It was an evening in a peculiar laboratory that appeared as if a massive surge of mystic energy had just occurred. All the windows were shattered, alongside broken test tubes and overturned brewing stands. The atmosphere suggested that the very fabric of reality was on the verge of collapsing in this isolated space, where a mixture of gray and tiny violet particles swirled outside the jagged openings. Zar's vision blurred, and he felt an intense pain coursing through his body, particularly in his veins. It was as if each particle of his being was being replaced atom by atom. "G- Gorath?.." zar whispered as he was getting unconscious.
Few weeks ago It was an ordinary day for Zar at the Arcadia Institute of Velandor, where he was instructing the youngest students in the elemental magics of their world. With a flick of his wrist, Zar conjured a radiant sphere of energy, holding it aloft for all to see. "Is anyone curious as to whence this power arises?" he asked. A boy seated at the front responded with a bored tone, "My father can do that too." Zar chuckled, "Aye, I know, little sage. You hail from a mage family—though no one asked." Another child piped up, "How are you doing this? Can we learn it, too?" Zar answered, "Alas, it is not certain. Such power often flows through bloodlines. Unless one of your parents possesses this form of Aethermancy, you may not be able to wield it. Tell me, do you know what an Aethermancer is?" The curious child asked, "No…what is an Aethermancer?" Zar inclined his head, "You are all young Aethermancers, as am I. We possess the gift to meld the primal elements—fire, water, earth, light, wind, and the subtle energies of positivity and negativity, which I now wield before you. Surely, you have each attempted to unleash some glimmer of your ancestral magic, have you not? In time, as you grow, you shall master these gifts, learning how to call upon your magic for both defense and noble purpose."Zar continued his explanation, "Aethermancy is but one of the five principal forms of magic. The others are Mentifery, Vivimancy, Tenebryl, and Umbraxis." A voice rose from the back of the room. "Sir, what about my friend in the neighborhood? He doesn't have any magic, nor do his parents. What's the deal with them?" Zar chuckled. "There is nothing amiss with them, young one. We are the uncommon ones. Only around forty-five percent of this world's populace possesses magical powers, while the rest are simply ordinary folk. Yet, never underestimate them for their lack of abilities; they are graced with Vitalis reserves a hundred times greater than ours. Many could strike you down before you'd even had the chance to cast a spell."Shortly afterward, the class was dismissed.During the break, a group of high school students gathered in conversation. One of the boys sighed, "You all have such impressive powers, while all I can do is make these small shards with my hands." Arion, an esteemed and sharp-minded student, replied, "That's because you're a Mentifer, fool. Your true abilities won't emerge until you're seventeen." Another boy in the group pointed at Zar, who stood at a distance. "Look, there's that same professor who fought that strange sorcerer! He was incredible." "Yeah, he teaches my class too. His name's Zar," another student chimed in. Arion rolled his eyes. "There's nothing remarkable about him. You all exaggerate everything he does." The first boy challenged, "I'd like to see you say that to his face. You act like his right hand whenever he's around." The others laughed in agreement, and Arion stammered, "Th-that's only for learning purposes! Why else would anyone want to be near that man?"Zar returned home after a long day's work, where his wife, Nyssa, awaited him with a plate of snacks prepared. He felt a rush of warmth upon seeing her. "Did you take the pregnancy test?" he asked, a hint of hope in his voice. Nyssa replied with a soft smile, "I'm not pregnant. That nausea was just a case of food poisoning." She paused, then added, "But I do have a surprise for you." A strange mix of disappointment and curiosity swept over Zar, leaving him with an expression so awkward it made Nyssa chuckle. "Relax, my dear," she said, "just sit down, and I'll bring it to you." She returned holding a book—one he had been searching for in countless bookshops to no avail. It was titled Umbraxis: The Dark Side of Magic. Zar's joy was far greater than she'd expected. Nyssa assumed he wanted this book to complete his library of arcane texts, but little did she know, his motives were far deeper and more secretive. What could they be?