The first few days in the Order felt… controlled.
Everything followed a pattern.
Wake early. Train. Eat. Train again. Briefings. Silence.
Repeat.
No one spoke much outside of what was necessary.
Not because they didn't want to.
Because they didn't know how.
Out of three hundred, only twenty remained.
That fact sat between them at all times. Heavy and Unspoken.
Kael adjusted quickly.
He didn't ask questions or complain.
He did exactly what was required which made him easy to overlook.
Except—
He wasn't.
The training yard was wide and open, packed dirt beneath their feet, lined with wooden posts and weapon racks.
Every recruit stood spread out, paired off. Waiting!
"Close combat," one of the instructors said. " No Marks. Just movement."
A few people tensed.
Others relaxed.
Dain rolled his shoulders slightly.
"…Boring."
Kael stood across from him.
Silent.
They hadn't been paired by choice.
But neither of them complained.
"Start."
Dain moved first.
Fast.
Not reckless—controlled speed, aimed straight for Kael's center.
Kael stepped back. mere centimeters.
Dain's strike missed.
But his follow-up didn't.
A sharp hit aimed for Kael's side—
It was blocked.
Kael caught his wrist.
Dain twisted out of it before it could become a hold.
They separated.
A few heads turned.
Their spar spurring the moods of everyone present.
Dain smirked slightly.
"Better than I thought."
Kael didn't respond.
Dain moved again.
Faster this time.
Their movements clashed in short bursts—quick strikes, blocks, steps, counters.
They both didn't waste motion.
They didn't hesitation.
Dain pressed harder, trying to break through Kael's defense.
Kael didn't push back harder.
He just… held his defense.
He matched every move, with only a light movement. He didn't seem to be struggling.
Dain noticed.
Of course he did.
"…You're doing it again," he said under his breath. The annoyance in his eyes seemed to explode.
he didn't like it one bit.
Kael was always holding back.
He shifted slightly to avoid another strike. His long black hair swaying with the wing from Dain's strike.
"Doing what?"
"Not trying."
Kael didn't answer. He was trying his best to fight without unleashing the thing purring within him.
He was fighting, just not the way Dain wanted.
Dain's next strike came faster.
Kael blocked—
But the impact pushed him back half a step.
Dain closed the gap immediately.
Too close now.
Their arms locked for a second.
Shoulders nearly touching.
Dain's voice dropped.
"Fight me properly."
Kael met his eyes.
"I am."
Dain's grip tightened.
For a moment, neither moved.
Then—
They broke apart again.
The instructor's voice cut in.
"Enough."
Both stepped back.
The tension stayed. It coiled around the training ground like a dragon.
Dain exhaled slowly.
"…Next time," he said.
Kael didn't react.
********
Most recruits left quickly after drills ended.
Some talked in low voices, While others avoided everyone.
Kael stayed a little longer.
He adjusted the wrappings on his hand and Checked the light bruise forming along his side.
Nothing serious.
Light footsteps approached him from behind.
He didn't look up.
He didn't have to!
Dain stopped beside him, his eyes calmer than they were before.
"You could've pushed harder."
Kael finished tying the white cloth.
"Same for you."
Dain let out a short breath.
Almost a laugh.
"…You're annoying."
The frustration in his voice startled Kael.
Kael paused for a moment. Complexity flashed briefly in his dark eyes.
"You're loud."
Dain stepped in front of him. His eyes were weighty. A silent pressure pressed on Kael's heart.
"Don't do that again."
Kael's gaze shifted slightly.
"Do what?"
Dain drew in a sharp breath.
"Act like it doesn't matter."
Time seemed to pause
Kael tilted his head slightly.
"It doesn't."
Dain's expression changed. That wasn't the answer he wanted.
His chest tightened. Was it anger or something else.
"It does," he said through gritted teeth. His jaw tight.
His voice wasn't loud but it held a ferociousness even he didn't notice.
Kael didn't seem to hear the seriousness in his voice. He didn't flinch, his black eyes traced every contour of Dain's face.
"Then prove it," he replied. His voice just as low as Dain's
Then—
Dain smiled.
"Yeah," he said quietly.
"I will."
That night, the room felt warmer.
Kael sat on his bed, leaning slightly against the wall.
His finger's tracing the edges of a silver coin.
His thoughts had obviously flown out the window. He didn't notice when his room-mate had moved to his bed.
Dain sat on Kael's bed without a sound. He just sat, staring at Kael's dazed appearance.
Dain spoke first.
"You don't talk much."
Kael didn't look at him.
"No reason to."
"That's not a reason."
"It is."
The air grew warmer with the weight of their chat.
Dain leaned back slightly. His outstretched feet slightly touching Kael's. None of them commented on it. They both didn't seem to want to break apart.
Dain's hands rested behind him. His head raised to the browning ceiling.
"…You always like this?"
Kael paused for a second. His eyelids lowered in thought.
"Yes."
Dain glanced at him. Studied him. Then smiled.
"…Fine."
Another stretch of comfortable silence.
Then—
"Don't go on missions with anyone else."
The words came casually, almost like an afterthought.
But they most probably weren't.
Kael's eyes shifted slightly.
"Why?"
Dain didn't hesitate.
"They'll slow you down."
A simple answer, but not necessarily what was expected.
Kael looked at him properly now. His eyes a little too dark in the dim dorm lights.
They looked like the eyes of the abyss. Swallowing him whole.
"…And you won't?"
Dain met his gaze, breath caught in his throat.
"No."
The certainty in his voice didn't leave room for doubt.
Kael stared at him for a couple more seconds then moved his gaze. His lips parted slightly as he sighed.
"…Okay."
Dain eye's curved up in a smile.
He leaned his head back again and enjoyed the silence.