By the third day outside the Academy, Kael understood something important.
The world did not care if you were tired.
His legs burned. His shoulders ached. His head throbbed with a dull, persistent pressure that never quite went away. Sleep came in fragments—short, shallow naps taken with one eye open and one hand never far from a weapon.
"This," Iris said cheerfully while kicking aside a suspiciously twitching bone pile, "is why people die young."
Kael grunted. "You say that like it's motivational."
"It is. Motivates me to stay alive."
Cinder moved ahead of them, body low, senses stretched outward like invisible threads. Its pace was steady—never rushed, never slow. It didn't stumble. It didn't tire.
It adapted.
The System chimed softly.
[Beast stamina exceeding expected parameters.]
[Environmental assimilation ongoing.]
Kael glanced at Cinder. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
Cinder's ember-lines pulsed once.
Yes.
They reached a crossroads by midday.
Not an actual crossroads—just a place where three ruined paths met, marked by a broken obelisk carved with symbols Kael didn't recognize.
Nyx stopped.
"This is claimed territory."
Iris raised an eyebrow. "By what?"
Nyx tapped the obelisk. "By whoever killed enough people here to make others stop trying."
Kael sighed. "Of course it is."
As if summoned by his complaint, figures emerged from the ruins.
Six of them.
Humans.
Armed.
Relaxed in the way only people who thought they had control could be.
One stepped forward—a tall man with braided hair and a beast mark burned into his neck.
"Independent travelers," he called out. "Toll zone."
Iris muttered, "I hate toll zones."
Kael stepped forward before anyone else could.
"What's the toll?"
The man smiled. "Depends. Coin. Supplies. Beasts."
Cinder growled softly.
The man's eyes flicked to it—and lingered.
"…That one," he said. "We'll take that."
The air went cold.
The System chimed.
[Host emotional spike detected.]
[Warning: aggression escalation.]
Kael smiled.
Not kindly.
"No."
The man laughed. "You misunderstand. This isn't a negotiation."
Kael tilted his head. "You misunderstand. You're still alive because I haven't decided otherwise."
The men shifted uneasily.
The leader squinted. "You got confidence for someone without a rank."
Kael shrugged. "Ranks don't exist out here."
Nyx spoke calmly. "You should let us pass."
The man waved her off. "Or what?"
Cinder stepped forward.
Its presence hit like pressure.
Not killing intent.
Dominance.
The leader's smile faltered.
The System chimed sharply.
[Draconic aura leaking.]
[Control imperfect.]
[Warning: exposure accelerating evolution prerequisites.]
Kael felt it too—a heat in his chest, a tension pulling tight like a bowstring.
"Last chance," Kael said quietly.
The man swallowed.
Then—
Laughed.
"Kill them."
They rushed forward.
Fast.
Too fast for normal travelers.
Kael didn't panic.
He moved.
Cinder surged ahead, body blurring as it slammed into the first attacker. Bones cracked. The man flew backward, unconscious before he hit the ground.
Iris whooped. "Oh we're doing this!"
Fire erupted.
Nyx vanished.
Luna moved like flowing water, her dragon-marked skin hardening as blades glanced off her scales.
Kael stayed mobile—ducking, striking when openings appeared, letting Cinder handle what he couldn't.
One attacker charged him directly.
Kael met his gaze.
The man hesitated.
That was all Cinder needed.
It struck low, tail wrapping around the man's leg and yanking hard. The attacker fell with a scream.
The leader backed away slowly.
"Wait—wait—!"
Kael stepped toward him.
"No," he said calmly. "You don't get to wait."
The man fell to his knees.
"I'll give you everything!"
Kael looked at him for a long moment.
Then turned away.
"Leave," he said. "And tell anyone who asks that you were lucky."
The man scrambled away, dragging the wounded with him.
Silence fell.
Iris wiped sweat from her brow. "That went well."
Nyx nodded. "You're developing a reputation."
Kael frowned. "I don't want one."
Nyx met his gaze. "You already have one."
The System chimed.
[Independent conflict resolved.]
[Reputation variable initiated.]
[Warning: recognition increases threat frequency.]
Kael sighed. "Figures."
They moved camp that night.
Not because they were followed.
Because Cinder refused to rest.
It paced in tight circles, ember-lines bright, breathing uneven.
Kael knelt beside it.
"Hey," he murmured. "What's wrong?"
The System chimed hesitantly.
[Beast energy saturation approaching threshold.]
[Evolution readiness: partial.]
[Warning: forced evolution possible under stress.]
Kael's stomach tightened.
"Don't," he whispered. "Not yet. You're not ready."
Cinder pressed its head into his chest.
Warm.
Heavy.
Alive.
Kael laughed weakly. "You're going to scare everyone one day."
Cinder rumbled.
Promise.
Luna watched quietly from across the fire.
"…You're changing," she said.
Kael nodded. "Yeah."
"Are you scared?"
He thought about it.
Then shook his head.
"I'm angry," he said. "And somehow… calmer."
The System chimed softly.
[Psychological adaptation confirmed.]
[Host alignment stabilizing.]
Kael stared into the flames.
"I won't stop," he whispered. "No matter what they send."
Cinder lifted its head, eyes glowing faintly.
The fire crackled.
The world listened.
Something Notices
Far away—
A hunter checked a report twice.
A noble frowned.
A dragon stirred in its sleep.
And something ancient shifted its attention—just slightly—toward a boy who refused to die quietly.
The System delivered one final message before falling silent for the night.
[Evolution path converging.]
[Next trigger: unknown.]
[Recommendation: survive.]
Kael smiled tiredly.
"Yeah," he said. "That's the plan."
Cinder curled around him as he slept.
Protecting.
Waiting.
Growing.