Dust still floated in the air after Darius's sword struck the ground.
Everyone in the training circle fell silent for a few seconds.
Darius stared at Kael with furrowed brows.
"You… dodged?"
Kael himself was still confused.
He looked at his hand.
His heart was beating very fast.
What just happened…?
Instructor Rethan watched them with a sharp gaze.
"Continue," he said coldly.
Darius shrugged.
"Alright."
He raised his energy sword again.
"Don't tell me that was a coincidence, Kael."
He smiled faintly.
"Let's try again."
Darius dashed forward.
This time his movement was even faster.
His sword flashed like a streak of light.
Kael tried to block with his wooden sword.
CLACK!
The heavy impact made his hand tremble.
His wooden sword almost slipped again.
Darius attacked relentlessly.
SWISH!
CLACK!
SWOOSH!
Kael kept retreating.
His steps were messy.
Some students began to comment from the edge of the field.
"This is the real Darius."
"Kael's going to fall again."
Maren bit her lip.
"Kael… be careful…"
Darius swung his sword toward Kael's shoulder.
Kael tried to dodge—
too late.
But right at that moment—
The Chrono Halo vibrated again.
Its hands moved slightly.
The world felt strange again.
Not completely stopped.
But slightly slowed.
Enough to give Kael time.
Kael tilted his body.
Darius's sword missed his shoulder by a few centimeters.
Darius immediately stopped.
His eyes narrowed.
"That's impossible…"
Kael also froze.
He felt a strange sensation in his chest.
As if his heartbeat was not synchronized with the world.
Instructor Rethan raised his hand.
"Enough."
The fight stopped.
Darius looked annoyed.
"Hah? Why stop it?"
Rethan stared at Kael for a long moment.
Then said flatly,
"This training is to test energy synchronization."
He pointed at Kael.
"And he… is clearly not synchronized with anything."
Some students laughed.
But Rethan did not laugh.
His gaze remained sharp.
"Training is over. Return to class."
A few moments later.
The academy corridor was filled with the sound of students' footsteps.
The tall stone walls were decorated with old banners from previous generations of warriors.
Kael walked slowly among the crowd.
He was still thinking about what happened on the field.
Darius passed beside him.
He stopped for a moment.
"Kael."
Kael turned his head.
Darius looked at him with a strange expression.
Not mocking.
More like… curious.
"What did you do back there?"
Kael shook his head slowly.
"I don't know myself."
Darius stared at him for a few seconds.
Then snorted.
"Hmph. If that's a trick… next time use it better."
He walked away.
Maren immediately approached Kael.
"KAEL!"
Kael almost got startled.
"What?"
Maren looked at him seriously.
"You saw that too, right?"
"See what?"
"You… moved strangely."
Kael lowered his head.
"…I was just lucky."
Maren crossed her arms.
"Lucky twice?"
Kael did not answer.
Maren let out a breath.
"Fine. If you don't want to tell."
She walked slightly ahead of Kael.
"But if you suddenly can control time or something…"
She turned her head with a small smile.
"Don't forget I'm the first friend who noticed."
Kael laughed softly.
"If I could control time…"
He looked at his hand again.
"…I wouldn't even know where to start."
Evening.
The sky began to turn orange.
Most of the students had already returned to the dormitory.
The training field was almost empty.
In the middle of the field—
Kael stood alone.
He held a training sword.
The evening wind blew gently.
The Chrono Halo appeared again on his back.
Its light was clearer now.
Kael took a breath.
"Okay…"
He looked at the clock.
"If you really exist…"
He raised his sword.
"…please help me understand."
Kael slashed forward.
A simple movement.
Nothing happened.
He tried again.
Still nothing.
Kael let out a breath.
"Great… I'm talking to a clock."
He almost gave up—
suddenly—
The Chrono Halo hands moved.
Dust on the ground jumped slightly upward.
As if time jerked for a moment.
Kael froze.
"I… did that?"
He tried again.
This time focused.
His sword moved.
The Chrono Halo ticked.
And—
A falling leaf near him stopped for a moment in the air.
Only for one second.
Then it fell again.
Kael's eyes widened.
"I really…"
But suddenly—
A voice was heard behind him.
"If you continue to use that power without understanding its price…"
Kael immediately turned around.
At the edge of the field stood the old mentor who had been watching him earlier.
His robe was long.
His hair was white.
His gaze was sharp like someone who had seen too much time pass.
He walked closer slowly.
"…you could destroy more than just yourself."
Kael swallowed.
"Who… are you?"
The old man stopped a few steps away from him.
His eyes looked directly at the Chrono Halo on Kael's back.
Then he said softly
"My name is Aether Valen."
He let out a slow breath.
"And I have seen that power… destroy the world."
The evening wind stopped blowing.
Kael froze in place.
And for the first time
he realized that the Chrono Halo might not just be a power.
But something far more dangerous.