The walk back from the Ember Wastes should have taken Kael less than an hour.
For Kael it felt like it was taking forever.
Each step Kael took sent waves of pain through his body as if something inside Kael had been torn apart and stitched back together incorrectly.
Kaels arms trembled Kaels legs felt heavy and Kaels breathing was uneven. But none of that compared to what lingered beneath the surface.
A faint unstable sensation was still there.
Like something inside Kael was still moving.
By the time the village came into view the sky had begun to lighten.
It was dawn.
Kael paused at the edge of the settlement Kaels eyes scanning the huts the dirt paths, the quiet stillness of a place that had never known power.
Everything looked the same.
Yet.
It didn't feel the same anymore.
Kael stepped forward.
The moment Kaels foot touched the ground within the village boundary.
There was a crack.
Kael froze.
Kael slowly looked down.
A thin fracture had formed beneath Kaels foot spreading across the earth like a spiderweb before stopping abruptly.
Kaels breath caught.
Kael said "What?"
Kael stepped back.
The crack didn't disappear.
For a moment Kael simply stared at it.
Then without another word Kael pulled Kaels hood lower. Walked quickly toward the hut.
Inside the air was still.
Too still.
Kael said " man?"
There was no response.
Kaels chest tightened.
Kael moved forward this time until Kael reached the bed.
The old man lay where Kael had left him the night before.
The mans eyes were closed.
The old man was not breathing.
There was silence.
Kael didn't speak.
Kael didn't move.
Kael didn't react.
Kael just stood there.
The realization settled slowly.
Not like a blow. But like something inevitable finally arriving.
Kael said "I see."
Kaels voice was quiet.
Calm.
The old man had been weak for a time.
Kael had known this day would come.
Still.
Kael reached out. Gently pulled the worn blanket over the old mans body.
Kael said "You lasted longer than anyone here. That's something."
No tears came.
No outburst.
Just silence.
After a while Kael. Stepped outside.
The village was beginning to wake.
People moved through the paths carrying tools preparing for another ordinary day.
No one noticed Kael.
No one noticed the crack in the ground.
That was fine.
Kael walked to the edge of the village again.
Kaels gaze drifted toward the horizon, where the Ember Wastes lay hidden beyond sight.
Something had changed.
Kael knew it.
Kael could feel it.
Kael said "Lets test it."
Kael crouched slightly focusing.
For years Kael had tried to sense Aether and failed.
Now.
It was impossible to ignore.
It wasn't like before.
Of a smooth flowing presence what Kael sensed was chaotic.
Fragments.
Broken pieces of energy scattered through the air.
Kael raised Kaels hand slowly.
The moment Kael focused.
Kael felt pain.
Kaels fingers twitched as a distortion appeared around them.
It wasn't visible in the sense.
The air itself seemed to bend, like something invisible was pressing against it.
A flicker.
Then.
There was a crack.
Kael staggered back clutching Kaels arm.
Kael said "Too fast..."
The energy vanished instantly.
Kaels breathing grew heavy.
Kael said "That's not control. Thats forcing it."
Still.
It worked.
Kael looked at Kaels hand.
For a moment Kael had felt it again.
That same broken power from the Ember Wastes.
Here.
It was weaker.
Kael said "So location matters."
That made sense.
The Ember Wastes were filled with Aether.
This village.
Was not.
Kael exhaled slowly.
Kael said "Again."
Kael raised Kaels hand more.
This time Kael didn't reach out blindly.
Kael observed.
Waited.
Watched the fragments.
They were there.
Faint.
Scattered.
Of grabbing them.
Kael guided them.
Slowly.
Carefully.
A small distortion formed near Kaels palm.
Weaker than before.
Steadier.
Kaels eyes narrowed.
Kael said "Better."
Then.
Pain surged again.
The distortion shattered, sending a backlash through Kaels arm.
Kael gritted Kaels teeth dropping to one knee.
Kael said "Still unstable."
This time.
Kael didn't lose control immediately.
That was progress.
Hours passed.
The sun rose higher casting light across the dry land.
Most of the villagers had gone about their day unaware of what was happening beyond their sight.
Kael didn't stop.
Again and again Kael tried.
Failed.
Adjusted.
Tried again.
Each attempt brought the result:
Pain.
Instability.
Collapse.
Also.
