Kael held the dark sword in his hand, standing near the window, his gaze fixed on it. He looked at the symbol near the hilt, tracing a finger through the carvings: a dark sun with twelve rays, six dark and six light.
He could now confirm, with absolute certainty, that it was the exact same symbol as the one in the temple.
Kael was now even more sure the sword and the Silent Circle temple shared a connection. Maybe Isolde knew something. She must know. She seemed to know quite a lot about him, honestly.
As chilling as that was for Kael, he also found it intriguing.
Kael turned and spun the sword, examining it and mumbling, "What are you, really? What connection do you have to the temple?" he asked, as if expecting an answer from it. "And why are you so weird?"
As he spoke, he felt a faint, internal humming vibrate through the sword's hilt, warm against his palm. It felt so subtle but still very noticeable.
Simultaneously, the dark sun symbol on the hilt began to glow softly, an ethereal light pulsating with faint dark and light color, mirroring its design. It was subtle, almost imperceptible, but undeniable.
Kael was in shock after seeing that. He was speechless for a while, just staring. Usually when the sword acted weird, he would tell himself it was just his imagination, however this time he really saw this happen and it was unreal. This only reinforced the belief that this was not a normal sword.
Just then, a knock sounded behind Kael's door, drawing him back to reality. The glowing light on the sun symbol disappeared, and the sword returned to normal.
"Come in," Kael answered, not bothering to turn around. He knew it could only be one of two people: Sylvia or Mira.
Mira walked in after pushing the door open. She stopped, taken aback when she saw Kael with the sword in his hands. "Oh, you still have it. I thought you threw that weird thing out!" She frowned.
Mira was always spooked by the sword, mainly because it looked like something from a cult. It was dark, and had a magical aura around it.
"No, I didn't," Kael answered, a slight sigh escaping him. "I decided to keep it because… having it just feels right. It's the only thing left that connects me to my parents, wherever they are."
Mira's initial frown softened into an expression of deep sympathy. "Oh, Kael," she murmured, her voice gentle as she lightly touched his arm. "I know how much you want to know about them. And that sword... it's all you have of your past, isn't it?" Her gaze lingered on the dark blade for a moment, no longer with fear, but a quiet understanding. "I'm sorry if I ever made it sound like a bad thing. I just... it always gave me the creeps." She offered a soft, reassuring squeeze to his arm.
"It's alright." Kael answered, focusing his attention on her.
Mira sighed and walked to the bed, sitting down. She eyed him for a second, "So, where did you run off to? Sylvia said 'you came to the well to find me,' but you weren't there?"
Kael set the sword down on the bed and sat next to Mira. He laid backwards "I was coming to meet you, but something came up." Just as he finished that sentence, his stomach growled.
"You haven't eaten yet?" she asked, hearing the growl.
"Mhmh," Kael nodded. "I forgot."
Mira rolled her eyes, "Of course you did, as usual," she sighed and stood up, "You need to eat." and then she walked out. Kael followed her.
During this time, somewhere else.
Borin, Lord Haldricks' hulking captain of the guard, stood rigidly before his liege in the throne room.
Moonlight came through the tall windows, lighting up the dust in the air. It made the heavy silence in the room feel even worse.
Lord Haldricks sat behind his massive oak throne, his expression was scary as always. He looked like he was clenching his jaw or frowning, although it was his relaxed face.
Beside him lingered his nephew, Caelus, the same boy Kael had disarmed at the market, quite literally. The bandaged stump where his hand used to be was prominently displayed, his eyes fixed on Borin with a mix of impatience and vengeful hope.
"Did you find him? Where is that little dog's head, Borin!" He barked.
"Report, Borin," Haldricks commanded, his voice more commanding than his nephew's tantrum. "Have you found the peasant who dared to mutilate my kin?"
Borin remained stoic, his voice gravelly. "My Lord, the individual responsible was not found. He vanished from the market shortly after the incident, and subsequent searches of the area yielded no trace."
Caelus snarled. "Gone? Are your men blind? Get me his head, or I'll have yours instead!" He jabbed a finger, his other hand, the one Kael severed—wrapped in bandages like a trophy of shame.
Haldricks raised a hand, silencing his loud nephew. His eyes, however, remained locked on Borin, pressing for more. "You found nothing? No leads? This is unacceptable. My family's honor has been stained."
"Not entirely nothing, My Lord," Borin continued, unfazed. "We did, however, apprehend several commoners who were present during the altercation. Under... persuasion... they provided a name." He paused, letting the name hang in the air. "Kael, My Lord. The boy is known as Kael."
