Chapter 34: Shadows of Guilt

Kael's eyes snapped open.

The ceiling above him was unfamiliar—bright, sterile white lights flickering faintly overhead. His body ached like he'd fought for days, but it was the tight knot in his chest that hit first.

He sat up fast—too fast.

"Whoa, whoa!" Tetsu's voice called from nearby. "Easy, bro. You've been out almost a day."

Kael's head turned. Tetsu sat in a chair beside his bed, looking relieved but tense.

Kael's voice cracked. "Is everyone… are they okay?"

Tetsu hesitated.

"Yeah. We're fine. Mostly. Hana just…" He exhaled. "She got scratched. It's nothing serious."

Kael's shoulders stiffened. His eyes widened as the memory came flooding back—the burst of power, the darkness, Hana's voice, her blood—

He looked down at his hands.

"Stupid… I'm so stupid," Kael muttered. "I let it happen. I lost control. I hurt her."

"Kael," Tetsu started, but Kael was already swinging his legs off the bed.

"I need air."

Before Tetsu could stop him, Kael slipped out of the infirmary. His thoughts screamed louder with every step. The campus passed by in a blur—students, trees, training arenas—all of it meaningless now.

He didn't stop until he hit the edge of the Wildzone border.

There, Kael waited.

He called out with his Will—and two corrupted beasts answered.

One leapt from the treetops, a lizard-like creature with molten eyes. The other slithered from the ground, a burrower covered in hardened bone.

Kael didn't hesitate. No tactics. No form.

Just rage.

The fight was fast and violent. Beasts screeched. Bones cracked. Kael's fists glowed with raw Voidstep energy, every blow a silent scream of frustration.

When the last beast fell, Kael dropped to one knee, panting. Blood—his and theirs—stained the dirt around him.

"You're bleeding," a voice said behind him.

Kaede.

Kael didn't turn. "I deserve worse."

Kaede approached quietly. "You really think running off alone was the smart play?"

"It's my fault," Kael said, voice low and raw. "All of it. I couldn't control it. Now she's hurt because of me."

Kaede folded his arms. "It's a scratch, Kael."

"But it could've been worse," Kael snapped, turning to face him. His eyes were glassy, his voice shaking. "What if I'd aimed higher? What if I didn't stop? She could've died. And I wouldn't have even known until it was too late."

Kaede looked at him for a long moment, then sighed. "We're training with powers that can level cities. Mistakes happen. What matters is that you learn control—not punish yourself into the ground."

Kael didn't respond. He just walked past him, dragging his feet.

He returned to the academy, ignoring the stares. He entered his dorm room and shut the door behind him, not bothering with the lights.

He didn't show up for dinner.

Or breakfast.

He just sat there, alone in the dark, staring at nothing—his posture slumped, eyes dull, face twisted in quiet torment.

When Tetsu came knocking around lunchtime, he opened the door and froze.

Kael sat on his bed, looking like a shadow of himself.

Like all the light had been drained.

Like a shell. Like a haunted, burdened version of the boy he once knew.

Tetsu recognized the expression. He didn't say the name out loud.

"Kael…" he said gently. "It was an accident."

Kael didn't blink.

"I almost killed her."

Tetsu stepped inside. "She's not mad. No one is. You just need to get stronger. That's all."

Still, Kael didn't move.

Hours passed. The sun began to set.

And then, Eri came.

She didn't knock—she just opened the door like she belonged there. She stood in the doorway with her arms crossed, eyes sharp as ever.

"If I know my sister," she said, "she doesn't hold grudges."

Kael looked up, barely.

Eri continued, softer this time. "She's not the type to hate someone for being afraid of their own strength. Especially not someone kind enough to blame themselves for a mistake."

Kael didn't answer.

He just sat there.

Still.

Silent.

Buried under the weight of what he could have done.