In the shadows of the S Ranked Main character
Chapter 41: prism(10)

Chapter 41: prism(10)

The fields stretched wider now, almost as if the Prism had reshaped itself to accommodate the weight of what they were approaching. The purple flowers glowed faintly in the edges of Kai’s vision, curling along the seams of the blue like veins of living light.

Kai could feel his breath slow, his heart tightening in his chest. Even if his mouth curled into its usual half-smile, the air here was heavy not with danger, but with significance.

This altar wasn’t like the others.

It had an unseen importance

Kathlyn stepped forward slowly, her hands half-raised as if afraid to touch the air itself. The weight of the story unfurled in front of her like a ghostly thread, the tablet pulsing softly as the tale wrote itself.

> She was broken after dealing with her reflection in the river, and the fairies knew.

They saw the girl who had been marked by fire, loss, and silence.

But they also saw something hidden deep within her: the ember of defiance.

Kathlyn swallowed hard, her fingers trembling slightly.

> And so they offered her a choice.

To walk forward as she was, and crumble.

Or to become something more.

Not wholly human. Not wholly fae.

But a bridge between.

Kai stayed back, watching but his arms weren’t folded anymore. His hands had dropped to his sides, his brows drawn faintly together. He knew this was her moment. But... he also knew what it meant.

He had read the text. He had followed the arcs.

He knew how dangerous this incomplete path was.

Kathlyn’s lips parted as the final lines pulsed across the altar:

> She accepted.

Fire licked her bones, reshaped her skin, stitched magic into her veins.

She rose as something new: a half-fairy, born of flame, her potential unleashed.

Where once she was barely noticed, now she stood among the rare and the dangerous.

A human no longer A mage reborn.

Kathlyn let out a shaky breath, stepping closer and the sigils appeared.

Two

Floating, pulsing softly, like fragile lights held between worlds.

The androgynous voice echoed softly through the clearing:

"These are your rewards."

For the former rounds it chuckled

One drifted toward Kathlyn: a delicate, ember-like rune that shimmered red and gold, dancing with a living heat that sparked faintly against her fingertips.

The other moved toward Kai: a shadowy, coiling mark that twisted like dark smoke around itself.

Kathlyn’s breath hitched as the rune touched her skin.

She could feel it flood through her not like fire, not like shock but like a quiet, insistent pulse, as if something ancient had curled into her chest and whispered: You are no longer just you.

Her knees nearly gave out. She clutched at the edge of the altar, blinking hard, willing herself to stay upright.

The words flickered again, runes appearing just for her eyes:

> Fairy Heart Reincarnation (incomplete)

Method...

Kai squinted He couldn’t read them — they weren’t meant for him but he could feel the edges of the magic biting at the air.

His own rune had already sunk into his wrist, and he flexed his hand once, twice, feeling the new weight of the spell curl into place.

Shadow Clone.

Exactly what it sounded like. A single, perfectly duplicated self made of darkness

"Not bad..." he murmured under his breath, trying to cover the nerves crawling up his spine.

Kathlyn, still trembling faintly, shot him a wet-eyed glance.

"You’re... seriously calm about this?"

Kai gave her that same lopsided grin the one she’d seen a hundred times before, the one he used to cover everything he didn’t want to say.

"C’mon, Kathlyn. Did you expect me to cry from joy? Like you?"

Kathlyn sniffled once and then let out a soft, helpless laugh through her tears.

It was the solution.

The one she had dreamed about, worked toward, chased endlessly: a method, even incomplete, to bridge the gap between her current self and the version she knew she was meant to become.

Her hands clenched at her sides, her fingers shaking.

The ritual wouldn’t be easy.

It wouldn’t even be safe.

A dragon egg.

Fire strong enough to burn her human shell away.

And at the end of it: rebirth, if she survived.

But she’d take it.

She had to take it.

Kai, behind his grin, felt his throat tighten faintly.

He knew.

In the novel, this was the moment she spiraled.

The incomplete power made her reckless.

Made her desperate.

And eventually, she had to be stopped by June to his credit had no other choice the situation was pretty dire

Kai pressed his thumb against his wrist where the shadowy rune still tingled faintly.

He wasn’t sure if he was here to change her fate, or if he was just here to make sure she didn’t face it alone.

Kathlyn took a long, deep breath, wiping at her eyes.

Her gaze sharpened, her posture straightened, and for just a moment, the weight of everything her ambition, her fear, her determination settled fully on her shoulders.

Kai let the grin soften at the corners.

"...Alright, partner," he murmured, stepping up beside her. "Ready to see what comes next?"

Kathlyn let out a slow exhale.

"...Yeah."

Side by side, they turned from the altar.

The flowers around them pulsed softly.

The world ahead waited dark, winding, and full of unknowns.

But together, they moved forward.

Kai couldn’t help himself.

The moment they left the altar’s clearing, his fingers twitched with anticipation. The rune on his wrist still tingled faintly, as if it was waiting like a freshly gifted toy humming "try me."

Kathlyn was still quietly wiping her eyes, her steps a little unsteady but her face set with fierce, determined focus. She didn’t notice at first when Kai slowed his pace, falling a few steps behind.

"...Alright," Kai muttered softly, flexing his hand once. "Let’s see what it can do."

He tapped into the rune’s magic.

And with a quiet little pop of shadow, a second Kai appeared beside him.

Same height. Same face. Same messy hair. Same cocky grin.

It even crossed its arms and tilted its head exactly like the real Kai.

Kai gave a tiny, delighted laugh under his breath.

"Oh, this is gonna be fun."

Ahead, Kathlyn paused mid-step, turning slightly.

"Kai? What’s so funny?"

"Nothing!" Kai chirped cheerfully. "Just uh testing something!"

The clone immediately darted forward, zipping past Kai in a blur, straight toward Kathlyn who turned just in time to see another Kai pop up at her side and throw both arms around her with an exaggerated grin.

"Team hug!"

Kathlyn let out a startled yelp, flailing. "What the—?! Get off me!"

She shoved at the clone’s chest, her cheeks flaring pink, but the shadowy figure just flickered with harmless energy, still grinning like the world’s most obnoxious twin.

"KAI!" she snapped, twisting around — only to see the real Kai standing a few paces back, doubled over, laughing helplessly into his sleeve.

"You!" Kathlyn’s face went from red to scarlet.

"Idiot! Moron! I swear, I will set you on fire!"

The clone winked at her, gave a finger-gun, and then popped out of existence with a faint puff of shadow.

Kai wiped a tear from the corner of his eye, grinning wide.

Kathlyn stomped over, jabbing a finger hard into his chest.

"Do you ever take anything seriously?!"

Kai gave his best innocent look.

"I take you seriously."

Kathlyn’s mouth opened closed opened again

Her face burned even redder.

She spun on her heel, crossing her arms with a huff.

"Don’t get used to this! Once my emotions go back to normal I’m ignoring you

Kai snorted yeah sure you will

And despite herself, Kathlyn let the tiniest laugh escape under her breath.

The flowers swayed gently around them, the air shimmered faintly, and the path ahead remained dark and unknown.