Caelen's POV
The wind carried a strange scent that morning.
It wasn't dust, or ash, or the sweet smell of rain that sometimes came through the cracks in the clouds.
It smelled… wrong.
Like something foreign had touched the land.
Still, I pushed the thought away. I had more urgent things to do.
Reilan stood across from me in the courtyard, sweat pouring down his face. He gripped a dull training sword with both hands. His stance was shaky, but better than yesterday.
I raised the Blade of Origin and pointed it toward him.
"Again."
He charged, yelling as he swung at my side. I stepped aside and flicked his weapon from his hands. He stumbled, landed on his back, and groaned.
I stood over him.
"You're not just swinging steel," I said. "Every strike is a question. And your enemy will always give you an answer. Make sure you like it."
He wiped his brow. "You're… tougher than I expected."
"I'm not here to train soldiers," I replied. "I'm building leaders. You swore a soul contract. I won't let you waste it."
I reached down and helped him up.
"You felt it, didn't you?" I asked. "The change."
He nodded slowly.
"It's like… my body listens to me now. Like my blood is moving faster."
"That's your gift," I said. "And your burden."
Later, I sat beneath the archway of the ruined tower.
Elowen sat across from me, her bow beside her as always. Her eyes were distant.
"You never asked me," I said suddenly. "Why did you stay?"
She blinked, then smiled faintly.
"I was bound to the contract."
"But that's not the real reason."
She looked away.
"The others saw weakness in you. I saw… a seed."
"A seed?"
"Something waiting to bloom. Something hidden in the dark, afraid of its own roots."
Her voice was softer than usual.
"I knew you weren't him. Not fully."
I tensed.
"You knew?"
"Not at first," she admitted. "But I watched. The way you moved, the way you spoke. You ask questions. You think like someone who didn't grow up here."
I swallowed hard.
"You could've exposed me."
"I still could," she said with a smirk. "But I won't."
"Why?"
She hesitated.
"Because if I'm right… you're our only hope."
That night, the storm finally arrived.
Thunder rolled across the hills like the footsteps of giants. Rain fell in heavy sheets, pounding the stone and dirt alike. Lightning lit the sky—and for a brief second, I saw something in it.
Not a bird. Not a dragon.
A shape, tall and winged, staring down at the world.
Elowen rushed to my side.
"You saw it too?" I asked.
She nodded, drawing her bow. "It wasn't natural. It was watching us."
A message appeared in my vision, blinking crimson:
[Warning: Dimensional Breach Detected][Origin Unknown – Observers Active][System Advise: Increase Authority]
"What does that mean?" I whispered.
"The gods," Elowen said. "Or the demons. Maybe both."
Meanwhile, far beyond the ruined capital—On the distant volcanic continent of Scarlis, in the kingdom of the Phoenix Clan...
Princess Seraphyne stood atop her obsidian balcony, her crimson hair fluttering in the heat rising from below.
An old, bent man stood beside her.
"The prince of the human kingdom," she said slowly. "He lives."
The old man nodded.
"He's awakened something. A blade was found. Recruits are joining him. The elf princess remains at his side."
Her golden eyes narrowed.
"And yet… the contract still binds us."
"Yes, my lady."
She lifted her hand—and fire danced across her palm.
"Then we send someone to watch him. Someone clever. Someone replaceable."
Back in the ruined capital, I stood before the table in the main hall.
Aira had returned with a map—hand-drawn, torn from a traveler's satchel. It showed the southern parts of the barren land.
"There's a farming village two days from here," she said. "They've been struggling. If we help them—"
"They might join us," I finished.
I looked at Reilan.
"Pick five men. Elowen and I will go ahead. Quietly."
He nodded.
"Will we offer contracts?"
"Only if they ask."
"Understood."
As I prepared my things, I stared at the Blade of Origin resting against the wall. Its surface shimmered faintly in the dim firelight.
Then I heard a whisper.
Not a voice. Not words. Just… a feeling.
A reminder.
You were not sent here by chance.Auronis is not asleep.They are watching.
I clenched my fist.
Let them watch.
Let them all watch.
Because this time, I wouldn't run.
I would build.
And I would rise.