News of Kael's feat traveled swiftly, carried on whispers like wildfire.
A mortal who bent celestial beasts to his will? A blasphemer who consumed divine essence? Such tales were impossible—until the summons came.
The Divine Academy loomed like a fortress of stars, perched atop a mountain carved from gleaming marble and woven with strands of pure light. It was a place where mortals trained to serve gods—as priests, warriors, or vessels of divine power.
Kael walked through its gates without hesitation. The air thrummed with sacred energy, oppressive to those unprepared. Statues of gods stood watch in every hall, their eyes seeming to follow his every step.
Whispers rippled through the crowd of trainees.
"That's him.""The Heretic.""The one who devoured a beast with his mind."
Two figures emerged from the crowd—Lyra, a girl with flowing silver hair and eyes that glimmered violet with divine grace; and Ryn, a proud youth whose arrogance burned like wildfire.
Ryn stepped forward, a mocking smile curling his lips. "So, you're the anomaly everyone fears. Do you understand what you're up against? I'm favored by Aetherion, King of the Gods. You're nothing but a blight on this sacred place."
Kael met his gaze steadily. "Favor means little to me. Power means everything."
The academy's trials began in earnest—grueling tests of strength, endurance, and divine affinity designed to weed out the weak and punish the heretical.
While others strained under the crushing weight of divine energy, Kael smiled inwardly. His void powers consumed every strain, every spark of power offered, leaving him unscathed.
He copied with ruthless efficiency—techniques, spells, combat styles—turning each lesson into a stepping stone toward unparalleled strength.
By the final trial, his name was whispered with fear and awe alike.
Late one evening, Lyra approached him quietly beneath a sky crowded with stars.
"You wield power no mortal should," she said softly, "but there's something… different about you. Something ancient and dangerous."
Kael studied her, intrigued. "You carry divinity in your blood. I can feel it."
She nodded, eyes serious. "The gods watch you closely now. They do not forgive those who consume their creations."
Before he could respond, a blaring horn shattered the quiet. The next trial awaited—a descent into the Whispering Woods for the dreaded Beast Hunt.