The cheers still echoed long after the flames had faded.
Alex walked through the academy's corridor, the noise of celebration from the coliseum chasing after him like a living tide.
The banners of the Sunlight Tournament hung high abovegolden fabric rippling in the warm breeze but now, every flutter felt like it carried his name.
He pulled off his scorched gloves, flexing his fingers. His knuckles still tingled, faint traces of shadowfire flickering beneath the skin before fading again. He tightened his hand into a fist I pushed it too far.
The dragon's whisper still lingered faintly in his head calm, ancient, watchful.
You are learning to listen, hatchling.
Alex exhaled through his nose. "I didn't ask for your approval."
But even as he muttered, he couldn't deny the truth: without that awakening, he wouldn't have survived Seren's domain.
A gust of wind swept through the hallway, carrying the faint sound of chanting students outside.
"Alex! Alex! The Fire from the Shadows!"
"Did you see his flame? It wasn't normal like a dragon's breath!"
"He took down Seren! The advanced division's golden boy!"
Alex slowed, the words almost unreal he'd spent most of his life unnoticed, overlooked, or underestimated now the entire academy seemed to know his name.
The System chimed softly.
[Reputation Update: Underdog's Rise – Moderate Influence Gained.]
[Perk Activated: Public Favor (Lv. 1) — Slight charisma bonus when interacting with common students.]
He huffed a faint laugh. "So now the System cares about popularity?"
A voice cut through the noise.
"Hey! Alex!"
He turned just in time to see Mira sprinting down the corridor, her long brown hair loose for once, eyes shining. She skidded to a stop right in front of him, practically glowing with excitement.
"That was insane!" she burst out, grabbing his arm. "Do you have any idea what you just did? Seren's been undefeated for two years!"
"I noticed," Alex said dryly.
She ignored the tone completely. "The instructors are still arguing whether that was dragonfire or some weird hybrid spell! Even Professor Kael looked like he'd seen a ghost!"
Alex's brow furrowed. "And you?"
She grinned. "Me? I'm proud, obviously you looked like a walking storm out there."
Her smile faltered slightly as she noticed the faint scorch marks on his sleeve. "But… you're pushing too hard, aren't you? That fire whatever it is it's eating at you."
He glanced down at his arm the skin looked normal, but he could still feel the warmth crawling beneath it, alive and restless. "Maybe but it's not something I can just ignore."
Mira sighed, crossing her arms. "You know, normal people celebrate after nearly setting the arena on fire."
Alex smirked faintly. "Guess I'm not normal."
Before she could respond, the doors ahead swung open and Kael walked out, hands clasped behind his back.
The old instructor's expression was unreadable, though his eyes held the weight of someone who'd seen too much.
"Alex," Kael said simply. "Walk with me."
Mira blinked, stepping aside Alex hesitated but followed.
They moved down the quiet hall, the sound of distant celebration fading behind them. Sunlight filtered through the tall windows, casting bars of gold across the marble floor.
Kael spoke without turning. "Do you know what that flame was?"
Alex's steps slowed. "…Part of me," he said carefully.
"Part of you, yes," Kael replied. "But not born of you that was something older something that remembers the age before the Kingdoms of Light even rose." He stopped, glancing back over his shoulder. "You've bound yourself to power that doesn't belong entirely to this realm."
The words hung heavy in the air.
Alex met his gaze. "I didn't bind myself. It found me."
Kael's lips tightened. "And that, boy, is what makes it dangerous."
For a moment, silence stretched between them.
Finally, Kael sighed. "The headmaster will summon you soon. Be careful what you reveal the council has little patience for anomalies."
Then, without another word, he turned and walked away, leaving Alex standing in the sunlit corridor, shadows flickering faintly at his feet.
Alex closed his eyes briefly, the sound of the crowd outside returning like an echo.
Mira's right, he thought this power isn't done with me yet.
But as the faint warmth of the dragonfire pulsed through his veins, he couldn't tell if that was a warning… or a promise.
By the time Alex returned to the dormitory, the academy grounds were buzzing like a storm of voices.
Students filled the walkways, some still in their tournament robes, others clutching glowing projection tablets replaying the earlier match. Each burst of sound that drifted through the open windows carried his name.
