Before Kai and Lia stood the bustling market, a tapestry of bright colors, lively voices, and alluring aromas. Cobblestone paths were lined with stalls that filled the city with the most magical assortment of goods: tapestries embroidered with intricate patterns, bundles of rare herbs hanging like small bouquets, and tables that glittered with crystals shining in the morning light. Kai and Lia wandered through the rows of stalls, gaping in amazement at so much on sale.
Lia broke the silence first, remarking on what was odd. "Kai, look about.there are so many of them here," she whispered, eyes wide with wonder. Indeed, the crowd seemed to be young men-about their age, some were older, others smaller than they, dressed in their tunics and robes-a clear indication that they had traveled, perhaps as traders, or would be gardeners.
Why have they come here? he asked, eyeing full-faces full of excitement and ambition.
'Maybe it had something to do with the academy,' Lia mused. I heard a merchant one time say that young ones come from afar and far and wide to try their lot in the academy.
They locked eyes, each thinking, I wonder what it'd be like to go there, to see more than this world of Elaris. Just then Aurelia nodded for them to come closer in the direction of an impossibly tall building with the door having an etching made of gold. And the sign above the door reads, "Havenbrook Alchemist Association."
The interior of the Alchemist Association was another world. The air was full of the scent of some kind of exotic herbs and other strange brews. Shelves lined the walls, loaded with jars of powders, dried roots, and colorful flowers. The counter was covered in stacks of little, colorful pills in glass cases, each marked with a symbol Kai did not know.
Just like they had entered, a young attendant stood before them, bowing respectfully before speaking, "Master Aurelia, it's a pleasure to see you."
The title had taken Kai and Lia off guard, and they glanced at each other in bewilderment. Since when had Aurelia been referred to as "Master"?
Unbothered by their curiosity, Aurelia handed over a small pouch filled with several delicate vials. "I brought a batch of middle-grade, rank one pills. Please have them assessed," she said calmly, the attendant nodding and taking the pouch with utmost care.
As soon as the attendant was gone, Kai couldn't contain his curiosity any longer. "Master Aurelia?" he whispered, half in awe, half in disbelief. "Why did they call you that?"
She smiled softly. "Well, maybe there are a few things you'll find out as you go along. Titles have purposes, but here it merely helps me to push and sell our herbs and drugs without much hassle at times."
Kai kept listening intently as he gazed at the pills on the counter; this sparked his curiosity. "These are what kind of drugs? And what do these words 'middle grade' mean?"
Seeing the enthusiasm, Aurelia started explaining. "Medicines and pills are ranked in phases depending on their strength and function. Rank one herbs and pills are meant for cultivators at the Awakening Essence Stage. Those stages are divided into three more: early, middle, and peak."
Kai's mind was spinning as he tried to keep up. "So, what are these pills for?"
"Yes, well, grade-one pills are for an elementary approach to one's essence and to help establish their essence seed. The likes we brought today, at mid-grade, are there for what's known as essence calibration: that actually boosts up and stabilizes someone's essence. And of course, the highest-quality grades are used for actual bonding of the essence-this readies a cultivator for the next step
A glow of wonder lit up the eyes of Lia as she eyed shelves of pills and medications with something of a new sense of awe. "So is it that each pill takes its part, helping their users on to move forward in cultivation," she practically whispered to herself.
"That's right," replied Aurelia with a quiet smile. "The Way of Cultivation is taxing and rewarding, and one stage always more grueling than last one."
Just as Aurelia was about to let her mind drift, Eldrin once again appeared in the doorway, nodding to her. "I'm off for a bit. I have something I need to attend to," he said.
"Of course," Aurelia said; her gaze was contemplative as she watched him disappear.
---
Meanwhile, Eldrin made his way towards the grand structure standing at the center of Havenbrook-the Havenbrook Academy. A place not built like any ordinary building, with walls glittering as if the marble they were made from had mixed itself with a trace of silver. The towers reach heavenward. This and all the gates are black iron doors handforged at each side are mythical beasts etched in flight. A grouping crowded the entrance with awe around the sight of the academy as if it were sacred.
As he walked forward, Eldrin looked at the gathering of spectators. He saw mothers pointing and talking to their children about the honor and prestige of being allowed entrance into Havenbrook Academy. He caught fragments of the conversation going on around him regarding the recruitment, three months from then. This was only done once every three years and for only those fourteen years and younger. "Timing, perfect," Eldrin thought, a small, secret grin tugging the corner of his lips as upward. "Maybe the kids will be ready for this, for the next step".
Still, no one-no one at all-seemed to noticed him moving through the front gates of the academy. Not the guards, who looked bright and sharp as hawks watching their posts. It seemed that he was invisible-just a shadow passing into rank after rank. Eldrin walked further into the grounds, bypassing great statues standing around in recognition of their place within Havenbrook past warriors and scholars. Silence clung over the land; now and then you would hear some of the students, then some chirping from birds in one of the gardens of the academy.
It was not until Eldrin finally came upon a hidden pond hidden behind a cluster of flowering trees that its surface mirrored the sky like a glass, unbroken.
Close to the water's edge, an old man sat in plain robes, his posture serene and still as he fished with his rod.
The old man did not raise his head but still said in a soft voice, "And to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit, Eldrin?"
Eldrin snorted, crossing his arms. "Don't make a big deal out of it. I've decided to send Kai to the academy for the next recruitment, and I want to make sure someone keeps an eye on him."
At this, the old man finally turned, surprise flickering in his gaze. "So, you're finally willing to let him out of hiding. I thought you'd keep him locked away forever."
Eldrin's face was set into stone, his jaw bunched forward. "He should be allowed to live life on his own terms, with his own decisions. However that does not say he is going to remain unwatched."
The old man looked Eldrin in the eye for a moment then smiled tenderly. "You have always looked after him more than you admit."
Eldrin said nothing, vanished as if he were a puff of smoke caught by the wind from his seat. The old man sat for a minute more, eyes lingering in the empty space where Eldrin had been. Then he turned back to his fishing with a faint smile and some unreadable glinting of emotions in his eyes and cast his line back into the pond as if nothing had occurred.
And Kai and Lia, going about their day unsuspecting of all the schemes afoot, unsuspecting of this unspoken vow Eldrin has just sworn to keep watch over them as they entered this greater world.