The moment Zaryth felt the ominous whisper warning him about Ruby, panic flooded his chest. His feet pounded against the cobbled path as he raced toward the academy grounds. Each step was heavier than the last, as if the air itself conspired to slow him down. The whispers of the archons echoed in the back of his mind, urging him forward.
"Hurry... before it's too late."
He didn't know how or why, but he knew Ruby was in danger. The thought of losing her gnawed at his mind. She was the only person who still believed in him, the only one who saw past his powerlessness.
---
A Race Against Time
As Zaryth approached the academy gates, a group of senior students—sons and daughters of noble houses—blocked his path. They sneered, their condescension sharp as blades.
"Where are you off to in such a hurry, empty heir?" one of them taunted. "Running to your sister for help again?"
"Move!" Zaryth growled, his heart racing. He tried to push past them, but they shoved him back like he was nothing more than a rag doll.
"Why bother? It's not like you can do anything, anyway," another laughed.
Zaryth's rage simmered beneath his skin, but he knew fighting them was pointless. He wasn't strong enough—not yet. With every second that passed, the dread in his chest grew heavier, and his frustration mounted.
Why am I so weak? Why does it have to be this way?
He shoved through them with sheer desperation, ignoring their jeers. His body ached, his lungs burned, but none of it mattered. I have to reach Ruby.
The training grounds loomed ahead, illuminated by the faint moonlight. A biting chill filled the air, and Zaryth's breath came out in ragged clouds. As he stumbled forward, a scene unfolded before him—one that froze him in his tracks.
Ruby stood in the middle of the grounds, facing off against a boy draped in elegant, frost-covered robes. His name was Sirus, a prodigy from a powerful high-class family. Known as the Ice King, Sirus had already mastered multiple forms of ice magic, his reputation rivaling even the most talented archons-in-training.
Ruby, despite her triple-element sensitivity, struggled to keep up. Sirus moved with terrifying precision, casting spells with graceful ease. It was a duel Ruby was slowly losing.
"No..." Zaryth whispered, stumbling closer. But before he could reach her, Sirus's hand shot forward, summoning a gleaming ice spear out of thin air.
With a flick of his wrist, the ice spear pierced straight through Ruby's chest.
Zaryth's heart stopped.
The world around Zaryth seemed to collapse in on itself. Ruby's expression shifted to one of shock, her bright purple eyes wide as blood seeped from the wound. She staggered, her hands trembling as she clutched at the ice spear embedded in her body.
"No... NO!" Zaryth screamed, rushing toward her, but his legs felt like they were moving through water—slow, heavy, useless.
Ruby's knees buckled, and she crumpled to the ground. The ice spear shattered into fragments, glittering like shards of glass in the moonlight.
Zaryth fell to his knees beside her, cradling her in his arms. His hands shook violently, and tears streamed down his face. "Ruby... Please, stay with me," he whispered, his voice breaking.
Ruby's lips moved, but no sound came out. Her breath was shallow, her skin cold as ice.
This can't be happening...
A storm of emotions erupted within Zaryth—fear, rage, despair, helplessness. All his life, he had been powerless, unable to protect the people he cared about. And now, the one person who had always stood by him lay dying in his arms.
Something inside him snapped.
Zaryth screamed, a raw, primal sound that echoed through the night. The air around him crackled with an unseen energy, but he was too consumed by his emotions to notice.
Why?! Why can't I do anything?! Why am I so weak?!
The world blurred around him as tears clouded his vision. Sirus stood a few steps away, watching with a calm, indifferent expression, as if Ruby's life meant nothing to him.
"You're pathetic," Sirus said coldly. "Always have been, always will be."
Zaryth's chest heaved, and his hands clenched into fists. His entire body burned with a desperate need—to change, to fight, to become something more.
But nothing happened. No magic surged within him. No hidden power awakened. All he could do was scream, powerless once again.
Suddenly, the world faded into darkness. Zaryth blinked, confused, as the cold night melted away, replaced by a strange, ethereal realm. He stood on an endless plain of mist, the sky above swirling with clouds of silver and gold.
Where am I?
Before him stood a figure cloaked in wind, his body translucent like a phantom. His voice was deep and resonant, carrying the weight of centuries.
"So, you've finally reached the edge of despair," the figure said, his gaze piercing through Zaryth. "You are closer than ever to awakening."
"Who... who are you?" Zaryth asked, his voice hoarse.
"I am the former Archon of Wind, from an age long past," the figure replied. "But that title belongs to another now. My time has ended, as will yours—if you don't awaken soon."
Zaryth's hands trembled. "I need power... I need to save Ruby."
The archon's expression softened, but there was no pity in his gaze—only understanding. "Power is not something I can give you. The voices that have haunted you? They were only reminders—fragments of a truth you must uncover yourself."
Zaryth clenched his fists, frustration bubbling within him. "Then what am I supposed to do? I can't keep living like this... weak, useless..."
The archon stepped closer, his form flickering in the mist. "From now on, the voices will be silent. You will no longer hear them, for the time of their guidance has passed. Now, it is up to you—to find your power, to remember who you are."
Zaryth's breath hitched. "But... how?"
The archon smiled faintly, like a breeze passing through the leaves. "You'll find the answer in your journey. Until then, endure. For the path ahead will not be kind."
Before Zaryth could respond, the archon began to dissolve into the mist, his final words lingering in the air.
"Awaken, Zaryth. Before it's too late."
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