The morning didn't feel like a morning. It felt like the castle woke up annoyed. The halls were colder than usual, footsteps echoed longer, and even the torches seemed to flicker with a bad attitude.
Kael walked through the corridor like he was part of the shadows. He didn't talk to anyone, didn't look at anyone. He had that look again — the one that said he wasn't thinking about breakfast or sleep. He was thinking about something heavier.
Seraphine noticed the moment he entered the training courtyard. She was already there, sitting on the stone railing with her feet dangling like she had nothing to do. But her eyes were awake. Sharp. Watching.
"You're late," she said.
Kael didn't stop. "You say that every day."
"Because you're late every day."
He ignored the comment and went straight for the center of the courtyard. The Hero was already there, swinging a practice sword with his usual clean form. Too clean. Too perfect. Kael watched him for a second, his eyes narrow but calm.
The Hero stopped swinging and turned.
"Morning," he said.
Kael only nodded.
The Hero studied him for a moment longer than necessary. Not enough to be rude, but enough to show he was thinking something. Something quiet. Something growing.
Seraphine noticed. She watched the Hero's stare and tilted her head slightly, like she could read his thoughts floating behind his eyes.
"Suspicion looks terrible on your face," she said to the Hero.
He blinked and snapped out of whatever he was thinking. "It's not suspicion. It's… observation."
Kael raised an eyebrow. "You're observing me now?"
"You observe me too," the Hero answered simply.
Kael didn't deny it.
The tension wasn't loud. It didn't explode. It was quiet, slow, creeping between the cracks like smoke. None of them wanted to step away, but none wanted to admit they were standing too close to fire.
Seraphine slid off the railing and landed lightly on her feet.
"Let's just train," she said. "Before both of you stare each other into a hole in the ground."
Training Begins
The session wasn't supposed to be intense. It was supposed to be warm-up drills, basic coordination, nothing serious. But the air around them didn't want "basic."
Kael moved first. Slow steps, light footing, testing the space.
The Hero mirrored him almost exactly, as if he wanted to show Kael he could match him in anything.
Seraphine crossed her arms and watched.
"Don't turn this into a contest," she said.
Both of them ignored her.
Kael lunged.
The Hero stepped aside.
Not fast, but carefully. Like he was analyzing the way Kael moved.
Kael circled.
The Hero switched his stance.
They weren't fighting. Not really. It was closer to two storms studying each other before deciding whether to merge or collide.
Seraphine sighed loudly. "Can both of you stop acting like predators trying to figure out who gets to be on top of the food chain today?"
But they didn't stop.
Kael's eyes flicked toward the Hero's grip. It tightened whenever Kael came closer. He stored that information in the back of his mind quietly.
Meanwhile, the Hero noticed something else:
Kael's steps were too controlled. Too precise. Like someone trained him to fight in the dark, where every sound and every breath mattered.
Neither said anything, but both noticed everything.
Seraphine finally stepped between them.
"Enough warm-up. We're not breaking anything today."
Kael stepped back without argument. The Hero lowered his sword.
But the tension stayed.
A Sudden Assignment
Before any of them could leave, a messenger ran into the courtyard holding a rolled parchment.
He bowed quickly and handed it to Seraphine. The seal was official — straight from the Council.
She broke it open, scanned it, and exhaled slowly.
"What is it?" the Hero asked.
"We're being assigned to inspect the eastern sector," she said. "A disturbance was reported near the ruins outside the capital."
Kael's eyes narrowed. "A monster?"
"No," Seraphine said. "Worse. They think it might be a scout from one of the forbidden clans."
The Hero straightened. "Then we should go immediately."
Seraphine looked at Kael. "What do you think?"
Kael didn't answer for three full seconds. He was thinking. Calculating.
Finally he nodded. "We'll go."
Seraphine folded the parchment. "Be ready in an hour."
On the Road
The journey wasn't far, but the silence made it feel longer. Birds made noise. The road creaked under the horses. But the three of them barely spoke.
It wasn't awkward silence. It was thinking silence.
Kael kept scanning the trees.
Seraphine watched Kael when he wasn't looking.
And the Hero watched both of them.
Finally the Hero broke the silence.
"You two know something about this disturbance that I don't?"
Seraphine shrugged lightly. "Maybe. Maybe not."
Kael didn't bother answering. His eyes were on the ground, spotting tracks the others missed.