"Did you see him split Seren's flame?"
"That wasn't normal fire looked like a cursed blaze."
"No, it was divine! Maybe his dragon awakened for a second!"
The whispers followed him like shadows.
He pulled his hood up, hoping to blend in, but the moment he stepped through the dorm doors, a group of students turned toward him. Their conversation froze mid-sentence.
Then, a blond boy from the Alchemy Division broke the silence with a grin. "Hey look who it is! The flame cutter himself!"
Laughter and applause erupted around him someone even tossed a small spark of magic into the air that burst into golden confetti.
Alex froze, unsure how to react just a week ago, those same faces had sneered when his egg failed to hatch now they cheered like he'd become a hero.
A girl with short silver hair stepped forward, her tone half-teasing, half-awed. "You made Seren look like a beginner i didn't think anyone could block his Infernal Coil."
Alex scratched the back of his neck, awkward. "It was… mostly luck."
The blond alchemist laughed. "Then pray for more of it! The betting board went wild after your fight. Half the school's calling you The Underdog of Ash!"
"Underdog of Ash?" Alex repeated dryly.
"Yeah! Kinda catchy, right?"
He didn't know whether to laugh or groan.
As the crowd thinned, a few lingered, still watching him with something between curiosity and suspicion. Not everyone was cheering.
At the far corner of the hall, a tall, thin student leaned against the railing, his eyes glinting crimson under the lamplight. He wasn't applauding just observing.
Alex met his gaze for a split second before the stranger turned and disappeared down the hallway.
The System flickered faintly in his vision.
[ Hidden Presence Detected. ]
[ Observation Attempt Blocked. ]
Alex frowned so someone's watching after all.
He pushed the thought aside and climbed the stairs toward his room. The noise below faded, replaced by the soft hum of the mana lamps.
When he entered, the small dorm felt like another world quiet, dim, the only light coming from the cracked egg resting on the pedestal. The once-still surface now pulsed faintly, like a heartbeat.
He sat on his bed, unstrapping his boots, exhaustion creeping in like fog. His body ached everywhere even breathing hurt a little.
Underdog of Ash… He almost laughed at the absurdity of it.
The dragon's voice stirred faintly in his mind.
They cheer because they saw power but they do not understand what sleeps inside it.
Alex leaned back, closing his eyes. "Yeah, well, I barely understand it myself."
The whisper was low, almost like a sigh.
That is why you are still alive.
Before he could respond, a knock came at the door.
"Alex?"
It was Mira again.
"Come in," he said.
She slipped inside, holding two steaming cups of spiced tea. "You looked like you were about to pass out earlier, so I brought this."
He accepted one with a tired smile. "You're spoiling me."
"Someone has to," she said, sitting on the chair across from him. "So… how does it feel? Being the academy's newest celebrity?"
Alex snorted. "We both know it won't last tomorrow they'll find something else to talk about."
"Maybe," she said softly, "but tonight… you earned it."
They sat in silence for a while, the sound of crackling mana-lamps filling the room. Outside, the distant crowd still celebrated, but inside, it felt peaceful.
Then Mira hesitated. "You know, I think the teachers are scared of you."
Alex blinked "Scared?"
"Not of you, exactly of what's in you." Her voice dropped lower. "When your fire turned black-red, every instructor watching looked panicked. They'll try to classify it, label it, control it be careful, Alex the academy protects power until it starts to frighten them."
Her words sank deep.
He nodded slowly. "Yeah. I'll be careful."
She smiled faintly, then stood. "Good. Because I'd hate to see you burn yourself out before you reach the finals."
He laughed under his breath. "Finals? Let me survive the next round first."
As she left, the room fell quiet again.
Alex's gaze drifted back to the dragon egg its pulse had grown stronger almost too strong. Shadows rippled faintly around its base, like smoke swirling beneath glass.
He exhaled. "You felt it too, didn't you? That fight woke something up in both of us."
A faint warmth answered from the egg, not words this time just presence.
He smiled slightly. "Then let's make sure we both survive the next one."
The lights dimmed as he finally lay back, but behind the calm, the unseen watcher from the corridor stopped outside his door once more, pressing a small glowing crystal against the wall.
