The streets of Dawnriver City were alive with murmurs and footsteps as the city's noble families gathered for the upcoming Spirit Appraisal Festival. For many, it was a celebration of talent and legacy. For Kael, it was another obstacle… and another opportunity to remain unseen.
Kael sat silently on the rooftop of his family's estate, his silhouette barely distinguishable beneath the pale glow of the moon. A single leaf fluttered past him, and with a flick of his finger, it turned into dust — disintegrated by the unseen energy within him. No one could sense it. Not even the elders.
He smiled faintly. So this is what the Shadow Core truly feels like... he mused.
Weeks earlier, Kael had stumbled upon an ancient ruin during his late-night walks outside the city walls. Hidden beneath layers of earth, he found a broken stele, carved in a language long forgotten. Something had called to him… whispered his name. It was there that he acquired the technique — Veil of the Forgotten Abyss. It didn't boost his strength instantly, but it concealed it so completely that not even the elders' spiritual probes could detect his cultivation. To them, he was trash.
Kael welcomed their ignorance.
Inside the main hall, the Veridan family was gathered in celebration. Kael's father, Lord Thorne Veridan, wore a warm smile, speaking cordially with a visiting noble.
But Kael's presence was missed.
Not far from the main estate, in a training yard surrounded by blue lanterns, stood Linara. Her red training robe clung to her slender form, her long black hair tied into a simple tail. Her eyes were sharp as blades. At seventeen, she was known as one of the most promising cultivators among the noble daughters.
She slashed forward with her practice blade, her movements fluid and graceful. But her thoughts weren't on her sword… they were on him.
Her betrothal to Kael was still a source of confusion and frustration. Initially, she had scoffed at the arrangement. How could a talentless boy like him be matched with me? she had often thought.
But something had changed.
She had started noticing things — how he always avoided conflicts, how he seemed to read situations with uncanny foresight, how he disappeared at odd hours and returned just before dawn. And lately, his gaze had grown sharper, his demeanor quieter, as if he were carrying a secret too heavy for his age.
Still, she denied any feeling.
"I will have the engagement transferred to my younger sister," she had declared two months ago before the clan council. Her sister, Liora, only fifteen, had wept silently. Kael had merely bowed, accepting the decision without a trace of emotion.
Why didn't he protest? Why doesn't anything seem to faze him?
Suddenly, a presence flickered at the edge of the training field.
She turned, blade ready — but found nothing.
"You're improving," came a calm voice behind her.
She spun again and found Kael leaning against a pillar, arms crossed. He had appeared without sound, like a shadow in the mist.
Linara narrowed her eyes. "Were you watching me?"
Kael shrugged. "Observing. There's a difference."
"Why not attend the gathering inside? That's where all the nobles are — where you're supposed to be proving your worth."
He looked up at the moon. "I have no desire to prove anything… not yet."
His tone was unreadable. Linara felt a chill run down her spine.
"You're too calm for someone who's about to be discarded," she said, stepping closer. "Don't you feel angry? Humiliated?"
Kael turned his gaze to her, and for a moment, Linara felt as if she were staring into a bottomless well.
"I will prove myself when it matters. Not when others expect me to."
She clenched her jaw, uncertain if she wanted to hit him or ask him more questions.
"And your cultivation?" she challenged. "You've been hiding it. Haven't you?"
Kael smiled faintly. "If I told you… would you believe me?"
Before she could respond, a loud gong echoed across the estate. The Spirit Appraisal Festival was about to begin.
Later That Night – The Spirit Plaza
The grand stage was set. Pillars of glowing stone encircled the plaza, and dozens of noble families had gathered in the audience. At the center stood a high priest, his robes fluttering with spiritual runes.
"Step forth, those who wish to be recognized!" the priest called.
One by one, young heirs and daughters took the stage. Each placed a hand on the Crystal of Essence, revealing the color and intensity of their spiritual core.
Blue. Green. Violet. A few rare ones shimmered in gold.
Then came Kael's turn.
The crowd murmured.
"Isn't that the trash son of the Veridan Clan?"
"Why is he even bothering?"
Kael approached silently. His fingers brushed the crystal.
Nothing.
Not a flicker. Not a glow.
The crowd laughed. Some nobles shook their heads in disdain. Even Linara flinched slightly.
The priest frowned. "Your core is… undetectable."
Kael offered a calm bow. "Then I must be without worth."
Lord Thorne lowered his head, his face unreadable.
But as Kael turned away from the platform, a single observer in the back — cloaked in deep robes — narrowed their eyes.
A hidden core? Impossible… unless…