The arena was still trembling from the echo of Kael’s last strike. Dust hung in the air, lit by the sunlight streaming down, turning every particle into a drifting ember. The battlefield itself looked like the graveyard of giants cracked pillars, scorched ground, and blood smeared across stone in long, uneven strokes.At the center of it all lay Kael, limp in Selene’s arms. His chest rose and fell in ragged bursts, each breath shallow, uneven. Sweat and blood soaked his tunic, plastering it to his skin. He looked less like the victor of a duel than a soldier dragged half-dead from a war.Selene’s fingers clenched tightly against him. She had her jaw set, but the faint tremble of her hands betrayed her calm. She bent closer, whispering in a voice that was half anger, half relief.“You reckless fool… if you’d been even one heartbeat slower, you’d be nothing but a name carved in stone right now.”Her words vanished under the crowd’s noise.The stands were alive, a storm of voices crashin

The Duskfang estate was not kind to failure.Dorian knelt on the cold marble floor, head bowed so low that the veins in his temples throbbed. His blood still ran sluggishly from half-healed wounds, but no healer dared touch him without permission.Before him loomed his father, Lord Caelis Duskfang, broad shouldered, silver eyed, his aura like a blade honed too sharp. The air in the chamber was suffocating, thick with unspoken rage.“You lost,” Caelis said at last. The words were quiet, but the silence that followed them crushed harder than any shout. “Not to an elder. Not to a commander. To a boy.”Dorian’s jaw tightened. Shame burned hotter than his injuries. “He’s no ordinary boy. His power... ”“Excuses.” Caelis’ voice cut him down like steel. “Power is irrelevant if you cannot bend it to your will. You were given every advantage, and yet…” His eyes narrowed, glinting with disdain. “…you faltered.”Dorian’s fists clenched agai

The knock came at dawn.It was sharp, deliberate, and far too early for any ordinary summons. Kael sat up stiffly in his dorm chamber, the blanket half fallen from his shoulder. His body complained at the sudden movement, ribs aching, muscles stiff but he ignored the pain. His first thought was: Already?The knock came again.Selene stirred from where she leaned against the wall, half dozing after insisting she’d stay the night in case he collapsed. Her eyes flickered open, narrowing at the sound.“Visitors this early,” she muttered. “That’s never good.”Kael swung his legs over the edge of the bed, toes brushing the cold stone floor. He winced faintly, rubbing at his temple. His mouth felt dry, as if he hadn’t drunk water in days.“I’ll answer,” he said, though his voice cracked slightly. He swallowed to clear it and pushed himself up.The door creaked open to reveal two senior disciples in crisp robes, their postures r

The bell tower of the Grand Academy rarely tolled in the morning.When it did, it wasn’t to mark classes or meditation cycles, it was for announcements that shaped futures.The deep clang rolled through the courtyards and halls, making the floorboards hum beneath Kael’s boots as he rose from his cot. His eyes burned from lack of sleep, his body sore from the secret training the night before, but the steadiness in his chest hadn’t left. His aura was quieter, coiled deeper within him, like a lion waiting instead of thrashing.Selene leaned against the wall, arms folded. “That bell isn’t for decoration,” she murmured. “It means they’re ready to drag you into the open.”Kael didn’t answer. He splashed cold water onto his face, letting it sting away the heaviness. Then he followed the sound.The entire academy assembled in the Central Plaza. Thousands of disciples, instructors, and scribes crowded the wide tiers, forming a living amphitheater. Abov

The bell tolled across the academy grounds.Its echo was deep, metallic, and strangely final like the sound of a coffin lid closing. Students rushed from every corner of the campus, drawn toward the sprawling arena that had been refitted overnight for a different kind of spectacle. It wasn’t a duel. It wasn’t a competition. The banners that usually carried clan emblems or academy crests had been stripped bare. In their place hung austere, blood-red cloths marked with only a single sigil: the symbol of the Elders’ Council.Selene stood among the crowd, jaw tight, eyes flicking constantly toward the gate. She’d been through countless ceremonies before, yet none of them had felt like this. Her knuckles whitened against her cloak as murmurs swirled around her. “The Trial of Dominion…”“Hasn’t been invoked in decades.”“Why bring it back now, unless it’s about him?”Every whisper carried Kael’s name even when it didn’t.On the dais, a