"Promise me that you are going to be mine." Felicia said with a smile.Kael looked at her face, barely believing what she said. "You are joking, right?" he said, walking past her. The sound of the cricket was now getting louder as the both of them kept staring at each other under the moonlight. "Your father doesn't like me and you…" Kael paused. "And what about me?" Felicia asked with her hands akimbo. "Why?" Kael asked, staring at her from the corner of his eyes. "Why what?" "Felicia?" she asked, walking closer to him. "Why do you want me? I am the least in the kingdom. No Hakana, or should I rather say, a cursed Hakana. I can't even channel yet. And not to mention that your father and my uncle both planned and had my father killed. Do I need to remind you of that?" "That is the reason why you need to be my boyfriend. I can easily talk to my father, and we can settle this. Your uncle will be punished and..." "And?" Kael said sharply. His gaze was clearly angered by what Felici

The noise in the throne room swelled until it felt like the very pillars trembled under the weight of voices. Meanwhile, King Almond couldn't stop staring at each elders as they kept choosing sides. Mages banged their staffs against the marble floor, Swordmasters muttered curses under their breath, and a few conjurers exchanged sly glances as though waiting for blood to spill. King Almond raised his hand again—not to silence them fully, but enough for their voices to drop into a heavy murmur. His face remained calm, but his eyes were cold, calculating. "I have heard enough bickering," he said slowly, his deep voice cutting through the air. "We are not here to protect one man’s pride… nor to shield another from the consequences of his actions." His gaze swept over them all before landing, just briefly, on Commander Rael. "Kael is no child of mine, nor is he above our laws. As a matter of fact, I had only postponed his punishment for killing Rand." Dareth The murmuring grew loud

As the torrent of the rain poured heavily, Kael could feel every inch of his muscles coiled up, the cold rain soaking through his tunic and pouring into his warm body. The sword felt alive in his hand, pulsing with every beat of his heart. In front of him, Commander Rael stood still, his grip on his own blade steady, his eyes burning through the curtain of rain.Kael lunged again.This time there was no hesitation — his strike cut through the storm with ruthless precision. Their blades met in a flash of sparks, and the jolt rattled up his arms. Rael pivoted, using Kael’s momentum against him, and swung low. Kael leapt over the blade, landing hard in the mud with a splash, his boots slipping but not falling.“You’re fast,” Rael admitted, “but you’re still thinking too much. You could get better with your Hakana unleashed. All you have to do is give in to it." Kael gritted his teeth. “Or maybe I’m just not ready to give into what you want.”Rael came at him without warning, his blade

Kael ducked instinctively, the sharp whistle of the flying sword grazing the edge of his ear. The weapon buried itself into the trunk of a tree behind him, quivering with force. His breath caught in his throat.The old man didn’t flinch. He cracked another groundnut between his teeth as if nothing had happened.Kael’s grip on his sword tightened. His eyes darted across the shadows of the forest, scanning for movement. The silence that followed was heavier than the blow itself.“Show yourself!” Kael roared. His voice echoed through the trees, trembling with both fury and fear.The old man finally raised his head, spitting the cracked nut shells into the soil. “You’re too loud, boy.” His voice had dropped, rough and almost guttural. “An enemy doesn’t show himself when you call. He waits for you to make a mostake.”Kael’s heart beat fast as another sound—softer this time, like fabric brushing against bark—reached his ears. He turned sharply, sword raised, but the shadows offered him noth

Kael looked at the old man and laughed. It was too simple. He saw that all he needed was to take off the piece of clothes from his broad and muscular arms. "Is that all I need to do?" he asked, staring at his face. "Boy, that is all you need to do, and if you can do that, then you don't answer to me. You are free to be your own man. Take the cloth before the sand time runs out." Kael stood still, his gaze locked on the red cloth. His brain was calculating his next moves and also predicting Commander Rael's moves. His words rang like a bell in his ears. The earth was damp beneath Kael’s bare feet. Morning dew fell slowly, making the atmosphere a bit chilly. He could hear the rustle of leaves, the flap of Commander Rael’s robe, and the creak of his old joints as the man stretched his shoulders. Kael tightened his grip on the sword, then remembered Rael’s words—no weapons. Slowly, he dropped the weapon to the floor.Commander Rael gave a soft smile, acknowledging him as a worthy o