The training session ended as it always did, with Kaelen standing alone while the others left in groups. Laughter and proud voices filled the path back to the estate halls. No one invited him. No one ever did.
Kaelen walked in silence.
Each step stirred memories of a future that no longer existed but remained carved into his soul. He remembered how these same paths would one day be stained with blood. He remembered screaming, fire, and the fall of the Ashborne banners.
At the edge of the grounds stood the Peak Gate, a towering arch of black stone engraved with ancient runes. It marked the boundary between the inner estate and the restricted zone. In ten years, this gate would become the site of his death.
Kaelen stopped before it.
Servants passed him without pause. To them, the Peak Gate was only a symbol of authority. To Kaelen, it was a warning carved into stone.
So this is where it began, he thought.
A voice echoed behind him.
Staring at forbidden things again?
He turned. His younger brother, Alric, approached with a small group of noble youths. Alric's face held the same arrogant confidence Kaelen remembered. In the future, Alric would stand at the front of the execution ground, watching without emotion.
I was only passing by, Kaelen said.
Alric laughed. You should learn your place. That gate is not meant for failures.
Kaelen nodded slightly. You are right.
The answer seemed to disappoint them. Without conflict to enjoy, the group soon lost interest and walked away.
Kaelen remained.
He placed his palm against the cold stone of the Peak Gate. The runes flickered faintly, reacting to something deep within him. In his past life, this reaction had gone unnoticed. Now, he felt it clearly.
This gate was not only a boundary.
It was a test.
In the future, when the kingdom fell, this gate would shatter during the final battle. Kaelen had stood beneath it then, mortally wounded, watching the sky burn.
He withdrew his hand and stepped back.
Not yet.
Rushing now would only expose him.
As the sun lowered, shadows stretched across the ground. Kaelen turned away from the Peak Gate and returned to his quarters, his expression calm.
They believed this place marked the height of power.
They were wrong.
It only marked the beginning of the path he would walk again.
This time, he would pass through it alive.
And when he did, nothing would stand above him ever again.