The first light of dawn spilled through the narrow slits of Kael's chamber, bathing the room in pale gold. He sat on the edge of his bed, bare-chested, the dim glow of runes etched into his skin flickering with life as he flexed his fingers. Every joint ached. His wrists were bandaged from where the ink had scorched into his skin the day before. Yet beneath the discomfort was a strange undercurrent of satisfaction—as if the pain had carved something new into him.
His gaze drifted to the sealed letter still resting on the corner of his desk. The royal crest shimmered faintly under the light: a phoenix in flight, wings shaped like burning quills. He had resisted opening it the previous night, unsure if he wanted to know what awaited inside. Today, he resisted again. Whatever message it carried, it could wait. There were sigils to master, arrays to etch, and a storm of purpose rising in his chest.
Kael donned his uniform, slipping his runed gloves over trembling fingers. The reflection that stared back from the mirror was no longer the half-starved Soulborne who had once knelt in the Abyss Library. There was strength now. Uncertainty, yes, but strength. With a final glance at the unopened letter, he stepped out.
---
The Sigil Forge
The Chamber of Sigils breathed like a slumbering beast.
Kael descended the winding staircase into the domed expanse where runes hovered in the air like stars. Lord Aethros Ven'Calen stood in silence at the center, hands clasped behind his back. A large, rotating sigil—a floating array forged from light and crystalized energy—spun slowly above a platform. Its complexity made Kael's breath catch.
"Replicate it," Aethros said without turning.
Kael blinked. "From sight?"
"No sketches. No reference. Let your mind become the grid. Your will, the ink."
Kael stepped forward, heart hammering. He examined the formation. Layers upon layers of glyphs nested within shifting rings, each humming at a different frequency. It was not just language; it was symphony.
He summoned a stone tablet from the array beside him, its surface still warm. With chalk in hand and gloves removed, he began to draw.
Line by line, his focus tunneled. Time vanished. Sweat dripped onto the slab as his fingers moved instinctively. But halfway through, the second ring misaligned. One crest twitched, destabilized—and the whole construct collapsed.
Aethros didn't flinch. "Again."
Three more attempts. Three more failures. Each time Kael improved, and each time he learned.
The fourth attempt bore fruit. As he completed the array, the rings aligned, glowing in a pale indigo light. For the briefest moment, a whisper stirred within his chest.
Tenebris Kenjutsu... awaken...
The voice chilled him. Kurozan? No. Something older. Deeper.
The marks on his arms pulsed, and darker runes flickered at the edge of his vision. Void-touched glyphs. Aethros stepped forward, his eyes sharpening.
"Interesting."
Kael snapped out of the trance.
Aethros spoke, "You command echoes of something beyond textbook theory. What are you hiding, Soulborne?"
Kael met his gaze, breath steady. "Nothing I understand yet."
Aethros regarded him in silence. "You will. Soon."
With a flick of his hand, the array vanished.
"You're dismissed."
---
The Hidden Message
Kael staggered back to his quarters as the sun dipped beyond the crest of the academy towers. His muscles ached with magical fatigue, but it was the questions gnawing at his mind that weighed heavier.
He finally approached the golden letter. Hands trembling, he broke the wax seal.
No ink. Just runes, invisible until the light of his branded arm touched them. Then they bloomed like fireflies.
"The palace watches. The String is never silent. Bear it well."
There was no signature. Only the sigil of the Inner Court, drawn in soul-blood ink.
Kael stared at the message until the runes faded. He folded the letter carefully, tucking it into the lining of his cloak.
---
Knock at Twilight
A knock interrupted his thoughts.
When he opened the door, Arien stood there, dressed in an imperial envoy's uniform he looked unusually formal.
"Kael Ryuu," he said, handing him a scroll. "You've been nominated for the Crestbearer Exhibition. The official announcement will come tomorrow, but you're the only first-year selected."
Kael blinked. "That's usually for upperclassmen."
"Exactly."
He broke the seal. His name was listed at the very top.
Arien offered a faint smirk. "Whatever you're doing in those chambers with Lord Ven'Calen... it's working."
He gave a half-nod, mind still whirling.
He turned to leave but paused. "Don't get complacent. The Exhibition isn't just about showmanship. It's a proving ground. For some... a hunting ground."
Kael closed the door slowly.
Alone, he stared at the scroll.
The sigils on his arms began to stir again.
And Kael Ryuu—Soulborne, Crestless, Void-touched—let out a long breath.
Tomorrow, the world would watch.