Meditation had once been calm. Now, it was a shield. Kaelis sat cross-legged on the highest platform of Ashfall Reach, eyes closed, listening. The pulse of his abilities was steady, but an undercurrent of tension hummed beneath. Someone—or something—was observing him.

  It wasn’t visible. It didn’t speak. But Kaelis could feel the pressure in subtle ways: a gust of wind that paused, a stray candle flickering without reason, a whisper in the corner of perception.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  Later, he overheard a discussion among instructors. “Unstable alignments,” they muttered. Kaelis smirked quietly. The truth was stranger: someone or something was correcting anomalies, subtle forces shaping outcomes that mortals could not comprehend.

  By evening, Kaelis was exhausted but more focused than ever. Every movement, every breath, every flicker of his abilities contributed to understanding the rules of the unseen. Power demanded observation, and observation demanded restraint. Every action carried consequence, and the cost of being watched was heavier than he had imagined.