A collective sigh of cold satisfaction rippled through the room from Haldricks and Caelus.
Caelus scoffed beside him. "Kael? What kind of name is that?" he sneered, as if mocking the name of the boy who had severed his arm, beaten his friends, and nearly killed one of them might somehow patch his pride. "Sounds like something a rat would squeak before it dies."
The jab gave him a flicker of satisfaction, only briefly. But the stump on his arm throbbed like it knew better.
Borin noticed him gritting his teeth and clutching his arm in pain. A grin tugged at the corner of his lips. "Names, however plain, can still carry steel, my young lord."
"Kael, strange name," Haldricks repeated, testing the sound of it, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "And where does this 'Kael' reside? Who shelters him? He cannot have simply sprung from the earth."
Borin shifted his weight. "That, My Lord, remains elusive. The others knew only his name, and that he works odd jobs around the market, occasionally helping his sibling sell fruits. They claimed he lives in the poorer districts, but no fixed address. He seems... a ghost, in some ways."
Caelus slammed his good fist onto a nearby table. "A ghost? He's a peasant! He doesn't just disappear! Find him, Borin! Tear the city apart if you must! I want his head on a pike by sundown!"
Haldricks scowled. For a moment, it seemed he might finally tell Caelus to shut up. But instead, he turned to Borin with grim purpose.
"His head, yes... but more importantly, his capture. Bring him to me alive."
He stepped away from the throne, voice rising like a judge at sentencing. "Queen Caladria arrives in three days. She whispers that my rule is soft. That I let the scum in the streets mock our name. Let this Kael be my answer. I'll spill his blood before the court, and the realm will remember that House Haldricks does not forgive."
He turned, face stone.
"This is no longer about Caelus's hand. This is about sending a message. Let every commoner in this city tremble at the thought of defying me. Find me Kael."
Borin bowed low. "It shall be done, My Lord. I will dispatch patrols immediately. We will not rest until Kael is found."
Simultaneously, Kael felt a weird feeling get over him, like something bad was about to happen, but he didn't know what. He eventually brushed off the feeling and continued on his way behind Mira.
He walked to the kitchen, and Mira served him a steaming bowl of hearty stew, thick with vegetables and chunks of tender meat, alongside a generous slice of freshly baked bread.
As she placed his plate on the worn wooden table, Kael couldn't help watching her. It was a little dark with only a lamp lighting up the kitchen, but he could still see the way her hair fell around her shoulders.
She was simply breathtaking, even just serving a meal. Her top showed off a bit of skin as it stopped near the belly button.
Kael sat down and began to eat, the warmth of the food a welcome comfort. Mira settled into the chair opposite him, watching him with a faint, almost wistful smile.
Kael looked over at her. "You looked like you were upset about something when you left earlier," he said, swallowing a mouthful of stew. "Is everything okay?"
Mira didn't answer right away. Her small smile disappeared and her gaze drifted, lost in thought for a moment before she finally met his eyes. "Yeah," she replied, her voice a little softer than usual.
She didn't want to tell him the truth, but deep down, she battled with her thoughts. 'I can't tell you that I was jealous. How can I even say that? It's weird that I feel like this for you, Kael. We're supposed to be like siblings, not by blood, but that's how we are, because we were raised together.'
"So," Mira said after a beat, her smile tightening slightly. "Did you… did you see Vivian again this evening?" Her eyes, usually so direct, now seemed to dart around Kael's face, searching. "Are you two close now? I thought she was always so rude to you."
Kael frowned, shaking his head as he recalled that Vivian had never been rude to him.
"No, that was Anya—the one who's overly rude and annoying." He chuckled softly at the thought of Vivian. Saying they even talked was generous at best. Vivian wasn't rude, not at all; she simply never went out of her way to be friendly. In fact, she never gave the slightest impression that she wanted to be friends with either him or Mira.
Honestly, she was out of their league. Back then, Kael and Mira were struggling, barely scraping by, while Vivian's family, though not wealthy enough to live in the city, were comfortably well-off.
"Vivian was always just... neutral towards us, really. Never bad, never overly friendly. Just there." He took another spoonful of stew, thinking back to the startling sight. "Why do you ask?"
Mira's smile became almost imperceptible. "Just curious. She's changed a lot, hasn't she? Getting prettier, I mean." She paused, picking at a loose thread on her tunic. "Do you... do you think she's pretty…."
Mira didn't finish what she was asking, she suddenly exclaimed, almost jumping into Kael arms as a rat crawled across her leg.