Kael needed a mentor. Someone to guide him. Orion would've been perfect—but he hadn't returned. None of the elite knights had. And time… time was slipping through his fingers.
Lying on his comfy bed, he remembered what Orion once told him during training:
"Endurance is everything."
That gave him an idea. So he waited until everyone was asleep.
He waited until the lights went off. Until the halls were still. Then he sneaked out, quiet as a shadow, and headed for the training hall.
The door was big. Heavy.
He tried to open it, but it didn't move.
For a second, he thought it might be locked. But then he remembered—Orion had opened it easily.
He planted his foot, grabbed the handle again, and pulled with everything he got.
It shifted. Just a little.
But not enough.
He leaned in, put his back into it. His shadows crept up his arms, like they were responding to the effort.
Then he pulled harder.
This time, the door moved.
He stepped inside.
The lights flicked on.
