The Luminary Order's hidden compound was nothing like the bustling city Kai had just left behind. Tucked away beneath layers of concrete and secrecy, the underground training hall pulsed with a quiet energy.
Kai followed a tall woman clad in sleek black armor, her expression unreadable. This was Seren, one of the senior Luminary members who would be his mentor whether he liked it or not.
"You don't get to choose your destiny, Kai," she said, voice cold but not unkind. "But you can choose how you face it."
Kai swallowed, nerves coiling in his stomach. He hated feeling powerless, but now every muscle in his body screamed to learn control before the Shroud found him.
The training began with basics: focus, channeling energy, and breathing. It was harder than he imagined. His body trembled as he struggled to summon even a flicker of power.
Hours passed. Sweat dripped from his brow. Then, suddenly, a spark.
A small orb of light hovered above his palm fragile, flickering.
Seren nodded approvingly. "Good. That's the first step. But it's only the beginning."
Kai's eyes burned with determination. He was no longer a boy lost in the crowd. He was becoming something more. Something dangerous.