The morning mist hung low over the valley when the scholar returned.
His name was Vellor, and this time, he wasn't alone. Two temple guards in white cloaks flanked him as they approached the Renard estate's gates.
Cael watched from his window, the mark on his palm tingling beneath its bandages. The faint hum of Aether hadn't left him since the night of the surge. It whispered faintly whenever someone who could sense magic came near.
He didn't know if it was warning him—or calling them.
---
Inside, his parents waited anxiously by the door.
"Maybe he's here for the same reason as yesterday," Mira whispered, wringing her hands. "Maybe it's just procedure."
Elias's jaw was tight. "Scholars don't bring guards for procedure."
Sir Thane stood near the wall, arms crossed, eyes hard. "I told them to stay away."
The door opened before anyone could reply. Vellor entered, bowing politely. "Forgive my intrusion. The temple's records demand follow-up after any unexplained surge. We only wish to ensure the boy's safety."
Thane's voice was a growl. "Safety or containment?"
Vellor adjusted his spectacles. "In the temple's view, they are often the same."
---
Cael descended the stairs quietly, feeling every eye turn toward him.
He bowed slightly. "Scholar Vellor."
"Ah. The prodigy himself." The man's tone was gentle, but his smile didn't reach his eyes. "You've caused quite a stir, young master."
"I didn't mean to," Cael said.
"Of course. Power rarely asks permission before it arrives."
The guards shifted behind him, silent and watchful.
Vellor held out a small silver sphere etched with runes. "If you'll allow, this device measures Aether stability. It's harmless."
Thane stepped between them. "No tests without the parents' consent."
Elias hesitated, then nodded slowly. "If it will prove he's not dangerous…"
Cael glanced at Thane. The knight's expression said stay calm.
He extended his hand. The scholar placed the sphere into his palm.
At first, nothing happened. The runes flickered softly.
Then the mark beneath Cael's bandage pulsed once.
The sphere cracked.
Blue light burst through its seams, spilling across the floor like liquid fire.
Lyra screamed from behind the stairs.
Thane moved instantly, grabbing Cael's wrist and tearing the sphere away just before it shattered completely. He flung it into the fireplace where it exploded harmlessly in a shower of sparks.
Vellor stumbled back, eyes wide. "Impossible…"
The guards drew their weapons.
Thane barked, "Stand down!"
But the scholar's face had gone pale with awe. "This resonance—this is not a child's power. It's layered. Echo upon echo…" He turned slowly toward Elias and Mira. "Do you know what your son is?"
Mira's voice trembled. "He's our child."
"He's an Aetherbound," Vellor whispered. "A living echo of another life."
---
Silence filled the room.
Thane's hand fell to his sword. "Choose your next words carefully, scholar."
Vellor raised both hands. "I mean no harm. But this must be reported to the temple—"
"Reported to the Order, you mean," Thane interrupted. "And we both know what happens next."
The scholar's throat bobbed. "If the Order learns I concealed this, they'll come for me instead. I can only delay their notice."
"Then delay it," Thane said. "Buy us time."
Vellor looked at Cael again—studying him like a puzzle he'd never solve. "Do you hear them?" he asked softly.
Cael blinked. "Hear who?"
"The whispers. The remnants of who you were."
Cael hesitated. "Sometimes."
The scholar sighed. "Then the process has begun. Your core isn't stable. When an Aetherbound awakens fully, the barrier between lives can break completely. Two souls cannot share one vessel without consequence."
"What kind of consequence?" Elias demanded.
Vellor's gaze darkened. "Madness. Fragmentation. Or worse—rebirth undone."
---
Outside, thunder rumbled distantly.
Lyra grabbed her brother's hand. "He's not crazy!"
Vellor flinched at her tone. "No, little one. But power like his bends the laws of the world. The Order believes it must be controlled, or it will rewrite reality itself."
Thane stepped forward. "Enough. You'll say nothing to the capital."
Vellor's lips thinned. "I can stall them for a few days. After that, my absence will raise questions."
"Then we'll be gone before they arrive."
Mira's eyes widened. "Leave? But where would we—"
Thane looked at Cael. "Anywhere that buys him time to understand what he is."
Vellor sighed. "You cannot run from the Order forever, Sir Thane. They always find what they seek."
The old knight smiled grimly. "Then let them find a boy who knows how to fight back."
---
That night, the house was restless again.
Cael sat awake while the others argued quietly downstairs. Every sound felt sharper now—the wind outside, the ticking clock, the soft hum of the mark beneath his skin.
He couldn't stop thinking about what Vellor said.
Two souls cannot share one vessel.
He looked at his reflection in the window.
"Two souls," he whispered. "But only one choice."
The faint blue glow shimmered over the glass—and for an instant, another reflection appeared beside his own.
Older. Sharper. Watching him.
> "You see now," the whisper said. "The cracks are widening."
Cael clenched his fists. "Why me?"
> "Because you asked for it."
Memories flashed—his last moments as Ardyn Vale, the sword in his chest, the plea to be reborn in peace.
Maybe next time, I'll live without a sword in my hand.
He'd said those words. He'd begged for this.
And now, the past had followed him here.
> "The Order will come," the voice murmured. "They always do. You can run, or you can finish what we started."
"No."
> "Then you'll lose everything again."
The reflection vanished.
Cael pressed his forehead against the cold glass, breathing hard. The mark burned faintly, like a brand of memory refusing to fade.
---
At dawn, he stood by the gates with Sir Thane. The old knight's horse was packed, the saddlebags filled with supplies.
Lyra clung to Cael's arm, refusing to let go. "I'm coming too."
"You can't," Cael said softly.
"I can." Her eyes brimmed with tears. "You said you'd protect me."
He smiled weakly. "And I will. By keeping you safe here."
"But—"
Thane placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "He'll come back, little one. I swear it."
Lyra sniffed. "You promise?"
"I promise," Thane said.
Elias embraced his son tightly. "No matter what happens, remember—you are our boy. Not the world's. Not theirs."
Cael nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat.
As he mounted behind Thane, Mira whispered, "Come home soon."
"I will," Cael said.
The gate opened. The road ahead stretched into fog.
Behind them, the first light of morning spilled over the hills.
But in that light, Cael thought he saw something glimmer—like faint blue eyes watching from the forest's edge.
And in his mind, the whisper returned once more.
> "You can't outrun memory, Commander. You can only learn to live with it."
---
End of Chapter 6 – The Scholar's Warning