A week had gone by, with Andre spending most of his days trying to best understand his powers and practicing in the woods without anyone noticing. The woods had become Andre's sanctuary, a secluded haven where he could train away from prying eyes. The towering oaks shielded him from view, their gnarled branches forming a canopy thick enough to block even the midday sun, serving as the best camouflage.
Here, he could experiment with his powers without the fear of discovery or being judged. It had become harder by the day to explain where he went every day to his parents and nosy younger sister.
Andre stood in the center of a clearing, in a stance that would suggest he was trying to become a monk. His breath was calm, his mind focused. He raised his hands, summoning the red golden flame that had become both his gift and his burden in very recent times.
The fire obeyed, spiraling up from his palms in twisting arcs. It danced through the air like a living thing, forming shapes and patterns that shimmered with an ethereal glow. Andre gritted his teeth, willing the flame to condense into a single point. A sphere of fire hovered above his hand, its light illuminating the clearing.
"Control," he muttered to himself, his voice barely audible over the crackle of the flames. "Focus."
He relied on instinct for most of the practices he had been doing for the past few days. When he had woken up today, however, he had it in mind to try to control the fire and direct it at an object as if he were in combat. The only moves he had been able to do so far were moving the flames about and holding them for seconds before dissipating, making him feel like he was performing in a circus.
The sphere pulsed, growing brighter until Andre could no longer contain it. With a sharp exhale, he released the energy, sending a streak of fire into the air.
Andre stumbled back, panting. He wiped the sweat from his brow, unsatisfied. Just as he was about to try again; his ears picked on voices, not too far from where he was.
The voices cut through the quiet, mumbling words among themselves that he couldn't make out just yet, they seemed to be more than two from the footsteps he was hearing.
"Did you see that?" one of them had said.
Andre's heart dropped as he heard this. He quickly got down to his knees and slithered behind the closest tree to where he was, his instincts screaming at him to run. Through the trees, he glimpsed two figures approaching, finally making out their silhouette with their robes marking them as mages of the district.
Cavill, Jerry, and the third man, which he didn't know. Andre recognized them instantly.
Both were marquise class mages, well-respected, and far more experienced than most in the district. They were known for their keen eyes and quick tempers, two traits Andre desperately didn't want directed at him. The third man, however, was not from their district, he could tell because he had not heard of him before. He was the only one not talking looking at the bickering duo like he was uninterested.
Andre darted into the underbrush, further away from where the mages were moving, keeping low.
"I swear I saw something," Cavill said, his gruff voice cutting through the silence.
"You're imagining things," Jerry replied, though there was doubt in his tone. "Probably just a trick of the light."
"Light doesn't explode," Cavill shot back. "Whatever it was, it came from over there."
Andre's chest tightened as Cavill pointed directly at the clearing he had just vacated. The three mages moved closer, their footsteps crunching against the forest floor.
Andre crouched behind a fallen log, barely daring to breathe. The warmth in his chest pulsed erratically, the flame within him responding to his fear.
"Stay calm," he whispered to himself.
But the flame didn't listen. It flickered at the edges of his vision, threatening to ignite. Andre clenched his fists, willing it to stay dormant.
Cavill entered the clearing, his eyes scanning the area. Cavill raised a hand, and a faint glow emanated from his palm. Andre recognized this to be a way mages were able to tell distinct auras and reveal traces of abilities.
Andre's heart sank. The golden flame left behind a distinct magical signature, one that couldn't be mistaken for anything natural.
"Something was here," Cavill said, his eyes narrowing. "I can feel it, the question is what beast in this region releases this sort of power? And how did it get past the barrier??"
Jerry frowned. "But what do you think it could be?"
Andre's pulse quickened. He had to act fast. The flame in his chest seemed to be restless, he put all his effort into suppressing it.
The glow from Cavill's spell flickered uncertainly. He frowned, turning in Andre's direction.
"it's most likely still in this vicinity," Cavill said, staring intently at the area around the fallen log.
Andre bit back a curse. He pressed himself closer to the ground, every muscle in his body tense.
"We do not have all day, remember" The mage who hadn't spoken, uttered his voice tight.
"Ay, you should learn to chill at times," Cavill said, though he sounded little wary than usual. He lowered his hand, the glow of his spell fading.
"He's right. we don't have much time," Jerry suggested. "It's getting late."
Cavill hesitated, glancing around the clearing one last time. Finally, he nodded. "Fine. But you and I, we're coming back tomorrow. I want to figure out what's going on here."
The three mages retreated, their voices fading into the distance. Andre waited until he was sure they were gone before he allowed himself to move.
He exhaled shakily, the tension leaving his body in a rush. The flame in his chest thrumming.
"That was too close," Andre muttered as he made his way home.
***
As night fell, Andre sat beneath a towering oak, the events of the day replaying in his mind. The mages were suspicious now, their curiosity piqued. It was only a matter of time before they uncovered the truth.
Andre stared at his hands, the faint glow of the flame illuminating his skin.
"What am I doing?" he whispered.
He had been careful, hiding his powers from everyone. Everyone believed him to be powerless, an ordinary boy with no magical aptitude.
Andre leaned back against the tree, his gaze fixed on the stars. He didn't know how long he could keep this secret.
But for now, he would keep trying.
***
Andre didn't return to the clearing after that. Instead, he retreated deeper into the woods, finding a new spot to train. He couldn't afford to be seen again - not by Cavill and Jerry, and certainly not by anyone else in the village.