In its reflection, Alex's silhouette flickered half boy, half shadow.
The spy whispered softly into the crystal, "Report: Subject's synchronization increasing faster than expected orders?"
A voice replied from the other end, cold and distant.
"Observe for now. If the Shadowflame awakens again… eliminate him before it does."
The crystal dimmed footsteps faded.
And the dorm returned to silence except for the faint heartbeat of something ancient stirring beneath the shell of an egg.
The next morning dawned gray and heavy, the kind of morning that felt like the world was holding its breath.
The laughter and cheers from the previous night had faded into distant memory. The academy grounds, still decorated with tournament banners, seemed quieter now.
Alex adjusted the strap of his training bag and stepped out of his dorm his muscles ached from the fight; every step reminded him of how close he'd come to collapse. But despite the fatigue, there was a lightness inside him the satisfaction of survival.
The System's faint hum lingered in his mind.
[ Synchronization: 14% ]
[ Status: Stable. Bond Activity — Low. ]
He was halfway down the marble staircase when a robed messenger appeared at the bottom, blocking his path the boy bowed quickly. "Alex Eryndor of Dorm Seven? The Headmaster requests your presence immediately."
Alex blinked. "Now? What for?"
"I wasn't told, sir," the boy replied. "But… he doesn't summon first-years often."
That alone made Alex's stomach tighten.
Within minutes, he was walking across the central courtyard, the morning mist curling around the white stone arches. Students glanced his way, whispers rising again only this time, not the warm cheers of admiration these were quieter, edged with unease.
"They say his flame turned black."
"I heard he's using forbidden magic."
"Maybe the Headmaster's going to expel him."
He kept walking, refusing to meet their eyes.
The Headmaster's Tower rose at the far end of the academy a tall spire carved from obsidian and white marble, ringed by floating runes that pulsed like slow-moving stars. The heavy doors opened at his approach, as though the building itself recognized his presence.
Inside, the light dimmed the air was thick with mana, almost humming against his skin.
A woman in silver armor stood waiting at the base of the spiral staircase her golden hair glowed faintly under the light crystals.
"Alex," she said evenly. "Follow me the Headmaster doesn't like to be kept waiting."
He recognized her Instructor Elara, one of the academy's top combat masters. Her gaze was sharp, assessing, like she was measuring more than just his strength.
They climbed in silence each step carried them higher until the air itself seemed to thin. At last, Elara pushed open a tall door inlaid with burning sigils.
The Headmaster's chamber was vast circular, with bookshelves lining the walls, their tomes floating in slow orbits around a central platform. At its center stood Headmaster Seraphiel, robed in crimson and gold, a faint aura of firelight rippling around him like a living halo.
He didn't turn as they entered instead, his voice rolled through the room like thunder over calm water.
"So the boy with the black flame."
Alex bowed slightly, unsure what to say. "You wanted to see me, Headmaster."
Seraphiel finally turned, his gaze ancient and unreadable. "Yes. You did something remarkable yesterday something… dangerous."
Alex swallowed. "I didn't mean"
The Headmaster raised a hand. "Do not lie you felt it, didn't you? The shift the moment when your flame was no longer your own."
The room seemed to grow hotter.
Alex hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "It wasn't out of control. I… guided it."
Elara crossed her arms "Guided? You split an Infernal Coil in half no one below Third Rank should have survived that."
Seraphiel's eyes narrowed "Tell me, boy what do you think that flame was?"
Alex's mouth went dry the truth pressed against his throat like a weight the dragon's pulse stirred faintly in his chest, warning him to stay silent.
"I don't know," he said at last. "Maybe a mutation the System said nothing about it."
A flicker of energy flashed behind Seraphiel's eyes. "A mutation, you say… interesting."
He stepped closer. "Your System it reacts to your power, doesn't it? It feeds on growth. Perhaps it has begun rewriting your affinity."
Elara frowned "Headmaster, if that's true, shouldn't we contain"
"No," Seraphiel interrupted, his tone cutting like a blade. "We watch."
He turned back to Alex. "Tell me something when your flame turned black… did you feel fear?"
Alex hesitated. "No. I felt… clarity like it was showing me how to control fire instead of destroy with it."
