The bells wouldn't stop ringing. They echoed through every hall, every dormitory, until even the walls seemed to hum with unease. Students peeked from doorways, whispering rumors—someone had broken a seal, someone had summoned a forbidden flame, someone had angered the Council.
And somewhere in the middle of it all, Yohan stood by his window, hands trembling slightly. Lily was gone—sent to her morning classes by Kael's insistence.
Kael himself stood opposite him now, face unreadable, the faint glow of runes flickering across his gloves.
"They know," Yohan said.
Kael didn't deny it. "The Seers traced your resonance. It was only a matter of time."
"What will they do?"
"Call you to the Council Hall. Ask questions they already have answers for." Kael's tone was sharp. "They'll try to read your essence. Once they do, there's no going back."
Yohan turned toward him, voice low. "Then what do I do?"
Kael exhaled slowly. "You don't run. Not yet. Running would prove them right." He reached into his robe and pulled out a small charm—a dull red crystal strung on a black cord. "This will mask your flame signature. It won't last long, but it might buy us time."
Yohan took it, feeling the faint pulse of warmth within.
"Why are you helping me, Kael?"
For a moment, the older man didn't speak. Then he said quietly, "Because once, I was you."
The words hit harder than the bell. Yohan looked up sharply, but Kael was already turning toward the door.
"Come. Let's face them before they decide your fate without you."
— ✦ —
The Council Hall was vast—a circle of stone pillars inscribed with ancient symbols, light pouring from a great crystal suspended above. Twelve Councilors sat in tiered seats, their robes gleaming like cold flame.
Archmaster Varyn watched as Yohan entered, Kael a few steps behind. The boy's presence seemed to shift the air—faint heat shimmered around him, subtle but unmistakable.
"So," Varyn began, his voice smooth as glass. "You are the one called Yohan Vale."
"Yes, Archmaster."
"You were found training in an unauthorized sector. When questioned, your mentor provided… incomplete answers."
Kael's jaw tensed. "With respect, the boy's training—"
"—was not sanctioned." Varyn's eyes glinted. "Nor was the reactivation of the Flame Chamber."
A whisper swept through the Council.
Yohan stayed still, his hands clenched behind his back. The charm around his neck grew warm—too warm—as if the flame within him was pushing against it.
Varyn rose from his seat, descending the marble steps until he stood before Yohan. "Tell me, child. When you close your eyes, what do you see?"
Yohan hesitated.
Varyn's gaze sharpened. "Do you see the world burning?"
The words hit him like a strike. He flinched, and the charm cracked—a thin sound like breaking glass.
Instantly, the air shifted.
The faint glow of red light bloomed around him—pulsing from beneath his skin, flickering like embers trying to breathe.
Gasps echoed through the hall.
Kael moved forward, but guards crossed their staffs in front of him.
Varyn's expression darkened. "So it's true. The First Flame has awakened again."
The chamber's light turned crimson as the crystal overhead pulsed once—reacting to Yohan's essence.
Yohan looked up, fear and defiance colliding in his chest. "I'm not the one you should fear."
"It's what you buried."
The flames roared, blinding light filling the hall—and when it cleared, Yohan was gone.
Only scorch marks remained where he had stood.