Kael sat at the edge of the training yard long after the others had left. His arm still throbbed from Darius's flames, but that pain was nothing compared to the hollow weight pressing in his chest.
The laughter lingered in his ears. The looks of pity. The way the instructor's eyes slid past him as though he wasn't worth the effort.
Why am I even here?
He stared at his bandaged hand, fingers trembling. He'd nearly lost control again. If Shadowfire had burst free in front of them all…
He squeezed his fist shut. No. I can't. Not yet.
A voice broke his thoughts.
"You know… you move pretty well for someone who's supposedly useless."
Kael looked up, startled. A girl leaned against the courtyard wall, half-hidden in shadow. Her auburn hair caught the dim lantern light, her eyes bright with mischief that didn't quite mask something sharper underneath.
"Lyra," Kael muttered. He remembered her from orientation. She'd laughed at some of Darius's jabs, hadn't she?
She shrugged as if reading his thoughts. "Don't glare at me. I laugh at everyone. But I was watching closely today. You almost had him."
Kael gave a bitter laugh. "Almost? I didn't land a single strike."
"Almost," Lyra repeated firmly. She stepped closer, crouching to meet his eyes. "You didn't give up. Do you know how rare that is around here? Most of them quit the moment they're outmatched. But you kept moving. You kept thinking. That's not weakness, Kael. That's survival."
Her words stung—not because they were cruel, but because they felt dangerously close to hope.
"Survival isn't enough," he said quietly.
Lyra tilted her head, studying him. Then she grinned, sudden and bright. "Then don't just survive. Get strong enough that people like Darius choke on their own arrogance."
He blinked at her. "Why are you even talking to me?"
She leaned back, smirk still in place, though her eyes softened. "Because I know what it feels like to be looked at like you don't belong. And because…" Her gaze flickered, unreadable for a moment. "Maybe I like underdogs."
Kael didn't know how to answer. He wasn't used to people staying after the jeering stopped.
Lyra stood and offered him a hand. "Come on. You need food. Brooding on empty stomachs only makes the shadows louder."
He hesitated… then took her hand. Her grip was steady, pulling him to his feet with surprising strength.
As they walked back toward the dorms, Kael glanced at her. She wasn't mocking him. She wasn't pitying him. She was just there.
It was strange… and strangely comforting.
But even as a small ember of warmth sparked inside him, Kael couldn't shake the memory of Darius's whispered words.
Whatever that spark was, Ardyn… I'll drag it out of you.
Kael's steps faltered.
What if Darius was right? What if Shadowfire couldn't stay hidden?
Lyra glanced at him. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," he lied.
But in his chest, the fire stirred again, restless, hungry. And Kael knew it was only a matter of time before someone forced it into the open.