The sky above the forest had turned to ash.

Kael stood in the center of the ruined clearing—unmoving, breathless, aflame.

Not metaphorically. Not anymore.

Shadow-flame coiled around his body like a living creature—violet cracks pulsating across his skin, glowing brighter with every heartbeat. His eyes blazed like stars drowning in rage. He wasn’t human anymore. He wasn’t sure what he was.

The enemy lunged—a beast of dark matter and teeth.

Kael didn’t blink. Time itself seemed to hesitate around him. He moved faster than instinct, faster than thought. A blur of motion, a whisper of wind, and then—

The Handler screamed. Kael’s blade carved through him, clean and final. The creature exploded into raw, shrieking shadow.

But the power didn’t stop there.

An eruption burst outward from Kael’s body, a shockwave of force that tore through the forest like a bomb. Trees cracked. Stones shattered. The air howled.

“Rin!” he gasped—too late.

She flew back like a broken feather, vanishing into the shadows.

…

Silence fell.

Not peace. Not safety.

The kind of silence that comes only after something sacred is broken.

Kael collapsed to his knees beside Rin hours later, inside the remains of the sanctuary. Her breath was shallow. Her skin pale. Lux hovered above her, flickering like dying starlight.

“You could’ve died,” Kael whispered. The words tasted like ash in his mouth.

Rin opened her eyes weakly. “You’re stronger now… but that strength… could’ve killed me too.”

Kael looked down. His hands were still glowing, faintly smoking. Power radiated from beneath his skin—uncontrolled. Unforgiving.

“What am I becoming?” he whispered again.

Lux didn’t answer. Rin closed her eyes once more.

But the question stayed. Echoed. Grew louder.

…

He walked alone into the forest, each step dragging behind a trail of sparks.

His chest ached—not from battle, but from memory. The past clung to him like the scent of smoke: the screams of his village, the flash of his father’s last stand, the moment Vael turned away without a word.

He reached a stream. Still, silent.

He stared at his reflection—and didn’t recognize the man staring back.

The eyes were burning. The expression… empty.

They fear you now, a voice whispered in his head.

They’ll always fear you. Maybe they should.

He gritted his teeth. No. That voice wasn’t him.

“I won’t be what they expect,” he growled. “I won’t be their monster.”

Memories flashed:

— His mother whispering a lullaby in the dark.

— His father bleeding, shielding them with his last breath.

— The emptiness that followed.

He knelt beside the water. The power surged again—but this time, he didn’t fight it. He controlled it. Focused it.

And with steady hands, he burned a symbol into his arm—his own mark. A reminder. A choice.

“No more running,” he said through clenched teeth. “This power… it’s mine now. Mine alone.”

…

Back at the sanctuary, Rin sat up slowly, wincing. Her eyes found his.

“You’re different,” she said softly.

“I’m still me,” Kael replied. “Just… not the version I used to be.”

He looked at Lux, then back at Rin.

“I never wanted to be a hero,” he added. “Never wanted to be anything, really.”

Rin smiled—sad, but real.

“That’s exactly what makes you one.”

Lux glowed gently.

“Then your path… has only just begun.”

Kael turned toward the trees once more. The forest was dark. The world was broken.

But for the first time in years… he didn’t feel alone in it.