Always the mist. For as long as Kael could remember, the world had been shrouded in a thick, suffocating grey. Not the morning fog that would dissipate with the rising sun, but something that felt alive, breathing, and cold enough to pierce bone. Within the Pillar of Dawn, humanity's last standing bastion, they called it the Luma Mist—the fog that had swallowed forests, mountains, rivers, and all civilization that once was. The mist that birthed horrors.
Kael had never seen the sun. Never felt its warmth directly on his skin, as the Elders recounted from ancient, decaying books. His life, and the lives of everyone in the Pillar of Dawn, was confined by robust walls illuminated by Lumen—purified light energy extracted from rare crystals, the sole deterrent against the lurking darkness.
That afternoon, Kael stood atop the watchtower. Not because it was his scheduled duty, but because he wasn't permitted anywhere else. He was eleven years old, thin but agile, his eyes always radiating an insatiable curiosity often mistaken for mischief. Below him, Lumen Guardians patrolled, a faint bluish aura emanating from their shields and weapons. Far beyond, past the Pillar of Dawn's Lumen shield, there was only one thing: the endless Luma Mist, moving slowly like waves on a boundless ocean.
Suddenly, a piercing alarm blared, shattering the silence veiled by the mist's whispers. A specific alarm, sounding only when something successfully breached the outermost layer of the shield. That meant... Shadows.
Kael's head snapped towards the sound. A small gap, roughly fist-sized, had opened in the Lumen wall. From it, an even denser cold emanated, and glowing red eyes peered through swirling black smoke. A Soul Murmurer.
The Lumen Guardians immediately moved, directing beams of Lumen from their gauntlets. But Kael, impulsively, had already darted forward. He knew he shouldn't. He had no permission. He hadn't even officially entered the academy. But his body moved on its own.
"Kael! Get back!" a Guardian cried, his voice strained.
However, Kael had already leaped over the tower's railing. Not a freefall, but a strange, controlled descent he somehow mastered. He was unaware he channeled a trickle of Lumen to his soles, creating a slight friction that slowed his fall, like a drifting leaf. He landed with a jolt on the platform below, right near the breach.
The Soul Murmurer, which had just managed to slip through, began to split, forming three other smoke-like entities. Thin whispers started to spread, attempting to plant fear. Kael heard them directly in his ear: "You are alone... no one wants you... surrender to the darkness..."
The cold permeated Kael's skin, entering his mind, threatening to consume him. But then, something within Kael rebelled. Rage. Rage because the whispers touched old wounds, wounds from always being seen as different, as an outcast.
Without thinking, Kael extended his hand. No, it wasn't Kael extending his hand. It was the energy within him that propelled his arm forward. An explosion of golden light erupted from his palm. Uncontrolled, far grander than it should have been. The Lumen wasn't like the Guardians' directed beams; it was like a small, newborn sun.
The Soul Murmurer caught by the blast shrieked—a high-pitched sound audible only to those sensitive to Lumen—before disintegrating into smoke and vanishing. The other two recoiled, startled.
The Guardians rushing closer stumbled back. Not just from the explosion, but from the intensity of the Lumen Kael emitted. The golden color was too pure, too potent, almost painful to behold. It was a "Solar Burst" in its rawest, most uncontrolled form.
As the light subsided, Kael gasped for breath. The power had drained him. He knelt, his breathing ragged. His body felt light and trembled.
"Kael!"
The voice belonged to Silas, son of Consul Valerius, an academy student already on the fast track to becoming a Lumina Explorer. Silas, a year older than Kael, always appeared perfect: his hair neat, his uniform clean, and his Lumen always elegantly controlled. That day, he arrived with a group of Guardians, his face a mixture of shock and anger.
"What are you doing here, outcast child?" Silas hissed, his Lumen sword radiating a steady blue glow. "You endanger everyone with your chaos!"
Kael tried to stand, but his legs wavered. "I... I drove them away..."
"You made the hole bigger!" Silas retorted. "Uncontrolled Lumen like yours attracts more Shadows!"
"Enough, Silas." A deep voice cut through the argument.
The approaching figure was a man in worn robes, his eyes sharp yet weary, a long scar cutting across his cheek. It was Ryu, a legendary former Lumina Explorer now known for being gruff and reclusive. He was respected, but also feared. Ryu looked at Kael, his gaze piercing to the core.
Ryu stepped forward, his hand touching the gap in the Lumen wall. With a subtle motion, he focused his Lumen, and the breach began to close slowly. Then, he turned, looking at Kael.
"Raw power," Ryu mumbled, his voice hoarse. "And foolish."
Kael stared at Ryu, unsure what to say. He lowered his gaze, feeling the judgmental stares of the Guardians and Silas.
"Take him to Consul Valerius," Ryu ordered a Guardian. "And make sure he doesn't run off again. I want to speak with him."
Kael was led away, his heart a turmoil of exhaustion, fleeting pride, and disappointment. He knew he would be punished. He knew Silas was right. He was always trouble.
Hours later, Kael stood before Consul Valerius in the council chamber. The room was vast, illuminated by softly glowing Lumen crystals, and adorned with ancient maps of Aethelgard, now mostly covered by marks of the Luma Mist. Valerius was a middle-aged man with a calm aura of leadership, yet his eyes exuded firmness.
"Kael," Valerius said, his voice calm but echoing. "I've received reports. You've once again violated security protocols. You know the dangers out there."
Kael remained silent, head bowed.
"Your power... is immense," Valerius continued. "But without control, it's like a sharp knife in a child's hand. It can wound yourself and others."
Kael wanted to defend himself, to explain that he only wanted to help, but the words caught in his throat.
"However," Valerius sighed. "You successfully eliminated three Soul Murmurers. That is something that cannot be ignored."
Just then, Ryu entered the room, without knocking. Valerius nodded, gesturing him in.
"Consul," Ryu said, his voice flat. "This child is trouble. But he is also... an asset."
Kael looked up, startled.
"I will train him," Ryu continued. "I will guide him, control him. I will take full responsibility for his actions."
Valerius watched Ryu carefully, as if measuring the depth of the offer. Ryu was a legend, but also known for refusing to deal with academy students.
"Ryu," Valerius said, his voice cautious. "This is a great responsibility. If he fails, or worse, if his power attracts something we cannot handle..."
"He will fail if no one guides him, Consul," Ryu interrupted. "A light like his cannot be suppressed. It will explode or be extinguished entirely. I've seen it."
Kael stared at Ryu, disbelieving. Ryu as his mentor? Him?
Valerius was silent for a moment, weighing the decision. Then, he nodded slowly. "Very well. Kael, starting tomorrow, you are under Ryu's tutelage. This is your chance, and your last chance. If you fail, there will be no forgiveness."
Ryu gave a small nod, turned, and gestured for Kael to follow him. As they left the council chamber, Kael glanced back. His future, somehow, had just shifted. The outcast's path now had a direction, though that direction led into a deeper darkness, under the guidance of a man as mysterious as the mist itself.