Kaelen stopped walking.
It was not abrupt. Not a stumble, nor a visible hesitation. His stride simply… ended, as if an invisible line had been drawn across the road and his body refused to cross it.
Kyle took two more steps before realizing he was no longer beside her.
She turned, brow creasing. "Kaelen? Why did you stop?"
He stood at the edge of the capital's outer district, gaze fixed forward, posture unchanged. For a brief moment, it seemed as though he had not heard her at all.
"It's nothing," he said at last.
Kyle frowned but didn't press him. She had already learned that when Kaelen said nothing, it meant something he had no intention of explaining.
What he did not say was this—
The moment he stepped within the capital's influence, his blades had stirred.
Not violently. Not with hunger alone. The vibration was subtle, controlled, almost wary. As if the cursed steel had brushed against something it did not fully understand.
Kaelen's eyes narrowed slightly.
The capital rose before them in layered terraces of pale stone and polished metal, bathed in soft Kyz-lit lanterns that hovered without flame. Towers curved skyward with architectural precision, their surfaces etched with faint containment arrays that shimmered when viewed from the corner of the eye.
It was beautiful.
And it was wrong.
Kaelen felt it immediately—the difference between the wild Kyz flow of the outskirts and the capital's energy. Here, power did not roam freely. It was guided, filtered, disciplined. Every street, every structure, every open plaza subtly influenced how Kyz moved and settled.
This was not a city built to accommodate power.
It was a city built to control it.
People passed them in steady streams—masters, guards, civilians—yet very few met their eyes. Conversations quieted as they drew near. Kyz signatures folded inward, suppressed with practiced ease.
Order through fear, Kaelen concluded.
A city did not shine like this without devouring something beneath the surface.
Kyle, in contrast, stared openly. "It's… incredible," she murmured. "I've only ever seen pictures."
Kaelen said nothing.
They continued deeper until the streets widened into a massive circular plaza. At its center stood the Arena.
It was not a coliseum in the traditional sense. There were no towering spectator stands or banners of glory. Instead, the structure resembled a massive ring embedded into the earth itself, with multiple descending levels and sealed training halls branching off like arteries.
This was not a place for spectacle.
It was a place for management.
Novices gathered in clusters near the entrances—some nervous, some eager, others wearing the forced confidence of those who had survived their first encounters with power. Rank Ten to Rank Seven signatures drifted through the air, thin and erratic.
Kaelen felt them instinctively.
They were unfinished vessels.
As Kyle stepped forward, a sudden pressure washed over the plaza.
Not oppressive.
But undeniable.
Kaelen's attention sharpened instantly.
A man approached from the inner corridor, his presence so tightly contained that it felt like standing beside a sheathed blade. He was tall, broad-shouldered, with dark hair streaked faintly with silver. His eyes were sharp, assessing, and utterly unhurried.
This was no novice.
Kaelen recognized the sensation at once.
A general.
The man stopped a few steps away, gaze passing over Kyle before settling on Kaelen. For the briefest moment, Kaelen felt as though something had touched the surface of his existence—not probing deeply, but confirming shape and resistance.
Interesting, the man seemed to think.
"I was wondering when you'd arrive," he said calmly.
Kyle stiffened. "General…?"
The man inclined his head slightly. "Arthur Jones. General of the Royal Capital."
The surname landed with weight.
Jones.
Royal blood.
Kaelen noted it without reaction.
Arthur's gaze returned to Kyle. "John Snow informed me of your approach. He speaks highly of you."
Kyle straightened instinctively. "I'll do my best to meet expectations."
Arthur hummed softly, then turned to Kaelen. "And you."
It was not a question.
Kaelen met his gaze evenly. No challenge. No submission.
Arthur's lips curved—not into a smile, but something close. "You've made quite the impression for someone officially recorded as Rank Ten."
Kaelen said nothing.
Arthur continued, unbothered. "The Arena is closing for the cycle. You'll both rest tonight. Report to me tomorrow."
Kyle nodded. "Yes, General."
Arthur's eyes never left Kaelen. "We only train prodigies here. Whether you qualify remains to be seen."
A pause.
"Still," Arthur added, voice smooth, "John Snow insisted I extend… acknowledgment."
Kaelen felt it then—a subtle pressure behind the words.
A test.
"I accept nothing I haven't earned," Kaelen replied.
Arthur studied him for a moment longer. Then, unexpectedly, he chuckled softly. "Good."
He turned away without another word.
As they were escorted toward their assigned quarters, Kyle exhaled shakily. "That was… intense."
Kaelen remained silent.
Inside the room, the door sealed with a faint hum of Kyz. Kyle collapsed onto the bed with a sigh of relief.
"Capital generals are on another level," she muttered. "Even Uncle John feels… gentler than that."
Kaelen stood near the window, eyes half-lidded.
His blades vibrated again.
Stronger this time.
Not hunger.
Recognition.
Someone else was watching.
Far away, deep beneath the capital, shadows gathered.
A chamber lit by fractured crystal veins pulsed faintly as several figures stood in silence. Their forms were obscured—some seated, some standing, some not fully corporeal.
One voice broke the stillness.
"So… he has arrived."
Another answered, amused. "Yes. And the cursed steel recognizes this place."
A pause.
A third presence spoke, quieter. "He noticed us."
Silence followed.
Then—
"Good," the first voice said. "Let us see whether he bends…"
"…or whether he forces the capital to bend around him."
Far above, Kaelen turned from the window.
The city slept.
But it did not blink.
"This wasn't something to be afraid of" Kalen thought, "That was something which made me aware.... Of something thats going to happen soon".