"Hey, Radix! How many times do I have to tell you to close that door? What're you gonna do if some wild beast crawls in, huh?" Jhio's voice was sharp, cutting through the midday quiet that had settled over their small house. He stood in the kitchen, his worn hands busy chopping herbs, his eyebrows furrowed in irritation.
Radix, halfway out the door, rolled his eyes. "I heard you the first time, old man. I just forgot this one time. Give me a break, I'm heading out."
Without waiting for a response, he slammed the door behind him, the force of it rattling the walls. Jhio stood there for a moment, watching through the window as Radix jogged off into the dense forest, his figure quickly swallowed by the towering trees and underbrush.
He leaned against the counter for a moment, lost in thought, his gaze drifting over the familiar interior of the house. A tired sigh escaped Jhio's lips. "I must've spoiled him if he's talking to me like that…" He chuckled to himself, shaking his head. "Fourteen years, huh? Time really flies. Fourteen years since I found that nuisance." His voice trailed off as he leaned against the doorway, his mind drifting back to that fateful day..
It had been fourteen years—though to Jhio's scattered memory, it felt like only twelve—since he had found Radix, a mere child, abandoned on the forest path leading to his house left to his fate. That road, forgotten and overgrown, twisted through the heart of the Latent Groove, a wild, remote part of the world few dared to enter. Jhio had lived here for decades, hidden from the world, and he had never expected to stumble across a child, let alone take him in.
But Radix had been different. Jhio hadn't been able to leave the boy to die on that lonely road. He had taken him in, given him food, shelter, and eventually, a home. Over the years, Radix had become more than just a foundling. He was a part of his life now, though the old man was reluctant to admit just how attached he'd grown to the boy.
Jhio scratched his chin thoughtfully as he stared out at the sprawling forest. Not far from here, towering above the treetops, stood the legendary Avan Tree—the gateway to another realm, a mysterious and dangerous place. The stories were grim. No one who ventured into that portal ever returned. Yet here they were, living just a stone's throw away from it, as if it were any other part of the forest.
"Carefree," He muttered with a wry smile. "We've lived like this for 14 years… carefree, right next to the bane of this world." He finished before returning to his task.
As the day dragged on,he found himself staring into the sky, the sight of the three moons and the distant celestial body that lit their world a familiar and comforting scene. The sky of Antälis was a curious thing—always cloudless during the day, with the moons visible even at noon. He often found himself lost in thought, gazing up at that endless, empty expanse.
"I sure hope the brat's back in time for his lessons," he murmured. "He's diligent, sure, but that boy needs some discipline, or he'll get himself into trouble one day." This was just another day of the once great and prominent swordmaster, who was now nothing but a melancholic geezer.
Just as he was about to retreat inside, the door burst open again, and Radix barged in, dragging the carcass of a massive animal behind him. It was a brown boar, its two long, menacing horns protruding from the sides of its face, its thick brown fur matted with dirt and blood.
"Dinner," Radix declared with a grin, dropping the beast with a heavy thud.
Jhio raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms. "Dinner? It's 3:30 in the afternoon. What kind of 'dinner' are you talking about, boy?"
Radix shrugged, wiping the sweat from his brow. "We'll probably be working until late into the night so we have to stay energetic for the lessons, right? Manipulating ether takes energy."
Jhio snorted. "Nice try, but that doesn't mean you need a feast every time you want to learn something."
Radix's eyes twinkled with mischief. "Buuuut, if we eat now, I'll be at my best, and then we won't have to cook those 'civilized imported foods of yours. Two birds, one stone. Right, old man?" He flashed a cheeky grin.
Jhio rolled his eyes, but a reluctant smile tugged at his lips. "Hmph. Alright, alright. You've got ten minutes to get it ready. And don't make fun of normal food. Don't you plan on leaving this dump someday."
