The Wordless Path Book 1

Ten-year-old Kael Valaran has always wondered what lies beyond the mountains surrounding Brighthollow, but his quiet life changes when he rescues a mysterious girl named Lyra from creatures in the forest. During the attack, Kael unleashes a power unlike any magic known in his village. Lyra responds with curiosity rather than fear, but after she is taken home by armed riders, Kael is left with no answers about his ability or the wider world she revealed to him. Over the next five years, Kael’s power grows increasingly difficult to hide. Although he uses it to protect others, each manifestation leaves the villagers more afraid of him—and Kael more afraid of himself. When he fails to save Bren during a devastating flood, his guilt and isolation drive him to leave Brighthollow. Traveling alone toward the distant city of Vennor, Kael encounters new dangers, takes a life for the first time, and discovers a world shaped by aether and magic. His journey ends at the Academy of Coraveth, where he is finally offered the chance to understand what he is—and why his power may be unlike anything the Academy has seen before.