As he walked through the garden, a shout pulled him back. Three students blocked the path.
"Well, well." One sneered. "Look who it is. The famous Spawn of Darkness himself. Tell us Kael, which pit did you crawl out of?"
He hated how his hands trembled when they mocked him. Not from fear, but from the urge to prove them wrong.
He tried to walk past. "Move," he said, his voice cold enough to still the air.
They only laughed until a deeper voice cut through their mockery.
"Leave. Now."
The bullies froze, recognized the speaker and scattered without another word.
Kael turned. "I had it under control, Zaros."
"Sure," the taller boy smirked. "And I'm an eon. You really shouldnt let them get to you. So what if you've got white hair and violet eyes? Its not a crime to stand out. Honestly, you look pretty damn cool, though I'd prefer something more manly than your princess purple."
Kael chuckled. "Thanks for the support. But its not my looks they mock. Its my past. My origin. Everything I dont know about myself. And can I blame them? I woke up at the academy gates with nothing but a letter telling me I must become a Chronicler if I ever wish to find the truth about who I am."
Zaros grin faded. He knew that tone. That bitterness beneath Kael's calm. So he said nothing.
"Alright," he said after a pause, "enough of that. The past can wait for tomorrow. Did you get chills when Miss Jade told the story? I swear, I almost forgot sword practice and that never happens."
Kaels eyes softened. "Yeah… Even if I never find my past, uncovering mysteries like the fall of that city makes it worth being a Chronicler."
Zaros laughed. "Then I'll be your sword, the one that cuts through every enemy standing in our way."
Kael smiled. "I wouldnt want anyone else."
"I know brother," Zaros grinned. "Neither would I."
They laugher carried through the courtyard, until another voice drifted down from above.
"A brute and a Poet. That could be the beginning of a good joke."
They looked up. A red-haired girl lounged on a stone wall, red hair spilling like flame beneath the brim of her wide-brimmed hat.
"Lia," Zaros groaned "I'm not a brute and you could've announced yourself earlier."
"Nah," she said lazily, propping herself on one elbow, "I'd have interrupted your sweet little conversation. And for the record, I was here first, you disturbed my nap."
Kael laughed softly. "Alright, you two. The sun's setting. Let's head back before the guards start locking doors."
Zaros sighed. "Yeah, you're right. I'm exhausted anyway."
"If you actually took my potions, you wouldn't be." Lia remarked with mock pride.
"I'd rather not," Zaros shot back. "Last time, your potions exploded. I like being alive, thanks."
"They only explode, because I'm revolutionizing alchemy!" she protested, "Mark my words, I, Lia will brew the greatest potions this world has ever seen."
Kael grinned. "We know that, Lia. Your hat already says it all."
"You mean her witch hat?" Zaros teased, "That's definitly a sign."
"It's my signature, you muscle-brain," she snapped, "If your head were half as strong as your arms, you'd understand genius when you saw it."
Their laughter rose and fell with the evening breeze. For a moment, Kael felt something like peace, a fragile thing, but real.
"Between the three of us," he said, "balance almost seems possible."
"Dont jinx it." Lia murmured.
By nightfall the academy grew quiet. Lanterns flickered along empty corridors, painting the walls with trembling light. Kael reached the dormitory at the edge of the grounds. Old stone, rusted rails, windows clouded with age. A home for those woth no name.
Still better than the stone outside the gates, he mused, pushing open the creaking door.
His room lay on the first floor, small but his alone. He sat on the narrow bed and let his gaze drift.
Old furniture, a desk, a bath, a closet. Enough. Enough for now.
Through the window, the last light of the sun melted behind the mountains. The peaks glowed like embers before fading into dusk.
Even the mountains bow to the night,' he thought, ‚What mysteries do they hide?
A soft sound interrupted his thoughts, a faint scratch at the door.
He turned. A folded letter had been slipped beneath it.
Kael opened the door, but the hallway was empty. He crouched, picked up the envelope and unfolded the paper.
Inside was as single Line:
Look out for shadows. They can swallow you whole.
A friend.
Kael frowned. A prank? he thought at first. Wouldn't be the first time.
He laid the note on his desk, it's words faintly glimmering in the candlelight, then blew out the flame and lay down.
Shadows, huh….
Sleep took him before he could wonder what the message truly meant.