After the announcement ceremony, Kael made his way back home, the weight of the day settling on his shoulders. The cheers and celebrations of the students who had passed felt distant now, and the crushing fatigue from the trials still lingered. His mind kept drifting back to the faces of those who had fallen behind, the memory of Lysan’s arrogance, and the strange encounter with the dark-hooded figure.

As he walked through the streets, Kael’s thoughts were interrupted by a text message from Reyl. It was short and to the point: "I won’t be able to make it back with you. Got some work to do. Took the Air Bus instead. Don’t wait up."

Kael sighed. It wasn’t unusual for Reyl to pick up extra work, but it did leave Kael to deal with the aftermath of the day on his own. He had gotten used to the solitude over the years, but that didn’t make it any less tiring.

Reaching the Air Bus station, Kael adjusted the straps of his bag and began to head toward the terminal. The familiar hum of the bustling station filled the people darting in and out, some in a hurry, others chatting with friends.

But as he walked, something felt off. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but there was a subtle shift in the weight of his bag. At first, it was imperceptible—just a slight change that didn’t seem to match his usual carry. He brushed it off as fatigue, but then he felt it again. The weight was different now, uneven, and when he glanced at the strap on his shoulder, he noticed a slight bulge, as if something had been slipped inside.

His heart skipped a beat. Kael’s instincts flared. No… he thought, it couldn’t be…

He paused in the middle of the station, looking around nervously. People rushed by without a second glance. He quickly pulled the bag in front of him and unzipped it, reaching inside.

And there it was. A small, almost innocuous-looking object wedged between his spare clothes and personal belongings. His fingers immediately froze as they made contact with the cold, smooth surface of what could only be a forbidden mystical artifact. The familiar weight of dread settled in his stomach. He didn’t know how, but he knew someone had planted it in his bag.

This is bad, Kael thought, his mind racing.

The artifact was something that shouldn’t be in anyone’s possession—let alone his. Forbidden by the authorities, it was linked to dark energy and known to be incredibly dangerous. If the wrong people discovered it, Kael could be in serious trouble.

Before he could think further, a chill ran down his spine. How did this happen? He quickly shoved the artifact back into his bag and looked around again, but everything seemed normal.

His paranoia intensified. Someone planted this here, he realized. His grip tightened on the strap of his bag as he turned and began walking briskly toward the nearest security checkpoint. He needed to leave, to get out of the station as quickly as possible before anyone noticed or worse, suspected him.

But as he reached the security gate, his thoughts were interrupted by a sudden shout.

"Hey! You!" a voice called from behind.

Kael’s breath caught in his throat. He turned, already knowing what he’d see. There, in the crowd, stood Verina, her eyes sharp with a knowing glint. She was alone, her posture tense, and the air around her crackled with barely contained hostility.

"Did you think you could just walk away after what you did?" Verina sneered, her gaze flickering to his bag. "You didn’t think we wouldn’t find out about the artifact, did you?"

Kael’s stomach sank. No way. They found out so soon?

Before he could react, Verina’s voice dropped, now edged with malice. "You should’ve known. My family’s influence stretches far beyond the trials, Kael. And you—" she stepped forward, her voice low but forceful, "you made a big mistake."

Kael instinctively stepped back, his hand tightening around the strap of his bag as he tried to keep his composure. He knew this was the beginning of a much bigger problem, and the last thing he wanted was to draw attention here.

But as he glanced nervously around, he noticed something that made his heart race even faster. Verina wasn’t alone. Two men in dark uniforms had emerged from the crowd, their eyes scanning the surroundings, standing like sentinels.

Military? Kael’s mind raced.

In an instant, he knew what was happening. Verina had planted the artifact in his bag and now, she was using it to accuse him of smuggling it. With her family’s influence, they could easily make this stick. If they got the military involved, he’d be lucky if he made it through this unscathed.

"You're coming with us," one of the men said, his voice stern as he stepped forward. "We need to check your bag, and then you’ll be explaining why you’ve got a forbidden artifact in your possession."

Kael’s blood ran cold. He tried to keep his cool, but the world around him seemed to blur as he quickly weighed his options. He could fight back, but that would only make things worse. Running was out of the question. They’d catch him in seconds.

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Verina smiled, as if reading his thoughts. "You can’t run from this, Kael. It’s over."

Kael’s mind flashed to Reyl’s warning about using his abilities only when absolutely necessary. But this wasn’t just about his abilities—this was about survival.

He wasn’t sure what to do yet, but he knew he needed to act fast.

As the military personnel advanced toward him, Kael’s mind raced for any possible way out. He had to stay calm. He could already feel the tension in the air—he was being set up, and the trap was closing in fast. He tried to think of an escape plan, but before he could make a move, Verina took a step back, suddenly gasping dramatically.

“Ah!” she cried out, her voice high-pitched with feigned distress. She clutched her arm, stumbling backward as if she had been struck. The nearby crowd immediately turned, their attention shifting toward her.

Kael’s eyes widened in disbelief. What the hell is she doing? His heart skipped a beat as Verina crumpled to the ground, her eyes darting toward the two military men, who quickly stepped forward to assist her.

