Kael woke to the sound of breathing that was not his own.
For a brief, disorienting moment, panic surged through him. His eyes snapped open, pupils contracting as he took in an unfamiliar stone above him, the faint glow of crystal light, and the dull ache that spread through every muscle in his body.
He sucked in a sharp breath.
The movement sent pain flaring through his chest and temples. His face tightened instinctively, jaw clenching as he forced himself not to cry out. He tasted iron and blood dried at the corner of his mouth.
"You're awake."
The voice was low, steady.
Kael turned his head slowly. Seris sat on a stone crate beside the bedroll, arms folded, her posture rigid with exhaustion. Her sharp features were softened now, dark circles beneath her pale gray eyes, lips pressed thin in worry she clearly hadn't slept enough to hide.
Her braided hair had come loose entirely, falling around her face in uneven strands.
"You fainted," she said. "Dramatically. Made quite the impression."
Kael swallowed. "Did I…?"
"You lived," she interrupted. "Which is more than I expected, if I'm being honest."
He let out a weak breath that might have been a laugh.
As he shifted, he caught sight of his reflection in a polished shard of metal resting nearby. He barely recognized himself.
His black hair lay tangled and wild against the bedroll, framing a face drained of color. His eyes looked too old somehow, as if something heavy had settled behind them and refused to leave.
He looked… changed.
"How long?" he asked.
"Most of the night."
The word night landed hard on Kael like a brick.
Kael pushed himself upright slowly, wincing in pain as his muscles protested. Seris stood immediately, placing a firm hand on his shoulder.
"Don't," she said. "You burned yourself out. Whatever you did down there, it wasn't normal."
"I know," Kael whispered.
The dragon stirred within him, not loud, not intrusive.
You chose to feel what others refuse to, the dragon said to him. That has a cost.
Kael closed his eyes briefly, letting that truth settle. When he opened them again, determination had replaced some of the lingering fear.
"What happened after that?" he asked.0
Seris hesitated.
"They didn't touch you," she said finally. "The beastfolk, I mean. They carried you here like you were… fragile."
Her mouth twisted faintly, uncomfortable with the word.
"They're scared," she added. "Not of you exactly. but what you represent."
Kael absorbed that in silence.
He had spent his life unseen. Now, the idea of being feared sat like a stone in his stomach.
A shadow fell across the chamber entrance.
A Beastfolk stepped inside.
Up close, the beastfolk leader looked more tired than imposing. His face mostly human, broad and lined carried the weight of years spent protecting others. His amber eyes fixed on Kael's face immediately, searching for something.
"You're awake," the beastfolk said.
Kael inclined his head respectfully. "I didn't mean to cause trouble."
he snorted softly. "You stopped it. Trouble would have been easier."
He stepped closer, studying Kael openly now ,the youth in his features, the exhaustion etched into his expression, the unnatural clarity in his eyes.
"You feel things," the beastfolk said slowly. "Things most people learn to ignore."
Kael's hands curled into the blanket. "I don't know how to stop."
"Good," the beastfolk replied. "Because the world doesn't need more people who can and my name is Harek the leader of this settlement." he introduced himself
That surprised Kael enough to look up.
Harek continued, "Hunters were on the eastern road last night. Not beast hunters—dragon-contractors. Men who profit from corruption."
Seris stiffened. "They're moving fast."
"They always do when something changes," Harek said. His gaze returned to Kael. "They will hear about what happened here."
Kael felt the truth of that settle heavily on his chest.
"What do you want from me?" he asked quietly.
Harek was silent for a moment.
"Nothing," he said at last. "But the road east leads to Lorri's Arch Academy. Scholars. Engineers. Mages. People who still ask why."
The dragon's presence warmed.
There, it said. You will learn restraint. And opposition.
Kael looked down at his hands.
They were shaking again, not with fear, but with anticipation he didn't trust.
"I don't want to become a weapon," he said.
Seris met his gaze, something fierce and honest in her eyes. "Then don't let them decide for you."
Harek stepped aside, gesturing toward the cavern exit where faint daylight filtered in.
"The road won't be kind," he said. "But it's yours now."
Kael stood up.
His legs trembled, but he remained upright. When he lifted his head, his face still young, still marked by exhaustion held a quiet resolve. His eyes were steady, reflective, alive with the burden of choice.
For the first time, Kael Osborn understood something clearly:
Power did not make him special.
Responsibility did.
And as he stepped toward the light, the world shifted ever so slightly around him.