A faint smile ghosted across the Headmaster's lips. "Interesting answer most who wield black flame lose their minds to it."
Elara looked startled. "You think it's that flame?"
Seraphiel said nothing for a long moment then he waved his hand, and a small orb of crimson light appeared before Alex.
"This," the Headmaster said, "is your record from yesterday's duel study it."
The orb expanded into an illusion. Alex watched as the fiery serpent from his opponent struck and his own black-crimson blaze erupted to meet it. In the replay, it looked alive, almost sentient curling like wings spreading from his arms.
Seraphiel's voice was low. "Do you see it now? That is no ordinary fire. That is the flame of balance born of light and shadow."
Alex's heart pounded. "Balance?"
"Yes," Seraphiel said softly. "But balance is fragile. If you lose control… that same flame will devour you."
The illusion faded. Silence fell.
Seraphiel stepped closer, his eyes burning with both curiosity and warning. "For now, your secret is safe. But understand this, Alex whatever you carry inside is older than this academy, older than you. Do not let it consume you before you understand it."
Alex nodded slowly. "I'll keep it under control."
Seraphiel's faint smile returned. "See that you do. You're dismissed."
Elara escorted him out, but just as they reached the stairs, she paused. "For what it's worth," she said quietly, "the Headmaster doesn't summon students because he fears them. He summons them when he sees something the world isn't ready for."
Alex met her gaze. "Then I hope the world learns fast."
She smiled faintly. "Let's hope you do too."
As he stepped back into the sunlight, the mist had thinned. The cheers from the training fields echoed faintly in the distance.
But inside him, something else stirred a quiet warmth beneath his ribs. The dragon's voice whispered faintly through the bond.
They see the flame they do not yet see the fire.
Alex exhaled slowly. "Then we'll show them on our terms."
The flame inside flickered once, in silent agreement.
By the time Alex returned to the dormitory, the entire academy was already buzzing with whispers.
He could feel it in the air the stares, the half-muted conversations that went silent whenever he passed. It was like walking through fog filled with invisible eyes.
"Did you hear? He met the Headmaster alone."
"They say he's some kind of experiment."
"No I heard he made a pact with a spirit."
The rumors spread faster than wildfire.
Inside Dorm Seven, his roommate Lena sat cross-legged on her bed, her sharp blue eyes flicking toward him the moment he entered. Her crimson hair was tied up in a loose braid, still damp from training.
"You're trending," she said, tossing him a mana tablet. On the screen, Alex's duel replay was looping on the academy forum slowed down and replayed from different angles.
Underneath, the comments scrolled nonstop:
Did you see that black flame?
No first-year should have power like that.
He's dangerous.
Or brilliant.
Alex sighed and dropped his bag on the floor. "Let them talk. They always do."
Lena frowned. "You think this is normal? You just made the top three in the rankings overnight people are either idolizing you or afraid of you."
"I didn't ask for either."
"That doesn't matter anymore," she said flatly. "Power doesn't need permission to draw attention."
He rubbed his temples. "And you?"
Lena paused, her tone softening slightly. "I think you scared the right people. That's not a bad thing."
Before Alex could respond, the dorm door banged open. Kai strode in tall, cocky, the same upperclassman who had mocked Alex before the tournament began. His lips curled into a smirk that didn't reach his eyes.
"Well, well The new favorite finally shows his face."
Lena's expression darkened. "Not now, Kai."
He ignored her, stepping closer until he stood only a few feet from Alex. "The Headmaster calls you for tea, and now everyone's whispering about some 'chosen flame.' What did you do, sell your soul for it?"
Alex didn't flinch. "You want to find out?"
Kai's smirk widened. "Tempting. But I'd rather watch you fall first. The tournament's not over, and the council's already reviewing your match. Rumor says they think you used a restricted technique."
Lena stood abruptly. "That's ridiculous."
"Is it?" Kai turned to her. "You saw it. His flame wasn't natural. He could have killed his opponent if it flared a second longer."
Alex met his gaze steadily. "You talk too much for someone who's never won a real fight."
The air between them crackled with tension mana rising like static.
Before either could make another move, the dorm warden's voice echoed through the corridor:
"ENOUGH! You two want to destroy the walls, do it outside!"
