The halls of House Ardyn were carved in marble and silence.
Lightstones lined the ceiling like cold stars, casting silver shadows across polished floors. Magic hummed through every brick, every arch, every breath of air. To the world, the Ardyn bloodline stood as paragons of elemental nobility—untouched, perfect, elite.
To Kael, they were a cage.
Deep beneath the western wing of the manor, hidden where guests could never tread, a small boy with black hair sat curled on a hard stone floor. No window. No warmth. Just four cracked walls and a heavy iron door. At five years old, Kael had already learned the rules of silence. Not because he enjoyed it—but because no one listened.
He was not supposed to exist.
Born without the family's signature silver hair. Born without glowing elemental eyes. And worst of all, born with no mana at all. In a house built on elemental supremacy, Kael was a blemish—a cursed heir, whispered by some, a waste by others.
He had never even seen the sky.
---
The Servant of Shadows
The door creaked.
Kael tensed—until he saw her.
She moved like a breeze through stone. Cloaked in gray, a scarf wrapped around her lower face, her silver eyes sharp but kind. Elenor, the only person who ever spoke to him like he was human.
"Still awake, little flame?" she whispered, kneeling beside him.
Kael nodded. "It's cold."
She reached into her cloak and pulled out a small bundle. Spiced bread, still warm. He reached for it with small, shaking hands.
"You shouldn't bring me things," he muttered. "If they find out…"
Elenor smiled faintly. "Then they'll scold a servant. Not the end of the world."
She tore the bread and shared it with him, the warmth spreading between them like a secret fire. For a few moments, there was no mansion. No whispers. No magic. Just a boy and a maid, hidden under the earth.
Then she spoke. Quiet, careful.
"Tomorrow's the Awakening."
Kael's hands froze.
All noble children went through it. A sacred ritual. A Mirror that showed your mana core and summoned your spirit. It was tradition—power made public. And Kael knew exactly what would happen.
"They'll laugh," he said, eyes low. "Or worse."
Elenor didn't deny it. She just reached forward, brushing a strand of hair from his eyes.
"Let them," she whispered. "You don't need their approval. One day, they'll beg for your forgiveness."
Kael looked at her—truly looked. Her silver eyes were tired, but still soft. She wasn't like the others. She'd raised him in secret, fed him, cleaned his wounds. And even if she never said it… she loved him.
"Why do you help me?" he asked.
Elenor paused.
Then, gently: "Because you're the only ember in a house of cold fire."
---
The Voice in the Dark
That night, Kael lay curled in his usual spot, clutching the necklace Elenor had once given him—silver, plain, but warm to the touch. His heart beat quietly beneath his chest, but something else stirred beneath it.
A second rhythm.
Deeper.
Older.
His eyes fluttered open.
Not with words.
With instinct.
>
The Elenore voice echoed remain in his mind
> "Tomorrow… they will see. And I will be waiting."
Kael sat up slowly, staring into those glowing red eyes.
For the first time, he wasn't afraid.
He reached toward the fox—but it faded like smoke, leaving behind a pulsing warmth in his chest.
A spark.
A flame.
---
Far above, the nobles of House Ardyn prepared for another flawless ceremony.
Below, the flame they tried to smother...
had just begun to burn.