The whisper of the AI lingered in Veyrion's skull like a blade wedged between bones.
"The gate opens both ways."
He exhaled through his nose, fingers pressing against his temple where the sealed mana pulsed—a dull, constant ache, like a second heartbeat. Five years. Five years since he'd locked it away. Since he'd sworn never to awaken it again.
And now she was back.
A knock at his door. Sharp. Urgent.
Veyrion didn't turn. "If it's the council, tell them to choke on their own—"
"It's me."
The voice was younger. Rougher. Filled with a familiar, simmering anger.
Veyrion's jaw tightened.
Kael.
His son.
---
The Boy Who Carried His Scars
The door creaked open. Kael stood framed in the dim light of the hallway, his posture rigid, his green eyes—so much like his mother's—burning with quiet fury. At seventeen, he was already taller than Veyrion, his frame lean but corded with the kind of muscle earned through relentless training. His left arm bore the same faint, glowing runes as Veyrion's, though his were still dormant.
Unawakened.
Untested.
Unbroken.
"You didn't come to the training yards today," Kael said, voice flat.
Veyrion didn't look up from the gate logs. "Busy."
"Busy staring at old scrolls?"
"Busy keeping this kingdom from collapsing."
Kael's fingers twitched. "While you sit here, she's out there. Moving. Plotting. And you're—"
"What?" Veyrion finally turned, his left eye flickering gold. "What am I, Kael? Say it."
Kael met his gaze without flinching. "You're hesitating."
The word hung between them like an accusation.
Veyrion stood slowly. The air in the room grew heavier, thick with the weight of things unsaid.
"You think I don't know what she is?" Veyrion said quietly. "You think I don't know what she's capable of?"
"I think you're scared."
"Of her?"
"Of yourself." Kael stepped forward, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Of what you'll have to become to stop her."
Veyrion went very still.
Kael wasn't wrong.
---
The Bloodline's Curse
The Veyrion bloodline carried two legacies:
1. The Seal – A self-imposed lock on their true mana, born from the fear of what they might become if unleashed.
2. The Hunger – The whispered truth that, once awakened, their power didn't just grow … it consumed.
Kael had seen it only once.
Five years ago, when Veyrion had faced Aelira for the last time.
When he'd almost lost control.
---
The Undercity – Now
Aelira stood before a rusted gate, her fingers tracing the ancient markings. The same symbols that lined Veyrion's skin. The same ones that now glowed faintly on Kael's arm.
Behind her, the shadows shifted.
A voice, dry as bone, spoke from the dark.
"The boy is the key."
Aelira smiled.
"I know."
---
To Be Continued…