The shimmer of the return portal receded behind them like a dying star, leaving Ashen, Kaelin, and Seraphine back on Academy grounds. The courtyard, now quiet under the afternoon light, buzzed with subdued tension. Students stumbled out in groups, singed, bruised, but alive.
Ashen rolled his shoulders, the strain of the Emberwild trial still echoing in his muscles. He had managed to conceal his full capabilities, but just barely. Too many close calls, too many times he had to bend his rules. And Seraphine had seen more than he liked.
A loud voice snapped through the air. "Team Storme. Forward."
Instructor Liora stood tall in her silver-trimmed robe, flanked by two unfamiliar figures in violet cloaks—Magisters of Evaluation, observers sent to assess student potential for advanced ranking and future faction placement.
Ashen stepped forward calmly. Kaelin, slightly flushed but composed, stood beside him. Seraphine crossed her arms, still holding the flarestone core casually like a trophy.
"Report," Liora demanded.
Kaelin gave a concise but honest account of their mission—encounter with the Flame Revenant, unstable terrain, the temple trap, and the wraiths. She carefully omitted the subtleties of Ashen's interventions.
Liora turned to the magisters. One, a gaunt man with ink-black eyes, hummed in thought. "Unorthodox methods, but effective. High synchronization between teammates. Particularly between Storme and Kaelin."
The other, a silver-haired woman, narrowed her eyes. "There was... irregular elemental fluctuation within your group. Surges beyond typical combinations."
Ashen held her gaze without blinking. "We adapted. That's what we were taught, isn't it?"
"Indeed," she said slowly, then turned away.
They were dismissed soon after. Seraphine shot Ashen a look as they left. "That wasn't just adaptation. You know more than you let on."
Ashen offered a tired smile. "Maybe. Or maybe I just think fast."
She scoffed but said nothing more. Kaelin, walking beside him, glanced up.
"You're too calm," she whispered.
"And you're too curious."
"I earned it," she said with a grin. "You owe me at least three explanations."
They returned to their dorms, but peace didn't last. The next morning, the Academy released the Trial Rankings—a board erected magically above the central courtyard. Students crowded below, craning necks and casting hopeful glances.
Ashen approached slowly with Kaelin and Seraphine at his side. Names glowed across the obsidian board.
1st Place – Team Dravantis (Talon Draeve, Myra Vale, Gerran)
2nd Place – Team Storme (Ashen Storme, Kaelin Aerwyn, Seraphine Draeven)
Kaelin gasped. "Second? That's incredible."
Ashen stared at Talon's name. The boy had likely pushed his team hard to secure the top. And now, their rivalry would only intensify.
"Storme."
Ashen turned to see Talon approaching, flanked by his teammates. The fire-eyed prodigy wore a smirk like armor.
"Didn't expect you up here with us. Then again, I suppose even commoners can get lucky with the right team."
Kaelin opened her mouth, but Ashen stepped forward first. "If you're that insecure about your spot, I'd be happy to take it from you next time."
Talon's smile twitched. "Looking forward to watching you try."
He walked off. Kaelin folded her arms. "He's insufferable."
"Still dangerous," Seraphine added. "And ambitious."
Later that evening, Ashen stood alone in the Academy's library, tucked in the upper atrium beneath vaulted stained glass. Tomes of elemental history surrounded him—none of which he was reading.
He was staring into nothing, lost in the echo of memory.
The flarestone core they had retrieved from the temple now sat in a sealed vault, but during the mission, it had pulsed strangely when near him. As though recognizing him.
Not him.
Who he used to be.
A burning throne. A shattered crown. A friend with betrayal in his eyes.
"Ashen."
He turned sharply.
Kaelin stood in the archway, barefoot and wrapped in a light training cloak. She held two steaming mugs.
"Thought you might still be up."
He accepted one gratefully. "Thank you."
She sat beside him, feet tucked under her.
"Are you going to tell me who you were?"
He didn't answer.
"I've known you for a long time, Ashen. But... since our Awakening, you've changed. You react before danger even appears. You know techniques none of us are taught yet. You hide your strength... even from me."
"I can't tell you. Not yet."
She looked at him, searching. "Will you, someday?"
He nodded. "When the time is right."
Kaelin sipped her tea. "Then I'll wait. But just so you know—I'm not the only one watching. Seraphine is curious. The instructors are, too. Whatever you're hiding, you'll have to face it eventually."
Ashen looked toward the window. In the distance, the moon hung low over the Academy walls, casting long shadows.
"I know," he murmured. "But not yet. I'm not ready to be a king again."
Kaelin's eyes widened, but before she could respond, the great clock tower chimed midnight.
The past was creeping closer.
And soon, the Academy would not be enough to shield them from what was coming.