Kael asked the housekeeper to formally invite the Fentom family to dinner. Preparations were done for their entertainment. Kael simply took rest today and prepared himself for the luncheon. He would need to act his best without drawing anyone's suspicion.
The dining hall of the Veyne mansion had never felt so alive. Silver platters glistened, candles flickered against polished marble walls, and loud, clumsy laughter echoed across the long oak table.
Jack Fenton slammed a fork down like a jackhammer."This steak is fantastic, Kael! You sure you didn't wrestle it from some ectoplasmic cow?!"
Maddie embarrassed, covered her face, while Kael simply smiled politely, "No ghosts involved, Uncle Jack. Just a chef who knows his craft."
It was a contrast that felt funny to him: the Fentons, chaotic in both speech and manner, sitting in his family's refined halls. He had planned this. They were the keys to repairing the portal in his basement, and more importantly, to piecing together the fragmented truths of the Ghost Zone.
"Actually," Kael began smoothly, "I wanted to thank you both. My parents admired your research. After… their passing, I feel it's my duty to continue their work. To complete what they couldn't. I also want you guys to fix the portal again as I have damaged it. It's my parents last relic and I want to complete it again."
Maddie's eyes softened, her voice hushed. "Kael… I didn't realize. They never spoke of their experiments much, but… you're really taking this seriously? We will help you fix the portal, no problem."
Jack, oblivious, raised his glass. "That's the spirit! A Fenton never quits, even if they're not technically a Fenton!"
Kael smiled, but his mind sharpened like a blade. He was guiding the conversation to his beneficial way.
Between bites and Jack's booming anecdotes, Kael steered the conversation. "Tell me—about the Ghost Zone?"Maddie began, adjusting her tone to sound more serious. "The Ghost Zone is basically this parallel dimension where ghosts and all sorts of supernatural entities live. It runs alongside our world, but the rules are… let's say, a lot wilder and way more chaotic. Some ghosts can come into our world through portals, but only if they—or someone—have special access or powers. They may also come across unstable portals or cracks form between both worlds. Inside the Ghost Zone, you've got ghost cities, prisons, weird landscapes… each area has different types of ghosts and energy. Time and space don't always work the way we expect either, which makes it super unpredictable. This are just our guesses as we don't concrete proof till now."
Kael asked again,"What's the most unusual thing you've discovered about the Ghost Zone?"
Maddie replied, "Its structure isn't linear. It's more like… layered infinities. Some dimensions fold into others. There are rumors of realms ruled by singular entities. Strong ghosts who command entire dominions."
Kael's fork paused midair. Dominions. Rulers. A hierarchy. The pieces aligned with his own fragmented visions and knowledge he knew before.
Jack chimed in, waving a chicken leg like a lecture pointer. "And don't forget Walker's prison! Supposedly the strictest warden in existence, keeps other ghosts in line. Unless it's all just campfire stories…"
Kael hid a smirk. Stories always carried seeds of truth.
"Have you heard," he asked lightly, "of a ghost king?"
Maddie frowned. "Only as myth. Pariah Dark. A bedtime tale parents tell young ghosts. But… there's no proof."
Pariah Dark. The name resonated. A king asleep, a throne abandoned. If such a power existed, it would mean opportunity—or annihilation.
He leaned back, feigning casual interest. "Fascinating. The more I hear, the more I realize how much I need to learn."
Danny and Jazz listened to the conversation. They were slightly confused about Kael's sudden motivation but they were regardless happy for him to open up with people again. Jazz urged Kael to return to class. Danny also invited Kael to play again. Kael reassured Jazz and told Danny he would go when he will be free.
After lunch, the Fentons left with warm goodbyes, Jack accidentally shattering a vase on his way out. Kael didn't mind; their presence had given him what he needed: knowledge, validation, and the subtle push forward.
Hours later, the mansion had fallen silent. Kael came down to the basement. The portal stood there like a dormant beast. Burned metal, fractured wires and the faint scent lingering marked the place of his rebirth.
He stood before it, eyes glowing faint blue in the darkness."So this is where it all began. Fire, electricity, and time itself tearing me apart… and remaking me."
His aura flickered to life—electric blue with ripples of silver threading outward like fractured glass. The basement shifted around him. Dust floated slower.Kael raised a hand, studying the glow between his fingers."The Fentons see technology. Vlad sees ambition. Danny… when his time comes, he'll see burden. But me? I see a new world waiting for me."
He closed his eyes, the fire in his chest building."This portal will be more than my parents' legacy. It will be my gateway—to allies, to dominion, to power that no ghost king can strip away."
The air grew colder. His aura flared. From the shadows behind him, fabric began to weave itself, strands of ectoplasmic energy twisting into form. A cape. Midnight black, lined with silver threads that shimmered like starlight against his aura. It wrapped around his shoulders with a weight that felt ancient, inevitable.
Kael opened his eyes, now burning with silver-blue light, the cape billowing in a wind that wasn't there. He raised his hand, the cape followed his movement like an extension of his thought—shielding when he willed it, turning into smoke before appearing again. It wasn't just a clothing. It was his manifestation."I won't stumble in Danny's shadow. By the time his story begins, mine will already be written. I will be the timeless storm they whisper about in the Ghost Zone."
His voice dropped, calm yet absolute, carrying the weight of a vow.
"I am Kael Veyne. And in this world—human and ghost both—will be my dominion. Not as a tyrant. Not as a savior. But as the maintainer of peace and balance. The guardian of both zones. I'm Tempest."
The basement echoed with silence, the portal looming, the cape seemed alive. For the first time since his rebirth, Kael didn't feel like a boy struggling against fate. He felt complete. His power has taken its shape. Not a mimicry of Vlad's, not Danny's jumpsuit. But his own legacy.
And in the distant Ghost Zone, something ancient stirred, as if it had heard his promise.