The courtyard was silent. Only the ragged breathing of the fallen disciples broke the stillness. Dust still hung in the air from the cracks Kael’s awakening had caused, glimmering faintly in the slanted sunlight. Kael stood in the center, his chest rising and falling heavily. His robes were torn, blood smeared across his lips and jaw, but no one dared laugh anymore. The boy they had called trash moments ago had become something else—something terrifying. One of the younger disciples tried to rise, his legs trembling like reeds in a storm. “H-he’s a monster,” he whispered. His voice carried farther than he intended, and fear rippled through the group. Kael’s dark gaze swept over them. The weight of it alone made the boy collapse back to the ground, face pale as chalk. Rynald Draven, noble scion and Kael’s tormentor, was still pressed into the dirt, gasping for breath. His fine robes were coated with dust, his hair matted with sweat. Pride, the arrogance that had once defined him,

The Hall of Elders was silent.Kael stood at the center, his heart thundering in his chest as the five robed figures fixed their gazes on him. Their eyes were sharp, ancient, and unyielding. Behind him, Rynald knelt, his words still hanging in the air like venom.“He’s dangerous!” Rynald had shouted. “He awakened a demonic power that nearly crushed us all!”Now, all eyes waited for Kael’s answer.The silver-bearded Elder, the one who had spoken before, leaned forward, his fingers curling over the arm of his chair. “Kael,” he said gravely. “You stand accused of wielding a forbidden force. Speak carefully. What is it that resides within you?”Kael’s fists clenched at his sides. He could still feel the faint pulse of the aura inside his chest, a storm waiting to break free. It wasn’t demonic. He knew that much. It didn’t whisper corruption—it roared with authority.He lifted his chin. “I don’t know what it is,” he admitted. His voice was steady, though his insides churned. “But it’s mine

The next morning dawned with a chill, the academy grounds buzzing louder than usual. Word of Kael’s awakening had already spread like wildfire. As Kael stepped into the courtyard, eyes followed him from every corner—some curious, some fearful, others openly hostile. No one dared approach, but the whispers never stopped. “He’s cursed…” “No, he’s chosen. Did you feel the ground tremble yesterday?” “Chosen? Hah! The Elders only let him live so they can dissect him later.” Kael’s jaw tightened. He forced himself not to respond, walking with his head high even as his stomach knotted. The academy had always been cruel, but this was worse. Yesterday, they saw him as a worm. Today, they saw him as a monster. But he refused to let either define him. By midday, the lectures began. Aura Theory, Combat Posture, and Advanced Resonance. Normally, Kael would sit quietly at the back, ignored or mocked. But today, not a sin

The day after the mysterious observer had appeared, Kael woke with a restless energy he could not contain. His chest still throbbed with the memory of the aura surging yesterday, and the golden threads of power that had pulsed through him still seemed alive under his skin. He dressed quickly, pulling on his simple training robes, and left his dormitory before the morning bell. The academy grounds were bustling with students rushing to their lessons, but Kael barely noticed them. Their eyes followed him with fear and awe, and even the instructors whispered as he passed. Yet none dared stop him, for the faint tremor in the air around him—his aura—warned them that Kael was no longer a boy to be trifled with. He moved toward the outer training fields, a secluded area seldom used for formal practice. It was perfect for what he had planned: a test of control. Kael closed his eyes and allowed the Dominating Aura to flow. It spr

The academy’s training grounds were alive with the clang of steel and the thud of fists striking practice dummies. Yet the usual sounds felt distant to Kael. His focus was fixed on the growing weight of eyes pressing against him, whispers following wherever he walked. “Did you hear? That’s the boy with the aura…” “They say he cracked stone with a glance!” "He’s dangerous. Best to stay away.” Kael ignored them. Fear was useful, but gossip was worthless. What mattered was mastery—of himself, of his power, and of the destiny clawing its way toward him. But destiny never waited quietly. By noon, the academy bell rang, calling students to the combat arena for the weekly sparring trials. Kael rarely attended—until now. Today, something in his chest demanded release, a proving ground for the aura that pulsed hungrily within him. The arena was vast, encircled by towering stone wal