Night had fully fallen, and the lights inside the great lord’s office were still on, casting long shadows across walls covered with shelves and ancient tapestries. The silence outside stood in sharp contrast to the tension building inside that room. Lord Garbard, Laret, Caria, and Freya were gathered there, locked in a private conversation none of them wanted to have… but one they could no longer avoid.

  The goal was clear.

  To decide what to do with Kael.

  The child’s rapid development over the past two years could no longer be ignored or dismissed as simple early talent. The weight of that reality hung in the air, heavy, uncomfortable, almost suffocating.

  Lord Garbard was the first to break the silence.

  —Alright… —he said, placing both hands on the desk—. This meeting was called at Freya’s request. The goal is to clarify and understand Kael’s situation, based on the growth he has shown in just two years. We understand that, because of his traits, he needs to train his body so it can withstand his abilities… at least, that is what Freya has stated.

  Caria frowned immediately. Her posture was firm, protective, almost instinctive.

  —Fine —she replied—, but there is something important we need to put on the table. Kael, no matter what anyone says, is still a child. And at the end of the day, no matter what happens, we have the final word.

  Freya took a deep breath before answering. Her gaze softened for a moment as she looked at Caria, understanding all too well where that reaction came from.

  —Caria, I understand your concern —she said calmly—. If something like this happened to Lysandra, I would be in your exact position. But we need to be realistic about what is happening… and, more importantly, about what must be hidden.

  Laret, who had remained silent until then, spoke up with a frown.

  —For now, no one outside the Sungley mansion knows the true extent of Kael’s power —he said—. We lied to the doctor who examined him this afternoon, telling him that Kael collapsed while playing in the garden.

  Freya nodded slowly, her expression serious.

  —This is a delicate case… —she murmured—. Very, very delicate. And I ask you, please, to look at it as objectively as possible. Otherwise, the one who will suffer the most will be Kael.

  Lord Garbard raised his eyes to her, his expression severe.

  —Could you give us more details about that argument?

  Freya pressed her lips together for a second, as if organizing her thoughts before letting them out.

  —As I mentioned at the beginning, Kael is a true anomaly of nature. His abilities defy even the laws of our world. His soul does not match his body; he reincarnated, yet his structure and his power remain intact. In such a small body, that is an enormous risk. If he does not train properly, it could cause him serious problems.

  She paused briefly, not to stop, but to add weight to what she was about to say.

  —And what he showed today… was not just social maturity. He demonstrated a capacity for critical analysis and information retention worthy of a genius. He literally absorbed every word from the books I have read to him over the past months.

  Caria’s eyes widened slightly, surprised.

  —He didn’t just understand them —Freya continued—, he questioned them. And based on his own experiments, he reached conclusions by himself. Caria, I am not exaggerating when I tell you that what he did this afternoon completely challenged our understanding of magic and the elements around us.

  Freya’s voice grew firmer, filled with a dangerous mix of admiration and concern.

  —He understood magic as propagating waves… as a medium for echolocation. He was able to detect materials, differentiate them, and, even more incredibly, extract them in a pure state.

  Silence fell abruptly over the room.

  Laret, Caria, and Garbard exchanged glances. Only now were they beginning to understand the true magnitude of what Kael had done.

  —If this had been presented at an alchemists’ gathering —Freya added—, the impact would have been so great that Kael would be considered a new sage of this era.

  Lord Garbard leaned back in his chair, thoughtful.

  —Since he was small, he showed a genuine interest in everything around him —he said—. With only a few days of life, he already babbled and laughed… but more than anything, he was always paying attention. Now I have no doubt that he fully understood the situation when I brought in the judged nobles.

  Laret frowned.

  —Wait… what do you mean by saying he understood the situation?

  Garbard looked at him directly, without hesitation.

  —His bloodlust was palpable. The desire to massacre those monsters could be felt in the air when we entered. And remember well who was the first to step in to stop them.

  Caria and Laret lowered their gaze almost at the same time. Suddenly, many past scenes took on a new meaning.

  Freya spoke again, her tone heavier.

  —Kael has shown emotional maturity far beyond that of a normal child… even greater than someone twelve years old. He knows how to behave respectfully in front of strangers, as long as he is not pressured.

  Lord Garbard nodded slowly.

  —That gives him enormous potential for growth. I would not be surprised if, when he enters the academy at seven years old, he graduates with honors.

  Freya tensed. Her expression changed completely. She grew serious and lifted her gaze, darkened by an unsettling shadow.

  —That… is not something I would be so sure about —she replied—. In fact, what might happen scares me. And everything points to something bad.

  —What do you mean by “bad”? —Caria exclaimed, alarmed.

  —Is there a threat? —Laret and Garbard asked almost in unison.

  Freya closed her eyes for a second before speaking.

