Kael woke before sunrise.
He did not lie in bed thinking anymore. When his eyes opened, he got up. Staying still only made his thoughts louder.
He washed his face, tied his hair, and picked up his sword. The blade was plain steel, slightly worn at the edges. No glow. No warmth. No reaction.
He stepped outside Ronas's house and walked toward the training grounds. The village was quiet, but it was not asleep. A few guards were already on patrol. Someone was lighting a forge in the distance.
Kael began training alone.
He practiced footwork first, moving across the sand in short bursts. Then he moved on to strikes. Straight cuts. Diagonal cuts. Thrusts. He repeated each movement until his arms burned.
This was how his father had trained him.
No shortcuts. No wasted motion.
By the time others arrived, Kael was already sweating.
Some of the trainees noticed him. A few slowed down to watch. They always did. A boy without resonance training harder than those with power made people uncomfortable.
Tavian arrived last, carrying two wooden swords.
"You're early," Tavian said.
"You're late," Kael replied.
"That's because I was reading," Tavian said proudly. "And because I don't hate my body."
Kael did not answer. He picked up a practice sword and walked toward the sparring area.
Sparring began quickly.
Kael was matched with Renn, an older trainee with fire resonance. Renn's blade glowed faintly as they took their positions.
The signal was given.
Renn attacked immediately, fast and confident. Kael stepped back, blocked, then countered with a strike aimed at the wrist. Renn barely reacted in time.
They exchanged blows quickly. Renn relied on bursts of heat to force Kael back. Kael relied on timing and distance.
A flare of heat grazed Kael's shoulder.
He gritted his teeth and kept moving.
The match ended after Renn landed a solid hit to Kael's side.
Renn won.
Both of them were breathing hard.
"You fight like someone who knows he can't afford mistakes," Renn said.
Kael nodded. "I can't."
Renn hesitated, then gave a short bow before walking away.
That surprised Kael.
After training, Tavian sat beside him as Kael cleaned his blade.
"You know they talk about you, right?" Tavian said.
"I know."
"Good. Because half of them are wrong, and the other half are idiots."
Kael almost smiled.
"You're not weak," Tavian continued. "You're just… limited."
Kael looked at him. "That's worse."
Tavian shrugged. "Maybe. But limits can be worked around. Power makes people lazy."
Kael stood and sheathed his sword.
Later that day, Elder Ronas called him to the hall.
Ronas did not waste time.
"You're pushing yourself," he said.
"Yes."
"You're training like someone waiting for something to break."
Kael said nothing.
"There are rumors," Ronas continued. "About your father placing a seal on you."
Kael felt his chest tighten.
"He said it was to protect me," Kael said. "That's all I know."
Ronas nodded slowly. "Seals delay growth. They don't remove it. If broken too early, they cause damage."
"I'm not trying to break it," Kael said.
Ronas looked at him carefully. "Not consciously."
That evening, Kael stood near the cliffs, watching the sea.
Patrol ships moved in the distance. Armed. Alert. The sea monsters had not appeared in weeks, but that meant nothing.
Lyra joined him, holding two pieces of bread.
"You skipped dinner," she said, handing him one.
Kael took it. "Thanks."
They ate in silence.
"Do you ever think about leaving?" Lyra asked.
Kael did not answer immediately.
"Yes," he said finally.
Lyra looked down at her hands. "Me too."
They did not talk about it further. Talking would only make it worse.
That night, Kael trained again.
Not with the sword.
He sat alone in his room, breathing slowly, focusing on the pressure inside his chest. It was always there when he pushed himself too far. Not pain. Not power.
Something held back.
"Not yet," Kael muttered. "I'm not ready."
The pressure did not answer.
Kael lay down, exhausted.
Beyond the island, far past the horizon, forces were already moving.
Kael did not know it yet.
But steel alone would not be enough for much longer.