As Radix hurried to prepare the meal, Jhio went about gathering the materials for their evening lesson. This was their routine—Jhio, with little else to do, had taken it upon himself to teach Radix everything he knew about Ether manipulation. It had started as something to pass the time, but over the years, Radix was quick—alarmingly quick at mastering techniques—and Jhio often found himself marveling at how rapidly the boy progressed.
Later, after their meal, they made their way to the back of the house, their designated practice area. The open clearing, surrounded by towering trees, was perfect for training.
"Alright," Jhio began, standing with his arms crossed as he stood at the edge of the clearing at the entrance to little compound.
"First, let's review. Yesterday, I taught you how to manipulate your innate element, [Flame], to create the
Radix nodded, excitement lighting up his features. "Got it. Here I go!
In an instant, flames erupted from the ground, sweeping across the trees in front of them, consuming everything in their path. The fire spread rapidly, covering several meters as it raged on, the heat from the blaze palpable even from where they stood. But just as quickly as the flames had appeared, they vanished. The scorched trees restored themselves to their original state in mere moments.
Radix turned to Jhio, beaming. "How was that?"
Jhio let out a low whistle, nodding in approval. "Not bad. For your current energy output, I'd say you've gotten a grasp of the technique. And you only learned it the day before yesterday—damn, you really are a genius, you brat."
Radix grinned, rubbing the back of his head. "I put a lot into that one. But… it still doesn't compare to you one bit. Your restoration art kicked in so fast! You're really something else, old man."
"Flattery won't get you anywhere," Jhio said with a smirk. "Now, onto today's lesson. This one's gonna take more than a day to master, maybe even a week. You've got two elements—[Flame] and [Dark], right? Today, you're going to mix them and create a combined technique."
Radix blinked, his eyes wide with confusion. "What?! You can't just mix two elements like that! That's… how am I supposed to even do that?" the collective knowledge he acquired from Jhio had started to implode on itself.
Jhio raised a hand, silencing him. "If you didn't interrupt me, I'd explain. I'm not telling you to mix them outright. First, feel the Ether of [Flame], then feel that of [Dark]. You need to manifest one while envisioning the other and then, synchronize to support the first. I'll give you an example."
Jhio extended his hand, and a gust of wind began to swirl around them, growing stronger with each passing second. Radix stumbled, barely keeping his footing as the wind howled. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he conjured a small pillar of fire, balancing it on his palm. His aura thickened and his pupils dilated, maximizing his output from the ether circulation.
"
He thrust his hand forward, and the wind exploded into the forest, carrying the pillar of fire with it. The flames spread with terrifying speed, consuming everything in their path. Trees and foliage were reduced to ash in seconds, the firestorm sweeping through the forest like a raging inferno. It took nearly two full minutes before the restoration art would revert the damage.
Jhio turned back to Radix, his expression calm.
"That's the idea. When you synchronize two elements, the purer the combination, the more of the ideal properties of both get conjured before eventually being released as artistic perfection." he explained wringing a cunning smile after accomplishing his main goal of showing off to a teenager.
"Now, it's your turn to figure out how to do it."
Radix stared, slack-jawed. "That's insane! You make something impossible sound like it's as simple as making breakfast! How am I supposed to control two elements at the same time? It's like trying to mix oil and water! Much less, to produce that sort of an effect"
Jhio grinned, patting him on the back.
"Not my problem. It's your assignment now. Lesson's over." He said turning his back on him, and striding away.
"I'm heading in. And remember, don't push yourself too hard. You're still young. Can't be wearing yourself out at your age."
With that, Jhio strolled back toward the house, leaving Radix standing in the clearing, utterly bewildered.
"This demon…" Radix muttered under his breath, staring at the now peaceful forest. "He really expects me to pull that off?"
The sky above began to darken as the three moons rose higher, casting their cool glow over the land. He clenched his fists, determination setting in. If there was one thing Jhio had taught him over the years, it was that nothing worth mastering came easy. He turned toward the trees, his mind racing with thoughts of Ether manipulation and the daunting task ahead.
"Alright, old man," Radix said quietly to himself. "Challenge accepted."