Night had long fallen over the Central Academy, but Kael Draven wasn't asleep.
He sat cross-legged on the dorm balcony, rain dripping rhythmically from the edge of the roof. Ember glowed faintly beside him, eyes half-lidded, while Aegros snored softly near the doorway, tail twitching.
Kael's hand rested over the resonance mark. The sigil pulsed faintly with golden-blue light, steady, calm—almost alive.
He took a slow breath, closing his eyes.
"Mana flow steady," he muttered. "Breathing normal. Head empty. Perfect."
For a moment, everything was perfect—until the hum began again.
Soft at first. Like a distant chime echoing underwater. Then clearer.
Hear us.
Kael's eyes snapped open. The world around him shimmered faintly blue, like a reflection caught in glass.
"Okay," he whispered. "That's new. And creepy."
The resonance mark brightened in response. Ember stirred, feathers flaring gold.
"Relax," Kael murmured. "Probably just… mana feedback. Or hallucination. Or both."
Child of covenant.
Kael froze. "Excuse me?"
The voice was faint, layered, neither male nor female. It felt ancient—woven from wind, flame, and echoes.
The gate stirs. You stand where the world thins.
Kael blinked. "That sounds bad. Could you maybe not stir?"
No answer. Only silence. Then the sigil dimmed back to gold.
He exhaled shakily. "Fantastic. My tattoo's doing monologues now."
Morning Briefing
The next morning, Kael stood in the Central Guild branch's observation hall, trying to look more awake than he felt.
Captain Iris Valen stood beside Professor Thalric, both staring at a glowing projection of Kael's mana pattern.
"Notice this," Thalric said, pointing. "During last night's rest phase, his mana activity spiked. Briefly, but measurable."
"You were watching me sleep?" Kael asked.
"For science," Thalric said cheerfully.
"Creepy science," Kael muttered.
Iris ignored their exchange. "That spike—could it be external?"
Thalric adjusted the rune display. "Possibly. The readings match Rift frequency patterns. Something answered his mana flow."
"I'm flattered," Kael said. "Didn't know cosmic horrors took interest in me."
"We're not joking," Iris replied. "You're attracting responses through resonance. If this continues, they might trace the connection back."
Kael frowned. "So… the things on the other side can call me like a magical phone?"
"Essentially," Thalric said. "And your line's unlisted."
"Well, great," Kael sighed. "Guess I'll start charging long-distance fees."
The Meditation Test
By afternoon, Iris led Kael to the secluded meditation chamber—a circular hall lined with barrier runes. Its walls shimmered faintly like the inside of a mana crystal.
"This place isolates magical frequency," Iris said. "No external interference. If you hear anything here, it's coming from inside you."
"You make that sound comforting," Kael said.
"Sit."
He sat. Ember perched behind him, eyes glowing. Aegros lay at his side, tail still.
Iris folded her arms. "Begin resonance channeling. Slow. Controlled."
Kael exhaled, closing his eyes again. The mark on his hand glowed faintly.
The air in the chamber grew heavy, filled with the deep hum of energy. Kael felt his awareness stretch outward—like touching invisible threads in the dark.
Then the whisper returned.
Child of covenant. The veil thins.
Kael's eyes flew open—but the room hadn't changed. Ember and Aegros were frozen, unmoving, like time had paused.
You carry the old flame, the voice said softly. And the gate remembers.
Kael swallowed. "Who are you?"
We are what was sealed. We are what your bond awakens.
Light flared—soft blue mist curling around the chamber. Kael stood, heart pounding.
"Stop it!" he shouted.
The mark on his hand flashed gold. Ember screeched, the sound cracking through the illusion like glass. Aegros roared.
The world snapped back.
Kael gasped, clutching his hand. The mark burned faintly, but the whispers were gone.
Iris rushed forward. "Draven! What happened?"
"Just my usual morning conversation with the cosmic void," Kael said weakly.
"You're pale," she said.
"I'm always pale."
Thalric, watching from behind the barrier, scribbled notes furiously. "Fascinating! The Rift frequency responded through his consciousness. He didn't just hear it—he projected back."
Kael glared. "Next time it starts talking, you're answering."
The Aftermath
Later, in the observation lounge, Kael sat wrapped in a blanket again, Ember perched protectively on his shoulder. Aegros rested nearby, occasionally glancing at the glowing mark.
Iris stood beside the window, her tone quiet but firm. "That wasn't just resonance. Something's trying to connect."
Kael's voice was flat. "I noticed."
"You need to learn to resist the call. If you listen too long, it might anchor through you."
Kael blinked. "Anchor? As in… open another Rift?"
"Exactly," Iris said. "You could become the doorway."
"Wow," Kael said. "Every day's worse news than the last."
Thalric looked up from his notes. "We can use the mana stabilizer again, but the bond's evolving. It's adapting around containment."
"So it's learning too?" Kael muttered. "Great. Smart tattoos."
"If it begins to glow or hum outside of summoning, contact us immediately," Iris said.
Kael gave her a tired salute. "Yes, ma'am, the possessed summoner will report promptly."
Despite herself, Iris smiled faintly. "You joke too much."
"That's my coping mechanism."
"Get better ones."
Nightfall
That night, Kael couldn't sleep. The resonance mark glowed faintly even under his sleeve. Ember and Aegros were awake too—restless, uneasy.
He held out his hand, studying the faint pulse of light.
It no longer looked threatening.
It looked… like an eye half-open.
"If you're listening," he murmured, "stop creeping me out."
The mark pulsed once—like acknowledgment.
Kael sighed. "Great. Now it's polite."
He turned toward his sleeping beasts. "If I start chanting in ancient languages, bite me."
Ember chirped seriously.
Aegros wagged his tail once.
Kael leaned back, staring out the window. The city glowed quietly below, unaware that the boy with the golden sigil might be carrying a voice from another world.
"Whatever you are," he whispered, "you picked the wrong lazy guy."
The mark flickered faintly again. Somewhere in the distance, thunder echoed—soft, almost like laughter.