The note came under his door.
Unmarked. Handwritten.
> You're not the only one.
That night, Kael snuck out of the dorms. Shadows followed him. Magic buzzed under his skin.
He was led into an abandoned garden hall, long since overgrown.
Five men stood waiting.
Real men. Adults. Dressed in plain black, their presence cloaked, eyes sharp.
One stepped forward.
"You're waking up, Kael. But you're not ready. If you want to survive what's coming—if you want to break free of the matriarchy's leash—then listen carefully."
Kael's fists clenched. "Who are you?"
The man smiled.
"We're what they tried to erase. The Last Order of Free Men."