"Sorry, but you're not exactly my type," Kael Vireon said flatly.
He didn't sound particularly apologetic—and the fierce beauty before him didn't look like the type to accept rejection lightly. Strangely enough, she didn't seem offended. On the contrary, a laugh bubbled from her lips, clear and amused.
"Then what is your type?" she asked casually.
The type that isn't completely unhinged, Kael thought but wisely kept it to himself.
Instead, he gave a noncommittal shrug and changed the subject. "I don't think we've met before. You don't look like a teacher either," he pointed out, brow arching. "So why are you telling me all of this?"
There was more he could have said, but he decided to hold back. His impression of the woman before him was simple: she was powerful, had undeniable influence… and probably had a few screws loose.
"Hmm…" She tilted her head slightly, maintaining intense eye contact that would have made most squirm. But Kael didn't flinch. His eyes met hers, calm and steady, suspicion and curiosity flickering within.
"Let's just say," she began with a cryptic smile, "you're far more interesting than my brother's fiancée."
Kael blinked.
"You seem like someone who works hard," she continued. "The kind of person who can rise above mediocrity, even without the luxury of a strong teacher. Your combat instinct isn't bad either. It needs polishing—but that's what the Saphirelake Military Academy is for."
Is she seriously scouting me… or just looking for a new toy? Sorry, I'm not volunteering for madness, Kael mused.
The woman talked too much.
He was exhausted—physically, mentally—and the lingering aftertaste of his strange dream still haunted him. His thoughts kept drifting back to the ancestral vision etched into his bones.
'Why are you really telling me all this?' Kael wanted to say. But again, he held back.
Alice Zenovia was watching him closely. She noticed the subtle impatience in his gaze and frowned briefly.
Why did I even talk to him? she wondered. I shouldn't have invited him to apply for the military academy either. What if he doesn't manifest a War Rune at all?
She sighed.
Her visit to the Golden Sun province had been forced. Her parents sent her to evaluate her younger brother's potential fiancée—Jasmine Blade, the prized flower of a prestigious swordmaster lineage.
But what she found was… disappointing.
Jasmine had the resources, the instructors, the looks—but lacked drive. She ranked among the province's top five, yet anyone with sharp eyes could see that she barely tried. Her ambition was hollow, and her victories handed to her on a silver platter.
And that's who they want in our family?
Then there was Kael Vireon. Middle class. Parents missing. Elder brother off managing a tiny territory in the Primordial Domain.
Despite his humble background, Kael fought tooth and nail in the province's most elite academy. He had once ranked first in the entrance exam—but that only brought envy and bullying. His scores fell, his confidence nearly shattered.
Even his teachers gave up on him.
But that was a mistake.
Alice had overheard one of those same teachers mocking Kael in the observation chamber. That drew her attention. She watched him during the final exam, intrigued by his tenacity, the way he endured pain, and his cunning use of every minor advantage he could claw out of the chaos.
Kael didn't have privilege. He had hunger.
And ambition—burning hot like starfire.
After a long pause, Alice raised her hand, summoning a small holographic screen.
"Give me your contact details," she said at last. "You can ignore my invitation if you want. Maybe I came on too strong."
Her smile softened, no longer dazzling or wild—just real. She dialed back the intensity, finally sensing his exhaustion.
Kael tilted his head. He hesitated… then nodded.
It wasn't hard to find anyone's contact info in the age of the Starnet, anyway. Sharing his details didn't carry much risk.
"I'm Alice Zenovia, by the way," she added, catching his hand as he passed her the data.
Definitely a weirdo, Kael thought. But the corners of his mouth curled upward—just slightly.
"Kael Vireon."
---
The flight back home didn't take long. He summoned a public shuttle, and five minutes later, he was cruising through the aerial lanes above Laki—the capital of the Golden Sun province.
Laki was always alive: glowing towers piercing the clouds, commerce flooding the streets, and starscrapers stretching like glass spires. It was a city where millions clawed their way toward dreams or drowned trying.
Kael lived in a large family apartment near the central district—three bedrooms, two baths, and an old-fashioned wooden office lined with real books. In a city like Laki, the place was worth more than most people made in decades.
His parents had paid it off years ago. They weren't around anymore, but their bank transfers came every month like clockwork—more than enough to live comfortably.
Kael noticed the empty house as soon as he stepped in.
"Danny's not here?" he muttered. "Maybe tomorrow... or he's just stuck in his territory."
It stung more than it should have. Kael didn't expect much from his parents—but Danny's absence on the eve of his birthday was a bitter pill.
"Time flows differently inside the Primordial Domain. Don't act like a baby," Kael muttered, shaking off the heaviness in his chest.
Instead of sleeping, he made his way to the old office and sat at the wooden desk.
He retrieved the tattered book from his backpack and set it down reverently.
The [Legend of the Calamity].
He opened the pages, and time slipped away.
"It's the same… everything I dreamed… it's all here," he whispered, eyes darting across the faded script.
The visions—memories?—they weren't hallucinations. They were real. Somehow.
"If I can see more… if I can learn the hidden truths of the Primordial Domain that no one else can… I'll have an edge they can't match…"
He was so deep in thought that he didn't notice the presence in the doorway.
"Still obsessed with that damned story?" came a familiar voice—low, judgmental, but full of warmth.
Kael jumped.
"Danny? You're back?! Why didn't you say anything?" he exclaimed, instantly forgetting the book.
Daniel Vireon stood in the doorway, older by a few years, taller, broader—and carrying the weight of someone who had fought and bled for a territory in the Domain.
Danny ruffled Kael's hair with a smirk before glancing at the tattered book with disapproval.
"I hate that thing," he muttered. "Every time I look at it, I feel like he's the reason our family suffers."
Kael lowered his eyes but didn't argue. He understood—but wasn't ready to have that fight.
Danny's hand twitched.
Kael knew what was coming.
The playful jab missed as Kael stepped back in time.
Danny scowled. "Tch."
Then he vanished in a blur—and reappeared behind Kael.
Smack!
His palm landed squarely on Kael's head.
"Argh!!"
Kael crumpled to the floor, clutching his scalp.
"Stop whining and come to the training hall. I want to see if you're ready for tomorrow," Danny ordered, serious now.
Kael rubbed his head and rose to his feet.
There was no point in arguing.
"If I'm not ready by now, I'll never be," he muttered. "I've worked too hard for this."
Tomorrow, he would turn eighteen.
Tomorrow, he would awaken his War Rune—assuming fate followed the Vireon legacy.
Not everyone received a War Rune.
But the Vireons… they always had.
No one knew why. The scholars whispered it was because of the bloodline—because of him.
Kael cast one last glance at the book.
[Legend of the Calamity]
A tale no one else believed—a truth nearly buried by time.
'Whatever,' he thought and turned off the light.
He closed the door behind him.