The sky was calm as Kael, Mikaho, Ashen, and Zehr walked back toward the academy. But none of them felt calm inside. The warning from the Old Watcher still echoed in their heads.
"The fear you prepare for… is not the fear that comes."
Kael kept glancing at the others, especially Ashen. The usually silent warrior looked troubled. His one hand was clenched tightly. Even Zehr wasn't cracking jokes this time.
Mikaho walked close to Kael, quiet as always. Her eyes kept returning to the broken signal stone now hanging around her neck like a necklace.
At the academy gates, Master Ruden was already waiting. He stood with arms crossed, his scarred face unreadable.
"You've been gone too long," he said.
"We found something," Kael replied, handing over the remaining part of the stone. "Something ancient. A warning."
They were led into the Hall of Voices, where the high-ranking Veilbreakers sat. This time, even Ashen stayed silent as Kael told them everything: the red glow, the cave, the drawings, the sealed coffin, and the voice.
When he finished, Master Ruden stood up slowly.
"There were once beings we feared more than demons," he said. "They were sealed not to die, but to sleep forever. You woke one of them."
"It warned us," Mikaho added softly. "It said we weren't ready."
"And we're not," Ruden replied. "Not yet."
That night, the academy was quieter than usual. Whispers passed through the halls. Some students claimed the ground shook. Others said they saw shadows moving in the trees.
Kael sat by the training yard, staring at the moon. Mikaho sat beside him.
"Do you think we'll ever be ready?" Kael asked.
Mikaho didn't answer right away. Then, softly, she said, "I don't know. But you… you make me believe we can be."
Kael looked at her, surprised.
She looked away quickly, blushing. "Not just you. All of us."
He smiled a little.
Just then, Zehr ran over, holding a letter. "Kael! It's from the capital. The council wants to meet you."
Kael blinked. "Me? Why?"
Zehr shrugged. "Maybe because you woke up a dead guy?"
Ashen appeared behind them without a sound. "This isn't a reward," he said. "It's the beginning of something."
Kael held the letter, feeling its weight. The seal was black. That meant it wasn't a normal message. It was official. Secret.
As the wind blew softly through the academy walls, Kael knew one thing:
The peace they felt now… wouldn't last long.
Next Episode Preview:Kael travels to the capital for the first time. But what awaits him in the heart of the empire isn't just politics or questions. It's a test—a dangerous one.