The tension in the academy hadn’t died down since the fight. Ashen Crowe’s words echoed in Kael’s mind like a dark prophecy.

After the Duel

Kael sat in the dimly lit training hall, fingers brushing the jagged blade Vera gave him. The edges still hummed faintly, as if alive.

Reya leaned against the wall, watching him quietly.

“You okay?” she asked.

Kael sighed. “He’s right, you know. Class Zero is weak.”

Reya smirked. “Maybe. But we’re the ones who survive.”

Secrets in the Shadows

Silas approached, holding the worn notebook tight.

“I’ve been translating more,” he said. “There’s a warning. About an ancient power... and something called the Shadowbinders.”

Kael raised an eyebrow. “Shadowbinders?”

“They were said to control the darkness itself,” Silas explained. “Opposed only by the Flameborn—those who wield fire like you.”

Kael clenched his fists. “Flameborn... I don’t know if I’m one of them.”

“You’re not alone,” Silas said quietly. “Others are out there. Like Ashen.”

A New Threat Emerges

Suddenly, the lights flickered.

A chilling wind swept through the hall.

And from the shadows stepped a figure—tall, cloaked in black, with eyes like burning coals.

“Flameborn and Shadowbinders,” the figure said softly. “Your time has come.”