Chapter 6 Burning Cold

The punishment chambers lived up to their reputation. Kaela emerged three hours later with her muscles screaming and her pride intact, though both had been thoroughly tested. The "correction" had involved an obstacle course designed by someone with an intimate knowledge of human anatomy and a cruel imagination, precisely calculated to cause maximum discomfort without permanent damage.

She limped back to the dormitory wing as the sun set behind the academy's towers, painting the stone walls the color of dried blood. Her body ached in places she hadn't known could ache, but her spirit felt oddly buoyant. The small act of rebellion in the training yard had proven something important: she wasn't alone here.

The thought sustained her until she reached her room and found Selene Aeris waiting in the corridor outside her door.

The noble girl was examining her fingernails with the air of someone who had all the time in the world, but there was nothing casual about her presence here. Everything about Selene was calculated, from her perfectly arranged hair to the way she positioned herself to block the narrow hallway.

"Kaela," she said without looking up. "What an eventful day you've had."

"If you're here to gloat about the punishment, you're wasting your time," Kaela replied, fishing her room key from her pocket. "It wasn't that bad."

"Oh, I'm not here about the punishment chambers." Selene's smile was sharp as winter frost. "I'm here to discuss your... association with Dagon Vale."

The words sent a chill down Kaela's spine, but she kept her expression neutral. "I don't know what you mean."

"Don't you?" Selene pushed away from the wall with fluid grace. "First the dining hall, then the training yard. He seems quite taken with you. How... unexpected."

"We're not associated with anything," Kaela said firmly. "We barely know each other."

"Hmm." Selene stepped closer, close enough that Kaela could smell her expensive perfume, something floral and cloying that made her stomach turn. "You know, your brother thought he was special, too. Although he could change things and make a difference. Right up until the moment he realized how small and powerless he really was."

The casual cruelty in her voice made Kaela's hands clench into fists. "Don't."

"He screamed, you know. At the end. Called out for someone to save him." Selene's eyes glittered with malicious pleasure. "But no one came. No one ever comes for people like you."

"That's not true." The words came out strangled, thick with the effort of not launching herself at Selene's throat.

"Isn't it? Then where was his noble protector when the flames caught him? Where was Dagon Vale when your precious brother needed saving?"

The question hit like a physical blow. Kaela stared at Selene, her mind racing to process the implication behind the words.

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that heroes have a way of abandoning their causes when the cost becomes too high." Selene's smile was poisonously sweet. "Dagon may be playing protector now, but when the Reckoning comes, when it's his life or yours, don't expect loyalty from someone who's never known the consequences."

Before Kaela could respond, footsteps echoed in the corridor behind them. Both girls turned to see Dagon himself approaching, his presence filling the narrow space like gathering storm clouds. His gray eyes took in the scene, Selene blocking Kaela's path, the tension crackling between them,and his expression grew very still.

"Ladies," he said politely. "Am I interrupting something?"

"Not at all," Selene replied, her voice honey-smooth. "Kaela and I were just having a chat about old times. About mutual acquaintances we've lost."

Something flickered in Dagon's expression, guilt, maybe, or recognition. He looked at Kaela, and she saw her own questions reflected in his eyes.

"I see," he said quietly. "Well, don't let me keep you from your evening, Selene. I'm sure you have better things to do than lurk in corridors."

The dismissal was polite but unmistakable. Selene's perfect composure cracked for just a moment, revealing the fury beneath.

"Of course," she said. "Enjoy your evening, both of you. Try not to get too attached, the Reckoning has a way of separating people."

She glided away with the grace of a serpent, leaving Kaela alone with Dagon and the weight of unasked questions hanging between them.

"What did she say to you?" Dagon asked.

"Does it matter?" Kaela's voice came out harsher than she'd intended. "It's not like you owe me explanations."

"That depends on what she told you."

----

Dawn came too soon after a night spent thinking about Selene's visit. Kaela sat on her narrow bed, staring at the gray light creeping through her window. The noble girl's words echoed in her mind, each one cutting deeper than the last.

The knowledge that Dagon had been there when her brother died sat heavily in her chest. Not just present, but part of it. Part of the system that had taken Kieran away from her family and left them with nothing but grief and empty promises.

Kaela dressed slowly, her hands shaking as she braided her hair. Today meant private training with Dagon. The first session since truly understanding what his presence in that final trial meant.

The training chamber was empty when she arrived. Kaela stood in the center and tried to calm her racing thoughts. Her veil magic felt wild today, crackling around her like broken lightning. Every emotion seemed to fuel it in dangerous ways.