THE GOD OF WAR'S RETURN: ADRIAN'S SECOND CHANCE

The Awakening and Weight of Power.

The flames danced. Alive. Waiting.

Adrian’s breath came fast. He could feel it now. The pull in his chest..like something long asleep was waking up.

The old man watched him closely. “Do you feel it?”

Adrian swallowed hard. “What… what is this?”

“The truth,” the man said. “Your blood remembers.”

Kara shifted uneasily. “That doesn’t sound good.”

But Adrian couldn’t look away from the fire.

It called to him.

And, before he could stop himself,he reached out.

The moment his fingers neared the flames, they shifted.

The fire turned white...hot, swirling in strange patterns.

A name burned in his mind.

A name he didn’t recognize.

A name that felt like it belonged to him.

Adrian staggered back, his heart hammering.

The old man’s voice was calm. “You are remembering.”

Adrian clenched his fists. It didn’t make sense. His whole life, he had been… normal. No magic. No power.

Yet now, he could feel it.

It was like something had been locked inside him. Hidden away.

And now?

It was cracking open.

Kai, still weak but watching closely, whispered, “What did you see?”

Adrian hesitated. “A name.”

The old man’s eyes flickered with something,recognition. “Your true name?”

Adrian shook his head. “I don’t know.”

But deep down, he felt it.

Something was changing inside him.

And it was only the beginning.

The old man turned serious. “You are at a crossroads, Adrian. You can leave now, pretend none of this is real… or you can embrace who you are.”

Adrian’s stomach tightened.

It sounded like a choice.

But it wasn’t.

Not really.

Because Killian was still out there. And now that Adrian knew the truth…

He would never stop coming.

Kara exhaled loudly. “You’re really not making this easy, old man.”

The old man smiled. “Truth never is.”

Kai gave Adrian a tired look. “So? What now?”

Adrian met the old man’s gaze.

“…How do I control it?”

The fire flared.

The old man’s smile grew. “That… is what we will find out.”

The old man wasted no time.

“Stand by the fire,” he instructed.

Adrian obeyed, his palms sweaty.

“Close your eyes,” the man said.

Adrian did.

“Now… reach for it.”

At first, nothing happened.

Then,a spark.

His heart skipped. He felt the fire’s heat, but it wasn’t burning him.

It was… waiting.

Testing him.

Adrian reached deeper.

And then—the fire exploded outward.

Kara yelped. Kai cursed. The room lit up like the sun.

Adrian gasped, eyes snapping open. His hands were glowing.

And for the first time, he realized..

He wasn’t afraid.

The old man nodded. “Good.”

Adrian’s breath was shaky. “That...was insane.”

Kara crossed her arms. “So, what, you’re a fire god now?”

Adrian let out a nervous chuckle. “I have no idea.”

The old man’s face darkened. “You will have to learn fast. Killian will not wait.”

The air grew cold.

Because that was the truth.

Adrian could feel it.

Killian knew he was alive.

And he was coming.

********

Adrian lay on his back, staring at the wooden ceiling. He had tried to sleep, but his body wouldn’t let him. The fire inside him hadn’t died down. It wasn’t burning his skin, but it was there...buzzing under the surface like a caged storm.

He turned his palm up, fingers twitching. In the darkness, he thought he saw a faint glow, but it disappeared just as quickly.

Kara’s voice cut through the quiet. “You’re still awake.”

Adrian turned his head. She was sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall, arms wrapped around her knees.

“Yeah,” he muttered. “You too?”

Kara smirked. “You think I could sleep after what happened?” She stretched her legs. “You almost set the whole place on fire.”

Adrian sighed. “I didn’t mean to.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Kara said. “It happened. And it means something.”

Kai groaned from the other side of the room. “Can you two whisper quieter?” He rolled over, burying his face in the blanket. “Some of us actually want to sleep.”

Kara ignored him. “The old man’s gonna push you harder tomorrow, you know.”

