Morning came quietly—a pale sun brushing against the misted glass windows of the dorms. The rain had finally stopped, but the world still smelled of smoke and wet stone.
Lily woke first. She sat up, stretching with a soft groan, her gaze falling on the other bed.
Empty.
Yohan was gone.
Her brows furrowed—again? He had a habit of vanishing before dawn, usually to train where no one could see. But this time, something felt… off. The air around his side of the room was warm—too warm, even with the window open.
She swung her legs off the bed and paused. There, right on the floor near his desk, was a faint golden glow—like a dying spark.
She crouched, bringing her hand close.
It wasn't heat exactly—it was energy. Pure, condensed essence. It pulsed once when she touched it, reacting to her elemental aura.
"...What did you do, Yohan?" she murmured.
The ember flickered. And for just an instant, she saw something inside it—a flash of a burning field, a figure of fire walking through ruins, eyes that mirrored Yohan's. Then it faded.
Before she could think, Kael appeared at the doorway. His robes were still wet from his morning rounds, but his eyes were sharp.
"You felt it too," he said quietly.
Lily looked up. "What is it?"
Kael stepped forward, crouching beside her. The ember dimmed as his shadow fell over it.
"Residual Flame Essence," he said. "But… this one's ancient. This shouldn't even exist anymore."
He picked it up carefully, holding it between his fingers. The light bent slightly around it, like space itself was bending.
Kael frowned. "It's connected to him."
Lily stood. "He's out training again, isn't he?"
Kael didn't answer. He stared at the ember for a long moment, his tone low—almost like a prayer.
"The First Flame stirs again. Just like the old records said."
He turned to her, serious now.
"Lily. Don't tell anyone what you saw. Not yet. If the higher faculty learns he's awakened a forbidden source, they'll seal him before he even understands what he carries."
She nodded slowly, her eyes soft with worry.
"Then what will you do?"
Kael pocketed the ember. "Train him. Before the fire consumes him first."
Outside, the mist began to lift. And far across the Academy, at the edge of the training cliffs, Yohan stood with his eyes closed — the mark on his chest faintly glowing through his shirt, as the wind whispered like an old voice:
"Remember me, heir of flame."