As Leo and the others stepped into the testing room, his nerves were evident in his fidgeting hands and the tight line of his mouth. Mr. Brookfall glanced over, noticing his unease. "Is everything alright, Leo?" he asked, his voice gentle. "I can see you're a bit nervous. You've been quiet since we arrived."
Leo cleared his throat, forcing a small smile. "I'm alright… just a little unsure of what to expect."
Mr. Brookfall chuckled, giving Leo a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "There's no need to worry. With what I've seen from you already, I'd say you'll do just fine. Let's take it one step at a time." With a glance at Ms. Raven, he added, "Shall we get started?"
Ms. Raven nodded and approached a sleek, arcane testing machine at the far side of the room, her fingers tapping through a series of glowing sigils on the screen. "Alright, Leo, we're going to go through different types of magic," she explained. "I'll tell you which one to use, and we'll assess your strengths and areas for growth. First up: elemental magic. Let's start with lightning. Just throw your strongest lightning bolt without chanting and aim for the target."
Leo took a deep breath, then stepped in front of the marked target zone. He stretched out his hands, feeling a familiar tingle in his fingertips as he gathered energy. His eyes narrowed in concentration, and in one swift motion, he unleashed a bolt of lightning from his palms. The bolt crackled through the air and struck the target dead center, scorching it with an intense, bright flash. A faint scent of singed metal filled the room as the lightning dissipated.
The machine's screen lit up, displaying the results in bold text:
Current Power: Adept Level 2
Future Potential: Unknown
Leo's heart skipped a beat, a flicker of frustration and confusion in his eyes as he looked at the reading. There it was again—"Unknown."
Mr. Brookfall glanced at Ms. Raven with a puzzled expression. "What does it mean by 'unknown'? Do we need to recalibrate?"
Ms. Raven shook her head, just as uncertain as he was. "No… I think it's best if we continue. Let's move on and see if this pattern holds. Leo, please try using healing magic next."
Leo took a breath and focused. White light began to glow softly from his hands as he cast his healing spell on the target. The display flashed:
Current Level: Adept 1
Future Potential: Unknown
Mr. Brookfall's eyebrows furrowed in surprise. "Is this machine malfunctioning? Why does it keep showing 'unknown' for his future?"
Ms. Raven studied the results, a slight frown forming on her face. "It's certainly unusual, but we'll try one more type of magic and see if it persists. Leo, try using void magic this time. Aim at this target."
Leo nodded, moving into position. With a swift motion, he pointed at the target, his hand extending as a small black orb materialized and swallowed the target completely, leaving only a faint shimmer where it had been. The system responded once again:
Current Level: Adept 1
Future Potential: Unknown
Mr. Brookfall stepped forward, perplexed, and launched an ice dagger at the machine to test it himself. The display read his result clearly:
Current Level: Archmage
Future Potential: Archmage
He turned to Ms. Raven, his expression darkening with concern. "Why can't it determine his potential? Leo, is there anything more about yourself or your abilities that you haven't shared?"
Leo looked at Mr. Brookfall, then at Ms. Raven, clearly uncertain. "I'm not sure. My father taught me everything he could, but he didn't really explain how the levels work. I just know that I'm nowhere near his strength… though seeing this now, I'm starting to wonder if he might have been stronger than I ever realized. But I really don't know much else."
Mr. Brookfall could see the genuine confusion in Leo's eyes and understood that pushing for answers wouldn't yield any. "Your father must have known something special about your abilities." He paused, looking thoughtful. "Remind me of your last name again, Leo?"
"Wildehart," Leo replied. "My father told me it was a special name, that it was something to be proud of—he said the world chose it for us."
Mr. Brookfall fell silent, his expression grave as if something had just clicked into place. Ms. Raven noticed the change in his demeanor. "Mr. Brookfall, is there something you know about the Wildehart name?"
He turned to her slowly, his face unreadable. "Yes… and this complicates things. The results make sense now." He looked at Leo with a newfound intensity. "Leo, I need you to come with us to Ms. Raven's office. This may take longer than expected, but I think it's time you understood a few things about your heritage."
Leo felt a knot tighten in his stomach. He glanced at Mr. Brookfall and saw the seriousness in his mentor's eyes, knowing that whatever he was about to learn would change everything.
The walk back to Ms. Raven's office was tense and silent. Mr. Brookfall's face held a mixture of determination and hesitation, as though he were about to unlock secrets that had long been buried. Once they arrived and the door was firmly shut, he took a seat and motioned for both Leo and Ms. Raven to do the same.
Taking a deep breath, he began, "What I'm about to tell you is something I learned a long, long time ago. You see, as you grow in magical levels, your lifespan extends, all the way up to the rank of Archmage. I've lived a long time already and am still only halfway through my potential years. In my younger days, there was a brutal war between two kingdoms. Thousands died, and the very land itself began to die as one of the kingdoms employed a forbidden form of magic. We now call it 'corrupted magic.'"
Ms. Raven's eyes widened. "Corrupted magic? That's forbidden now, but I've only read brief references to it."
"Yes," Mr. Brookfall confirmed. "Back then, it was a powerful but devastating force. The earth grew sick from it, and the people suffered deeply. Crops withered, rivers dried up, and even the animals sensed the dark magic. Six years into the war, half the land was barren, and famine struck. Those of us who had little money struggled. Our only saving grace was the magic that supported this school and town—that's why I stayed, to protect the people who had nowhere else to go."
He paused, gathering his thoughts before continuing. "One day, a stranger arrived. No one knew his name, only that he claimed to have been sent by someone—or something—called Elaneth. This man was powerful, beyond anything we'd seen. He eliminated the corrupt armies in a single year and started healing the poisoned lands. He also taught those of us who were strong enough how to sense magic and, more importantly, how to cleanse it."
As he spoke, Mr. Brookfall opened his palm, and a thick, inky substance began to pool in his hand. It twisted, reaching out to grasp anything it could touch. Then, with a flick of his fingers, he conjured a bright light that engulfed the dark substance, turning it to ash in an instant. "This is corrupted magic, or what's left of it. I was one of the few taught how to purify it. Over time, we managed to cleanse the lands, and I grew close to this man. One night, he finally shared his name with me: Wildehart."
Leo's breath caught, but Mr. Brookfall continued, "He told me that the name Wildehart was given to him by Elaneth herself. He didn't explain much, only that the name would resurface one day and that when it did, the bearer would need guidance. He told me to teach them what he didn't have time to pass on himself."
Leo sat in stunned silence, the pieces of his family's legacy beginning to take shape. Ms. Raven, equally shaken, asked, "And this… Elaneth? Who is she?"
"Elaneth," Mr. Brookfall said softly, "is our world. It is said that she is the spirit of the land itself, and that the Wildehart family is one of her chosen. They are meant to rise when the world needs them most—to heal, to fight back against forces that threaten her."
Leo looked down at his hands, the reality of his lineage sinking in. His father's mysterious strength, the lessons, the secrecy—it was all part of something far greater than he had ever imagined.
Mr. Brookfall placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Leo, I understand this is a lot to take in, but you are not alone in this. I am here to teach you, to show you how to harness the power in your blood. The path ahead will be challenging, but you were chosen for a reason. Your name is a promise to the world—one that you must decide how to fulfill."
Leo nodded slowly, still processing but feeling a sense of purpose settling within him.