The forest grew quieter with every step Kael and Yuna took—too quiet. A strange heat lingered in the air, unnatural and pressing, as though the very atmosphere was holding its breath. Yuna's instincts flared. Something was coming.
Before either of them could react, the trees erupted in flames.
A searing fireball slammed into the ground near them, sending Kael flying and scorching the forest floor. Smoke clouded their vision, and from the blaze emerged three figures—powerful, precise, and clearly not ordinary Trackers.
At the center was a man with silver hair and eyes like tempered steel. His Glow Sigil pulsed calmly on his chest, its light steady and controlled. This was Caziel Flarethorn, known among whispered rumors as a ghost-level enforcer.
He was not officially part of the Sigil Order, but his reputation alone made him feared like one.
Beside him stood the Branders, a deadly sibling duo wielding matching Burn Sigils. Their fists glowed with unstable heat, and their presence alone warped the very air around them. Kael and Yuna were already moving, adrenaline coursing through their veins.
Fire clashed against flame as Yuna dove into the fray, releasing controlled bursts of energy with precision. She was fierce, tactical, but even she was being outpaced. The Branders moved with the kind of fluidity and coordination that only comes from fighting together their entire lives. They were a terrifying force.
Kael did his best to support her, using telekinesis to deflect projectiles and manipulating time in brief, shaky bursts to dodge incoming strikes. But Caziel was different. He wasn't just strong—he adapted to Kael's time distortion, like he'd fought through it before.
The more Kael slowed time, the more Caziel seemed to anticipate him. The battle became a test Kael wasn't yet prepared to pass.
Exhaustion soon caught up to both Kael and Yuna. Her flames dimmed. His vision blurred. The final strike came quickly—a concussive wave of energy that sent them both crashing into trees and rocks. Their bodies were battered, broken, unable to continue.
And then, darkness took them.
When Kael regained consciousness, he found himself in a cold room. It wasn't a cell, but a bunker. His sigil still glowed faintly on his arm. Yuna lay nearby, patched up but still unconscious.
As he stood, what he saw stunned him.
Dozens of people—men, women, and children—all marked by sigils, were living inside the mountain base. Burn Sigils, Flickers, even a few Glows. They all shared the same look: weary, cautious… and free.
Yuna stirred beside him, sitting up slowly. Before she could panic, the door opened, and someone stepped inside.
It was Caziel.
But he wasn't hostile. No fire. No battle-ready stance. Just calm.
Kael's confusion shifted into frustration. He demanded to know what was going on—why they had been attacked, why they were still alive.
Caziel sighed and spoke with quiet conviction. "I was never part of the Sigil Order. Not really. Years ago, I saw what they did to rare sigils—how they captured and used people like weapons."
Kael and Yuna exchanged glances, their minds still reeling.
"Since then, I've worked from the shadows, building a hidden network to rescue and protect people like you—people with sigils like yours," Caziel continued.
Yuna frowned. "But the fight... what was that?"
"A test," Caziel replied. "I needed to know if Kael was truly what I suspected—someone with the potential to awaken a dual essence. Someone the Order would do anything to control."
Kael and Yuna didn't know how to feel. The truth of the situation was still unfolding, and they were far from understanding it all. But one thing was clear—they weren't alone anymore.
And the war ahead would need more than just power. It would need allies.