Kael stumbled down the hill just as the first light of dawn touched the land. The shard of Aeon thumped against his chest, pulsing like a second heart. His hands sparked with wild energy he couldn't control each step kicked up little swirls of dust, and his breath came out in mist, even though the air was warm.
Something inside him had changed.
And he wasn't alone.
From the edge of the woods below, a pair of golden eyes followed him.
Then a figure stepped out of the trees.
She looked about his age.maybe nineteen tall and sharp-eyed, wrapped in a long robe made of dark feathers that shimmered in the morning sun. Her skin was a copper tone, marked with faint silver tattoos that pulsed with light. Long braids hung over her shoulders, woven with eagle feathers. She moved with quiet confidence.
In her hand was a spear, its crystal tip glowing faintly blue.
She pointed it at him.
"You touched the fragment," she said. Her voice was calm but firm. "You shouldn't be alive."
Kael froze, lifting his hands slowly even though energy still flickered across his palms. "I didn't mean to. It just… happened. Who are you?"
"Aria," she said. "I was Skyborn. Before the storm took my wings."
Kael blinked. " whatttttt Skyborn? Like… really the old legends?"
She didn't answer. Not right away.
Instead, she lowered the spear slightly, her gaze scanning him up and down.
"You're untrained. The shard shouldn't have reacted to you. But it did. Which means only one thing."
Kael's stomach tightened. "What does it mean?"
"You're a Descendant," she said quietly. "Blood of the Sky Lords."
He stared at her. "That's not possible. The Sky Lords aren't real. They're just myths."
Aria shook her head. "No. They lived. They ruled the skies once. And now that the shard has awakened you, their enemies will come looking."
Kael's voice dropped. "You mean… the Stormbound Order? The cult?"
"They've been waiting for this day, "Aria said, glancing up at the sky. "For the moment a Sky Lord returned.""""
A sudden shadow swept across the sunlight.
Kael looked up and felt all the breath leave his lungs.
High above, something huge flew through the clouds. A beast made of dark cloud and bone, its wings stretching like thunder across the sky. And riding it was a figure cloaked in black its face hidden behind a silver mask.
An Aether Reaper.
They found you faster than I thought .Aria muttered, her voice steady but tense.
The wind picked up around her, swirling at her feet.
She turned to Kael, eyes locked with his. "If you want to live, you're coming with me."
Kael hesitated, heart pounding.
Aria's expression softened just a little. "And if you want to rise, Sky Lord…....you'll have to learn how to fly."