Kai gave a short laugh and stepped back. "Careful, underdog. The higher you climb, the easier it is to fall."
He turned and left, his laughter echoing down the hall.
Lena exhaled, pacing. "He's trying to provoke you. Don't give him what he wants."
Alex's gaze hardened. "He's not wrong, though. The council is watching me."
"So what? Let them watch," she said, crossing her arms. "You didn't cheat, and you didn't break any rules."
He leaned against the wall, looking out the window. Below, the training yard was filled with groups sparring under the afternoon light. His name was already on their lips but he could tell from their expressions that admiration had turned into something else: fear.
The kind that came before isolation.
The kind he'd seen before.
"Lena," he said quietly, "have you ever noticed how fast people change? Yesterday they were cheering. Today they're afraid."
She nodded slowly. "Because they don't understand you. Power always comes with a price even if that price is loneliness."
He turned toward her. "Then I'll pay it. I've done it before."
Her gaze softened. "You don't have to."
For a moment, silence filled the room warm, heavy, uncertain.
Then a knock interrupted them. A young courier stood outside, holding a sealed envelope with the academy's golden crest.
"Message for Alex Eryndor."
Alex took it. Inside was a single card:
•Summons: Tournament Council Hearing — 7th Bell, Hall of Judgement.
Subject: Rule Violation Inquiry.
Lena's eyes widened. "They're really doing this?"
Alex folded the card, sliding it into his pocket. "Let them. If they want answers, I'll give them truth."
As he turned toward the window, the sunlight caught his eyes, reflecting a faint glimmer of black and crimson.
The dragon's voice whispered faintly within his mind again low, ancient, and calm.
They question the fire, but they cannot judge what they do not understand.
He exhaled slowly. "Then we'll show them understanding the hard way."
Lena stepped forward, a spark of defiance lighting her eyes. "Then you won't go alone."
He looked at her and for the first time that day, he smiled faintly.
The Hall of Judgment loomed like a cathedral carved from ancient stone. Its high arched ceilings were etched with runes that shimmered faintly under the glow of mana lamps, casting long shadows over the marble floor.
Alex's footsteps echoed as he walked through the wide doors, the sound swallowed by the silence that filled the chamber.
At the far end, seven members of the Academy Council sat on raised thrones each a master in their discipline. Their robes bore different sigils: flame, frost, wind, steel, and light. At the center sat Headmaster Alaric, his silver staff resting across his knees. His expression was unreadable.
Behind Alex, Lena stood quietly, her hands clenched. A few students and instructors had gathered in the upper balconies spectators to what would determine Alex's fate.
"Alex Eryndor," a voice boomed, belonging to Councilor Miren, a strict woman with silver hair tied into a knot. "You stand before this council under accusation of violating combat code during your tournament duel. The power you wielded was not registered in your affinity records. Explain yourself."
Alex stepped forward, his heart steady but heavy. "It wasn't something I planned. The power appeared on its own when I was about to lose control of the fight."
Miren's eyes narrowed. "A convenient excuse. Unregistered elemental manifestations are dangerous. You could have harmed another student."
"I know," he said. "But I didn't. I stopped it before it went too far."
Another councilor, Master Orin, an elderly mage of wind, leaned forward. "We reviewed the arena's recordings. That black flame of yours reacted to your will, not instinct. It obeyed you."
Alex hesitated. The memory flashed again the moment the fire had flared from his sword, the dark heat swirling like a living creature. He remembered the pulse in his chest, the whisper that wasn't his own voice.
"I… don't know if it obeyed me," he said quietly. "It felt alive like it was testing me."
Whispers rippled across the room.
The Headmaster finally raised a hand, silencing the murmurs. "Alive, you say?"
"Yes, Headmaster. It speaks sometimes. In my mind."
A collective gasp followed.
Lena's heart skipped she hadn't known he would reveal that.
Councilor Miren slammed her staff against the floor. "Do you understand what you are saying? You're admitting to communion with a foreign spirit without permission from the Academy's Seal Division. That alone could warrant suspension."
Alex didn't flinch. "Then suspend me. But hiding it won't make it go away."
The boldness in his tone hung in the air like a spark.
Alaric studied him carefully, his gaze deep and ancient. "This voice does it have a name?"
