The days that followed passed quietly.
Life in the mining camp returned to its usual rhythm, though the sinkhole remained the subject of constant discussion. Garrick had already declared the exposed shaft too dangerous to approach, and the warning posts around the ridge remained firmly in place.
Most of the miners were happy to leave it alone.
Unknown caverns meant unknown dangers.
Stone Skulkers.
Unstable tunnels.
Or worse.
For Kael, however, the ridge had become something else entirely.
A classroom.
---
He practiced in secret.
Early mornings before the camp stirred.
Late evenings when the lanterns dimmed and the ridge fell quiet.
At first he worked with the smallest things he could find.
Pebbles.
Loose gravel.
Thin layers of soil.
But what surprised him most was how natural it felt.
The chamber beneath the mountain had not simply given him power.
It had given him understanding.
When Kael focused on the earth beneath his feet, the stone responded almost immediately.
Not violently.
Not unpredictably.
Just… obedient.
He could feel the structure of the ground now.
Where the rock was dense.
Where pressure lines ran through it.
Where the earth would shift if he pushed in the right place.
Within a few days his control sharpened noticeably.
Small stones lifted smoothly from the ground when he asked them to.
Loose soil moved without disturbing the surface above it.
Even heavier rocks near the ridge shifted when he guided them carefully.
Kael never pushed too far.
He practiced only enough to refine what the chamber had already taught him.
Just enough to feel the mountain listening.
And the more he practiced, the clearer the sensation became.
The earth didn't resist him.
It welcomed him.
---
Three days after the collapse, the miners clearing debris near the sinkhole uncovered something unexpected.
A slab of stone pulled from the edge of the collapse carried markings carved deep into its surface.
Runes.
At first the miners thought they were natural fractures in the rock.
But the patterns were too deliberate.
Too precise.
Another stone revealed similar markings.
Then another.
Kael watched from a short distance as the miners gathered around the pieces.
His father crouched beside one of the slabs, brushing dust away from the carved lines.
"They're not natural," one of the older miners said.
Garrick nodded slowly.
The symbols were faint, worn by time, but clearly intentional.
Ancient.
"Aethari," another miner murmured.
The word carried weight on Terrava.
The Aethari had shaped entire worlds before disappearing from history.
Their ruins were rare.
And never simple.
Garrick stood.
"We're not touching that shaft again until someone from the academy looks at this."
No one argued.
Within the hour, a message had been sent to the Terrava Academy requesting a survey team.
Kael walked away before anyone noticed him listening.
His thoughts raced.
If the academy investigated the ruins—
If they somehow reached the chamber—
He forced himself to stop thinking about it.
The shaft was sealed.
No one was getting through those slabs.
Still…
The idea of someone from the academy arriving unsettled him.
---
Two days later, the transport shuttle appeared.
It descended through the afternoon sky and settled onto the landing pad near the mining camp, its engines kicking up spirals of dust across the terraces.
Kael watched from the edge of the ridge.
The hatch opened.
Four figures stepped down.
The first was an older man wearing a long grey coat trimmed with dark green. His posture was straight despite his age, and a small metal emblem gleamed on the collar of his coat.
The crest of the Terrava Academy.
Behind him came a younger woman carrying a case of instruments.
Two more figures followed.
Students.
Their academy uniforms stood out immediately against the dust-stained clothing of the miners.
The boy walked with easy confidence, his eyes moving across the ridge with open curiosity.
The girl beside him was quieter, her attention fixed on the surrounding terrain as if she were already studying the land itself.
Kael watched them approach the center of camp where Garrick waited.
The older man extended a hand.
"Garrick Holt, I presume."
"That's right," Garrick replied, shaking his hand.
"Professor Halvek Valen," the man said. "Terrava Academy."
He gestured toward the woman beside him.
"My assistant, Dr. Lysa Solen."
Dr. Solen nodded politely.
Halvek then motioned toward the two students behind him.
"My daughter, Aria Valen."
The girl inclined her head slightly in greeting.
"And Darius Tal," the professor continued.
The young man gave a confident nod.
"Two of our most promising students."
Garrick gave them a brief smile.
"Well, you picked an interesting time to visit."
"I hear you've uncovered something unusual," Halvek said.
Garrick gestured toward the ridge.
"Some of the rocks we pulled from the collapse had carvings on them. Figured it was best to let the academy take a look."
Halvek's expression sharpened slightly.
"A wise decision."
The group began walking toward the sinkhole.
Kael remained where he was, watching them approach from a short distance away.
Darius was speaking now, gesturing animatedly toward the fractured rock formations along the ridge.
Dr. Solen was already making notes.
Aria walked silently beside them, studying the terrain with careful attention.
As they passed near Kael, she glanced briefly in his direction.
Just long enough for him to notice the curiosity in her eyes.
Then the group continued walking.
Halvek slowed slightly as he passed.
His gaze settled on Kael.
The look lasted only a moment.
But it was deliberate.
Thoughtful.
Like he had noticed something he hadn't expected to find in a mining camp.
Then the professor continued walking toward the sinkhole with the others.
After a few steps, Halvek spoke quietly to Garrick.
"That young man we passed," he said.
"Who is he?"
Garrick glanced back over his shoulder toward Kael.
"My son," he replied.
"Kael."
Halvek nodded slowly.
"I see."
They continued toward the exposed ruins.
Behind them, Kael remained standing where he was.
Watching.
And wondering exactly what the professor had seen.