The sky had only just begun to pale when heavy fog rolled down over the training grounds.
A single figure sprinted across the stone paths, his movements sharp and fluid—Proctor Kael, the Mad Sword.
He had leapt from Aerys's chamber moments earlier and was already vanishing from the Academy grounds. His martial mastery was so refined that even an Arbiter would struggle to sense him if he chose concealment.
And yet—
He was not unseen.
From the upper terrace, two figures watched him go.
One was a middle-aged man with long red hair, his posture relaxed, his presence overwhelming despite his stillness.
Retired.Praetor Leos Alumnis.
Dean of the Imperial Academy.
Beside him stood the Chief Arbiter.
"That rat… I mean, Proctor Kael is leaving," the Arbiter muttered.
Leos did not look away. "Good. You did well to let him be."
"It was an order," the Arbiter replied irritably. "At least now I won't have to pretend I don't notice him sneaking around under my nose."
They had known all along.
Kael had been entering Aerys's room well beyond his authorized hours with the cadets of his House. The patrols in that sector had been deliberately light.
On purpose.
"I'll restore Arbiter presence in that area," the man added.
"Yes," Leos said calmly. "You may."
Leos turned to leave.
The Arbiter hesitated, then asked, "Why does he care so much about the Fifth Prince?"
Leos stopped.
Allowing Kael to train Aerys had violated Academy protocol—something Leos himself had once enforced without mercy. If not for a direct imperial order, he would never have permitted it.
"It is," Leos said quietly, "to be fair."
The Arbiter scoffed. "So every child matters equally to him?"
Leos shook his head once.
"Do not question the Emperor's will."
Then he was gone.
The Arbiter exhaled slowly, eyes narrowing toward the fog-covered grounds.
"Hah. I couldn't catch him even if I tried."
He frowned.
"It was only a few days," he muttered. "Will it really make a difference?"
Aerys remained unconscious.
Morning training had already begun, yet he lay motionless in bed, his body locked in violent reconstruction.
Within him, ODI stirred.
Your flesh resists.he said
Essence surged, pressing through muscle and bone. Joints shifted The shape of him was being rewritten, not taught but forced.
Essence surged through his body, reshaping muscle fibers, reinforcing tendons, recalibrating balance and flexibility—forcing his frame to adapt to the demands of the sky Sword Dance.
Kael's movements.
His body had begun changing the moment Kael left.
That's too slow, Aerys thought dimly, half-aware.
Kael's steps demand a body that you do not have. I am remaking you. Do not resist.odi said
The pressure deepened. Something old in Aerys screamed—an instinct older than fear—then fell silent.
It is done.
You may rise.
Aerys jolted awake.
He barely had time to roll to the side before vomiting violently onto the stone floor.
"Ugh—!"
His body convulsed, nerves screaming under the strain. His heart pounded as if he had fought for hours.
This was normal.
A body forcibly reshaped to match a veteran warrior's movements always rebelled.
He barely rolled aside before his stomach betrayed him, bile splashing against the cold stone. His entire body convulsed. Nerves burned. His pulse thundered, wild and uneven, as if he had crossed a battlefield in his sleep.
This pain means you survived The storm will pass.
Breathe. I will hold you.odi said
The crushing weight eased. Slowly, Aerys pushed himself upright, palms slick with sweat, vision swimming.
Something was different.
No presence in the room.
Good.
He rose unsteadily and stepped into the center of the chamber. He had no sword—but he raised his hand anyway.
His body moved.
Fast.
His arm cut through the air with terrifying precision, faster than thought, faster than memory.
Too fast.
aerys, realized.
His muscles flowed naturally into the opening form of the sky Sword Dance.
"Good," he murmured.
Excitement surged through him. He shifted into the second formation—
—and stopped.
Footsteps.
Aerys stilled instantly.
Someone's coming.
He hadn't realized it yet, but his senses were sharper now. Much sharper.
He looked down at his palm.
"I'm ready," he whispered.
The door opened.
"Ready for what?" Callius asked, blinking in surprise. "When did you wake up?"
Aerys flushed faintly. "I meant… ready for what comes next."
Callius studied him closely.
Then he smiled.
"You look different," he said. "Sharper."
Aerys dressed quickly in his martial uniform. Callius sighed as he watched him.
"It's going to be hard," Callius said quietly.
Aerys met his gaze.
Unlike before, there was no hesitation in his eyes.
"You'll see," Aerys said softly. "Very soon.".