  —These are assumptions… I cannot say they are one hundred percent correct. But it is very likely they will happen. Listen carefully, because what I am about to say is extremely delicate. You must keep this an absolute secret. You cannot reveal it to anyone… because it could completely affect me.

  The three of them swallowed hard. No one interrupted.

  —Do you remember the year I graduated from the academy? —Freya asked—. The power tournament and the spirit contract ritual.

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  All three nodded in silence.

  —As you know, I refused to perform the ritual —she continued—. I said I was injured and that I would try the following year.

  Caria narrowed her eyes, remembering.

  —Yes… I remember it well. The next year, we made contracts with our magical beasts, but you never showed up.

  Freya nodded slowly.

  —I refused the ritual because the spirit that wanted to make a contract with me… was alive. And it was not just any creature.

  Laret frowned.

  —That sounds extremely dangerous.

  Freya clenched her fists, as if that memory still weighed heavily on her.

  —Galen forced me to step away. He said it could become a danger. When I awakened my fire elemental magic, the spirit that made contact with me was Rasha… the magma dragon.

  RASHA

  Primordial Dragon of Ancestral Fire

  Rasha is not simply a dragon.

  His body is an amalgamation of living magma, with scales as black as freshly fractured volcanic rock and deep, glowing fissures that pulse like a heart of liquid lava. Every movement he makes leaves trails of embers suspended in the air, as if reality itself were burning in his presence, unable to endure it.

  His serpentine silhouette is long, elegant, and lethal; a perfect balance between absolute devastation and a majesty impossible to ignore. His wings, enormous and torn by the perpetual heat radiating from his own body, function less like physical membranes and more like torrents of scorching energy. When he spreads them, the sky is dyed a deep red, announcing something similar to dawn… but of a doomed world.

  His eyes…

  Two incandescent spheres.

  Endless pits of fire that do not consume matter, but wills.

  They do not look: they judge.

  They do not observe: they pierce.

  Nature

  Unlike lesser dragons, guided mainly by instinct, Rasha is a force of creation endowed with consciousness.

  He does not feel anger: he feels inevitability.

  He does not feel hunger: he has purpose.

  He is the living balance between destruction and rebirth. Wherever he passes, life is extinguished… but the land is left ready to be reborn, more fertile, stronger.

  He is the fire that cleanses.

  The disaster that purifies.

  With a silent yet overwhelming impact, the three listeners looked at Freya with a mix of confusion and disbelief. No one dared to speak right away.

  —So… —Garbard finally said, his voice tense—, when you discovered your element, Rasha made contact with you?

  —Yes —Freya replied—. He was able to see through my abilities… and he wanted them. I hesitated over whether to perform the ritual and accept the contract. But Galen stopped me. He told me something I will never forget.

  Freya lifted her gaze, as if hearing those words echo once more in her mind.

  —If you gain a power as overwhelming as yours, combined with Rasha’s —he told me—, you will become an unquestionable heroine. But when the enemies disappear… those who call you a companion today may begin to see you as a threat.

  Freya clenched her teeth.

  —After that, I was afraid. I fell into a spiral of terror… and shortly after, the war began. There was no room for decisions. We had to march to the demon kingdom.

  Caria lowered her head slowly.

  —Without a doubt… —she murmured—, if we had possessed Rasha’s power back then, we would have won the war with an overwhelming advantage.

  —But at the cost Freya mentioned —Laret added—. She would have been the great heroine who saved the world… only to later become its greatest threat.

  Freya nodded gravely.

  —That is where my current concern is born —she said—. Do you understand now what I mean about Kael?

  The three of them finally began to understand the true scale of the problem. The tension thickened once more inside the room.

  —Do you mean —Caria asked, her voice breaking— that when my child takes the elemental affinity test… an incredibly powerful entity could make contact with him?

  —Yes —Freya answered bluntly.

  Laret swallowed hard.

  —I don’t even want to imagine that, depending on his element… like what happened to you… those ancient dragons might take an interest in our son.

  Freya brought a hand to her head, as if the weight of those possibilities was crushing her.

  —That is only one of the problems —she continued—. Now let’s move on to another. Kael is a master among masters. With only months of life, he was already capable of manifesting magic. At seven years old, I would not be surprised if he were already an expert, and by the time he leaves the academy… he could become an authority, a sage among sages.

  Her voice hardened.

  —For ordinary people, that would be something wonderful. But for the Sacro Empire… it would not. If they find out that Kael can use magic from such a young age, and even worse, that he discovered a scientific milestone of such magnitude… they—

  Garbard finished the sentence in a grim tone.

  —They could demand that we hand him over. Or worse… impose their law to take him from us.

