Kael_Duskborn

He wanted nothing but to survive.

But when a cracked stone disk marked him as Chosen, and a vial of emerald liquid whispered promises of power, Kael's fate was no longer his own.

From the ashes of a forgotten village to the heart of ancient cultivator conflicts, Kael must navigate betrayal, forbidden arts, and a secret that could consume his soul—or save the world.

ASHBORN:THE SOULFORGER’S PATH

Two days after Kael first recited the Nameless Verse, the summons came.A chime echoed through the Hollow's main courtyard—soft, metallic, undeniable. Bren stiffened beside him as the sound vibrated through the wooden beams of their shared hall.

"That's the bell," Bren said, eyes bright. "Initiation day."

Kael said nothing, but his pulse quickened.

The initiates were gathered at the base of a moss-covered cliff, beneath a canopy of drooping vines and carved stone faces that looked more weathered than ornamental.

There were twenty of them—boys and girls from different backgrounds, all drawn into Verdant Hollow for different reasons.

Some had families.Some had none.Some had sponsors.

Kael had only a cracked disk and a name no one respected.

A figure stepped onto a high stone ledge above them. Not Elric.

This man was broader, cloaked in bark-colored robes with silver bands across his chest. His hair was bound in tight coils, and a scar split his lower lip like a seam.

"I am Master Halven," he announced. "Overseer of initiates."

"You have not joined a sect. You've entered a profession. You will not be trained to fly on swords or summon fire from your palms. Verdant Hollow does not raise warriors."

"We make people useful. Which is more dangerous."

The test was not a duel. It was a choice.

Each initiate was given three pouches, each containing a different substance. They were told: one is harmless, one is neutral, one is slow poison.

"You may use your senses," Master Halven said. "No tools. No outside help. Choose the harmless one and hand it back. Choose wrong…"

Kael's hands trembled slightly as he opened the first pouch.A dry, grassy scent. Too clean.Second: sour. Faint undertone of decay.Third: bitter, but familiar.

Master Halven raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Kael answered softly."The bitterness matches vinebark dust. It's used to mask the scent of rootworm. Disgusting—but not lethal."

A girl beside Kael dropped to her knees moments after selecting her pouch. Foaming at the mouth. Two others were pulled aside by gray-robed assistants.

Kael didn't ask what happened to them.

When the test ended, Master Halven called out twelve names.

Bren was one of them. So was Kael—last on the list.

"You have been accepted as initiate disciples," Halven said. "Not because of potential—but because of use. Remember that."

Later, as Kael stood at the edge of the herb gardens with Bren, the younger boy clapped him on the back.

"You made the cut," Bren said. "Barely."

Kael didn't smile. "I didn't think I would."

"You probably wouldn't have," Bren said, "if you'd hesitated."

Kael turned to face him. "You didn't hesitate?"

Bren shrugged. "I did. But I guessed right."

Kael nodded once. Then, quietly,"I didn't guess."

That night, Elric stood in the shadows outside the novice quarters, speaking to no one.

A smaller man stepped beside him—one of the assistants.

"You approved the quiet one?" the man asked. "He didn't show spirit. Not like the others."

Elric's expression was unreadable."He showed something better. Control."

He looked up at the stars, voice low.

"Fire burns out. Water flows.But stone… stone endures."

Chapter 8 – Initiate Disciples