The forest was quiet, save for the crackling of the bonfire. Shadows danced across the trees as Elba sat across from the girl who had saved him, though the word "saved" felt hollow. His body ached with every breath, the wound on his side freshly bandaged. The weight of everything that had happened crashed over him, pulling him deeper into a sea of grief and confusion. His heart was shattered, and a bone-deep loneliness had taken root inside him.
They had run a long way. The town, the horrors—his home—were far behind, but Elba couldn't leave the memories behind. His parents were gone. His life was shattered. He stared into the fire, its warmth doing little to comfort him.
After a long silence, Elba spoke, his voice hollow, heavy with the weight of his loss. "What is all this?" His voice cracked, betraying the pain he tried to suppress. "Why is this happening to me?"
The girl glanced at him, her crimson eyes glowing in the firelight. "It would be better if you called me..." She hesitated for a moment, then said, "Ignis."
The name suited her—beautiful, fierce, and burning like fire itself.
Ignis took a deep breath before continuing. "This is your fate, Elba. Until now, you lived a peaceful life because your mother and father kept a massive secret from you. Even I don't know all the details, but I do know that there's something about you that makes powerful beings desperate to either kill or capture you."
Elba felt a chill run down his spine. His hands clenched into fists. "A secret?" he whispered. "What secret?"
She ignored the question and went on, her tone growing more serious. "You have to understand, the world you knew—this human world—is just one boundary. There are other realms, filled with creatures beyond human comprehension. The entity you met back there? He's a faction leader. There are many more like him—powerful beings, ancient sorcerers who worship a god even we don't fully understand. They've transcended what you know as human, and they control evil forces like demons, vampires, and even dragons."
Elba's eyes widened. His mind raced, struggling to comprehend the enormity of what she was saying.
"These beings... they fight among themselves for power, and their ultimate goal is to defeat that unknown god they worship," Ignis continued. "And that's where you come in."
Elba swallowed hard. "Me? Why me?"
Ignis hesitated again, then said, "You have dragon blood."
The words hung in the air, almost unreal.
"It's not exactly rare," she explained, "but there's something different about you, something that has them on edge. I have dragon blood too, flowing through my veins. We're called 'Asurs.' And guess what? You're an Asur as well."
Elba's world spun. None of this made sense. He felt the ground give way beneath him again, the weight of the truth crushing him. "Dragon blood?" he muttered, his voice filled with disbelief.
Ignis continued, undeterred by his shock. "I don't have all the answers, but I can tell you this: you're about to enter a world far beyond anything you've ever known. You'll be trained, taught to defend yourself and others like you, even though... protecting people? That's just something we say to those who've lived human lives. In reality, in the empire of Ironhold, humans are seen as lowlifes—weak, insignificant. You're not going back to the life you knew."
"Ironhold?" Elba echoed. "What are you talking about?"
Ignis nodded. "You'll be enrolling in the Great Magus Academy, a place that trains people like us—Asurs, demons, vampires, and others. It's a realm where the strong rule, and the weak... well, let's just say they don't last long. But you'll see for yourself."
Elba absorbed her words in silence. A new world. A new life. And yet, as everything came crashing down, a burning rage began to rise within him. He clenched his fists, his knuckles white.
"Do you really think this was my fate?" he growled, his voice low and trembling. "Do you really believe that my parents were killed for... fate? How could you be so heartless?" His voice rose with anger, his eyes dark with fury. "You stand there, talking about fate like it's some noble path, but you... you couldn't even protect those 'lowlifes' you speak of!"
The fire reflected in Elba's eyes as he stood, fists clenched, his body shaking with the weight of his emotions. Without thinking, he threw a punch at Ignis, the fury driving him forward.
But she was faster.
In one swift motion, Ignis dodged his punch, kicked his leg out from under him, and knocked him to the ground. Before he could react, she grabbed him by his collar, her face inches from his, her crimson eyes burning with fury.
"Do you have any shame?" she spat, her voice like ice. "You were pathetic back there—crying, screaming, while your family was slaughtered! Could you even call yourself a man after displaying such weakness in front of that entity?"
Her words hit him like a slap to the face. His anger crumbled into something worse—self-loathing. He had failed. Completely, utterly failed.
Ignis clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Tsk, what a hassle," she muttered, pushing him back onto the ground. "Get some sleep. We've got a long way to go."
And just like that, she turned her back on him, heading toward the campfire. Elba lay there in the dirt, the weight of everything crushing down on him.
As the night deepened, the fire crackled softly, and Elba closed his eyes, trying to find some rest, knowing that nothing would ever be the same again.
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