The ruins stood silent.
The glowing platform at their center pulsed slowly, like a calm heartbeat. The symbols carved into its surface shimmered, then dimmed, as if waiting.
Kael stood several steps away from it, his feet heavy, his thoughts louder than the wind.
Ravik broke the silence first. "So… we're just standing here now?"
Orin shot him a look. "Let him think."
Solaryn did not speak. Her eyes were fixed on the platform, her expression unreadable.
Kael felt the pull again. Not strong. Not painful. Just present.
An invitation.
"If I step on it," Kael said slowly, "what happens?"
Solaryn finally turned to him. "You will be seen."
"By who?"
"By the world," she replied. "By the old laws. By truths that do not lie."
Ravik frowned. "That doesn't sound comforting."
"It is not meant to be," Solaryn said.
Kael looked at the dragon.
Vryllos Belyx stood still behind the ruins, massive and quiet, his wings folded neatly at his sides. His glowing eyes never left Kael.
"He won't stop me," Kael said.
"No," Solaryn answered. "He will only remember what you choose."
Kael exhaled slowly.
All his life, choices had been forced on him. Survival. Escape. Endurance.
This one was different.
He stepped forward.
The moment his foot touched the edge of the platform, the world shifted.
The air thickened, pressing gently against his skin. Sound faded—not vanished, but pulled far away. Ravik, Orin, Solaryn, even the dragon blurred like reflections in water.
Kael stood alone.
The symbols beneath his feet ignited with soft white and gold light. They rose into the air, circling him slowly.
A voice spoke—not aloud, but inside him.
Who are you?
Kael swallowed. "I'm… Kael."
The light flickered.
That is a name. Not an answer.
He closed his eyes.
"I am someone who refuses to kneel," he said. "And someone who refuses to rule."
The symbols paused.
Why do you carry power you will not use?
"Because power used without care destroys," Kael replied. "And power ignored creates monsters."
The platform glowed brighter.
The ground beneath Kael's feet faded away.
Suddenly, he was standing somewhere else.
A vast open space stretched around him, filled with shifting images. He saw cities rising and falling. Wars starting because of fear. Heroes crowned and later broken by pride.
Then he saw himself.
Not as he was now—but as he could become.
A version of Kael stood above kneeling figures, crowned in light, his eyes cold. Another version lay broken beneath a ruined sky, his power torn away, his choices made for him.
Kael clenched his fists. "I don't want either of those."
Then what do you want? the voice asked.
He answered without hesitation.
"I want to protect without owning. To lead without chains. To walk forward without becoming what I fear."
Silence followed.
Then the light softened.
Witness accepted.
The world rushed back.
Sound returned in a wave. Wind roared through the ruins. The symbols collapsed into Kael's chest, leaving a faint warmth behind.
He staggered.
Ravik caught him instantly. "You scared us."
Orin nodded. "You were glowing. That's never good."
Solaryn's eyes widened slightly. "The platform accepted you."
Kael looked down at his hands. They looked the same. Felt the same.
But inside, something had settled.
"I didn't gain anything," he said.
Solaryn smiled faintly. "You gained permission."
A deep rumble rolled through the valley.
Vryllos Belyx lifted his head and released a low, steady breath. The ground responded, the ruins locking into place, their glow stabilizing.
The dragon stepped forward and lowered his head—not in submission, but in acknowledgment.
Ravik let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "I think… that's a good sign."
Orin sheathed his blade. "For now."
Solaryn turned toward the horizon. "The watchers will feel this."
Kael followed her gaze. In the far distance, dark clouds gathered again—not storm clouds, but something heavier.
"They won't attack yet," she said. "But they will prepare."
Kael nodded. "So will we."
He looked once more at the Seat of Witness.
The platform dimmed completely, becoming ordinary stone once more.
The question had been asked.
The answer had been given.
And now, the cost would come later.
Some paths ask a question only once.
If you turn away, the answer is chosen for you.