The Nameless Heir

Kael woke up feeling absolutely unstoppable.

His body felt light, his mind felt clear, and for the first time since stepping into the Academy, he didn't feel like he was just surviving. He felt alive. The blessing of his mother still flowed through his body, wrapping around him like an invisible forcefield. No tension. No exhaustion. Just pure energy.

From the foot of his bed, Cyrus, his ever-judgmental and loyal shadow cat, flicked his tail, watching him with glowing silver eyes.

"Why are you so happy in the morning?" Cyrus muttered.

Kael stretched, grinning. "Shouldn't I be? I was trained by the great Orion Aetos himself. That practically makes me a champion already. If Zeus walked into my room right now, I'd challenge him to a duel—and win."

Cyrus let out a long sigh. "I give you five minutes before you run for your life."

"Love the support, buddy."

Before Kael could finish his argument, someone knocked at the door. Orion walked in like he owned the place, arms crossed, eyeing him with suspicion.

"You're in a suspiciously good mood," Orion noted.

Kael fastened his Greek armor, adjusting the breastplate. "Why wouldn't I be? I've been trained by the future king of Aetheros. I'd be ashamed if I didn't at least hit the top 30."

Orion let out a quiet laugh. "You aiming for top 30, huh?"

"I was thinking number one, but you know—can't be too greedy."

"What's your game plan?"

Kael replied with a mischievous smile. "You'll see."

Orion smirked, but then his expression darkened.

"I won't be here to watch your match."

Kael frowned. "What? Why?"

Orion's gaze flickered toward the window. "I have to go back to Aetheros. There's been… an issue."

The weight behind his words was unmistakable.

Aetheros—the Kingdom of the Skies, ruled by King Zephryon Aetos. He was never bothered by small inconveniences. If Orion and the other Holy Knights were being called back, then something serious was happening.

"What kind of issue?" Kael asked.

Orion didn't answer.

Which meant it was bad.

Instead, he placed a firm hand on Kael's shoulder. "Focus on the trial. Get into the top 30, and you'll be fine."

Realizing he wouldn't be getting any more information, Kael exhaled. He wondered if Orion would be returning soon, and if everything would still be the same when he got back.

Instead, he forced a grin. "Fine, fine. I'll just have to win without an audience."

Orion gave him a look, as if half-believing the bravado. "Try not to embarrass me."

And just like that, he was gone.

Kael hadn't expected the battlefield to be ordinary.

Nothing at the Academy was ever normal. But when the portal opened up in front of him, he stepped through it, and he realized he was not ready for what awaited him on the other side.

This wasn't just an arena.

It was a world of its own.

A fractured dimension, warped and twisted into a battlefield where every terrain imaginable clashed together.

To his left—a dense, misty forest, its roots tangled and shadows shifting unnaturally. To his right—a massive river, its currents swirling like liquid silver. Beyond that—rolling plains, jagged mountains, even a volcanic ridge belching smoke into the sky.

It was everything and nothing at once.

And the best part?

They weren't dropped in the same place.

The moment they entered, every student was randomly teleported to a different location.

No easy alliances.

No safe zones.

Just pure, unfiltered survival.

10.

The sky cracked with lightning.

9.

A tidal wave erupted somewhere in the distance.

8.

A monstrous roar shook the ground beneath him.

7.

Kael spotted Caius Aetos, Vander Vex, and Rowan Rho in the distance.

6.

They weren't looking around.

5.

They were looking at him.

4.

Oh.

3.

They were hunting him.

2.

Caius's eyes gleamed, and Kael felt the shift in the air before the countdown even hit zero.

1.

Boom.

The second the match started, Kael bolted.

But he wasn't fast enough.

Caius was faster. Vander was stronger. Rowan was already closing in.

Lightning struck at his feet. Water surged behind him. The moment he made a sharp turn, Rowan appeared in front of him, slamming the ground with enough force to crack the earth beneath them.

They had him cornered.

Kael stopped running. Hands up. Face set in pure surrender.

"Oh no," he said dramatically. "You got me. I surrender. Please, go easy—"

Then, before any of them could react, he simply fell backward.

And melted into the shadows.

One second he was there. The next, he was gone.

A string of curses erupted behind him.

He smirked.

"Not even five minutes? Come on, at least let me look good for the crowd."

Caius scanned the battlefield.

Rowan growled. "Where did he go?"

Vander narrowed his eyes. "We'll find him. He can't run forever."

Kael would love to see them try.

Kael never claimed to be the strongest fighter.

But he knew how to survive.

And when faced with three heirs to the most powerful divine bloodlines, he did the smartest thing possible:

He ran straight into the forest.

It was too quiet, too beautiful, but he wasn't here to admire the scenery—he was here to not die.

He ran and hid behind a fallen tree. Then he reached out.

Not with his hands.

With his blood.

With his heritage.

His mother had told him something important.

He was the heir to the Underworld.

That meant the dead listened to him.

Kael whispered into the void, calling upon the shadows beneath the earth.

And they answered.

Around him, thirty warriors rose from the darkness—skeletons clad in cracked armor, wielding rusted blades. Their empty eyes locked onto him, waiting for his command.

Kael smirked.

"Go nuts."

They vanished into the trees, already hunting the monsters roaming the battlefield.

And Kael?

He climbed a tree.

And took a nap.

Screams, explosions, and the occasional sound of someone getting absolutely yeeted across the arena filled the air.

Kael woke up refreshed, only to find Cyrus landing on his stomach like a tiny, furry boulder.

He groaned. "Cyrus, buddy, I appreciate the dramatic wake-up call, but I was dreaming about victory speeches."

The shadow cat flicked his tail, his silver eyes narrowing. Then, he let out a low growl.

Not a normal growl.

The urgent, your-crush-is-about-to-die kind of growl.

Kael immediately sat up. "What—who—Liz?"

The shadows stirred. His instincts screamed danger.

And then he saw her.

Liz Castor.

Daughter of Apollo. Wielder of divine archery. Golden-eyed warrior of doom. And—currently—completely surrounded.

Kael blinked.

Then blinked again.

"…Okay. That's a lot of people."

Cyrus shot him a look.

Kael sighed. "Fine. I guess I have to help. Can't leave a pretty lady to fight alone. Who knows, maybe she'll like me more."

Cyrus gave a look of disappointment. And just like that, he melted into the shadows.