Morning came with silence. The fires had been extinguished, the monsters driven away, but the scent of ash and blood still clung to the village air like a curse that refused to lift.
Kael stood before the burnt remains of the training post. The sword in his hand felt heavier than ever.
Behind him, children peeked from windows. Villagers whispered. And Lady Arienne, bandaged and pale, stood with her arms folded across her chest, watching from a distance.
Edrin approached. "We need to talk."
Kael didn't turn around. "About the book?"
"No. About you."
Kael stayed silent.
Edrin sighed and placed a small wooden box on the ground beside him. "Your father left this with me. Said to give it to you when the time was right."
Kael crouched and opened it slowly.
Inside was a worn pendant with an insignia he didn't recognize—half sun, half flame—and a single, yellowed page filled with scribbled runes. They glowed faintly as he touched them, like a heartbeat waiting to be awakened.
"That's part of the Divine Magic script," Edrin said. "I can't read it, but your mother could."
"Why give it to me now?" Kael asked.
"Because your magic is awakening. And that page may react to your blood."
Kael stared at the page—and suddenly, light burst from the runes. Not blinding, but warm. The air around him shimmered.
A flicker of wind swirled at his fingertips.
Kael gasped. "I felt that."
Edrin smiled grimly. "That's your spark. The first flame."
Later that day, Kael found himself in a forgotten clearing at the edge of the woods—an old training ground used by Edrin in his younger years. Cracked stones, mossy pillars, and rusted dummies surrounded him like silent judges.
Edrin stood in front of him, a wooden sword in hand. "We'll begin here. Swordsmanship first. Magic later."
Kael nodded, raising his weapon.
"Again!" Edrin barked.
Kael struck. Parried. Missed.
"Too slow!"
Sweat poured from his brow.
"Keep your stance centered!"
His arms screamed. His legs trembled.
He fell.
Again.
Again.
Again.
By dusk, Kael could barely stand. But as he leaned against the pillar, he didn't feel defeated.
He felt… alive.
Edrin threw him a waterskin. "Not bad for your first day."
Kael managed a weak grin. "You sound almost proud."
"Don't get used to it."
They sat in silence for a moment, the forest around them humming with soft wind and distant owls.
"Edrin," Kael said quietly. "Why did you lie about my parents?"
The older man stared at the setting sun. "Because I was afraid. Because if you knew who they truly were, you'd try to become them. And that path… it leads to blood."
Kael clenched the pendant in his hand. "Then it's too late. I've already stepped onto it."
That night, in the small cottage they called home, Kael sat alone in the study. The page of Divine Magic floated before him, glowing gently.
He had no idea what it said, but he could feel it.
It was like it knew him.
Lady Arienne knocked at the door.
"Can I come in?"
Kael blinked. "Uh… sure."
She entered quietly, her eyes scanning the page. "That's magic, isn't it? I've seen runes before. But these… they're different."
Kael nodded.
"Everyone's talking about you," she said. "How you saved me. How you fought like a knight."
"I'm not a knight."
"You could be," she said with a soft smile.
Kael looked away. "Why did you really come?"
She hesitated. "To say thank you. And… to warn you. My father—the mayor—got a letter today. From the capital. The King's Guard is sending someone to investigate the attack."
Kael's eyes narrowed. "Why?"
"Because they think you might be the reason it happened."
Outside, storm clouds gathered on the horizon.
Kael stared into the darkness, the pendant glowing in his palm.
He had no titles.
No noble name.
But he had purpose now.
He would learn. He would grow.
He would uncover the secrets behind his family's death.
And when the time came…
He would be ready.
[To Be Continued in Chapter 4: Blades and Bloodlines]
Chapter 3: The First Spark
Morning came with silence. The fires had been extinguished, the monsters driven away, but the scent of ash and blood still clung to the village air like a curse that refused to lift.
Kael stood before the burnt remains of the training post. The sword in his hand felt heavier than ever.
Behind him, children peeked from windows. Villagers whispered. And Lady Arienne, bandaged and pale, stood with her arms folded across her chest, watching from a distance.
Edrin approached. "We need to talk."
Kael didn't turn around. "About the book?"
"No. About you."
Kael stayed silent.
Edrin sighed and placed a small wooden box on the ground beside him. "Your father left this with me. Said to give it to you when the time was right."
Kael crouched and opened it slowly.
Inside was a worn pendant with an insignia he didn't recognize—half sun, half flame—and a single, yellowed page filled with scribbled runes. They glowed faintly as he touched them, like a heartbeat waiting to be awakened.
"That's part of the Divine Magic script," Edrin said. "I can't read it, but your mother could."
"Why give it to me now?" Kael asked.
"Because your magic is awakening. And that page may react to your blood."
Kael stared at the page—and suddenly, light burst from the runes. Not blinding, but warm. The air around him shimmered.
A flicker of wind swirled at his fingertips.
Kael gasped. "I felt that."
Edrin smiled grimly. "That's your spark. The first flame."
Later that day, Kael found himself in a forgotten clearing at the edge of the woods—an old training ground used by Edrin in his younger years. Cracked stones, mossy pillars, and rusted dummies surrounded him like silent judges.
Edrin stood in front of him, a wooden sword in hand. "We'll begin here. Swordsmanship first. Magic later."
Kael nodded, raising his weapon.
"Again!" Edrin barked.
Kael struck. Parried. Missed.
"Too slow!"
Sweat poured from his brow.
"Keep your stance centered!"
His arms screamed. His legs trembled.
He fell.
Again.
Again.
Again.
By dusk, Kael could barely stand. But as he leaned against the pillar, he didn't feel defeated.
He felt… alive.
Edrin threw him a waterskin. "Not bad for your first day."
Kael managed a weak grin. "You sound almost proud."
"Don't get used to it."
They sat in silence for a moment, the forest around them humming with soft wind and distant owls.
"Edrin," Kael said quietly. "Why did you lie about my parents?"
The older man stared at the setting sun. "Because I was afraid. Because if you knew who they truly were, you'd try to become them. And that path… it leads to blood."
Kael clenched the pendant in his hand. "Then it's too late. I've already stepped onto it."
That night, in the small cottage they called home, Kael sat alone in the study. The page of Divine Magic floated before him, glowing gently.
He had no idea what it said, but he could feel it.
It was like it knew him.
Lady Arienne knocked at the door.
"Can I come in?"
Kael blinked. "Uh… sure."
She entered quietly, her eyes scanning the page. "That's magic, isn't it? I've seen runes before. But these… they're different."
Kael nodded.
"Everyone's talking about you," she said. "How you saved me. How you fought like a knight."
"I'm not a knight."
"You could be," she said with a soft smile.
Kael looked away. "Why did you really come?"
She hesitated. "To say thank you. And… to warn you. My father—the mayor—got a letter today. From the capital. The King's Guard is sending someone to investigate the attack."
Kael's eyes narrowed. "Why?"
"Because they think you might be the reason it happened."
Outside, storm clouds gathered on the horizon.
Kael stared into the darkness, the pendant glowing in his palm.
He had no titles.
No noble name.
But he had purpose now.
He would learn. He would grow.
He would uncover the secrets behind his family's death.
And when the time came…
He would be ready.
[To Be Continued in Chapter 4: Blades and Bloodlines]