Kael sat on the cold stone steps of the ceremony hall, his fists clenched tight around the ragged edges of his tunic. He didn't look up, not even when the roar of applause from inside made his chest feel like it might cave in. Someone else had bonded with a celestial tiger, probably. Or maybe a golden wyrm. It didn't matter. It wasn't him.
The chill of the stone seeped into his legs, but he didn't care. It wasn't like anyone would come looking for him anyway. Not after the spectacle he'd made of himself. The bond had sparked for half a second during the ceremony. Half a second, just long enough for the crowd to see Umbra—the scrappy little shadow fox, her fur matted and her tail dragging—and then it snapped, leaving him standing there alone and humiliated.
The door creaked open behind him, spilling light onto the darkened courtyard. Kael's shoulders stiffened.
"Kael!"
He didn't need to look to know it was Braylen. His voice still carried that smug tone, like everything came easy to him—because it always had.
Kael tilted his head just enough to catch Braylen's shadow. "What do ya want?" His voice came out rougher than he meant, but he didn't care.
Braylen chuckled, the sound grating. "C'mon, no need to be bitter. Not everyone can bond with a storm gryphon. Some of us were just... chosen, you know?"
Kael's jaw tightened. He shoved himself to his feet and turned, glaring at the boy he once called his best friend. Braylen stood there in his pristine ceremonial robes, the crest of his family stitched in gold across the chest. Behind him, the faint outline of the storm gryphon loomed—a sleek beast with crackling wings and eyes that burned like lightning.
"Good for you," Kael muttered. He tried to step past Braylen, but a hand caught his arm.
"Don't be like that," Braylen said, his tone softer now, almost pitying.
Kael yanked his arm free and stared him down. "Like what? Like a failure? 'Cause that's what everyone's gonna say, right? I bond with a scrap of shadow, and suddenly I'm not worth a damn thing."
Braylen flinched, just slightly, but it was enough to spark a flicker of satisfaction in Kael's chest.
"You're still a Tamer," Braylen said after a moment, though his voice lacked conviction. "Even if... well, even if your bond's a little, uh, weak."
Kael laughed, but there was no humor in it. "Weak, huh? That what they're callin' it now? Face it, Braylen. I'm a joke. Always will be."
He turned and walked away before Braylen could say anything else, his footsteps echoing in the quiet courtyard. As he passed through the gate and into the empty streets, a low growl rumbled from the shadows beside him.
"You don't gotta remind me," Kael muttered. "I know you're still there."
A pair of glowing yellow eyes blinked open, and the scrappy little shadow fox padded into view. Umbra.
The bond was faint, flickering like a candle about to go out. It shouldn't even have worked at all; he'd felt it break the moment they'd connected. And yet, somehow, she was still here.
"You're useless, y'know that?" he said, though his voice lacked venom. Umbra just tilted her head, her ears twitching.
"Yeah, yeah," Kael sighed, ruffling his hair. "Guess we're both broken, huh?"
The fox's tail swished once, and for a moment, Kael thought he saw something—something ancient, almost predatory—in her eyes. Then it was gone, leaving only the quiet night and a boy with nothing to lose.
Kael wandered through the empty streets, his hands stuffed in his pockets. The moon hung low in the sky, casting pale light over the cobblestone roads. He passed shuttered stalls and quiet houses, their windows glowing faintly from within.
This was supposed to be his night. The night he proved himself. The night he showed everyone that he was more than just another kid from the outer district.
Instead, he'd walked away with nothing.
Umbra padded silently beside him, her small form nearly swallowed by the shadows. She didn't make a sound, but Kael could feel her presence, like an itch at the back of his mind. The bond was weak, sure, but it was still there, flickering stubbornly like a flame that refused to die.
"Why'd you even stick around?" he muttered, glancing down at her.
Umbra didn't answer, of course. She just kept walking, her ears swiveling as if she were listening to something only she could hear.
Kael kicked a loose stone, watching as it skittered down the road. "You should've just let it snap all the way. Would've been easier for both of us."
They reached the edge of the district, where the cobblestones gave way to dirt paths and the houses grew smaller and farther apart. Kael stopped, staring out at the dark expanse of forest beyond.
His parents wouldn't want him home tonight. Not after what happened. He could already hear his father's voice, sharp and cutting: You embarrassed us. Do you know what people are saying?
Kael clenched his fists. He didn't need to hear it. He already knew.
Umbra brushed against his leg, startling him. He looked down to see her staring up at him, her yellow eyes glinting in the moonlight.
"What?" he snapped.
Umbra tilted her head, her tail swishing again. For a moment, Kael thought she might actually respond. The thought was ridiculous, but there was something about the way she looked at him—like she understood more than she should.
He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, yeah. Let's just... go."
The forest was quiet, the kind of quiet that pressed against Kael's ears and made him hyper-aware of every sound. The crunch of leaves beneath his boots. The rustle of branches in the breeze. The faint chirp of crickets somewhere in the distance.
Umbra darted ahead, her small form barely visible in the shadows. Kael followed her, his hands still shoved deep in his pockets.
He didn't know why he'd come here. Maybe to get away from the town. Maybe to clear his head. Or maybe because the forest felt like the only place where he didn't have to pretend he was okay.
Umbra stopped suddenly, her ears perked.
Kael frowned. "What is it?"
She didn't answer—of course she didn't—but her posture had changed. She was tense, her body low to the ground, her eyes fixed on something up ahead.
Kael squinted, trying to see what she was looking at. The moonlight barely filtered through the trees, casting long, twisting shadows across the forest floor.
"Umbra," he said quietly, "if this is some kinda joke—"
The growl came first, low and guttural, vibrating through the air. Kael froze, his breath catching in his throat.
A pair of red eyes appeared in the darkness, glowing like embers. Then another. And another.
Kael's heart pounded as the creatures stepped into the light. Wolves. Bigger than any he'd ever seen, their fur black as midnight and their eyes blazing with unnatural light.
Umbra growled, the sound surprisingly fierce for such a small creature. She stepped in front of Kael, her hackles raised.
Kael took a step back, his hand instinctively reaching for the dagger at his belt. "This... this ain't good."
The lead wolf snarled, its teeth glinting like shards of glass. It lunged, and Kael barely had time to react.
Umbra moved faster than he thought possible, a blur of shadow that collided with the wolf mid-air. The two creatures tumbled to the ground, a flurry of teeth and claws.
Kael stumbled back, his heart racing. He didn't have a plan. He didn't have a weapon strong enough to fight these things.
But as he watched Umbra, something shifted. The shadows around her seemed to ripple and twist, almost like they were alive.
And then he heard it—a voice, low and cold, whispering in his mind.
"Break the bond."
Kael's breath hitched. He looked down at Umbra, her small form dwarfed by the massive wolf she was fighting.
The voice came again, sharper this time. "Break the bond and take its power. You are stronger than you know."