The wind was different in Umbravale at night.
Kieran stood in the courtyard after lights-out, his breath soft in the air. Though the torches lining the walls had long since gone out, he could still see—clearer than he should have.
Everything was painted in shadow and silver.
He moved quietly, passing the edge of the training field and into the grove beyond. It wasn't forbidden, exactly. But it wasn't encouraged either.
He came here to be alone.
And to practice.
Once, back in the real world, shadows had meant safety—corners to hide in, silence to drown in. Now, they meant something else. Something alive.
Kieran knelt and placed his hand on the ground.
His shadow, stretched and pale beneath the moonlight, paused... then twitched.
He closed his eyes. Focused.
Come.
The shadow began to shift. Slowly at first—then fluidly, like oil sliding uphill. It peeled itself from the ground and stood beside him. Not a copy. Not quite a reflection. A companion made of absence.
He raised a hand. It mimicked him. Lowered it. The same.
"Good," he whispered.
He had been practicing in secret every night since he woke.
Each time, he got better.
---
The next morning, the academy gathered in the southern hall. The ceiling was open to the sky, and banners rippled in the high air. Students lined up by cohort. Kieran stood with the new initiates, eyes scanning the room.
A chime echoed through the courtyard.
Master Corvan stepped forward. "Today you begin formal training. You'll spar. You'll study. You'll learn how to use your Aspects—and how to survive the Forgotten World."
A ripple went through the group.
Kieran had heard the name before. Whispers in the halls. A place beyond this world—where the monsters were real and escape was not guaranteed.
"You'll be sent there monthly," Corvan continued. "Dropped into a region no map can trust. Your job is simple: survive until you find a Transporter. Use it to return."
Simple. But not easy.
Beside him, Talon shifted nervously. Calla stood with arms crossed, watching everything. Rei looked bored. Nova smirked. Sera said nothing.
Selene, as always, stood slightly apart.
Perfect. Still. Distant.
Kieran studied her carefully.
She hadn't spoken to him since his arrival. But he knew she had seen his power. During the Trial. During the night. He had caught her looking. More than once.
She never said a word.
---
The training was brutal.
By midday, half the initiates were bruised and panting. Kieran struggled to keep up. His stamina was lacking, his strikes too slow. He compensated with instinct, watching his opponents and learning quickly, but he was clearly behind.
Rei beat him in two moves. Nova tripped him. Even Calla pushed him back more than once.
"You're too careful," she said, helping him up.
"Careful's not bad."
"It is when you're dead."
He nodded grimly and got back in line.
Only Selene never sparred. When asked, she simply said, "I'm observing."
No one pressed her.
By sunset, they were dismissed. Kieran limped back to his room, his ribs aching. The others chatted or joked, already forming bonds. He walked alone.
That night, he went back to the grove.
The shadow was waiting.