The mountain was merciless.
Snow blasted Kael's face as he stood shirtless on the cliff's edge, eyes closed, the wind screaming like a beast in his ears. The mark on his chest pulsed—wild, hateful, hungry.
"Again," the old man commanded from behind him. "Let it surface, but do not fight it. Feel it."
Kael gritted his teeth.
"If I don't fight it, it devours me."
"That's because you think it's your enemy."
The old man stepped closer. "It's not. The mark is fire. And fire doesn't ask for permission. It burns whatever fears it."
---
Month 1–3: Resistance
The mark lashed out every time Kael trained. When he meditated, it whispered. When he slept, it haunted. When he grew angry, it tried to take control.
He collapsed often—blood from his nose, tremors in his hands, soulflame flickering out of sync with his thoughts.
The old man—who Kael now knew as Master Elric—taught him no spells, no combat moves. Only balance.
Control over breath. Over thought. Over rage.
And every time Kael failed, Elric said the same words:
"If you don't master your mind, the mark will."
---
Month 4–6: Understanding
Kael began to see it—not just the pain, but the depth of the mark. It wasn't simply a curse. It was a gate, a source. Inside it was power beyond imagining… but it fed on chaos.
Elric took Kael to cursed sites and made him stand still while monsters passed inches from him—forcing him to control his instincts, not give in to fear or bloodlust.
He taught Kael how to channel the mark's power without losing control.
He failed again and again.
But slowly… he began to listen. To feel the rhythm of the flame instead of fighting it.
---
Month 7–9: Harmony
Kael no longer feared the mark.
He could draw on it—ignite his soulflame instantly, enhance his speed, sharpen his senses—and still keep his mind.
The voices faded. The nightmares dulled.
He didn't suppress the mark.
He danced with it.
---
Month 10: The Trial
On the last night, Elric led Kael to a frozen cavern—deep within the mountains, where even the corrupted refused to tread. There, the darkness was alive.
A shadowbeast waited. One born from the same energy as the mark—pure corruption.
"If you still fear it," Elric said, "this thing will break you."
Kael stepped forward.
The mark pulsed once—then steadied.
When the beast lunged, Kael met it with no hesitation.
He didn't scream. He didn't falter.
The soulflame engulfed him.
And when the ice settled, the beast lay dead… and Kael stood tall, chest bare, the mark glowing softly like a brand of silent power.
Elric watched in silence.
Kael turned to him.
"It's done."
"No," Elric said. "It's only beginning. But now… you finally hold the leash."
---
Far Away
At the Grand Arcanon Academy, Rui stood in the moonlight, looking out from the tower balcony.
A strange warmth brushed her heart—like something had shifted in the world.
She closed her eyes.
And whispered his name.
"Kael…"