The letter arrived the next morning.
Not by courier. Not by eagle.
It appeared, suspended in the air, forged of living flame, wrapped in silk-thin chains of gold essence. Kaelion watched as it floated silently above his training grounds, hovering like a divine message.
He reached for it.
The flames folded inward, and the scroll unraveled in his palm.
> To Kaelion Draythorne,
You are hereby invited to attend the Celestial Academy under Provisional Rank.
Entry by invitation only. Record: Dreadmaw Eliminated, Tier-4. Confirmed by Corebound Witness (Velra Aurelian).
Initial assessment scheduled within three days. Report to the Iron Gate at Highmist.
Signed,
Headmaster Veyros of the Infinite Seal.
Kael read the lines twice.
The words didn't feel real—not because of what they said, but because of who they came from.
The Celestial Academy wasn't a school.
It was the highest seat of cultivation, strategy, warfare, and political shaping across the Six Kingdoms. Even his siblings hadn't all made it through its trials.
Velra had handed him a door.
But walking through it would mean war—not just with the world, but with his family.
---
He arrived at the main estate gates later that day, the letter in hand.
The guards stepped aside as he passed, wordlessly.
He entered the main hall where the six elder siblings stood again, already gathered.
This time, they were waiting for him.
"Three days?" Magnar said slowly. "They never give three days to prepare."
Flare's golden eyes narrowed. "Who sent this?"
Kaelion dropped the scroll on the table.
"You already know."
Sylvaine tilted her head. "Velra of the Flameborne. Of course."
Zephyra scoffed. "And you sparred with her. Alone."
"I didn't lose."
Thorne smiled faintly. It was the first emotion Kael had seen on him in years.
But it was Flare who leaned forward next.
"If you walk through those gates, Kaelion, there's no going back."
"I don't intend to."
"You'll be competing with heirs from war clans. Coreborn royalty. Future generals. They will not go easy on you."
"I'm not looking for ease," he said. "I'm looking for answers."
Frostelle raised an eyebrow. "To what?"
Kaelion's eyes sharpened.
"To what I'm becoming."
---
Later, he stood on the cliff beyond the estate, wind dragging at his cloak, hair flicking across his face. Below him, the road to Highmist shimmered in the afternoon sun.
The System hummed faintly in his chest.
> [Provisional Path Unlocked.]
[Location: Celestial Academy – Iron Gate Sector.]
[Ranking Path Activated. Begin at F-Class Assessment.]
> [Reward for Participation: +1 Corebreaker Point]
[Optional Challenge: Place Top 3. Bonus – Skill Memory Unlock.]
Kaelion exhaled slowly.
This wasn't just another trial.
It was a declaration.
The world would know he existed.
Not as a forgotten son.
Not as a powerless noble.
But as the Corebreaker.