The explosion tore everything apart.
The arena split open.
The runes vanished in a heartbeat.
Students flew back, crashing into walls and onto the floor.
Screams ripped through the air.
But right at the center, Kael stood.
He didn't move.
He didn't speak.
He just stood there, swallowed up by pure darkness.
"…He's lost control…" someone whispered in the chaos.
"No," Lucien shot back.
He stared at Kael, something sharp in his eyes.
"…Something else took over."
Rhea forced herself off the ground.
"…Kael…!"
No answer.
He didn't even seem to hear her.
He was somewhere else.
Lost in a memory, a vision, or maybe something worse.
Blood everywhere.
Too much to take in.
A body lying still.
Motionless.
A hand—shaking—drenched in red.
"…I didn't mean to…" Someone's voice, barely a whisper.
Kael's breath caught in his throat.
"…Who is that…?"
You already know.
"…No…"
You remember.
The shadowy naked figure standing over the dead body looked up—
For one quick moment—
Kael saw a face.
And everything froze.
"…That's me…"
No.
"…Then who—"
The one standing before you.
Kael's heart almost stopped beating.
He went out of the vision before he could see who the person was
Silence.
Then,
Yes.
Back in reality—
Kael's eyes snapped wide open.
Something ancient stared out from them.
"…I remember…" he whispered.
The ground trembled.
The air itself cracked.
Deep underneath, something stirred.
A chain somewhere broke loose.
Rhea stumbled backward, scared.
"…What happened to him…?"
Lucien stayed quiet.
He finally understood.
And it terrified him.
"…That power…"
"…It's not magic…"
"…It's much older."
Kael stepped forward.
Darkness curled around him like it was his own.
"…I remember the blood…"
His voice carried far, impossible to ignore.
"…I remember the sin…"
The sky over the academy turned black.
And far away—
Something that should have stayed buried—
Opened its eyes.