THE SCHOLAR OF WESTEROS

Chapter 10: The Debate of Two Shadows

Kaelion landed softly, boots crunching against dust and loose stone, his breath uneven. Across from him stood a figure—his figure. Identical down to the smallest detail, but something in the eyes was off. Older. Sharper. Worn like steel left too long in battle.

The air between them tensed like drawn wire.

Kaelion narrowed his eyes. "Is this… some kind of future?"

His double smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "No. This is the future."

The next moment came like a strike of lightning.

Kaelion barely raised his arm in time as a whip of flame lashed out at his head. He countered with a sharp burst of wind pressure, leaping backward as the space between them exploded in raw force. He didn't even have time to think—only react.

But his thoughts quickened—instinct sharpened, like his brain had suddenly become a weapon. Ideas branched and branched again, calculating, threading spellwork even while he moved.

He didn't question the clarity.

He just fought.

---

They weaved through a storm of elemental might. Fire met ice, stone collided with lightning. They teleported in rapid succession—Kaelion lagging behind, his mana stretching thinner with every cast.

Gravity rippled beneath his feet as he tried to hold the air, flipping sideways mid-flight to avoid a darting bolt of compact water.

Too fast, he realized.

The other Kaelion moved like someone who had lived with magic as second nature. As breath. His spellcasting was fluid, efficient—learned. Kaelion had only just begun to refine his, and every misstep cost him dearly.

Still, he endured. Every spell he cast taught him something. Every hit he blocked made the next one easier. His mana was draining fast, but his spirit clung tighter.

And then, the world shifted.

---

The battlefield collapsed in on itself, folding into a city in ruins. The sky above burned with unnatural color. People screamed beyond the fog. Buildings melted in arcane fire.

Kaelion staggered, blinking.

His doppelgänger stood beside him, arms folded. "You built this. You opened the door. And this is what came through."

Before Kaelion could respond, the city bled away into a village—his village.

He saw himself, a little older, standing frozen as a wave of darkness poured down a hill, swallowing light, homes, people. In the center of the village square, a single figure in deep blue robes stood tall against the tide.

His mother.

Magic whirled around her in wild, radiant coils as she shielded a group of cowering villagers. Her face held no fear—only resolve.

And then, the darkness swallowed her whole.

Kaelion screamed without sound. The world around them shattered.

Now back at the frozen battlefield they first met, the two Kaelions stood again. Silence stretched between them.

"You still think you're right?" the doppelgänger asked, voice cold and steady. "That magic can be tamed? That you can rewrite its nature?"

The world dimmed into silence, the echo of the event that just transpired rippling into stillness. Ash drifted like snow between them.

Kaelion stood panting, knees bent, his mana threadbare. The heat from the fire spells they had used in battle still scorched the air, but his doppelgänger stood untouched—hovering above the broken ground, cloak fluttering with phantom wind.

"You think this is about control," the doppelgänger said calmly, "but it's about consequence."

Kaelion wiped blood from the corner of his mouth. "So what? We just run from power? Pretend magic doesn't exist because we're afraid of it?"

"Power is real. But belief in control is the lie," the other Kaelion replied, descending to the ground with practiced grace. "You think you're building a future. You're not. You're building a grave."

Kaelion shook his head. "That's fear talking."

"No. That's knowledge. History. I lived through what came after. You haven't. You only see possibility. I saw what it becomes when the wrong hands touch it—and everyone has the wrong hands."

Kaelion's eyes flicked with fury. "And what, you think your answer is better? Suppress it all? Let the world stagnate because you're too scared to try again?"

His double's voice hardened. "I'm not scared. I'm prepared." He raised a hand, summoning a storm of shadowy wind between them. "You believe in light, but you don't know what light costs."

Kaelion stepped forward through the wind, eyes blazing. "And you believe in nothing but the ashes left behind. I get it now. You're not my future. You're my failure."

The air cracked between them—magic gathering again like thunderclouds clashing.

The other Kaelion raised a hand, another attack forming—but Kaelion didn't flinch.

"I reject your future."

The illusion cracked.

Shards of false light burst into the void as the world dissolved like morning fog. The battlefield vanished, the doppelgänger faded, and Kaelion stood alone once more in the chamber.

---

He gasped as real air returned to his lungs.

The orb overhead flickered violently—then split down the center with a loud crack. Its glow dimmed, its magic sputtering out.

The maesters watching had risen from their seats. Some leaned forward, others whispered.

"The orb broke."

"That's not supposed to happen."

"What in the Seven did he see in there?"

Kaelion pushed himself upright slowly, feeling the ache in every muscle. Sweat clung to his face like rain.

"What happened, lad?" one maester asked carefully.

Kaelion straightened. "The orb showed me… an illusion. A version of myself. He tested my knowledge." His tone remained neutral, almost distant. "That's all."

The maesters exchanged uncertain glances, but his story matched what they knew. The orb had been designed to challenge pride and perspective, not break. And yet...

They said nothing more.

---

Later, as the sun dipped beyond Oldtown's crooked rooftops, Kaelion stood beside his master.

"You're leaving so soon?"

"I'll return," Kaelion said, gaze focused on the road ahead. "I got what I came for. I just need to... think."

His master nodded, studying him carefully. "You passed, but something's different."

Kaelion gave a small smile. "Passing doesn't mean I wasn't changed."

A carriage waited nearby. His master placed a hand on his shoulder before letting him go.

Kaelion climbed in, exhaling deeply as the doors shut.

He didn't speak another word.

He stared through the window at the city fading behind him.

Not because he feared the future.

But because now, he was ready to shape it.

...

Kaelion has faced a version of himself twisted by fear and control. The test wasn't just a challenge of knowledge—but of conviction. And while he won, it came at the cost of clarity.

Now, with a heart full of doubt and fire, Kaelion returns home—not defeated, but reborn.

Let's see where this journey takes him. Next time on dragon–..

Anyways all jokes aside tell me your thoughts in the comment section I know some of you might find the encounter cringe but it had to happen, also don't forget to vote and review, we are finally 10 chapters in, see you on Monday have a great weekend 😉 😉...