"The world remembers power long after it forgets names."
— Imperial Archivist Solan Veyne
The morning in Rynvale was quiet — too quiet.
The kind of silence that came before storms.
Kael felt it the moment he stepped outside. The air itself seemed heavier, as if the world had shifted overnight. Birds flew in uneven circles, dogs barked at nothing, and the faint hum of mana in the air had turned sharp — alive.
He could feel it resonating against the hidden chains under his skin.
⚙️ Unstable Resonance
[Trait Synchronization: 12%]
[Warning: Unstable Resonance Detected]
Kael froze mid-step.
The floating text flickered across his vision before fading.
"Unstable?" he muttered.
The chains under his skin pulsed once, hard enough to make him flinch. He gritted his teeth. Not here. Not now.
He forced his breathing steady. The sensation passed — for now.
He looked up toward the distant horizon, where the spires of the Knight Academy gleamed faintly in the sun.
🏫 The Rynvale Knight Academy
The training grounds buzzed with life — steel clashing, mana flaring, instructors shouting commands.
Kael's friend Eren Voss waved from across the field, a cocky grin plastered across his face. "Finally! The hermit returns."
Kael rolled his shoulders. "Missed me already?"
Eren snorted. "Only when I need someone to lose to."
Lira, standing nearby, raised a brow. "You both talk like you've already passed the entrance trials."
Kael smirked. "We will."
Selene, leaning under the shade of a tree, spoke without looking up from polishing her dagger. "You look… different, Kael."
He shrugged. "Maybe I started sleeping better."
Her eyes flicked toward him — sharp, suspicious, and knowing. "You're lying."
Kael met her gaze and said nothing.
⚔️ The Trials
The Academy trials were held only once every two years — tests of swordsmanship, mana control, and raw endurance.
Hundreds of young aspirants had gathered across the open fields, each one dreaming of becoming a Knight of Aurelid.
Instructors called names, pairs stepped into circles, mana flared.
Some fought with grace, others with desperation.
When Kael's turn came, whispers rippled through the crowd.
"That's Darius Dravenhart's son."
"He's strong, but never awakened a trait, right?"
"Poor kid — talentless bloodline."
Kael ignored them.
He stepped into the arena, hand resting lightly on his training blade.
His opponent was a noble's son — smug, polished, confident.
"Try not to embarrass yourself," the boy sneered.
Kael's lips twitched. "Don't worry. You'll do that for both of us."
⚔️ Clash
The signal horn sounded.
The noble lunged, mana bursting around his blade. Kael sidestepped, parried, and countered in a single motion — his movements clean, economical, perfectly timed.
Steel met steel.
Mana hissed through the air.
The noble pressed harder, but Kael's blade moved faster, smoother — every strike guided by invisible precision.
He's reading me.
Kael exhaled slowly, and something inside him clicked.
The faint sound of chains echoed in the air, unheard by anyone else.
A silver glint flashed across his eyes.
He stepped in, blade sliding past the noble's guard — and stopped just short of his throat.
The crowd went silent.
[Resonance Achieved: Combat Synchronization +2%]
The noble stumbled back, face pale.
The instructor raised a hand. "Winner — Kael Dravenhart!"
Cheers erupted. Eren whistled. Lira smiled faintly.
Selene, however, didn't cheer. She just stared — her shadow flickering strangely beneath her feet.
🩸 Aftermath
Later, Kael sat beneath the academy's old oak tree, drinking water and ignoring the stares from nearby students.
Eren dropped down beside him. "Alright, spill it. That wasn't normal speed. You moved like you knew what he'd do before he did it."
Kael smirked faintly. "Instinct."
"Liar."
Kael chuckled, but his mind was elsewhere.
Each fight, each heartbeat, made the chains inside him hum louder — syncing, aligning, growing hungry.
[Chain Sovereign: Resonance Deepening]
[Link Progress: 14%]
The world around him blurred slightly. He gripped his arm. "Not now…"
"Kael?" Lira's voice cut through the haze.
He looked up — and saw it.
For a brief moment, spectral chains pulsed faintly beneath his skin — visible even to the others.
Selene's eyes widened. "What the hell was that?"
Kael froze. The world seemed to hold its breath.
He smiled tightly. "Nothing."
But deep inside, he knew that wasn't true.
🕊️ Shadows in the Capital
Far away, in the heart of Sol Aurea, the Emperor's palace glittered under the light of a thousand crystal lamps.
Inside the throne hall, the man in black armor knelt once again.
"The resonance in Rynvale is growing, Your Majesty."
The Emperor turned, his golden eyes half-lidded. "Chain energy…"
"Yes, sire."
"Then the world begins to move once more," the Emperor murmured.
"Send the Black Sigil. Observe, but do not interfere. Not yet."