The silence that followed was not peace.
It was the silence of things broken — stone, pride, and fate itself.
Dust drifted over the ruined arena like gray snow. The air still smelled of ash and blood. Even the barrier that had protected the spectators flickered weakly, struggling to hold itself together.
Ragnar stood in the center, breathing heavily. His wings of blackfire were dissolving into smoke, piece by piece. His hands trembled, not from fear, but exhaustion so deep it hollowed his soul.
Valerius knelt a few steps away, one hand clutching his scorched chest. The flames around him sputtered, dying. His eyes, however, burned with something worse than hatred — disbelief.
He spat blood, staring at Ragnar.
"You… should have been crushed."
Ragnar didn't reply. His voice had burned away in the clash. He simply looked down at his own hands — claws dark as night, faint cracks glowing crimson beneath the skin.
He could still feel it inside him — the whispering void that had merged with him. But it was quiet now, like a beast that had eaten its fill.
Then, the elder's voice echoed once more.
"Enough."
The remaining disciples froze. The sky seemed to dim as the old man stepped forward. His robes fluttered without wind, and his presence alone bent the world around him.
He didn't shout. He didn't need to. The entire sect bowed as one.
Only Ragnar and Valerius remained standing.
"Elder Kaien…" Valerius said weakly, lowering his head. "He—he used something unnatural—"
Kaien raised a hand, silencing him instantly. His eyes — cold, silver like frozen steel — turned toward Ragnar.
"You… that power. It does not belong to this realm."
Ragnar met his gaze, saying nothing. He couldn't explain it — the whispers, the hunger, the blackfire. Even if he tried, no one would understand.
Kaien's aura pressed down harder. The ground cracked beneath Ragnar's feet.
"Do you know what you have awakened, boy?" the elder asked.
Ragnar's lips twitched. He forced his voice through the pain.
"I didn't awaken anything. I just… stopped running from it."
For a long moment, Kaien said nothing. The arena crackled with quiet energy, the heat of Valerius's lingering flames mixing with the cold weight of shadow.
Then, Kaien spoke again.
"Valerius of the Flame Sect. You have lost."
Valerius's eyes widened. "W–What? I can still—"
"You can still die," Kaien interrupted, his tone sharp as a blade. "Be grateful your body yet breathes. Leave."
The young fire wielder gritted his teeth but bowed deeply. He turned away, limping toward the exit as the healers rushed in. The moment he passed Ragnar, he whispered hoarsely:
"This isn't over, shadow freak. Next time, I'll burn you until not even ashes remain."
Ragnar didn't respond. His eyes were empty, locked on the crater before him — the proof of what his power could do.
He hadn't won. He had survived.
When the arena cleared, Kaien turned to the elders standing nearby.
"Seal this place. No word leaves these walls."
The others nodded. But Ragnar's senses — still sharp, even in pain — caught their whispers.
"A monster…"
"He's not human anymore."
"What if it spreads?"
Ragnar's hands tightened.
He felt a strange sting in his chest, one that had nothing to do with wounds. He had fought for survival, for respect — and now they looked at him like a curse.
Kaien finally spoke to him again.
"You are coming with me."
Two disciples approached, uncertain whether to restrain him. Ragnar looked at them once — and they stopped, fear freezing them mid-step.
Kaien frowned slightly but gestured toward the sky.
"Follow."
The elder floated upward, vanishing into the clouds. Ragnar looked up once more, then spread what was left of his wings. They were fading, weak, but enough to lift him.
As he rose, he looked back at the arena one last time.
Blood, ashes, and whispers.
That was all he left behind.
Sky Chamber – The Elder Hall
The vast hall was quiet, its floor made of glowing crystal and air that shimmered with spiritual energy. Ancient scrolls floated along the walls, and runes burned faintly underfoot.
Ragnar landed heavily. Kaien stood before him, hands folded behind his back.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Kaien said, "Tell me the truth, Ragnar. What are you?"
Ragnar raised his head. His voice was hoarse.
"I'm… human. At least, I think I still am."
Kaien's gaze didn't waver. "The power you used — I've seen something like it only once before. Long ago, in the Abyss Wars. Shadows that devoured flames. Worlds falling into silence."
Ragnar blinked. "You think… this thing inside me is the same?"
Kaien nodded slowly. "If it grows unchecked, yes. You may become the next calamity."
Ragnar clenched his fists. "Then I'll control it."
Kaien's eyes narrowed. "And if you fail?"
"I won't," Ragnar said simply.
There was no arrogance in his tone. Only quiet certainty.
Kaien studied him for a long moment, then sighed.
"Perhaps. Or perhaps fate will decide otherwise. Either way… you will be watched from now on. Closely."
He turned, his robes whispering against the air. "Rest. Heal. You'll need it. Your trial has only begun."
Ragnar looked down at his shadow. It was still there, pulsing faintly, like a living thing. But this time, it didn't whisper. It simply waited.
And that silence was somehow worse.
Later, outside the hall…
Lyra and Kael were waiting when Ragnar emerged.
Kael grinned, though his eyes betrayed worry. "You almost died again. Can't you ever win a fight without wrecking the whole place?"
Ragnar smirked faintly. "Guess not."
Lyra crossed her arms, pretending to be annoyed. "You're an idiot, you know that? You scared everyone half to death."
Her voice cracked at the end, betraying her emotion. Ragnar's smirk faded, replaced by something gentler.
"I didn't mean to."
She huffed, turning away. "Just don't do it again. I'm not—" she paused, then muttered, "—I'm not ready to see you vanish."
Ragnar blinked at her. For a moment, he didn't know what to say.
Then Kael elbowed him lightly. "You heard her, hero. Try not to explode next time."
Ragnar chuckled under his breath. For a brief second, the darkness inside him felt lighter.
But deep down, he knew the truth — this peace wouldn't last.
Far away, in another sect…
Valerius sat in silence as his wounds were bandaged. His hands trembled with fury.
That boy's power… it wasn't just shadow. It was something ancient. Something forbidden.
He looked out the window, toward the distant mountains where Ragnar's sect lay hidden in the mist.
"I'll burn that darkness out," he whispered. "Even if it means burning the world with it."
His reflection flickered — and for an instant, a strange flame glowed behind his eyes.
To be continue....