Chapter 4
Embers and Shadows
Kael emerged from the golden archway with a sharp gasp. His boots scraped against broken asphalt as the portal collapsed behind him, vanishing into a faint shimmer. The alley was quiet again, as if time had resumed its regular flow.
Only five minutes had passed in the real world. Inside the demiplane, it had been nearly an hour.
His limbs still tingled with aftershocks of battle. The taste of fire and blood clung to his tongue. Beneath his skin, the strange heat—the dragon—still pulsed. His heart beat in rhythm with something ancient, something other.
> Gracebound System Notification
Current Grace Points: 30 GP
Kael exhaled slowly. "Still not a damn clue what you are."
The System didn't answer, of course. It never spoke aloud—its prompts simply appeared in his mind, silent and unnervingly calm. He hadn't told anyone about it. Not even his former friends back at the Academy. Not even—
Forget them. That part of your life's over.
He shook off the memories, pulled his hood low, and started toward the main road.
But someone was watching him.
Kael stopped. His grip shifted subtly toward the hilt of his blade. He didn't hear footsteps—just silence. Too much silence.
A presence dropped from the rooftop behind him with barely a whisper.
He spun, sword half-drawn.
She stood in a black sleeveless jacket with short shoulder armor, hood down and a painted porcelain mask over her face. Slender but athletic. Her boots didn't make a sound against the pavement.
"Not bad," she said casually. "I thought you'd jump a little harder."
Kael kept his stance low. "Who are you?"
She stepped forward, relaxed, as if she hadn't just dropped into someone mid-fight stance. "Name's Lys."
He didn't answer.
"I saw you fight that guy from Voss House," she continued, glancing at the bloodied ground. "The one with the spirit-whip."
Kael's eyes narrowed. "And?"
She shrugged. "Just didn't expect a no-name Aura stage reject to wipe the floor with an Ambience-tier spellblade."
He said nothing.
She tilted her head. "Most Aura cultivators barely dodge. You countered. You used spells. Where'd you learn that?"
Kael's sword remained unsheathed, tension in his shoulders. "Why do you care?"
Lys smiled beneath her mask. "Maybe I'm nosy. Or maybe I'm curious about the fire in your veins."
That made Kael freeze.
She saw it. She felt it.
"Don't worry," she said quickly, raising her hands. "I'm not here to expose you. Hell, I don't even know what it is exactly. But you're hiding something big."
Kael's jaw clenched. "You don't know anything."
"Maybe," she replied. "But I know enough to stay the hell away when someone has power they don't understand."
Kael stepped forward, eyes sharp. "Is that what you came to say?"
"No," she said simply. "I came to offer a warning."
She pulled off her mask. Underneath, her face was younger than expected—freckles dusting sharp cheekbones, silver-gray eyes like mirrors. Her hair was short and messy, half braided and dyed pale ash-blue.
"My brother fought someone like you once," she said. "Had... something inside him. Not exactly a system, but a power he didn't earn. It made him fast. Strong. Unstoppable."
Kael swallowed hard. He said nothing.
Lys' voice lowered. "He died screaming when it took more than it gave. Power always has a cost."
Kael turned away, not replying. He didn't need her pity. Or her lectures.
But her next words froze him.
"You're going to be hunted."
He turned slowly. "By who?"
She stared at him. "Everyone. Cultivators, clans, mercenaries, even the city watch. You stand out—and power like yours doesn't go unnoticed for long."
Just then, a thunderous boom shook the ground. A wave of smoke curled upward over the distant skyline—far west, near the outer gate.
Lys stiffened. "That's not good."
Kael frowned. "What was that?"
"Sounded like an explosion seal. Bandits maybe. Or worse."
Another echo—this time closer. Screams followed.
> Gracebound System Notification
Task Generated: Protect Civilians During Westgate Incursion
Reward: 15 Grace Points
Duration: 1 Hour
Kael's eyes widened. "You've got to be kidding me..."
Lys blinked. "What?"
"Nothing," he said, too fast. "I'm going."
"Why?"
"Because people are about to die."
She stared at him a moment, then nodded. "Fine. I'll follow."
Kael gritted his teeth and opened the Gracebound Shop in his mind as they ran.
> Gracebound Shop – Active
Purchased:
Ember Lash Scroll – 8 GP
Spirit-Infused Combat Pill – 10 GP
Remaining Balance: 12 GP
His pulse quickened. The ember scroll flared to life inside his coat pocket, humming with fire Qi. The pill gleamed faintly like a bottled storm.
As they approached the chaos ahead, the crackle of spells filled the air. Flames, lightning, steel clashing. The city guard was losing ground.
Kael pulled the pill between his fingers.
"Ready?" Lys asked.
He swallowed the pill, feeling its power rush through his limbs like thunder.
He drew his sword.
"No," Kael said. "But I'm not backing down."
Then he charged into the fire.