Morning came too quietly.
That was the first thing Kael noticed.
No birds.
No academy bells.
No students shouting or laughing in the distance.
Just the faint crackle of Iris's fire spell as she burned the last traces of blood from the shattered floor.
Kael sat on the edge of what used to be his bed, elbows resting on his knees, hands clasped so tightly his knuckles were white. He hadn't moved much since the assassins died. Not because he couldn't—but because everything inside him felt… recalibrated.
Like a gear had shifted into place.
Cinder lay coiled beside him, larger than before. Not dramatically, not enough that anyone could point and shout evolution, but enough that Kael felt it. The creature's breathing was slower now. Deeper. More deliberate.
Thinking.
The System chimed softly.
[Physiological stress stabilizing.]
[Psychological state: resolute.]
[Warning: prolonged exposure to lethal intent may alter host trajectory.]
Kael exhaled slowly.
"So this is it," he murmured. "This is the part where I stop pretending I'm normal."
Nyx straightened from where she'd been examining the broken wall. "You never were."
Iris snorted. "Rude. Accurate. But rude."
Luna didn't speak.
She stood near the doorway, arms folded, eyes fixed on Kael with an intensity that made his skin prickle. There was concern there—real concern—but also something else.
Recognition.
Kael finally looked up.
"What?"
Luna hesitated, then said quietly, "You didn't hesitate when it mattered."
Kael frowned. "I hesitated."
"You decided," she corrected. "That's different."
Silence settled again.
Then—
Boots.
Heavy.
Dozens.
Kael's head snapped up.
The System flared.
[Multiple hostile-adjacent signatures detected.]
[Academy authority presence confirmed.]
[Threat level: uncertain.]
"Here we go," Iris muttered. "Someone brought paperwork."
They came in formation.
Academy Wardens—twelve of them—wearing silver-black armor etched with binding sigils. Behind them walked three officials in crimson robes, faces stern, eyes sharp.
And at their center—
Headmaster Valerius.
Kael stood slowly.
Cinder rose with him.
Every Warden stiffened.
The Headmaster raised a hand.
"They will not attack," Valerius said calmly. "Stand down."
Cinder didn't move.
The System chimed.
[Dominance conflict detected.]
[Advisory: caution.]
Valerius's eyes flicked to Kael. "Your beast is… impressive."
Kael met his gaze. "It doesn't like being threatened."
Valerius smiled faintly. "Neither do I."
One of the crimson-robed officials stepped forward. "Kael Ashborne, you stand accused of—"
"Don't," Valerius interrupted softly.
The official stiffened. "…Headmaster?"
Valerius walked forward, boots crunching on rubble, eyes never leaving Kael. "There will be no accusations here. No trials. No public spectacle."
Kael's stomach tightened. "Then why are you here?"
Valerius stopped a few steps away.
"Because the Academy cannot protect you anymore."
The words landed like a blade.
Luna inhaled sharply. "You're expelling him?"
"No," Valerius said. "I'm acknowledging reality."
He turned, gesturing toward the destroyed wall and blood-stained floor.
"Three noble-backed assassins breached Academy grounds. That alone would cause outrage. The fact that they died here?" His eyes hardened. "That causes fear."
One of the officials hissed, "The nobles demand consequences."
Kael laughed quietly.
"Of course they do."
Valerius's gaze sharpened. "You find this amusing?"
Kael looked him straight in the eye. "They sent killers after me in my sleep. Forgive me if I don't cry over their disappointment."
Silence.
Then—
Valerius laughed.
Once.
Short.
Sharp.
"Well," he said, "at least you're honest."
Valerius raised his voice.
"The Academy will not punish Kael Ashborne."
The officials recoiled.
"You can't—"
"I can," Valerius snapped. "And I will."
He turned back to Kael. "But you will leave."
Kael stiffened. "Leave?"
"Not expelled," Valerius clarified. "Unbound."
The System chimed urgently.
[Status alteration imminent.]
[Warning: protection loss permanent.]
"You will be removed from the Academy registry," Valerius continued. "No rank. No dormitory. No protection. No sponsorship."
Iris exploded. "That's exile!"
Valerius met her glare. "It's survival."
Kael clenched his fists.
"So I become… what? A rogue?"
Valerius nodded. "An independent tamer."
Nyx's eyes widened slightly. "That hasn't happened in decades."
"For a reason," Valerius replied.
Luna stepped forward. "You're sending him out there to die."
"No," Valerius said softly. "I'm sending him out there before someone decides to make his death public."
Kael's chest felt tight.
The System spoke.
[Opportunity detected.]
[Path divergence: critical.]
[Recommendation unavailable.]
Kael laughed weakly. "Figures."
Valerius leaned closer. "Listen carefully, Kael Ashborne. You are no longer small. You are no longer invisible. The moment you killed those assassins, you crossed a line."
Kael's jaw tightened. "They crossed it first."
"Yes," Valerius agreed. "And now the world has noticed."
Iris crossed her arms. "So what, he just packs his bags and walks into dragon territory with a half-grown murder-lizard?"
Cinder growled softly.
"…Affectionately," Iris added.
Valerius sighed. "He won't be alone."
Kael blinked. "What?"
Valerius turned to Luna. "House Vaeloria has offered temporary protection."
Luna stiffened. "You didn't tell me that was on the table."
"They didn't ask you," Valerius said dryly.
Iris burst out laughing. "Oh this is great. Political kidnapping."
Nyx tilted her head. "Strategic adoption, more like."
Kael looked between them. "Someone want to explain why my life just became a noble soap opera?"
Luna groaned. "I hate nobles."
Valerius smiled. "Good. That means you'll survive them."
Kael packed little.
He didn't have much to begin with.
A spare shirt.
A worn notebook.
The cracked crystal his parents had given him before the ceremony.
He held it for a long moment.
"They sold everything," he whispered. "For this."
Cinder nudged his hand.
Warm.
Steady.
The System chimed.
[Emotional anchor detected.]
[Bond reinforcement ongoing.]
Luna waited outside.
"So," she said awkwardly, "you're really leaving."
Kael nodded. "Looks like it."
"…You okay?"
He thought about it.
Then smiled crookedly. "Ask me again after I survive the week."
She laughed softly. "Fair."
They walked together toward the gates.
Students watched from a distance. Whispers followed him like shadows.
"He killed people."
"That beast—did you feel it?"
"He's dangerous."
Kael didn't look away.
For once, he didn't feel small.
As Kael stepped beyond the Academy gates, the System chimed one final time.
[Academy affiliation terminated.]
[Status updated: Independent Tamer.]
[Warning: global hostility index increased.]
Kael paused.
"So that's it," he said quietly. "No safety net."
Cinder rumbled.
Agreement.
Behind them, Valerius watched, expression unreadable.
"May the world regret this," he murmured.
Far away—
A noble smiled.
A dragon stirred.
And the weakest tamer took his first step into a world that no longer pretended to ignore him.
Kael clenched his fists.
"They want me gone," he said softly.
Cinder's ember-lines flared.
"They're going to regret letting me walk."