  Silence seized the room for long seconds. The pressure increased brutally. Two parents who had already fought to the limit to protect their child were now forced to consider that the world itself might try to kill him… or that an entire kingdom might seek to kidnap him.

  Pain and helplessness began to bloom violently in their hearts.

  —No…! —Caria sobbed—. My child doesn’t… why did this have to happen to my child? He is cheerful, he is loving… he doesn’t deserve to suffer. He is not evil!

  Unable to hold back any longer, Caria broke down in tears. Her body trembled as fear overwhelmed her. No matter what she did, the world seemed determined to tear her firstborn away from her.

  Laret held her tightly, pressing her against his chest, sharing the same silent pain.

  Freya and Garbard remained silent. There were no words strong enough… until Garbard stepped forward, his gaze firm and resolute.

  —Caria, my daughter… —he said in a deep voice—. From the day I found you in that village devastated by the attack of that dark mage, I saw that endless fire in your eyes. I knew then that you would be someone capable of bringing real change to this world.

  Garbard took a deep breath.

  —And you proved it beyond doubt. You defeated endless hordes of demons, helped win the war… and you also gave me the joy of having my first grandchild.

  Then he looked at Laret.

  —And you… since you lost your mother, I always believed I would not be enough to give you what you needed. I thought I would fail as a father. But you were persistent, disciplined. Together, the two of you never gave up, no matter the odds.

  His voice grew more intense.

  —When you introduced me to your firstborn, the fruit of your love… the future of this world, I saw it in his eyes from the very first day. I knew he would go far. That, like you, he would bring great changes for the better.

  Garbard clenched his fists.

  —And I still believe that. I will not take it back. He has proven it. Kael will be the light of this legacy.

  —If a damn primordial dragon dares to harm my grandson —he continued, his fury barely contained—, I will be there to defeat it. And if the damn Sacro Empire dares to lay a single finger on him… I will personally go and destroy that kingdom.

  Freya stepped forward.

  —Laret, Caria… Kael is setting a unique and transcendental precedent for this world. If you fear that someone may want to harm him, then let us make him strong enough that no kingdom would dare touch him.

  She took a deep breath before continuing, as if steadying herself.

  —He is not breaking. He is forging his own path. A path that others may one day follow. And as Lord Garbard said… Kael has a large and pure heart. He has always cared for the happiness of those he loves. He is not made of glass. He is not a helpless child. He has already seen the reality of this world… and he chose to stand up and fight.

  Laret and Caria remained silent for several seconds. The crying had stopped, but the pain was still there, thick, lodged in their chests. Little by little, they began to emerge from the trance they had fallen into. Garbard’s and Freya’s words started to break through the anguish, forcing them to face a truth neither of them wanted to accept.

  Kael was not a helpless child.

  He never had been.

  Caria clenched her fists on her lap. Her voice came out trembling, filled with an almost desperate longing.

  —I… I just wanted my child to grow up happy —she said—. Calm. Without having to fight to survive.

  Laret lowered his gaze, his expression hardened by frustration.

  —He shouldn’t have to pay for problems we were unable to solve —he added—. It wasn’t fair.

  Freya looked at them with a mix of sadness and resignation. When she spoke, her tone was firm, but honest, without unnecessary decoration.

  —He shouldn’t have to pay for this —she said—. But unfortunately, he has to. And so does my daughter… Liora’s child… and the princess. We were not good enough to fix this world. And now, a new generation must take the lead.

  She took a deep breath before continuing.

  —The only thing we can do is support, teach, and prepare them as best we can. Give them the tools to achieve what we could not.

  The words fell heavy, but they were necessary. With pain and helplessness, Kael’s parents began to understand that true change does not happen from one generation to the next. That the deep wounds of a society take a long time to heal… and that someone had to start that process, even at a cost that was far too high.

  Caria lifted her gaze toward Freya. Her eyes were red, but there was now a different determination in them, stronger, steadier.

  —Promise me something —she said—. Promise me that, in the time you have left, you will make my son someone capable of growing… of overcoming any obstacle that stands in his way.

  Freya let out a small, tired smile, trying to ease the tension still lingering in the air.

  —Of course —she replied—. Though, obviously, making sure the idiot doesn’t end up like today again.

  Laret let out a short, dry laugh, more from nerves than humor. Even Caria released a shaky exhale, grateful for that small moment of relief.

  Lord Garbard nodded solemnly.

  —Then the final answers will come tomorrow —he said—, when we speak directly with him.

  The meeting ended without celebration or real relief. Only a bittersweet taste remained, a mix of forced hope and deep fear. Kael’s future was still uncertain… and only he himself could bring that debate to a close.

  With the pain and helplessness of parents unable to stop the mistakes and selfishness of this world, destiny watched in silence, expectant, waiting for the decision of that child who had already begun to challenge it.