The doors closed behind David with barely a sound.
Silence settled over the audience chamber.
For a moment, he simply stood where he was.
The room was unlike anything he had expected.
It was large, but not extravagant. High ceilings arched overhead, supported by white stone columns veined with polished silver. Floor-to-ceiling crystal windows dominated the far wall, overlooking the Academy far below. Afternoon sunlight streamed through the glass, bathing the chamber in a soft golden light.
Bookshelves lined one side of the room, filled with volumes that looked older than the Academy itself.
On another wall hung paintings and framed military citations.
There were no displays of wealth.
No piles of treasure.
No unnecessary luxury.
Everything in the room had purpose.
History.
Duty.
Service.
Near the center stood a broad desk crafted from dark polished wood.
Behind it...
Lord Kael Starwyn stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing out over the Academy.
He didn't turn immediately.
For several seconds, neither man spoke.
David waited.
Eventually, Kael broke the silence.
"Congratulations."
His voice was calm.
Measured.
"You fought well."
David inclined his head respectfully.
"Thank you, Lord Starwyn."
Only then did Kael turn.
David had seen him from the observation platform throughout the tournament.
This was different.
Up close, Kael carried an unmistakable presence.
He wasn't physically imposing because of his size.
He wasn't intimidating because of his title.
He simply possessed the quiet confidence of someone who had spent an entire lifetime carrying responsibility few others could imagine.
Silver threaded through his dark hair near the temples.
His uniform was immaculate.
Simple.
Elegant.
The silver Starwyn crest rested over his chest.
Nothing about him demanded attention.
Yet David found it impossible to look anywhere else.
Kael studied him just as carefully.
Not as a recruiter.
Not as a judge.
As though trying to understand the young man standing before him.
After another brief silence, Kael gestured toward two chairs positioned beside a low table overlooking the Academy.
"Please."
David sat.
Kael took the opposite chair.
For a few moments they simply watched the Academy below.
Cadets continued moving across the campus.
Emergency lights still flashed around the distant arena.
Life continued.
Finally...
Kael spoke again.
"I've watched every Academy Tournament for the past twenty-three years."
David looked toward him.
"I've seen extraordinary fighters."
"Exceptional tacticians."
"Remarkable Bloodline users."
He paused.
"But today..."
"...I saw something different."
David wasn't sure how to answer that.
So he remained silent.
Kael seemed to appreciate that.
He folded his hands together.
"Tell me about your father."
The question caught David completely off guard.
For the briefest moment...
He froze.
I AM:
Answer truthfully.
Do not elaborate.
David nodded almost imperceptibly.
"My father raised me."
Kael waited.
"He taught me almost everything I know."
"What kind of man was he?"
David's thoughts drifted backward.
A small house.
Early mornings.
Training until his arms refused to move.
His father's calm voice correcting the smallest mistake.
"He wasn't the kind of person who accepted excuses."
A faint smile appeared before David realized it.
"He believed the basics mattered more than talent."
"If I made a mistake..."
"...I repeated it until I got it right."
Kael listened without interrupting.
"My father used to tell me..."
David hesitated.
I AM:
Continue.
"...that skill built confidence."
"But discipline built character."
"If you depended on talent..."
"...eventually you'd meet someone more talented."
"So your habits had to be stronger than your gifts."
Silence settled over the room.
Kael's expression remained composed.
Inside...
Something shifted.
Those weren't merely similar words.
He had heard them before.
Years ago.
From someone else.
He dismissed the thought immediately.
Coincidence.
Nothing more.
"Did he serve in the military?"
David shook his head.
"No, sir."
"What was his profession?"
Again...
A brief hesitation.
I AM:
Civilian.
That answer is sufficient.
"He was a civilian."
Kael nodded slowly.
"I see."
Another pause.
Then—
"Who taught you to fight?"
David didn't answer immediately.
His memories returned once more.
Wooden practice swords.
Hours spent learning footwork before he was ever allowed to hold a real weapon.
Running until he collapsed.
Getting back up.
Doing it again.
"My father."
Kael watched him carefully.
"Entirely?"
David thought about it.
I AM:
Truth.
Without explanation.
"As far as I know..."
"...yes."
Kael leaned back slightly.
"Then your father was an exceptional instructor."
David smiled.
"He'd probably say I was just a slow student."
For the first time...
Kael smiled.
It wasn't large.
Barely noticeable.
But genuine.
"I suspect he would."
The conversation settled into another comfortable silence.
Kael found himself studying David again.
Not intentionally.
It simply happened.
The way David sat.
Straight-backed without appearing rigid.
The way he considered each answer before speaking.
The respect he showed without becoming submissive.
Even the faint smile...
It stirred something in Kael's memory.
Something old.
Something he hadn't thought about in years.
David noticed the prolonged silence.
"...Sir?"
Kael blinked.
For just a moment...
He had forgotten where he was.
"You remind me of someone."
David tilted his head slightly.
"Someone important?"
Kael's gaze drifted toward the crystal windows.
A quiet sadness crossed his face before disappearing almost immediately.
"...Someone I lost a long time ago."
David wasn't sure what to say.
So he simply offered a respectful nod.
Sometimes...
Silence was the better answer.