Chapter 11: "Whispers and Warnings"
The door to the hidden chamber sealed shut behind them, the obsidian sigil dimming once more.
Yui said nothing on the way back. His steps were slower now—not from exhaustion, but from understanding. The weight of the fire within him wasn't just about strength. It was history. Legacy. A curse that had consumed others before him.
Voidspawn walked beside him in silence, his black-silver flames tucked deep within, like coals under ash.
As they emerged into the cold dawn light of the academy courtyard, Yui turned to him. "Why did the tablet react to me?"
Voidspawn looked away. "Because you're closer to the source than I ever was. Your flame... it's pure. Unfiltered. They must have bound it to you before you were even born."
Yui's mind spun. "Who?"
"I don't know. But someone made you into a weapon."
Yui clenched his fists. "Then I'll find out who. And why."
Voidspawn gave a warning look. "Don't dig too fast. The deeper you go, the more you risk waking it."
---
Later that morning, Kael stood at the top of the Tower of Silence, staring out over the academy grounds.
He had felt it—the surge of power in the old catacombs. The chain-seal on the tablet had nearly cracked. That shouldn't have been possible. Not yet.
The cloaked figure knelt before him again.
"You failed," Kael said flatly.
"He resisted," the assassin replied. "Didn't speak the name."
Kael's fingers tapped the hilt of his ceremonial dagger. "Then we're running out of time."
He turned away from the window.
"Begin Phase Two. Activate the girl."
---
Yui returned to the dorms just before classes began, head low, hoodie pulled tight over his face. Lucen was waiting at the hallway corner with crossed arms and a knowing look.
"You went somewhere you weren't supposed to," Lucen said.
Yui didn't deny it.
"I needed answers."
"And did you get them?"
"A few. And a hundred more questions."
Lucen's eyes narrowed slightly. "What did it show you?"
Yui hesitated. "A name. One I didn't speak."
Lucen exhaled slowly, almost with relief.
"Then you're still in control. For now."
---
That evening, during combat class, something strange happened.
The instructor called for partners. A new student—one no one had seen before—stepped forward. She wore the academy uniform, her posture relaxed, smile soft. But her eyes were too calm. Too still.
"I'll spar with Yui," she said cheerfully.
Whispers spread through the students.
Yui raised an eyebrow. "I don't even know who you are."
"Name's Seris. I just transferred from the Southern Division."
Yui's instincts flared. The flame inside him stirred uneasily.
As they faced off, Seris moved with practiced ease. Her spells were delicate, beautiful—streams of violet light dancing around her fingertips. But each one was measured, like she was testing him.
Yui blocked them. Countered. Not using his flame—just his skill.
Then she smiled.
"You're holding back," she said. "That won't work."
Her next spell wasn't beautiful.
It was lethal.
Dark tendrils erupted from beneath the floor, aiming for his throat.
Yui dodged instinctively, and the white flame burst to life.
Gasps echoed around the room. The instructor moved—but too slowly. The tendrils were already gone.
Seris stood there, expression unchanged.
"Oops," she said innocently. "Guess I got excited."
Yui's flame dimmed as he stepped back.
"What are you?"
She leaned in close, voice barely a whisper.
"I'm the reminder that they're always watching, Yui. Even when you think you're safe."
And then she walked off, humming softly as if nothing had happened.
---
That night, Yui sat on the rooftop alone.
Voidspawn's warning echoed in his mind. "They made you into a weapon."
And now… they were sending more.
Not just enemies.
But smiling ones.
---
End of Chapter 11