Draven stayed by the fountain for a moment longer.Processing everything.Princess Elysande knew about the pendant. Had sensed its magic. Could have exposed him. But chose not to.That was the problem.If she could sense it, others could too. Mages with enough sensitivity. Scholars who studied ancient artifacts. His secret was vulnerable.The pendant was supposed to be his advantage. His hidden weapon. But if anyone with magical perception could detect it, then it wasn't hidden at all.Draven stood abruptly.He needed to fix this. Now.Not return to the gala. Not yet. He needed time. Space. Privacy.He slipped through a side entrance. Found a servant."I need to return to my room. Briefly. Where is it?"The servant gave directions. Draven moved quickly through the manor's corridors. Reached his room and locked the door.Sat on his bed. Touched the pendant.Accessed his grandfather's memories. Searched frantically through centuries of knowledge. There had to be something. Some way to h

Viktor's frustration was showing.Every attack Draven countered. Every setup he read. Every trap he avoided.Viktor's expression darkened further.He attacked again. Faster. More aggressive. Imperial close-combat techniques flowing perfectly.But Draven matched him. Step for step. Block for block.The ancient warriors' memories guided every movement. They'd faced Imperial techniques before. Centuries ago, when the Empire was young. When these methods were new and untested.Nothing Viktor threw at him was unfamiliar.Viktor's punch came at Draven's head. Fast. Precise.Draven ducked under it. Countered with a strike to Viktor's ribs.Pulled it at the last second. Just a tap. Could have broken bone.Viktor stumbled back. Breathing hard."You're holding back," he said. Anger. Accusation. "Stop playing with me.""I'm not playing. I'm being careful. There's a difference.""Careful?" Viktor's laugh was bitter. "You think you're better than me? Imperial-trained? Student of Master Korin?""I

The final dinner was supposed to be a celebration.A grand farewell. One last display of Ashworth hospitality before the guests departed.Draven would have preferred to skip it entirely.But Father had made it clear. Attendance was mandatory. All Ashworth sons. No exceptions.So Draven dressed in formal attire again. Made his way to the great hall. Prepared for one more night of politics and pleasantries.What he wasn't prepared for was the attention.The moment he entered, heads turned. Conversations paused. Every eye in the hall found him.Young nobles especially. Heirs his age. Sixteen to eighteen. The next generation of territorial power.They'd ignored him before. Called him the disappointment. Dismissed him completely.Now they couldn't stop staring.A girl approached first. Lady something from House Blackwood. Pretty. Confident."Draven Ashworth." She smiled. Practiced. Perfect. "I wanted to congratulate you on your victories last night. Truly impressive.""Thank you.""I was w

Two weeks back at the academy and Draven still wasn't used to the attention.Everywhere he went, people stared. Whispered. Students who'd ignored him for two years now watched his every move.The gala had changed everything."There he is. The one who beat Viktor Crane.""I heard he destroyed Lucas Nervia in seconds.""The Princess couldn't stop watching him."Draven ignored them. Kept his head down. Focused on getting to his room without incident.His team was waiting inside.Jin sat on Draven's bed, feet up, grinning. "There's our celebrity. Sign any autographs today?""Shut up."Lyra looked up from the book she was reading. "People won't stop talking about you. The whole academy knows what happened.""I noticed."Sera stood by the window, arms crossed. Those sharp eyes missing nothing. "You look tired. The attention getting to you?""Something like that."Draven dropped his bag and sat at his desk. Two weeks since he'd left the estate. Two weeks of this constant scrutiny.He'd told

They reached Drakmoor Peak at midday.The mountain rose from the landscape like a scar. Dark stone. Sharp edges. Clouds gathering around the summit even though the sky elsewhere was clear.And at its base, the forest.Draven saw immediately what the locals meant. The trees were wrong.They twisted. Bent at unnatural angles. Branches reached toward the ground instead of the sky. Bark had strange patterns carved into it. Not by tools. By something else.The air felt different too. Heavy. Thick. Like breathing through wet cloth."This is it," Princess Elysande said. Her voice was quiet. Awed. "Zone One. The Watching Woods."Duncan dismounted. Studied the forest edge. "We leave the horses here. They won't go further.""Why not?""Animals know better than people. They sense danger. Won't cross into cursed ground.""You believe it's cursed?""I believe something's wrong here. That's enough." Duncan started unloading supplies from his horse. "We carry what we need. Leave the rest. If we're n