The Valeris carriage was cramped, smelling of expensive leather and Ren's nervous perspiration. Ren, still buzzing from his duel win and Lord Darius's praise, was loud. "This is it, Kael! Astraea is only the first step. I'll master the wind and become a great Master one day! You should be grateful you're even coming; your job is just to sketch."
"Your enthusiasm is statistically excessive, Ren," Kael said, his voice flat.
Ren scoffed. "And your words are dry, Kael. Why are you so silent, Lyra? Are you nervous?"
Lyra, already carrying the calm maturity of her spiritual calling, spoke, her voice soft but firm, her gaze fixed out the window. "We are walking into the heart of the kingdom's power. Your potential, Ren, is your power. Kael's potential is unknown. Jealousy will only limit yours."
Ren instantly went silent, shame heating his ears. Lyra, with her green eyes and quiet wisdom, held a surprising, immediate authority.
The Palace itself was an affront to Kael's very being. As the carriage passed through the enormous main gate, the permanent Conceptual Anchor wards resonated, causing the very air to vibrate with controlled energy. Kael's body was instantly enveloped in a crushing wave of pressure and a sharp, unnatural coldness that shot up his arms.
His vision swam. The Palace was not merely stone; it was a colossus woven of light, marble, and power. Every window gleamed with layered Conceptual Seals, and the very foundation stones pulsed with deep, indigo energy.
"Warning, Kael! Conceptual density exceeding previously recorded parameters," Eli pulsed into his mind. "Main structural wards are causing core interference. Initiate immediate, intense focus."
Kael forced his mind to go utterly blank, drowning out the physical pain with rigid control. He managed to follow Ren and Lyra out of the carriage without stumbling.
They were met by a lean, severe man: the Steward, Master Gerren. Gerren ignored the two orphans entirely, his gaze fixed on Kael. "Welcome to the Palace," he said, his voice dry and hostile. "You will be sleeping in the East Wing storage annex. Do not touch the artifacts."
Their training began instantly with Father Tiran, who stood in a small, consecrated chamber lit only by several glowing Conceptual assessment crystals. Ren stepped forward first, and the crystals flared spectacularly, crackling with uncontrolled ambition. Lyra followed, and the crystals glowed with a soft, steady, pure emerald light.
Then Kael stepped into the circle. The crystals simply went dark.
Tiran stared at the blank surfaces, deeply concerned. "The reading is a Null-Void. It's not that you have no Conceptual Filter—it's that our instruments cannot register your core at all. There is an absence where there should be presence."
The Priest was quickly mollified, and Kael later observed Lyra and Ren in their first study session. Lyra was painstakingly learning the proper channeling techniques, and Ren was already experimenting with complex Conceptual Link articulations. Kael watched, his internal world focused on stabilizing his core.
Then, Lord Darius called Kael away. Darius was seated in his study, the metal walker propped nearby.
"The blueprints," Darius said, tapping a scroll. "I sent your idea to the forge immediately. Now, the full detailed diagram, Kael. Show me what you can do."
Kael set to work. The pencil felt heavy. "Initiate drafting protocol," Eli directed, and Kael began to draw the perfect, complex structural design for the prosthetic, struggling to translate Eli's physics into crude, understandable lines.
"You're a clever one," Darius noted, watching Kael's focused movements. "You can go to the library now. The Butler will give you your limited access pass."
Kael retrieved his limited access pass from the butler. As he headed toward the library entrance, Master Gerren (the Steward) was waiting near the main hall. Gerren didn't look at Kael, but his voice was a cold whisper: "That pass allows you to view the texts, boy. It does not mean you are welcome. You will return that pass to my desk personally before midnight, every night. Fail once, and your training ends. Understood?" Kael simply nodded, acknowledging the new, rigid rule designed solely for him.
The Valeris Grand Library was not merely a room; it was a cathedral of knowledge. The ceilings soared fifty feet high, lined with hundreds of thousands of scrolls and bound texts. Dust motes danced in the light filtering through the stained-glass windows, illuminating rows of towering wooden shelves that seemed to disappear into the upper gloom.
The ground floor, however, was filled mostly with books of "Flowery Histories and Noble Genealogies"—utterly useless. Kael found a dusty, uninteresting corner.
This is a massive waste of time, Eli, Kael thought, annoyed. I can't find anything practical.
"Negative," Eli immediately countered. "Information is information. Initiate passive data extraction protocol. I will analyze the structural concepts and fill the data into your central processing unit without physically disturbing the ambient energy."
Kael began to flip pages, bored. But the moment his eyes registered the words, Eli's system activated. Text, diagrams, formulas, even the subtle details of the Conceptual Weave—everything was scanned, broken down, and filed away with impossible speed. Within an hour, Kael had "read" half of the ground floor collection, absorbing a foundational knowledge of the kingdom's conceptual theories and historical power structures.
Kael eventually found Lyra in a secluded courtyard. She was seated by a small fire, sweating heavily. Next to her was a small, squealing pig with a large, fresh slice across its flank. Lyra was performing a basic healing incantation (a complex link of Body -> Restoration).
"The wound is closing too slowly," Lyra muttered, frustrated. Her face was flushed, her core energy clearly near depletion.
Lord Darius approached the scene. "How are you progressing, children?"
Lyra managed a final surge of will, and the pig's wound knit together completely. She immediately collapsed backward, utterly spent.
"Well done, Lyra," Darius praised. "You expended all your core energy, but you saved the creature. Your dedication is remarkable, child."
Ren, not to be outdone, quickly stepped forward and showed a new spell, creating a small, contained sphere of rotating air in his hands. Darius complemented him loudly.
Darius then turned to Kael. "Your blueprint was sent to Master Forrin. He believes he can have the rough components forged and ready for assembly in three or four days." Darius looked Kael up and down. "Since you have no Conceptual Filter... you must learn to rely on your body. My bodyguard will teach you some basic swordsmanship. Rest, and come back tomorrow."
Lyra wiped the sweat from her eyes, and all three bowed.
Lord Darius watched the trio depart, then addressed his Butler. "Tell me, why are we giving these children this much support?"
Darius laughed softly. "Ren is worthy—he is a protégé whose learning curve is unnatural; I don't know how he isn't noble. And Lyra? Her spiritual potential is a gift to this House." He paused, his gaze softening as he recalled Kael. "But the boy Kael... he is unique. I have seen only one person like him: less talk, and only speaks important, calculated concepts." Darius leaned back, a flicker of something ancient in his eyes. "He reminds me of the smartest military strategist alive: General Veyl. The man who brought four kingdoms to their knees."