Alex hesitated before answering. "…No. But I've felt its presence since the first day I awakened the flame. It calls itself the Echo of the Sunless Pyre."
A heavy silence filled the hall. Even the runes above seemed to dim.
Orin muttered under his breath, "The Sunless Pyre… that's impossible. That's a myth from before the War of Divinity."
Miren's expression hardened. "More reason to act. If this flame is connected to any forbidden entity, we cannot allow it to remain unchecked."
Lena took a step forward. "With respect, Councilor you're making it sound like he's some kind of criminal. He saved his opponent's life. The flame didn't consume anyone. It responded to him because it recognized something within him."
Miren's voice was sharp. "And what would that be?"
Lena faltered, but before she could speak, Alex answered, voice calm and firm:
"Because I didn't fear it."
That simple statement silenced the room.
Alaric leaned forward. "You did not fear the flame?"
Alex shook his head. "I've spent my whole life trying to control things I didn't understand my own power, my own place in this world. This time, instead of running from it, I faced it. The flame didn't burn me. It chose me."
The Headmaster's gaze softened slightly, as if seeing something others didn't. "And yet choice has consequences, young one."
He stood slowly, the staff in his hand glowing faintly. "This academy was founded to nurture balance, not chaos. But sometimes, power appears that does not fit our rules."
A low hum resonated from the staff, and the air thickened. The hall's walls shimmered with faint glyphs as the Headmaster invoked a spell Memory Echo Projection.
The scene of Alex's duel flickered above the council a perfect recreation from the arena's recording. The black flame erupted once more, swirling like a living serpent, wrapping Alex in shadow and light.
The audience watched breathlessly.
Then the projection ended.
The Headmaster turned to the council. "The flame responded not to rage, but to intent. His will shaped it. Whatever this entity is, it did not act with malice."
Miren looked unconvinced. "You mean to let him continue using a power we cannot classify?"
"No," Alaric said simply. "I mean to train him properly."
The room broke into murmurs again.
Lena's eyes widened. "You're not expelling him?"
The Headmaster smiled faintly. "Far from it. If he truly bears a connection to something ancient, we would be fools to waste the opportunity to understand it. However…" His gaze shifted to Alex, firm once more. "…you will be placed under observation. Until we determine the true nature of this power, you will report to the Arcane Division every third day for evaluation."
Alex exhaled part relief, part apprehension. "I understand."
"Good," Alaric said. "Then this hearing is concluded. You may return to your dormitory. But remember, Alex power untested is a burden. Make sure you remain its master, not its servant."
As the Headmaster dismissed the session, Alex turned to leave. But as he passed through the great doors, he caught a glimpse of Kai standing in the shadows near the entrance, watching silently.
Their eyes met and for a moment, Alex saw the faintest smirk curl across Kai's lips.
He's not done with me, Alex thought grimly.
Outside, the cold evening air hit his face. Lena walked beside him, silent for a long moment before finally speaking. "You handled that better than anyone expected."
"I just told the truth," Alex said. "Lying would have made things worse."
She nodded slowly. "Still… this 'Sunless Pyre' thing it sounds dangerous. Are you sure you can trust it?"
Alex's gaze drifted to the horizon, where the academy's towers pierced the twilight sky. "I don't trust it," he admitted. "But I trust myself to keep it under control."
Lena smiled faintly. "Then I guess I'll trust you too."
As they walked away, the bell tower chimed in the distance, marking the end of the seventh bell the same time his hearing had begun.
The System flickered in Alex's vision, words appearing softly:
[Quest Updated: Flames on Trial]
•Status: Completed.
•Outcome: Power recognized. Observation imposed.
•Reward: Hidden Affinity Path — Sunless Flame (Rank D → Rank B).
Alex paused, staring at the glowing text. Rank B.
A grin crept across his face. "Looks like the council wasn't the only one watching."
Lena raised a brow. "You're smiling. Should I be worried?"
"Maybe," he said, still smiling. "Because the real test hasn't even started yet."
As they disappeared into the torch-lit courtyard, the wind whispered faintly through the trees carrying with it a single, echoing voice only Alex could hear:
Soon, bearer of dawn's shadow. Your trial begins.