Adrian knew. And the worst part? He was ready for it.

Morning came fast.

The smell of burning wood filled the small hut as the old man stood over the fire, stirring something in a clay pot. He didn’t look up when Adrian sat down near the flames.

“You didn’t sleep,” the old man said. It wasn’t a question.

Adrian rubbed his eyes. “Not really.”

The old man finally looked at him. His gaze was sharp, unreadable. “Good.”

Adrian blinked. “Good?”

The old man nodded. “Your body knows what’s happening, even if your mind doesn’t. It won’t let you rest until you accept it.”

Adrian frowned. “Accept what?”

The old man stirred the pot once more, then handed Adrian a wooden bowl filled with thick, dark liquid. “Drink.”

Adrian hesitated. “What is it?”

The old man’s eyes gleamed. “Fire.”

Adrian snorted. “Right.”

The old man didn’t laugh.

Kara and Kai sat nearby, watching in silence. Adrian could feel their eyes on him as he lifted the bowl to his lips. The liquid was warm, thick, with a strange spice that burned his throat. He coughed, nearly dropping the bowl.

The old man watched. “Do you feel it?”

Adrian wiped his mouth. “Feel what?”

The old man’s gaze darkened. “Your name.”

Silence.

Then,like a whisper in the wind...Adrian heard it.

Rael.

He froze.

The old man nodded slowly. “You remember.”

Adrian placed the bowl down carefully. His hands were trembling.

He hadn’t spoken the name aloud, but he had felt it. A deep, ancient pull in his chest. It was his name… and yet it wasn’t.

Kara leaned forward. “What is it?”

Adrian swallowed hard. “Rael.”

Kai raised an eyebrow. “Rael?”

The old man’s lips curled slightly. “Not just a name,” he said. “A truth.”

Adrian frowned. “What does it mean?”

The old man poked at the fire, eyes distant. “It means you were never supposed to be ordinary.”

Adrian’s stomach twisted. “You keep saying that, but I don’t understand.”

The old man finally met his gaze. “You will.”

Something about the way he said it made Adrian shiver.

The old man led Adrian outside. The air was crisp, the sky painted with the soft colors of dawn. Kara and Kai followed, curious but keeping their distance.

Adrian stood still, watching as the old man lifted his hand. The fire pit beside them flickered...and then, without a single spark, flames leaped into the air.

Adrian stared. “How-”

“The same way you did it last night,” the old man said simply. “The only difference is,I’m not afraid of it.”

Adrian clenched his fists. “I wasn’t afraid.”

The old man raised an eyebrow. “Then do it again.”

Adrian hesitated. He could still feel the warmth under his skin, but calling it out felt impossible.

The old man stepped closer. “You think too much. Fire is not like water. It does not wait, it does not bend. It moves when it wants to move.”

Adrian exhaled. He closed his eyes, reaching for that feeling again.

At first, nothing.

Then,heat.

It started slow, a flicker deep inside his chest. His hands tingled, his breath grew heavy. He clenched his fingers, and suddenly...

Flames burst from his palms.

Kara cursed, stepping back. Kai’s eyes widened.

Adrian gasped, staring at his hands. The fire didn’t hurt him. It danced around his fingers, wild and alive.

The old man smiled. “Good.”

Adrian let out a shaky breath. His heart pounded in his chest.

This was real.

This was him.

And there was no turning back now.

Adrian sat outside long after the lesson was over. His hands were still warm, even though the fire had died down.

Kara sat next to him, pulling her cloak tighter around her shoulders. “So. Fireboy for real now, huh?”

Adrian smirked. “I guess.”

She studied his face. “How do you feel?”

Adrian thought for a moment. “Like I don’t know myself anymore.”

Kara nodded slowly. “That’s how change feels.”

Adrian exhaled, watching the sky darken. The truth was...he didn’t know what came next. But one thing was certain.

Killian knew he was alive.

And the next time they met, Adrian wouldn’t be the same.