The Hero sighed. "You're not exactly comforting."
"We're not here to comfort you," Kael said without turning.
Seraphine smirked. "He's right."
The Hero muttered something under his breath.
But all three sensed it before they saw it — the atmosphere shifted. The wind grew still. The trees stopped moving.
Something unnatural was nearby.
Kael stopped his horse first. "We're close."
They dismounted quietly.
Seraphine placed her hand on the hilt of her dagger. "Stay alert."
The Hero lowered his stance.
They moved deeper into the ruins.
The ruins were old and half buried in vines. Stones were cracked like someone had punched through them ages ago. But that wasn't the strange part.
The strange part was the mark on the ground — a circular burn, large, deep, and fresh.
Seraphine crouched and touched the edge of it.
"Magic," she said.
"Not yours," the Hero added.
Kael didn't say anything. He was staring at the pattern inside the burn. It wasn't random. It was coded. A message.
Seraphine saw what he saw. "…No way."
The Hero looked at both of them. "What is it?"
Kael stood up slowly. "Someone is leaving signals. Someone skilled."
The Hero frowned. "Signals for what?"
Kael looked into the distance, like the message wasn't on the ground but somewhere far away.
"For war," he said quietly.
The Hero stepped closer. "How do you know that?"
Kael didn't answer.
Seraphine stood too. "We should report this."
Before they could leave, a sound cracked through the ruins. Not thunder — fast footsteps hitting stone.
All three turned.
A figure blurred between the pillars and escaped into the forest.
"Someone's here!" the Hero shouted.
Kael was already moving. "Don't let them get away."
They ran.
Branches snapped under their feet. Leaves crashed against their arms. The forest was thick, but the figure was fast — too fast.
"He's leading us somewhere!" Seraphine yelled.
Kael pushed forward. "I know."
The Hero kept pace behind them. "Then why are we still chasing?"
Kael didn't look back. "Because if we don't catch him now, we'll never find him again."
They ran harder. The forest thinned slightly, and the figure stumbled over a fallen log. For a moment, they saw him clearly.
He was masked. Completely. No face. No skin. Just dark cloth and silence.
Seraphine threw her dagger. The masked figure twisted his body and avoided it easily.
"He's trained," she said between breaths.
The Hero sped up. "We're catching him."
But right as they were about to grab him, he jumped off a high drop, rolling down the slope and disappearing into the darkness below.
The three reached the edge and stopped. It was too steep. Too dangerous.
Seraphine cursed under her breath. "We were close."
The Hero was breathing heavily. "He escaped. He wanted to."
Kael stared at the darkness below, jaw tight.
"He wanted us to follow," he said. "And he wanted to measure us."
Seraphine looked at him. "Measure?"
Kael nodded slightly. "He was testing how fast we are."
The Hero muttered, "Why would he—"
Kael turned away. "Let's go back. We've seen enough."
But Seraphine didn't move. She watched him quietly.
There was something she wanted to say, but she didn't.
Not yet.
Back at the Castle
They returned close to sunset. The sky was gold and orange, but none of them felt calm.
The Hero left first, saying he needed to speak to a commander.
Seraphine and Kael stayed behind in the courtyard, standing under the archway where the shadows met the fading light.
"You recognized that symbol too," she said softly.
Kael didn't deny it. "Yes."
"Why didn't you tell him?" she asked.
Kael shrugged. "He's not ready to know."
"You sound so sure."
"I am."
Seraphine stepped closer. "Kael… what was that symbol really for?"
He finally looked at her. His eyes didn't hide anything this time.
"It was a call," he said. "A signal for someone like me."
Seraphine exhaled slowly. "That's what I thought."
They didn't move for a moment. The air between them felt heavy, like it was trying to say something they wouldn't.
Then Seraphine stepped even closer.
"Kael," she said quietly. "Are you hiding something from me?"
Kael didn't look away. "Yes."
Their eyes locked. Not soft. Not gentle. Just honest, sharp tension.
Seraphine didn't move back.
Kael didn't either.
The space
between them felt like it might break.
Then footsteps echoed from far down the hall — breaking the moment.
Seraphine stepped back slightly, mask returning to her face. "We'll talk later."
Kael watched her leave.
He didn't say it out loud, but he knew:
Later wasn't going to make things easier.
End of Chapter 16 🛡️