The courtyard of the outer sect crackled with a strange energy that morning, and Kael felt it before he even saw the gathering crowd.
Whispers darted like insects through the air."It's true? Jin Tao's called him out?""After what happened last week, he'd have to. Can't let a cripple make him look bad."
Kael kept walking, the weight of their stares pressing against him. His pulse was steady, but in the back of his mind, the memory of that strange Fire—that instinct that had flared during training—hummed like a living ember.
When he reached the sparring arena, Jin Tao was already there. Not in his usual brash, loud posture—today, he stood with deliberate stillness, as if to tell everyone: This isn't a fight. It's a lesson.
The elder overseeing the morning drills looked uneasy. "This is an unsanctioned challenge, Jin Tao. State your intent."
Jin Tao's smile was almost polite. "Elder, my intent is simple. I wish to help Junior Brother Kael improve. A friendly spar, before witnesses. No killing strikes."
The elder's eyes shifted to Kael. "Do you accept?"
Kael could feel the crowd leaning in, eager to see him cornered. If he refused, he would be branded a coward. If he accepted… he might have to show the thing inside him, and that was a risk he didn't yet understand.
"I accept."
A ripple went through the crowd. The elder sighed and gestured to the marked stone ring. "Begin."
Jin Tao moved first, but not with a reckless charge. His steps were measured, his strikes light at first, testing Kael's reactions. Every swing was precise, every pause calculated to draw Kael into making a mistake.
Kael blocked the first blow, ducked under the second. His muscles moved easily, but there was a hitch—he was holding back. He could feel that Fire urging him to let go, to stop thinking and move with pure instinct.
Jin Tao's smirk widened. "Come now, Kael. Surely you can do better than this."
A sweeping kick came, faster than Kael expected. He stepped back, barely avoiding it, and the crowd jeered.
Jin Tao pressed harder, his strikes snapping through the air like whips. Kael's guard faltered, and a sharp elbow clipped his cheekbone. Pain flared.
And then—
The world shifted.
Jin Tao's next strike came, and Kael didn't think. His body bent at the waist, feet sliding into a low stance he'd never practiced. His palm shot out, meeting Jin Tao's wrist at just the right angle. The blow deflected harmlessly, and Kael's other fist drove into Jin Tao's ribs with brutal precision.
The sound was like a muffled crack.
Gasps erupted from the crowd.
Kael blinked—he hadn't decided to do that. It had just… happened. His blood was singing, vision sharpened. He could almost see where Jin Tao's next attack would land, a faint impression in the air before his opponent even moved.
Jin Tao staggered back, face twisting from the blow and from something else—surprise. He hadn't expected Kael to turn the tables so suddenly.
"You—" Jin Tao lunged again, abandoning his measured pace for raw aggression.
Kael met him strike for strike, the Fire inside surging with each movement. His body moved faster than his mind could track. He weaved under a high slash, pivoted, and slammed his heel into Jin Tao's thigh.
The other boy hissed, stumbling—but recovered and drove a palm toward Kael's chest.
Now.
Kael's hands snapped up, twisting Jin Tao's arm just enough to throw him off-balance. The momentum carried Jin Tao forward, and Kael's shoulder crashed into his opponent's sternum. The impact sent Jin Tao sprawling out of the ring, dust billowing around him.
The courtyard fell silent.
Kael's breath was quick, but not ragged. The Fire inside him dimmed, retreating as though it had never been there. His knuckles tingled, the phantom echo of movement he didn't fully understand still dancing in his muscles.
The elder cleared his throat. "Winner… Kael."
The announcement broke the silence like a stone through glass. The crowd erupted—half in shock, half in awe.
Jin Tao rose slowly, his eyes locked on Kael. There was no loud retort, no public insult. Instead, he wiped the dust from his robes and gave the smallest of nods.
But there was something behind it. Something cold.
This isn't over.
That evening, Kael sat cross-legged in the herbalist's secluded garden. The blind woman poured tea, her fingers never missing their mark despite her sightless eyes.
"I heard about your little performance," she said lightly, passing him a cup. "You've been busy."
Kael sipped, the warmth steadying his thoughts. "It wasn't normal. When he attacked, I… moved differently. I could see what he would do before he did it."
The herbalist smiled faintly. "Ah. The Fire stirs."
Kael's head snapped up. "You know what it is?"
"I know enough," she said, turning her face toward the rustle of leaves. "And I know that power like that does not go unnoticed. Jin Tao will come for you again. But next time… he won't play fair."
Her words lingered long after Kael left, the night air cool against the faint burn still thrumming in his veins.