Weeks Later – The Capital
A hush had fallen over the royal palace.
Not silence… but fear.
Ever since the royal expedition party returned from the Dungeon of Echoes, nothing felt normal.
The First Prince — Kael — had changed.
And people noticed.
He no longer walked with doubt.
He walked with presence.
With seven stunning girls flanking him — each radiating unexplainable power — Kael's image became something between legend and threat.
The nobles didn't know whether to kneel or run.
The Rumor Storm Begins
In alleyways, tea houses, and student dorms at prestigious academies…
"Did you hear? The First Prince survived the dungeon that killed three S-class heroes."
"Not just survived… they say he awakened an ancient magic. Older than the gods!"
"They say he controls a fallen angel now!"
"No, you idiot. She's a former Oracle!"
The rumors twisted, exaggerated — but the effect was real.
He had become myth in motion.
And myths attract followers.
The Cult of Ashen Dawn
Beneath the cobblestones of the capital… in crypts and ruined cathedrals…
A symbol long erased from history was being carved anew.
Kael's divine sigil — the one he once bore as a god — now returned.
And with it, came worshippers.
Some were outcasts.
Others were seers, alchemists, former priests exiled by the Divine Council.
They whispered to one another:
"The gods have ruled too long."
"He returned for us."
They called themselves the Ashen Dawn.
And they were preparing… for something.
At the Academy – A Strange Invitation
Kael returned to the Royal Academy under the guise of "finishing his education." A joke, considering his godlike intellect.
But this time, he wasn't invisible.
He was watched.
Feared.
Admired.
Especially by a new wave of noble girls — who all suddenly found him irresistibly mysterious.
Zara didn't like it.
Mira didn't either.
Selene? She smiled calmly… but her aura became terrifying when any girl got within five feet of Kael.
Still, they couldn't stop the inevitable.
"Prince Kael, you've been invited to the Arcane Academy Invitational Tournament."
It was the biggest event of the academic year. Combat, dungeon runs, tactical games.
"A hundred schools. Thousands of students. And a hidden prize…"
Kael raised a brow.
"What kind of prize?"
The professor whispered:
"A Divine Relic. The Council is sponsoring it themselves."
Kael's golden eyes flashed.
"Then it's time I said hello to my old friends."
In the Halls of the Gods
Far above mortal lands, the Divine Council watched through crystal flames.
"He is growing in power. Followers gather. Apostles awaken."
A voice like a serpent hissed:
"Let him play king among mortals. He will fall again."
But a goddess — cloaked in moonlight — murmured:
"He never truly fell. We just feared what he saw."
The High Lord of Order stood.
"Then send in the 'Correctors.'"
"Let the boy bleed… and remind him why we called him traitor."
Back in Kael's Chambers
Zara leaned against the wall, watching him polish his blade.
"Tournament, huh? Gonna show off?"
Kael smirked.
"Just enough to remind them what they buried."
Mira flipped a dagger nearby.
"What if the gods interfere?"
Selene stepped in, her white hair glowing faintly.
"Then we remind them that we're not afraid anymore."
Kael looked out his window, toward the academy.
"Let them come."
"I'm building a new order… and they can't stop it."