperceptibly.
"Yes."
"And if you leave?"
"Their focus shifts."
"Entirely?"
"No."
"Then why would you consider it?"
Because partial protection was better than none.
But he did not say that.
Instead—
"Because what's forming inside me… is unstable."
That was the first crack.
Makarov's eyes sharpened.
"Explain."
Kael exhaled slowly.
"My Devil Slayer magic has evolved."
"That I expected."
"It's not alone anymore."
Silence.
The air changed.
Makarov felt it before he understood it.
"Dragon resonance," Kael said quietly.
The word lingered.
"You're not a Dragon Slayer," Makarov said carefully.
"Not yet."
The implications rippled outward.
"You're telling me," the old master said slowly, "that you may develop dual cores?"
"Yes."
"And you cannot control them?"
"I can."
"For now."
Makarov stood again.
Magic pressure subtly filled the room — not hostile.
Concerned.
"If that balance breaks inside the guild—"
"It won't," Kael interrupted gently.
"Because I won't let it."
The certainty in his voice made Makarov's chest tighten.
"You're thinking of leaving."
It wasn't a question.
Kael did not answer.
Which was answer enough.
The guild master's voice softened.
"You are Fairy Tail."
"That's why I might have to go."
The words were calm.
Controlled.
Logical.
And devastating.
Makarov closed his eyes briefly.
"You think I haven't seen this before?"
Kael said nothing.
"I've watched gifted children believe they must isolate themselves to protect others."
He opened his eyes again.
"It rarely ends well."
"This is different."
"They always say that."
Silence fell again.
But this time, it wasn't tense.
It was heavy.
"Do the others know?" Makarov asked.
"No."
"Will you tell them?"
"I shouldn't."
"You won't tell Erza?"
A flicker in Kael's expression.
"Especially not her."
Makarov studied him carefully.
"You're afraid she'll try to stop you."
"Yes."
"And Natsu?"
"He won't understand."
"Lucy?"
"She'll ask questions I can't answer."
The old man sighed.
"You care for them deeply."
"Yes."
"And you believe leaving is strength."
Kael's eyes hardened slightly.
"No."
"I believe staying would be selfish."
That stopped Makarov cold.
Because he could not easily refute it.
The dragon stirring beneath Tenrou.
The Covenant's strategic interference.
The way the island had reacted specifically when Kael stepped forward.
The pieces aligned.
"You felt it too, didn't you?" Makarov asked quietly.
"Yes."
"Tenrou responded to you."
"Yes."
That was the truth they had both avoided saying aloud.
Makarov walked around the desk slowly.
"If you leave," he said, "you leave as one of mine."
Kael looked up.
"You will not vanish as a rogue mage."
"I won't."
"You will not join them."
"I won't."
"You will not turn that power against Fairy Tail."
The faintest trace of hurt crossed Kael's eyes.
"Never."
The word carried weight.
Makarov nodded slowly.
"Then I will not chain you here."
The silence that followed was not relief.
It was resignation.
"One year," Makarov said quietly.
Kael's eyes shifted slightly.
"You feel the timeline too."
"Yes."
"In one year… something will break."
"Yes."
"Will you be ready?"
"I have to be."
Makarov placed a small object on the desk.
Kael recognized it instantly.
An official S-Class insignia.
"Your recognition will stand," the master said.
"No matter where you walk."
Kael stepped forward.
He did not bow.
He did not kneel.
He simply accepted it.
"Thank you," he said.
Makarov's voice dropped lower.
"When the day comes… if you need to return…"
Kael hesitated.
Then:
"I'll find my way home."
The word lingered.
Home.
He turned toward the door.
"Kael."
He paused.
"You are not a weapon."
Silence.
Then—
"I know."
But the way he said it suggested he wasn't entirely sure.
The door closed behind him softly.
Makarov stood alone in the office.
Outside, Magnolia laughed.
Below, Natsu shouted.
Life continued.
But the master of Fairy Tail understood something now.
The quiet distance was no longer forming.
It had already begun.
And soon—
The blade would step into the dark.