Kael placed a hand on his shoulder, carefully examining the joint with his fingers before slowly rolling it.
'Seems like my shoulder is finally fully healed… and the ribs too. That's one less thing to worry about.'
He ran his palm down his side, pressing lightly over the spot where two ribs had fractured just days ago. No pain. It was as if the injury had never happened.
Even though the physical changes from awakening were rarely dramatic, becoming a Luminaire refined the body in every detail.
It was not about sudden strength or unnatural beauty, but a quiet, precise correction. Imperfections were erased.
Disfigurements vanished. Bones aligned. Posture straightened. Even facial structure shifted slightly, smoothing asymmetries, sharpening contours, and drawing each feature a little closer to ideal form.
A body once dulled by time or hardship became leaner, cleaner, more composed.
Heart conditions faded. Internal damage mended without a trace.
Even brain fog and the slow creep of degeneration were cleared away, leaving the mind clearer, faster, sharper.
Anyone who awakened as a Luminaire became, by design, a peak human, refined in both body and thought.
An elevation that separated them from the mortal world.
With his refined body, his healing ability had also grown far beyond that of a mortal.
The cells within him worked with absolute precision, dividing and repairing without flaw.
Damaged tissue was restored efficiently, as if the body remembered its perfect state and moved instinctively to return to it.
This was also why some mortals would go to any length to awaken as a Luminaire. For many, it was their only hope. Their saving grace.
He yawned, rose from his desk, and made his way to the kitchen.
Syleena stood at the stove, wearing a simple dress, reading a book with one hand while occasionally glancing at the pan to make sure the eggs didn't overcook.
Without a word, Kael passed by her and stepped outside.
Rain greeted him instantly, crashing against his face as he entered the quiet streets.
He drew a deep breath of the cold summer air before continuing on his way.
'I got my second ingredient a few days ago. Well… four of them, actually. And now, with Kerrin dead for everyone to see, things should start moving at a quicker pace.'
Kael moved through the streets in search of the third ingredient.
Even though it was a mote recipe, not every component was rare. That was especially true for lower-rank recipes.
This time, he was looking for a withering pasque flower.
A purple mountain flower that, as it began to die, would release a golden liquid from its leaves.
It was often used to brew high-quality tea, known for its calming properties.
But in this case, it was meant for something far more potent.
'Every day since I got the recipe from Syleena, I've walked through the market, checking every stall. Still no luck.'
He sighed.
'Maybe I really do need to head up to the mountains myself. How bothersome.'
The mountains were a few hours' walk from the city, but that was not the real issue. Finding a pasque flower was difficult enough. Finding one at the brink of death was another matter entirely. At this time of year, the mountains were alive with lush green grass and wildflowers blooming everywhere. The timing made his task even harder.
'I really need to get a sensory-type mote soon,' he thought, snickering quietly to himself.
'But that will have to wait. First, I need to gather all the ingredients before I start thinking about anything like that.'
His thoughts shifted to the state of the city.
'After Kerrin died, the public reacted faster than I expected.'
Since the execution, the two political factions had begun to merge. At first, the more cautious side had only pushed for cutting ties with the Eireindaile family. They had no desire to risk war over a single assassination. But Kerrin's death changed everything.
Within a single day, the outrage spread like wildfire. Windows were smashed. Statues dedicated to peace were torn down.
The once-divided opinions had unified into one voice. A voice filled with fury and purpose. A voice calling for the complete removal of the Eireindaile family.
Kerrin's death had become a symbol.
The four hanging bodies were interpreted the same way by nearly everyone:
Anyone who tried to oppose the Eireindaile would die.
Whether it was true or not no longer mattered.
The public believed it. And so it became real.
'The people have started seeing Kerrin as a symbol. A voice. Makes sense his death hit this hard.
With his position his death meant more than just a dead man.
Now with him gone, pressure's only going to build. Valthorne's going to start feeling it. The public won't stay quiet much longer. They'll want justice. They'll start—'
Kael's eyes snapped wide.
His thoughts didn't just stop. They vanished.
Every instinct in his body flared at once. Urgent. Wordless. Absolute.
Before he even understood what was happening, his head jerked backward, spine twisting with the motion. Almost enough to wrench his neck.
SWOOSH.
A brown blur tore across the air in front of him.
Time stilled.
Then the wind followed, surging past in a roar. Dirt and grit whipped across the ground, dragged by the force of whatever had just passed.
Boom.
The sound landed a moment later, then again, and again—crashing over him in waves, each one louder than the last.
It echoed like mountains collapsing, like distant volcanoes erupting one after another before finally fading into a trembling silence.
Kael stood frozen.
Breath shallow. Muscles locked.
Someone had just tried to take his head off.
He slowly turned toward the direction the sound had come from.
What he saw made his lungs stop working.
Far across the city, a line of devastation stretched through the streets.
Buildings were torn open, walls split clean down the middle. Shattered beams jutted like bones through skin. Whatever had been launched at him had torn through everything in its path, ripping through stone and steel without pause.
And then, behind him—
"Ah, I really thought that would get you."
A voice. Familiar. Calm. Drenched in amusement.
Kael's head turned, still reeling, still trying to process.
"Wha—"
He never finished.
The space in front of him collapsed.
A figure appeared where there had been nothing. No sound. No warning.
They were simply there.
Kael's mind hadn't caught up when the fist landed.
It hit his stomach like a mountain.
His torso folded inward with a brutal snap, all the air torn from his lungs in an instant.
GHHK—
His cheeks puffed, then burst as blood sprayed from his mouth.
A low, guttural cry escaped his throat, raw and ragged, not fully human.
Kael flew back like a bullet zipping through the air.
The familiar buildings and horrified bystanders blurred, then smeared into streaks of color as he tore through the street.
One. Two. Three.
The people in his path never even had time to react.
Those unfortunate enough to stand in his way were struck down instantly, their bodies bursting into red mist on impact.
Thud.
Kael couldn't grasp how long he had been flying. Time had fractured—slipping through him like water.
But it all came crashing back when his body slammed into the side of the grand library with a dull, brutal thud.
He hit the ground hard, struggled onto all fours, then collapsed.
Tried again. Collapsed again.
The world spun, a sick tapestry of motion and color.
Everything twisted. Time dragged.
Voices followed, distant and warped, a few words beginning to cut through.
Far down the street, someone was speaking. Calm. Amused.
"Kael! I've been waiting for this for quite some time now, you know."
Kael could barely make sense of the voice.
He pushed himself off the cold stone of the library wall, legs shaking under him.
"Ever since the fight club, I've been pissed off that I didn't get you to reveal your pathway."
His pupils darted wildly, trying to focus, to lock onto anything solid.
"But it seems like the stars were on my side. While I was explaining things to Vael, Aven just happened to walk by... and recognized you."
The words finally landed.
Kael's thoughts snapped into place, just as a figure stepped out in front of him again.
On instinct, Kael drew his knife and flung it forward, aiming straight for the man's throat.
"Straight for the kill, huh?"
The man casually raised his hand, letting the blade pierce through his palm and come to a dead stop.
Before Kael could move, the other hand shot forward, gripping his face with crushing force and lifting him off the ground.
Through the man's hand, Kael finally got a clear look at his attacker.
A deep scar ran from the corner of his mouth down to his chin. Familiar.
"Lucian? Rank three?"
Kael could barely get the words out.
Lucian raised an eyebrow, a grin curling at the edge of his mouth.
"So you do remember me. That makes things easier."
He leaned in slightly.
"I'm here to kill you, Kael."