Two weeks later, while Kaelis practiced at the creek, a shadow approached. Not a natural shadow cast by trees, but a deliberate, measured movement. Kaelis sensed it immediately—a presence he had never felt before.

  “Kaelis Veyron,” a deep voice called from the forest edge. Calm. Controlled. “I’ve been observing you.”

  Kaelis froze. His heart didn’t race; his mind assessed. The energy around the figure was unlike anything he had felt—Apex-tier, maybe higher. Not threatening, but powerful.

  A man stepped into view: tall, with an aura that seemed to bend the light subtly around him. His eyes were sharp, calculating, and his presence alone caused the ambient flux to pulse in unusual patterns.

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  “I am Thalen Veyor,” the man said, eyes scanning Kaelis critically. “Your potential is… unusual. You could reach beyond anything known in this world, if you train correctly.”

  Kaelis stood, interest piqued. “And why would you care?”

  Thalen smiled faintly, a trace of humor in his calm demeanor. “Because I was once like you. Clever, observant, underestimated. And now, I teach those willing to learn how to survive… and to master power far beyond what most can even imagine.”

  Kaelis’s pulse quickened, not with fear, but with excitement. For the first time, he met someone who might truly understand the spark he carried.