The morning bell had long passed, yet the monastery's hall remained quiet. The stranger sat on a long bench, while Kael stood behind him, unsure whether he truly wanted to hear more.
"The Unascended Shadow," the man repeated. "An ancient term. Not written in the Book of the Ladder. Not even whispered among the Lights."
Kael stared at the floor. "What do you mean, unascended?"
"Ascent is a calling. A process. But there are... deviations. Someone who should not be on the Ladder, yet somehow already is—without the proper passage."
Kael didn't respond. Inside him, something stirred. Not understanding... but quiet acknowledgment.
The man continued, "A Shadow like that defies the world's order. They can become foundation... or collapse."
Kael slowly turned.
"And you think I'm one of them?"
"I know you are."
Kael's eyes narrowed. "Who are you really?"
"Me? An observer. Once... I too tried to ascend."
He pulled back his sleeve. Beneath his skin, a scorched symbol glowed—like a broken ladder. A fractured Mark.
"But I failed. Then I saw the world from beneath. And I knew… something was reshaping the map of existence. Not a god. Not a man. Something in between."
Kael felt a chill crawl down his spine. "What do I have to do with that?"
"Kael," he said quietly, "haven't you wondered... why all this feels like a script already rewritten?"
Kael remained silent.
"Because within all this," the man continued, "there is one will unrecorded. One Mark never sanctioned by any Light. And I believe... you are that Mark."
Kael closed his eyes. For a moment, the world felt... too thin.
And a whisper, from deep inside him, surfaced:
> "Awaken, Deferred Script."