The atmosphere instantly became tense, as Adir stopped them by informing that he had something to tell. By the look on Adir's face, it could be conjectured that it was something important.
"Liam, I am sorry, but you have limited potential. You can improve but your talent has already decided your limits. I could delude you by saying that you can improve with constant effort, but you would only improve by so much. I can't take you with me on this journey.."
Hardly had he finished speaking when an unexplainable expression could be seen on Liam's face. It seemed of horror, of rage, of misery, of unimaginable pain. His short red hair seemed to be ablaze, with his purple eyes turning wide.
"I lack talent? YOU SAID I LACK TALENT?!" bellowed Liam as he seemed to get out of control. The surrounding temperature began to rise as he continued, "I, THE WIELDER OF THE FLAME ELEMENT, LACK TALENT YOU SAY?!"
Hardly had he finished speaking when he shot a ball of fire towards Adir.
"Liam, stop!!!" yelled Kalmin, as he saw his childhood friend lose control of his emotions and fly into a blind rage.
Whoosh!
The fireball was dodged as Adir said, "I know this is hard news to take in but trust me, you wouldn't want to feel bad as you see your friends improving around you while you remain stuck at a bottleneck. It's for the best that you stay here and help the villagers."
"YOU DON'T GET TO DECIDE MY LIMITS, NO ONE DOES!", replied Liam as instead of calming down, Liam began to erupt. Each word spoken by Adir served to fuel his anger more and more as Liam was bathed in fire and started to rave.
"What's so special about them, huh? He's got a measly wind elemental power while him there is so pathetic he doesn't even have an element that he wields."
"That's enough Liam" Said Antonio while holding down his own fury, as the person he treated as a friend seemed to see him as none other than a pathetic man who is beneath him. "What Adir's saying is probably for your own good, try to calm down and listen to him"
"I didn't decide your limit, Liam, fate did. I just told you the truth. If you can't handle it maybe try and train by yourself, it could be that you are able to break through your limits and achieve a stage that wasn't even written in your fate. I maybe the blind one for not being able to see your potential and I would be happy if you prove that." said Adir in an attempt to calm Liam down.
Kalmin began tearing up. Seeing Liam in such pain got to him. He got reminded of the days when he along with him and Antonio would run by the fields trying to find who's the fastest, and he would win. Liam would always find excuses for lagging behind, and pout before joining them again.
He still remembered the day when he and Liam awakened their elements while Antonio did not. "Worry not Antonio, you've got me with the fire element! I will protect you from whoever dares to try and harm you" Liam had said.
"Don't forget me, I have the wind element, if there ever comes an enemy strong enough that your fire doesn't work on them, I would save the day and flee along with the two of you." said Kalmin with a dead serious face, which got the other two laughing and him pouting.
Gone were those days of childhood where their world was just themselves. There existed strong monsters which, if they did not prepare for, could end them at any given time.
"Antonio, Kalmin, let's just stay here, don't listen to this kid. What if he's fooling us, what if he's just trying to take advantage of us! He could be a Pacifist for all we know?!" said Liam, with eyes that wanted to be wet but couldn't.
"Haven't you realized Liam, he's strong enough to do anything he wants, we wouldn't stand a chance. If he says there is a way for me to get stronger I will take it. I will not let go of any opportunity to get stronger." said Antonio with a look of determination mixed with a tinge of sadness.
"Kalmin knock some sense into him! We are better off here! Let's stay here only"
"I am sorry Liam, but I have to improve my 'measly' wind element, I don't wanna just run away if I see a strong enemy. I want to help!" said Kalmin as he began to think about what his future holds. Deep down he wanted to ask Adir for a way for Liam to come with them, but he knew if there was, Adir would have chosen it.
Liam was aghast. Friends he spent his childhood with were leaving him because of his inadequacy. "IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF YOU" screamed Liam as he looked at Adir, "YOU CAME TO OUR VILLAGE, SAID I LACK TALENT AND NOW ARE TAKING MY FRIENDS AWAY FROM ME. I WON'T LET YOU LEAVE!"
The surrounding temperature began to become hotter and hotter, and almost when it became too hot for Antonio and Kalmin to handle, the rising suddenly stopped.
A sigh came from the position Liam was just standing in. Liam could be seen unconscious lying on the ground while Adir seemed to be reminiscing something.
700 years ago.
"I am sorry Adir, but you seem to have reached the limit of your potential." said a white bearded old man as he looked at Adir with sadness along with a tinge of regret in his eyes.
"Master! I am ready to go through hell if it takes, but I want to grow stronger! I will break my limits!!!" said Adir while tears streamed down his face, his mentor, his fatherlike figure, his master seemed to have given up on him.
"I am afraid there is no way I know which will allow you to improve further. This seems to be the end of your path. Do not fret, you are strong as you stand, and I am proud to have taught you." said Araki as he started to leave.
As he saw the figure in front of him become smaller and smaller, Adir felt a sense of dismay. He could not see a goal, he had no family left, he was left alone being told that his journey towards the Godhood realm had been cut short by his talent. From there, he decided to find the path to power himself, which he would later cherish and regret at the same time.
As Adir stopped reminiscing, he looked at the two young men in front of him and said, "I hope you all have said your goodbyes and are ready to leave, the path that lies ahead is difficult to tread and an arduous one. If you lack the will then it would be better for you to leave now,"
Antonio replied, "I will do whatever it takes. I will not stop moving forward whatever the obstacle may be."
"I am ready!", said Kalmin with a heavy voice and a look full of resolve.
*******
Liam opened his eyes to see that he was surrounded in boundless light, with a patch of darkness in front of him, which seemed to change figures, from a bull to a dragon to a human with horns. As Liam was about to ask where he was, he heard a voice in his head.
'Do you want power....?'
The voice carried an indescribable sense of eeriness, as Liam could feel his body tremble with fear. It was like thousands of people's desperate screams of help, as if the world was ending. But along with fear Liam's greed kicked in what he currently desired the most was power, becoming strong enough to have everything he wanted, power strong enough that he would not have to face the humiliation he did today. Without any sense of hesitation, Liam agreed, and as he did, his body vanished from where it was lying in Cyntra.