The moon hovered above Ardent Academy, veiled in a haze of soulclouds, casting silver light over the silent corridors. Most students slept, recovering from the chaos of the day's duel.
Kael did not.
He stood atop the eastern watch balcony, Emberfang resting across his back, the wind tugging at his cloak. His mind raced—not from adrenaline, but from the latest system alert.
"Soul Quest: Shadow Among the Ashes
—Objective: Track the observer following you.
—Time Remaining: 47:02
—Warning: Observer is cloaked. May possess advanced soul-concealment techniques."
Kael's eyes narrowed. "System, can you isolate any anomalies?"
"Scanning…
—Soul Veil Detected. Suppressed presence in the North Archive Wing. Moving. Not faculty."
He moved instantly, vanishing into the stairwell, his footfalls silent. Moments later, he passed through the shadowed corridor leading to the North Wing—a section reserved for relic studies and often sealed after dark.
But the seal had been broken.
A soft whisper of magic still hung in the air. Recent.
Kael unsheathed Emberfang, the blade dimming to a ghostly red to mask its light. He stepped inside.
---
The North Archive was cold. Too cold.
Rows of glass cases and artifact shelves lined the walls, but Kael's eyes went straight to the back a figure crouched beside a soul-crystal container, trying to extract it with gloved hands.
Whoever they were, they moved like a professional.
Kael stepped forward, quiet.
The figure froze.
Then without warning they vanished in a blur of motion, leaving behind a single dagger embedded in the floor… marked with the sigil of *House Drayle*.
Kael hissed. "Cowards."
But as he reached down to inspect the weapon, the system pulsed sharply:
"Soul Residue Detected: Hybrid Trait - Echo Twin
—Ability: Shadow clone left behind to mislead pursuers.
—Caution: Real target still nearby."
Instinct kicked in.
Kael spun just in time to intercept a flash of steel aimed for his back. The impact sent him skidding, blade locked against a dark-robed attacker with a porcelain half-mask.
"You're faster than they said," the assassin muttered.
Kael shoved him back. "They?"
"I wasn't sent to kill you," the masked figure said, circling. "Just to see if you're… truly becoming one of them."
Kael's heart pounded. "One of what?"
The assassin leapt forward, blades flashing—Kael blocked, countered, parried. Their fight was fast, nearly silent, a deadly dance in the dark.
But Kael had changed.
He activated *Burn Mark*, slicing the attacker's shoulder.
The figure gasped, stumbled and Kael tackled him to the ground, ripping off the half-mask.
Beneath it was a girl. Young. Pale. Eyes glowing faintly with a strange dual-color shimmer—red and silver.
Elira burst in seconds later, staff ready. "Kael—!"
Kael didn't look up. "She's not just an assassin. She's something else."
The girl trembled, whispering, "You have no idea what you're awakening. The Forge isn't just a weapon… it's a gate."
Kael grabbed her collar. "Who sent you?"
"I serve a House that no longer exists. But your enemy… is already here. Beneath your feet."
Her eyes rolled back. Before they could stop her, a pulse of soul energy burst from her chest erasing her presence completely.
Gone. As if she were never there.
The system pulsed:
"Target Vanished. Trace Corrupted.
—Memory Fragment Absorbed: 17%
—New Hidden Trait Unlocked: Soul Sense (Unstable)"
Elira stepped back, wide-eyed. "Kael… what was that?"
He rose slowly. "A warning. And a gift."
He looked out the arched window toward the dark horizon.
"If the Forge is a gate… then what exactly am I opening?"