(The frozen battlefield is silent, except for the soft crackling of the Ice Bear's remains turning to mist. Sun leans against a tree, flexing his half-healed hand, while Elyse watches Kael cautiously. Kael, still kneeling, stares at his sword.)
Kael (muttering): "This power… it wasn't mine. I didn't even think… I just moved."
Elyse (crossing her arms): "You better start figuring it out, because that was not normal. Not even close."
Sun (grinning despite the pain): "Yeah, no offense, but you were kinda… godlike for a second."
(Kael frowns, gripping his sword tighter. But before he can respond—)
—A magical shimmer appears in the sky.
(The three of them instinctively look up as a faint distortion fades—someone had been watching.)
Kael (narrowing his eyes): "That's…"
(Alden.)
Alden's Observation
(Far from the battlefield, within the castle walls, Alden slowly releases his magic, the scrying spell dissipating in his hands. His expression is unreadable, his thoughts a storm of uncertainty.)
Alden (to himself): "That boy… He couldn't have just…"
(He leans back, closing his eyes. What he had just witnessed was impossible. Even among the greatest warriors, none could have moved like that—like pure light itself.)
(He had suspected Kael was different. But this?)
(This was something else.)
Alden (thinking): "The Absolute Light… Could it really be possible?"
(He had spent decades searching, waiting for the one who could wield its full power. But even now, he hesitated. What he saw today—was that truly Kael's power? Or was it something else entirely?)
(If Kael really was the vessel… then the war had only just begun.)
Returning to Alden
(Kael, Sun, and Elyse return to the castle, their clothes still torn from battle. Sun is casually tossing a rock up and down with his remaining fingers, while Elyse seems deep in thought. Kael, however, remains silent, his mind still trapped in the moment he defeated the Ice Bear.)
Elyse (glancing at Kael): "You've been quiet."
Kael: "Just thinking."
Sun (snorting): "That's a first."
(Kael doesn't even react, which worries Elyse more than anything. The Kael she knows would've thrown a punch or at least rolled his eyes.)
(When they enter Alden's chamber, the old man is already waiting.)
(His gaze lingers on Kael for a moment too long.)
Alden: "You've returned. And I see your mission was… eventful."
Sun (grinning): "Eventful? I lost some fingers! And Kael—"
Kael (interrupting, serious): "You knew, didn't you?"
(Alden raises an eyebrow.)
Kael (firm, stepping forward): "You knew something was going to happen. That Ice Bear wasn't normal. And my power… it wasn't normal either."
(Alden is silent for a moment, then lets out a slow breath.)
Alden: "I suspected you had potential, but… what I witnessed was beyond expectation."
(His words are careful, measured. Kael studies him, sensing something unspoken beneath his calm demeanor.)
Kael: "What are you not telling me?"
(Alden hesitates. The truth is—he doesn't know. He doesn't know if Kael is truly the vessel for the Absolute Light. He doesn't even know if Kael himself can control that power. And if he can't… it may destroy him.)
(So instead, Alden folds his hands and says—)
Alden: "Nothing, for now."
(Kael's eyes narrow.)
Kael: "That's bull—"
Alden (interrupting, firm): "Enough. This isn't something you can understand yet."
(His voice is sharp, leaving no room for argument. Kael clenches his fists but doesn't push further.)
Alden (calmer now): "You need training. Immediately."
Kael (gritting his teeth): "Training? I don't even know what I did back there."
Alden: "And that is exactly why you need it."
(He stands, turning his back to them.)
Alden: "Rest tonight. Tomorrow, your real journey begins."
(Kael's fingers tighten around his sword hilt, frustration simmering inside him. He doesn't just need training—he needs answers.)
(And he'll get them, one way or another.)