Home / Fantasy / AWAKENING BEYOND THE VEILS / The Quiet Before the Fire
The Quiet Before the Fire
Author: Diamond
last update2025-10-09 04:16:15

Morning came muted, wrapped in fog and whispers.

The academy grounds were unusually still — no laughter, no clang of sparring blades. Just the echo of rumors drifting through the corridors like smoke.

Kael walked with his hood low, the faint ache of yesterday’s chaos still humming under his skin. Every step felt heavier than the last. His name had spread across the academy overnight, carried on curious tongues and fearful stares.

The boy with the black flame.

The one who shouldn’t exist.

He tried to ignore them. Tried to drown out the murmurs that shadowed him with every step. But they clung to him, sharp as nettles.

He stopped by the outer courtyard, watching the mist curl over the training grounds. The stone still bore the faint scorch marks from his duel — Darius’s flames on one side, a darker, almost invisible mark on the other. His.

The memory flashed: the flicker of Shadowfire, the gasp from the crowd, Riven’s voice afterward — calm, dangerous, inevitable.

“Bury it, and it will consume you. Learn it, and the world will.”

Kael closed his eyes. His hands still trembled.

He wanted to believe Riven could help him. But every instinct screamed that he was standing on the edge of something he didn’t understand — something that might devour him whole.

A soft voice broke through his thoughts.

“You look like someone who hasn’t slept in a week.”

Kael turned. Lyra stood behind him, balancing a tray of bread and tea. Her hair was pulled into a messy braid, her expression halfway between concern and mischief.

“Thought you might skip breakfast again,” she said, offering the tray. “So I brought the food to you.”

Kael blinked, a little taken aback. “You didn’t have to.”

“I know,” she said lightly, sitting beside him. “That’s why it counts.”

For a long moment, they ate in silence. The fog began to lift, revealing the spires of the academy — beautiful, cold, and untouchable.

Finally, Lyra sighed. “They’re all talking, you know.”

Kael gave a humorless laugh. “I noticed.”

“Most of them are idiots,” she said, picking at her bread. “They see something they don’t understand, and they get scared. Doesn’t mean they’re right.”

Kael stared down at his hands. “They’re not wrong either.”

Lyra frowned. “Don’t start with that.”

“I almost lost control,” he murmured. “If Riven hadn’t shown up—”

“He did show up.” Her tone softened. “And you stopped yourself before it went too far. That counts for something, Kael.”

He didn’t answer. The weight of her gaze made his chest ache — part warmth, part guilt.

Lyra hesitated, then asked quietly, “He’s your mentor now, isn’t he? Riven?”

Kael nodded. “The council assigned me to him. Said I need… supervision.”

“Supervision.” Lyra made a face. “Sounds like you’re a dangerous pet.”

“Maybe I am.”

“Don’t joke like that,” she said sharply. Then softer: “You’re not dangerous, Kael. Just… different.”

Her words should have comforted him, but instead, they twisted something inside. Because deep down, he was dangerous — he could feel it, coiled and waiting beneath his skin.

Before he could respond, a slow clap echoed from behind them.

They turned. Darius Veylan stood near the archway, arms crossed, his usual smirk subdued but not gone.

“Well, isn’t this cozy?” he said. “Breakfast in the ruins of your own defeat.”

Lyra rolled her eyes. “Don’t you ever get tired of hearing yourself talk?”

Darius ignored her. His gaze stayed locked on Kael. “The council’s decision spread fast. Riven, huh? Didn’t think he’d bother with someone like you.”

Kael stiffened. “What do you want, Darius?”

He stepped closer, voice low. “To know what you are.”

Kael met his eyes. “I’m the same person I was before.”

“No,” Darius said, his tone sharpened. “Before, you were weak. Now… you’re something else. I saw that spark. I felt it. That wasn’t any Path I’ve ever known.”

Lyra stood quickly. “Back off, Darius.”

He smirked at her. “Relax. I’m not picking a fight. I’m just curious. Whatever power you’ve got, Kael, it’s going to draw attention — the kind you can’t hide from. The clans won’t ignore it.”

He let that hang for a beat, then added, “When they come for you, don’t expect mercy.”

And with that, he turned and walked away, leaving his words like a curse in the air.

Lyra muttered something under her breath that sounded suspiciously violent. Kael just sat there, silent, staring at the fog thinning into sunlight.

She turned to him, softer now. “Don’t let him get in your head.”

“He’s not wrong,” Kael said quietly. “Whatever Shadowfire is… it’s not something I can keep hidden forever.”

Lyra hesitated. “Then you need to learn control. Before someone else decides how you’ll use it.”

He looked at her — at the concern in her eyes, the fierce loyalty burning beneath it — and for the first time since the duel, he felt something like calm.

“Thank you,” he said.

“For what?”

“For not treating me like I’m cursed.”

She smiled faintly. “Who says you’re not? I just think maybe curses can be turned into something powerful — if you survive them.”

Kael almost smiled back. “That’s not exactly reassuring.”

“I’m not here to reassure you,” she said, standing and stretching. “I’m here to make sure you don’t fall apart before you get the chance to prove everyone wrong.”

As she walked away, her braid swaying behind her, Kael felt a flicker of warmth he hadn’t expected.

Then the wind shifted — and with it, a chill ran down his spine.

From across the courtyard, at the edge of the fog, Riven watched him.

Their eyes met for just a moment, and Kael felt something stir deep within — not fear, not even anticipation, but a quiet recognition.

The real training was about to begin.

And somewhere, beyond the veil of the waking world, the Shadowfire pulsed in answer — as if it, too, had been waiting for this moment.

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