Improvement.
The distortions lasted longer.
The backlash came slower.
The control though fragile was growing.
By midday Kael was drenched in sweat Kaels body pushed to its limits.
Kael said "One "
Kael raised Kaels hand again.
This time Kaels movements were slower.
More deliberate.
Kael focused not on power.
But on structure.
The fragments responded.
They gathered, hesitantly forming a flickering mass of unstable energy.
Kaels breathing steadied.
Kael said "Hold..."
For a moment.
It worked.
The energy didn't explode.
Didn't collapse.
It stayed.
Then.
It cracked.
A small burst shot forward striking the ground a few feet away.
There was a boom.
A shallow crater formed, dust rising into the air.
Kael stared at it.
Kael said "So that's what it does."
Not just destruction.
Release.
Kael slowly stood up Kaels body shaking.
This power.
It wasn't meant to be contained.
It was meant to break things.
Kael said "Including me " Kael muttered dryly.
A faint smile appeared on Kaels face.
For the time in Kaels life.
Kael wasn't powerless.
That alone was enough.
A voice suddenly cut through the air.
A man said "Well... That's interesting."
Kaels head snapped up.
A man stood a distance away leaning casually against a wooden post.
The man wore a coat marked with a faint ember-like symbol on the shoulder.
An academy emblem.
Kaels eyes narrowed.
The man pushed himself off the post. Walked closer the mans gaze fixed on the small crater in the ground.
The man said "That wasn't Aether."
Kael didn't respond.
The man stopped a steps away studying Kael carefully.
The man said "You're from this village?"
Kael said "Yes."
The man said "Is that " the man gestured toward the crater "was your doing?"
Kael hesitated.
Just for a moment.
Kael said "Yes."
The mans expression didn't change.
Something in the mans eyes sharpened.
The man said "Name."
Kael said "Kael."
The man said "Family?"
Kael said "None."
There was a pause.
The man said "I see."
The man crossed the mans arms.
The man said "Do you know what the Southvale Ember Academy is?"
Kael nodded slightly.
The man said "An academy."
The man chuckled.
The man said "Not just an academy. The academy of this continent."
Kael remained silent.
The man tilted the mans head slightly.
The man said "You've been tested before haven't you?"
Kael said "Yes."
The man said "And you failed."
Kael said "Yes."
The man smiled faintly.
The man said "Good."
Kael frowned.
The man said "Because whatever you did..." the man said, glancing again at the crater "isn't something our tests measure."
There was silence between them.
The man said "Listen. The Ember Academy trials begin in three days."
Kaels eyes flickered slightly.
The man said "Normally someone, like you wouldn't even qualify. No Aether affinity, no background, no training."
The man stepped closer.
The man said "But I'm curious."
The mans gaze locked onto Kaels.
The man said "And curiosity is rare where I come from."
Kael didn't look away.
The man said "So here's your chance. Show up at the trials."
Kael said "And If I don't?"
The man shrugged.
The man said "Then you stay here. Live your life. Die unknown."
It was simple.
Direct.
Kael looked down at Kaels hand.
A faint distortion flickered for a moment before disappearing.
Unstable.
Painful.
Dangerous.
Real.
Kael said "Where?"
The man smiled.
The man said "Southvale Ember Academy."
The man turned, beginning to walk
The man said "Three days. Don't be late."
Then the man was gone.
Kael stood there in silence.
The village was still the same.
Dry.
Quiet.
Forgotten.
For him.
Everything was different now.
He looked out at the horizon again
toward the Ember Wastes that he could not see.
He was looking at something bigger than this place.
He said to himself "an academy."
For a time this was something he could not have.
It was out of his reach.
Now it was not.
This was not because he was good at things.
This was not because he was like the others.
It was because he was not like the others.
Kael made a fist.
For a moment a strange and unsteady glow of Aether appeared and then it was gone.
He felt pain in his arm.
He did not move.
He said to himself "three days."
That was all the time he needed.
He turned around. Started walking back to the hut.
There were things he needed to get ready.
There were things he needed to leave
Because when he got to the academy
nothing would be the same.
Somewhere far away, from Southvale
far beyond what people can usually understand
something was watching him.
Something was waiting for him.
It was waiting for the person who was taking a path that should not be taken.
The Lost Path of Heaven had started for Kael.