The archive door remained silent. Kael didn't move. Neither did Lucian. Behind them, Nyxara was still staring at the old metal door. No one spoke. Eventually, Kael stepped closer. He placed a hand against the lock. Nothing. No light. No vibration. Not even a sound. The door seemed to have simply decided not to respond anymore. —It closed again, Lucian murmured. Kael pulled his hand away. —Why? —I don't know. Kael stared at the lock. He had the feeling that something had just happened, but he couldn't understand what. Lucian placed a hand on his shoulder. —It's late. Kael glanced at him. —I'm going to keep looking. —Tomorrow. —Lucian— —Tomorrow. Kael sighed. He knew he wasn't going to win that argument. Nyxara approached and gently pressed her muzzle against his shoulder. Kael looked at her. —You too? The Nocterys didn't move. Lucian smiled faintly. —Even she's agreeing with me. Kael rolled his eyes. —Fine. They left the archives. But all the way back to his room, Kael could think of only four things. The door. The symbol. His father. And the breathing he'd heard behind the metal. --- That night, Kael barely slept. He sat by his bedroom window. A lamp cast a faint glow over his desk. Several books lay open in front of him. Notes were scattered across the table. V-12. V-17. V-18. A-01. Nyxara. Asteria. His father. Kael reread the same information again. He picked up a sheet of paper. Wrote something down. Stared at it. Then turned it over. He stood and walked to the window. The Academy was silent. A few lights were still glowing in the buildings. Kael placed a hand against the glass. —Why now? He already knew the answer. Because he'd returned. Because the system had recognized him. Because he'd reached the required age. But something was still missing. His father had left things behind. Systems. Passages. Creatures. Messages. Everything seemed to have been prepared years before his death. And yet… Why had he never explained any of it? Kael closed his eyes. An image came back to him. His father standing in front of the V-18 plaque. Nyxara, much younger. His small hand in his father's. Then those words. One day, she'll show you the way. Kael opened his eyes. He returned to his desk. Picked up another book. Then another. The hours passed. The moon gradually disappeared behind the clouds. Kael didn't even notice. --- The next morning, he arrived at class a few minutes early. Noah looked at him the moment he walked in. —You look awful. Kael put his bag down. —Thanks. —That wasn't a compliment. —I know. Lysandra walked over. She studied his face for a few seconds. —Did you sleep? Kael remained silent. Noah's eyes widened. —Wait. He turned to Adrian. —He didn't sleep. Adrian looked at Kael. —How long? —I don't know. —Kael… —I'm fine. Lysandra frowned slightly. —You always say that. Kael sat down. —Because I am. Adrian didn't answer. But he was fairly certain Kael was lying. The lesson began. Kael stayed focused. Or at least he tried. Several times, his eyes closed for a fraction of a second. Then he straightened again. The professor continued explaining. Noah discreetly tossed him a piece of paper. Kael unfolded it. SLEEP. Kael wrote underneath: NO. Noah took the paper back. YOU'RE GOING TO PASS OUT. Kael replied: I'M FINE. Noah sighed. Then wrote: STUBBORN. Kael folded the paper. He put it inside his book. Lysandra had seen the entire exchange. She smiled slightly. But she still looked worried. --- That afternoon, the lessons were lighter. The students had some free time in the gardens before their next training session. Kael went there alone. Nyxara was already waiting for him. She had returned to her smaller form. When she saw him, she stood. Kael approached. —Were you waiting for me? Nyxara flicked her ears slightly. —Yeah. I know. He sat beneath a large tree. Nyxara lay down beside him. Kael rested his back against her side. The warmth of her fur was comforting. He closed his eyes. Just for a few minutes. That was what he told himself. A few minutes. The wind gently moved the leaves overhead. The sun warmed the grass. Nyxara remained still. Kael breathed slowly. Then his body relaxed. His head slipped slightly against the Nocterys's fur. And he fell asleep. Nyxara opened her eyes. She looked at Kael. Her expression barely changed. Then she gently lowered her head beside him. Her eyes closed. She fell asleep too. --- A few minutes later, a group of students entered the garden. Noah was walking with Lysandra and Adrian. But they weren't alone. Three other students from their year were with them, discussing an exercise scheduled for the following day. —I'm telling you, the professor's going to put us into teams, one of them said. —He already said that yesterday. —No, he said there might be teams. Noah sighed. —Do you really want to talk about homework right now? They walked a few more meters. Then Noah stopped. —Oh. Lysandra looked in the same direction. So did Adrian. The three other students raised their heads. And nobody said a word. Under the large tree, Kael was asleep. His head rested against Nyxara. The Nocterys had returned to her true size. Huge. Her black fur caught the sunlight, revealing subtle midnight-blue highlights. Her long tail rested in the grass. Her head lay beside Kael. She was asleep too. The contrast was almost unreal. Kael, usually so calm and difficult to approach. Nyxara, a legendary creature that the books claimed had been extinct for centuries. Both of