Chapter 16: Secrets in the Silence

The next week passed quietly.

Kael spent more time alone. Ryuu remained suspicious. Kaede observed, but asked no questions.

One evening, Kaede pulled Kael aside after class. "You don't have to tell me everything," the mentor said. "But I know you're holding back."

Kael looked away. "I don't want to be... that guy. The one everyone thinks is special."

"You don't get to choose what wakes inside you," Kaede replied. "But you do choose what you do with it."

Kael hesitated, then asked, "Do you know anything about a mark? Like a circle of fractured rings around an eye?"

Kaede's face darkened. "That's not something you should've seen. Not yet."

Kael's pulse spiked. "So it is real."

Kaede didn't answer. He just turned away. "Be careful, Kael. There are things in this world older than Wills. And not all of them want to stay asleep."

The air outside felt heavier.

Kael walked into the shadows without fear.

For the first time, they felt like home.