Silas spoke quietly.
"You're not just balancing flame," they said.
Kael looked at them. "Then what?"
"Presence," Silas replied.
A pause.
"There's something behind your fire."
Kael didn't deny it.
"I know."
Silas tilted their head.
"…It's watching differently now."
Kael's chest tightened.
"…How?"
Silas' voice lowered.
"Like it's waiting for permission."
That unsettled him more than anything else.