them completely at peace. One of the students whispered: —Is that… really him? Noah glanced at him. —Yep. —He's asleep? —Apparently. The student looked at Nyxara. —And so is she? Adrian answered: —Yes. Another student took a step forward. Nyxara immediately opened one eye. The student froze. Adrian calmly held out a hand. —Don't get any closer. The boy stepped back. Nyxara closed her eyes again. Noah breathed out. —She really doesn't mess around. Lysandra smiled softly. —She knows he's asleep. Silence settled over them. The students continued looking at Kael. One of them eventually whispered: —I thought he didn't trust anyone. Adrian answered without hesitation: —He doesn't trust everyone. He looked at Kael. Then Nyxara. —That doesn't mean he can't trust anyone. The group fell silent. No one had an answer to that. Noah eventually sat down in the grass a few meters away. —I think we should stay here. Lysandra nodded. —Yeah. Adrian leaned against a tree. The others did the same. Nobody spoke loudly. Even Noah had lowered his voice. Which, for him, was practically a miracle. --- A little later, more students passed through the gardens. They noticed Nyxara. Then Kael. Then the students sitting around them. Some slowed down. Others stopped. Soon, several people began to understand what was happening. Kael was asleep. And nobody dared wake him. A girl from their year quietly asked: —Is he sick? Lysandra shook her head. —No. —Then why is he sleeping here? Noah answered: —Because he probably didn't sleep last night. The girl looked at Kael. Her expression softened. —Oh. She didn't ask anything else. She simply continued on her way. A few minutes later, two more students passed. Then three. The group slowly grew. Not because anyone wanted to bother Kael. Simply because the scene was unusual. And strangely beautiful. Nobody wanted to be the one who ruined it. --- Darius eventually arrived. He was walking through the gardens when he noticed the small gathering. He approached. Noah looked up. —Hey. Darius looked at the students. Then Nyxara. Then Kael. His expression changed immediately. He understood. —He stayed awake all night? Adrian nodded. —Probably. Darius studied Kael for a few seconds. He knew Kael well enough to understand that he rarely slept when an important question was occupying his mind. He looked at Nyxara. The Nocterys opened one eye slightly. Darius gave her a simple nod. She closed her eyes again. —Let him sleep, he said quietly. Noah nodded. —That was the plan. Darius looked around. —Then just make sure nobody makes too much noise. Noah raised a hand. —I can do that. Adrian looked at him. —You just spoke normally for the first time in five minutes. —I can be quiet. Lysandra smiled. Darius shook his head slightly. He remained there for a few moments, watching Kael. Then he noticed something. Kael's face was much more relaxed than usual. No tension in his features. No constant alertness. No carefully controlled expression. Just a boy sleeping peacefully. Darius smiled faintly. —He needed this. --- The sun slowly began to sink. Kael shifted slightly. Nyxara opened her eyes. She gently raised her head. Kael frowned in his sleep. Then immediately fell back asleep. Nyxara lowered her head beside him again. The students exchanged amused glances. Noah whispered: —Even when he's asleep, he looks serious. Lysandra stifled a laugh. —You really want to wake him up just to tell him that? Noah thought about it. —No. —Good choice. Adrian looked at the scene. —We should probably tell him he slept for several hours. Darius answered: —Don't. Noah looked at him. —Why? —Because if he wakes up and realizes he's lost several hours, he'll immediately find something to do. Noah nodded. —That's true. He looked at Kael. —Probably the best way to keep him still. Darius smiled. —Exactly. --- When Kael finally opened his eyes, the sun was already lower in the sky. He blinked several times. His first thought was that he'd probably slept for a few minutes. Then he noticed the unusual silence. He slowly sat up. And saw Noah. Lysandra. Adrian. Darius. And several other students. They were all looking at him. Kael remained silent. —Why are you all here? Noah smiled. —Long story. Kael looked around. Then at Nyxara. She was still asleep. Kael gently placed a hand against her fur. —She slept too. —Yeah, Lysandra replied. Kael looked at the sky. —What time is it? Nobody answered immediately. Kael slowly turned toward Darius. Darius smiled. —You slept for a while. Kael narrowed his eyes. —How long? Noah held up three fingers. —Three hours. Kael went completely still. —… Noah quickly added: —But it was good. Kael sighed. He looked at Nyxara. Then at the students around him. Nobody was laughing. Nobody seemed to be making fun of him. If anything, some of them were simply smiling. Quietly. Respectfully. Kael didn't really know what to do with that. So he did the only thing that came naturally. He lay back down against Nyxara. Noah's eyes widened. —Is he going back to sleep? Kael closed his eyes. —Five minutes. Darius quietly laughed. —Of course. Nyxara, still half-asleep, moved her head slightly closer to him. And for a few more minutes, nobody said a word. Beneath Asteria's fading sunlight, Kael was neither the patriarch of House Veyron, nor the heir to a mysterious power, nor the boy whose eyes so many students feared. He was simply Kael. And, for once, nobody asked him to be anything else.

Beneath the Sun