Rain tapped gently on the stone archways of Aevirel Academy as morning mist curled around its spires. The campus was unusually silent after the incident at the gate. The memory of the cloaked figure—the one who bore the Crest of the Forsaken—still haunted every hallway.
Kael walked through the corridors like a shadow himself, his boots making no sound against the polished marble. Though no alarm had been officially raised, the instructors were on edge. Security doubled. Patrols increased. And all of it made Kael smile inwardly.
> "They're dancing now," he whispered to himself. "Good. Let them fear shadows."
What no one realized was that Kael had orchestrated this—not the attack, but the response. The presence of a Shadowbrand wasn't part of his immediate plan, but he had contingencies for every timeline. The note in his cloak wasn't a warning. It was an invitation.
---
Later That Day – The Stone Hollow
The Stone Hollow was a lesser-known cavern under Aevirel, once used for Solvara resonance experiments, now abandoned. Kael arrived at dusk, hood up, marking the walls with a fragment of his energy.
> "Still sharp," he murmured, watching the glow pulse from his fingertips.
A moment later, a flicker of crimson Solvara sparked in the distance. Then a voice.
> "You received the mark. That means you still remember."
The Shadowbrand stepped forward—tall, draped in war-torn robes, his face hidden beneath a shattered gold mask. Kael didn't flinch.
> "Memory is the root of all Solvara. And mine never faded."
> "Then why remain here? Among the blind?"
Kael stepped into the dim light, his presence calm yet cold.
> "Because this academy is the fuse. The spark will come from within. And when the flame rises... I want to be the one who lights it."
The Shadowbrand nodded. "We thought you died when the Eastern Order fell. The Veymancer purge was thorough."
Kael's eyes narrowed. "Only those who didn't prepare. I don't intend to repeat their mistakes."
> "Then you'll need allies. The Forsaken have gathered. Five remain. Some remember you. Some fear you."
Kael didn't blink. "Good. I want them to."
---
Meanwhile – Upper Courtyard
Naia paced beneath the old wisteria tree. Her thoughts were tangled. Kael had always been mysterious, but the way he reacted to the Shadowbrand—as if he expected him—gnawed at her.
Aerin approached, wiping sweat from his brow after an evening spar. "Still thinking about yesterday?"
Naia nodded. "It doesn't add up. No alarms were sounded. No warning. And Kael... he just walked away. Like it meant nothing."
Aerin frowned. "Kael's smart, but he doesn't care about the rules. Maybe he just saw it as an opportunity to observe."
Naia shook her head. "No. He knew something. I saw it in his eyes. It was like... like he recognized the symbol."
Aerin looked away. "Symbols don't scare me. People hiding behind them do."
---
Back in the Hollow
The Shadowbrand tossed Kael a black shard—the Crest of Veyla, a key used by exiled Solvara warriors. With it, Kael could access restricted zones within the academy, sealed during the war.
> "We're planning to strike."
> "Too early," Kael replied. "If you move now, you'll be crushed. The Council hasn't fractured yet. But they will."
> "And what of you? Still playing student while the world burns?"
Kael's voice turned to steel. "I'm not a student. I'm the architect of their end."
The Shadowbrand paused, then laughed. "You always did have a way with words. Fine. We'll wait. But not long."
> "You won't have to," Kael whispered. "The cracks have already begun."
He turned, cloak fluttering, and vanished into the darkness.
Unseen by Kael, a third figure had watched from the shadows of the Hollow—eyes glowing faintly, the mark of the Celestials etched across their skin.
Kael wasn't the only one moving pieces on the board.