“Kael!” she wailed, her voice growing louder and more frantic. “He attacked me! He—he hit me! He hurt me when I confronted him!”

The military men immediately froze, their eyes narrowing. One of them stepped closer to Verina, his hands hovering over her as if to check for injuries. “Are you alright, miss? What happened?”

Verina’s eyes flicked to Kael, a sly smile curling at the corners of her lips for just a split second before she returned to her dramatics. She winced and touched her shoulder as if the pain were unbearable. “He did it on purpose! I was just talking to him about the artifact—trying to warn him about the consequences—and he attacked me! He tried to silence me!”

Kael’s blood ran cold as he watched her act out the scene. This wasn’t just some petty accusation. Verina had intentionally placed herself in a position where it looked like Kael had attacked her. He could already hear the whispers from the crowd—people were starting to gather, sensing the drama unfolding. He tried to stay calm, but this was going to be a nightmare.

One of the military men, a tall, broad-shouldered officer, stepped forward. His voice was sharp, laced with authority. “Is this true, Kael? Did you attack her?” He was looking at Kael now, his eyes cold with suspicion.

Kael opened his mouth to speak, to deny everything, but before he could, Verina cut him off. “He’s lying!” she shouted. “He attacked me without provocation! I was just trying to tell him that carrying a forbidden artifact is illegal. He’s dangerous!”

Kael clenched his jaw, doing his best to keep his temper in check. He knew exactly what was going on now. Verina was using her influence, her connections, and her acting skills to turn the situation completely around. But he couldn’t just give in, couldn’t let her get away with this.

Before he could respond, the second military man—the one who had been quietly observing—finally spoke up, his voice flat and emotionless. “Miss Verina, we’ll take care of this. You’re in good hands.”

The two military men stepped toward Kael, their eyes hard. The taller one spoke again, his tone accusing. “You’re coming with us. You’ll explain this to Lieutenant General Rendall. If what Miss Verina says is true… well, you’ll have much more to worry about than just an artifact.”

Kael’s mind was racing. He needed to think, needed to do something before they took him away. But the odds were stacked against him. There were too many witnesses. If he argued or tried to fight, it would just make him look guilty.

Then, to his horror, Verina’s voice rang out once more, sweetly mocking him. “What are you waiting for? Come on, Kael. The truth always comes out. I’m sure the general would love to have a little chat with you.”

Kael glanced around nervously, taking in the growing crowd, the military personnel now encircling him. The situation was spiraling fast. But he wasn’t about to let it end like this.

As the soldiers moved to restrain him, Kael took a deep breath, silently making the decision to play along—for now. He couldn’t risk using his powers here. He’d have to trust that a way out would present itself. But he wasn’t about to go down without a fight.

The two soldiers gripped his arms tightly, making it clear they wouldn’t take no for an answer. Kael clenched his fists, his mind whirring, but he stayed quiet.

With a final, malicious glance, Verina stood up, her smirk wide and satisfied. “Let’s go, Kael. You can explain yourself to the General. If you can.”

As the two military men restrained Kael, Verina's smirk remained triumphant. But before Kael could process the situation further, a cold voice pierced through the air—low and menacing.

“Elian,” the voice said, filled with mockery. Kael’s eyes snapped to the source. There, striding toward them with deliberate steps, was the Elian from the trio—the boy with the ice-based abilities, a smug expression plastered across his face.

He stopped just behind Kael, a predatory grin curling on his lips. “Well, well, look who we have here.” His tone was dripping with sarcasm. “The mighty Kael Darnel, huh? I always knew you’d end up like this—caught in your own little mess. Honestly, it’s almost too easy.” He stepped closer, his presence imposing as he leaned in to whisper just loud enough for Kael to hear.

“You shouldn’t have messed with us,” Elian hissed, his breath cool against Kael’s ear. The words were slow, deliberate, as if savoring every moment of Kael’s discomfort. “Now look where you are. Framed for something you didn’t do, surrounded by people who hate you. And the best part?” Elian chuckled darkly. “You’re not even going to be able to fight back. You’re as weak as you look.”

Kael’s jaw clenched, his mind racing as Elian’s mocking words hung in the air. He knew this was just part of the plan—part of the manipulation—but hearing the boy's taunting tone only made him feel more trapped.

Elian straightened, smirking at Kael’s anger. “You’ve got guts, I’ll give you that. But they’re not enough to save you this time.”

At that moment, Verina stepped forward again, her voice dripping with malice. “I told you, Kael,” she purred. “This is what happens when you make enemies of people who have power. You should’ve stayed quiet, stayed out of our way.”

“Enough,” one of the military officers barked, clearly tired of the drama, but his attention remained on Kael as if still weighing the situation. He looked between Verina and Elian, then motioned for Kael to be taken away. “This ends here.”

Kael’s mind was running a mile a minute, trying to figure out how to get out of this mess. But there was little he could do—he couldn’t fight back in the middle of the crowd, not with so many people watching, especially not when his hands were bound by the military personnel. For now, all he could do was keep his cool and wait for the right moment to strike back.

As they began to drag him away, Kael shot one last look at the trio—the smug expressions of Verina, Elian, and Tyros were locked in his mind. They had successfully framed him, but Kael was not someone who gave up easily.