The council chamber was alive with noise before Karn even stepped inside.Voices overlapped — angry, anxious, suspicious.
"That boy is dangerous!""He's hiding something—""That was not a normal awakening!"
Karn entered with slow, even steps, gaze calm, posture loose — as if he hadn't just tossed a monster the size of a carriage into a wall.
At the far end of the table, Councilor Darius leaned forward, eyes sharp."Karn Kael," he said, voice tight, "explain yourself. Now."
Karn tilted his head slightly. "Explain… what? That I saved three kids while your guards were running away?"
The chamber went dead silent.A few councilors looked offended. A few… impressed.
Before Darius could bark back, the door swung open.
She stepped in.
Elara Kael — his mother. Her eyes burned with the same fierce light as the sun itself. She didn't walk; she stormed."My son just risked his life protecting your civilians, and you dare to interrogate him like a criminal?!"
Her voice hit like a whip crack. Even the guards stiffened.
Darius tried to recover. "Elara, please—""Don't 'please' me," she cut in, pointing a finger at him. "Half your men would be dead if not for him. If you have questions, you ask them with respect. Unless…" Her gaze narrowed dangerously. "…you'd rather I answer them for you."
The temperature in the room felt like it rose five degrees.Somewhere behind Karn, his father — Kael Varin — chuckled softly."Careful, Darius. When Elara gets like this, even I step aside."
Karn smirked faintly. His dad's cool tone somehow made the tension even worse for the council.
"I'm just saying," Varin added casually, "our boy takes after his mother's temper and my speed. That combination? Not something you want on your bad side."
A muffled laugh escaped from one of Karn's siblings sitting in the back.
Darius's jaw tightened, but he knew better than to push further. "…Fine. We'll… drop the matter for now. But the council will be watching you, Karn Kael."
Karn gave a lazy shrug. "Sure. Just make sure you keep up."
His mother shot him a quick glare — the "don't provoke them" glare — but there was pride under it.
As they left the chamber together, the tension melted into something warmer. Outside, in the main hall, Elara suddenly reached up, pulling Karn into a tight hug.
"You scared me, you idiot," she whispered fiercely.Karn chuckled. "You sound like you're scolding me, but your grip says otherwise."She smacked the back of his head lightly. "Don't get smart with me."
Varin walked up beside them, smirking. "Well, you didn't completely disgrace the Kael name. I'd call that a win.""Dad…" Karn muttered, but the corner of his mouth betrayed a grin.
Even as the family's laughter echoed down the hall, Karn could feel the weight of the council's eyes lingering behind them.They wouldn't stop watching.But neither would he stop moving.