Kael didn't sleep that night.
How could he?
Azrion's voice still echoed in his mind—calm, terrifying, strangely comforting.
It wasn't a dream. The crack in the mirror, the glowing crest on his chest—it was all real.
He sat on the edge of his bed, hands trembling.
> "What are you…?" he whispered into the dark.
> "I am everything they fear you will become."
Kael flinched. The voice was back.
> "Why are you inside me?"
> "Because fate is cruel… but it is not blind."
"In your silence, I saw my own."
"And now, our destinies bleed into one."
Kael didn't understand. He couldn't.
> "I don't want to destroy the world…"
> "Good. Neither did I… until the world destroyed mine."
Magus Academy Grounds, the next day
Kael walked slowly through the stone corridors, trying to ignore the stares.
Every student that passed gave him the same look—disgust, pity, or amusement.
They had seen his test.
They had heard the silence of the crystal.
To them, Kael was a joke.
> "Hey crestless," a student smirked, "what's the point of coming to class? Gonna learn how to mop floors magically?"
Laughter. Cruel, sharp, cutting.
Kael didn't respond.
But Azrion did.
> "Break his jaw."
Kael froze mid-step. "W-what…?"
> "His arrogance is loud. His strength is borrowed. One punch, and he shatters."
"You could do it."
Kael's fists clenched.
> "I'm not like you."
> "No. You're weaker."
> "Shut up."
> "Make me."
The voice laughed—a low, ancient chuckle that sounded like fire cracking through ice.
Kael shook his head, walking faster.
But deep down… something inside him stirred.
Later that evening – Library Archives
Kael was alone again, sitting between dusty bookshelves.
He tried to study. Tried to ignore the emptiness.
But the silence screamed louder than any words on the page.
> "Why me…?" he muttered. "Why did you choose me?"
> "I didn't."
"You called me."
> "Your soul cried for someone. For anyone. And I… was the only one who listened."
Kael leaned his head back against the wall.
> "I'm not strong. I'm not chosen. I don't even know what I'm doing here."
Azrion's voice softened.
> "And yet, you endure."
"Do you not see how rare that is?"
> "The weak crumble. The strong pretend."
"But you… you carry the weight of nothingness and still keep walking."
Kael's chest ached.
Tears slipped down his cheek without permission.
> "I'm just tired…"
> "Then rest."
"But know this—your suffering is the soil. And from it, something monstrous is about to bloom."
Midnight – Kael's Room
He lay in bed, eyes open, watching the ceiling as moonlight painted the floor.
Suddenly—
His crest pulsed again.
Stronger this time. Like a heartbeat syncing with something... ancient.
He sat up.
"Azrion?"
> "I'm here."
> "Your mark… it is awakening. Slowly."
"You won't be able to hide it much longer."
Kael swallowed hard.
> "What will happen to me…?"
> "You will be hunted."
"By gods. By kings. By monsters dressed in gold."
"But they will never see what's coming."
> "Because they will not expect you."
Kael looked at his trembling hands.
The once faded symbol on his chest now flickered—dim, but alive.
And for the first time… a spark lit behind his eyes.
> "Then teach me. If I'm going to be hunted…"
He stood up.
> "I won't run."
Azrion's voice smiled.
> "Good."
"Because soon, Kael…"
"They will learn the cost of forgetting the demons they buried."
END OF CHAPTER 2