The ruins lingered in my mind as we returned to Veylora Keep. The Warden’s words hung over me like a storm cloud, each syllable a reminder of what lay ahead. The magic will test your soul. It wasn’t a warning I could dismiss.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was walking a path I wasn’t ready for. The shard was quieter now, its hum subdued, but I could still feel its presence—a subtle reminder of my power and the price it might demand.

Resna walked a few paces ahead, her steps light and deliberate as always. On the other hand, Aric trudged behind me, his armour clinking softly with each step. Neither had spoken much since we left the ruins, and I wasn’t eager to break the silence.

But the quiet didn’t last long.

“You should’ve let me deal with the Warden,” Aric said, his voice sharp. “He was testing you, Caelan. And you just stood there, letting him poke holes in your resolve.”

“I wasn’t standing,” I said dryly, tightening my grip on my cane. “And I didn’t need to fight him. We got what we came for.”

Aric scoffed. “Barely. He doesn’t trust you. None of them do.”

“Enough,” Resna said, her voice cutting through the tension like a blade. She turned, her gaze fixed on Aric. “This isn’t the time for your bickering. We have bigger problems to deal with.”

Aric muttered something under his breath but fell silent. Resna nodded and continued walking, leaving me to reflect on the Warden’s warning. He wasn’t the only one who doubted me—Aric’s words made that clear. But I couldn’t afford to let their doubts distract me. I had a purpose now, a reason to keep moving forward.

We reached the keep late that evening, the air heavy with the scent of rain. The gates loomed above us, their iron-bound wood gleaming faintly in the torchlight. As we entered, I could feel the familiar weight of judgment pressing down on me. The soldiers’ whispers, the cautious glances—they never changed.

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Father was waiting for us in the hall, his expression as unreadable as ever. His presence was like a stone wall—cold, imposing, and unyielding. Aric stepped forward to deliver his report, detailing our encounter with the Warden and the map of corrupted sites we had retrieved.

“And Caelan?” Father asked, his voice clipped. “What was his contribution?”

Aric hesitated for just a moment. “He... sensed the magic. It helped guide us.”

Father’s gaze shifted to me, his tone laced with scepticism. “Sensed the magic? Is that all?”

I clenched my fists, the shard’s hum stirring faintly in my chest. “The Warden trusted me with this information. He believes I can handle it.”

“Trusted you?” Father let out a dry laugh. “The Warden humoured you, nothing more. You’re not ready for this, Caelan. You’ve never been ready.”

The words stung, but I forced myself to stay calm. “I’ll prove you wrong.”

“Then start by proving it to yourself,” Father said, dismissing me with a wave of his hand. “Dismissed.”

I sat in the library that night, the map of corrupted sites spread out before me. The shard’s hum was quiet, its energy subdued as I traced my fingers over the marked locations. Each one represented a challenge, a test of my resolve. But they also represented lives—people who were counting on me, whether they knew it or not.

“You look troubled,” Master Briar said, his voice warm as he entered the room.

“I am,” I admitted. “The Warden said the magic will test me. But I don’t even know if I can pass.”

Briar sat across from me, his expression thoughtful. “Tests are not meant to be easy, Caelan. They are meant to reveal who we truly are.”

“And what if I don’t like what they reveal?” I asked quietly.

Briar’s smile was faint but reassuring. “Then you change it. Strength isn’t about never failing. It’s about learning to rise again when you do.”

I nodded, his words settling into my mind like stones into water. The ripples they created weren’t answers, but they were a start.

The next morning, I stood in the courtyard, the shard’s hum steady and quiet. Resna and Aric were waiting for me, their expressions a mix of determination and caution. Deep in the eastern forest, the first site was days away, but I could feel its pull already—a faint, distant hum that echoed in my chest.

“Are you ready for this?” Resna asked, her voice calm but firm.

I nodded. “I have to be.”

Aric muttered something under his breath but said nothing more. Resna gave me a nod, and together, we set out, the weight of the journey ahead pressing down on us.

The shard pulsed faintly, its energy aligning with my heartbeat. The road was long, and the challenges ahead were daunting. But for the first time, I felt something more than doubt.

I felt resolve.