The night wind whispered across the ridges, carrying the smell of smoke and tilled earth. Kael stood at the edge of the training ground, sweat still clinging to his brow from the last drill. The glow of his eye faded, leaving the world dim once more.

  Daren circled him slowly, arms behind his back. “Stamina will keep you alive,” he said. “But strength without control is wasted. Tonight, we begin focus.”

  Kael straightened, though his muscles still ached. “Focus?”

  “Your eye does not simply see,” Daren replied. “It copies. It learns. But without sharpness, you will only take fragments—shadows of what you wish to hold. To master it, you must sharpen your mind as much as your body.”

  He pulled a small candle from his coat and set it in the dirt. With a flint strike, he lit the wick. The flame wavered, soft and small.

  “Look,” Daren ordered. “Not with your eyes. With the eye.”

  Kael activated the glow. The world shifted—edges sharper, the flame dancing with hidden lines of motion. He stared, trying to follow every flicker. At first it was clear, then overwhelming. The glow strained as if it fought against him.

  His head pounded, the flame blurring. He dropped to one knee, gasping.

  “Again,” Daren said, voice firm. “You will not leave until you hold the image without faltering.”

  ---

  By dawn, Kael had managed only seconds of clear focus before the strain broke him. Still, Daren gave a curt nod. “You are not hopeless. That will do—for today.”

  Exhausted, Kael returned to the hall where his friends awaited. The sight of them steadied him more than rest could.

  Rhea was the first to meet him. Her face was tight, her clothes travel-stained. She lowered her eyes as she spoke. “I searched again. The villages by the river, the burned steads on the west ridge. No sign of Lila. It’s as if she vanished.”

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  Kael’s chest tightened. For a moment, silence hung between them. Then he placed a hand on her shoulder. “You did what you could. Do not blame yourself. We will find her—together.”

  Rhea’s gaze lifted, a faint glimmer of resolve in her eyes. “I won’t stop searching.”

  “I know,” Kael said softly and smiled but he hid the pain inside of him.

  Later that day, Kael found Orin sharpening a blade near the forge. Sparks leapt with each stroke, casting light across his focused face.

  “You’re working hard,” Kael said.

  Orin shrugged. “Better than sitting useless.”

  “You’re not useless,” Kael replied. “But you need more than a blade in your hand. You need purpose.”

  Orin paused, the whetstone stilling. “And you’re the one to give it?”

  Kael met his gaze. “Yes. If I carry this title alone, I’ll break. I need all of you—not as followers, but as pillars. The time has come for each of you to stand.”

  Orin looked at him for a long moment, then nodded once. “Then give me something worth standing for.”

  “You’ll have it,” Kael promised.

  That evening, Kael gathered them all—Rhea, Joran, Orin, and Tarin—around the table in the council chamber. The firelight flickered, shadows playing across the stone walls.

  “I cannot keep you here while the ridges still bleed,” Kael began. “Each of you has strength, and each of you must carry it beyond these walls. I will give you tasks. Complete them, and the ridges will begin to heal.”

  He turned to Rhea first. “You will continue your search for Lila, but not alone. I want you to track the slavers who escaped our raids. Follow their trails, cut them down if you can, and free anyone still chained. Every life you save weakens the chains they try to bind us with.”

  Rhea’s eyes burned. She gave a sharp nod. “I’ll bring them justice—and I’ll find Lila.”

  Kael turned to Joran. “You are swift and cunning. I need you to root out the dens where these traders hide. Scout their movements, mark their paths, and return with word. Strike when you can, but your true weapon will be the knowledge you bring back.”

  Joran grinned, the firelight catching in his eyes. “I’ll make them fear the shadows.”

  Next, Kael faced Tarin. “Your strength has always been steady. The villages east of the ridge are still weak, their houses barely standing. Take men with you, help them rebuild. Show them House Veynar is more than a name—it is their shelter.”

  Tarin’s jaw tightened, but he bowed his head. “I’ll see it done.”

  Finally, Kael looked to Orin. “And you… you will guard them all. Choose where you are needed most. Strike when they are in danger. Your place will not be fixed—you will be the shield that covers them when the blade rises. And also I want u to help me exterminate the bandits thats at the west ridge”

  Orin exhaled slowly, as if weighing the burden. Then he nodded. “I’ll carry it.”

  Kael leaned forward, his voice low but firm. “None of this is simple. Each of you may face death before you see me again. But if we succeed, the ridges will breathe freer, step by step. We cannot wait for the lords. We must build with our own hands.”

  They all answered, not with words, but with the silent, steady fire in their eyes.

  Joran stood up " I should better get prepared . Good luck with your training kael"

  The rest also stand up " we should too"

  That night, after they left to prepare, Kael returned to the training grounds. Daren was waiting as always, candle flame already lit.

  “Finished with speeches?” Daren asked.

  “For now,” Kael replied. He activated the eye, the glow sharp once more. “Let’s continue.”

  Daren nodded. “Good. Tonight, you will hold the flame steady for as long as it takes. Your body has learned its limits. Now your mind must learn its edge. Fail here, and no mission you send them on will matter. Pass, and you will begin to truly wield what is yours.”

  Kael stared at the flame. His friends were out there, preparing to risk their lives. He would not fail them . He won't let the same thing that happened to lila happen to anyone of them .Not now. Not ever.