The days that followed felt like a blur to Eren. The weight of the knowledge he had unlocked pressed down on him, heavy and unyielding. Every time he looked at the pendant, it pulsed with that same eerie rhythm, reminding him that the power inside him was more than just potential—it was a living, breathing force. And it was waiting for him to master it.
Professor Seraphina had given him a week to reflect on his vision, urging him to continue his studies of the Codex of the Ashford Line. She also set him to work learning the basic magical principles that every student at Aetherwell was expected to know, such as rune casting and elemental control. But even as he went through the motions of normal classes, Eren couldn't shake the feeling that something far larger was at play—something that he was only beginning to understand.
His mind often drifted back to the vision he had seen in the library—the stone archway, the figures in flowing robes, the raw power coursing through the air. What had it meant? And what had happened to those mages who sought to control forces beyond their comprehension?
Late one evening, as the last golden light of sunset faded from the sky, Eren found himself once again standing before the library, this time alone. His thoughts had been racing all day, and he couldn't wait any longer. He had to know more.
Stepping inside, he was greeted by the familiar, comforting smell of old parchment and leather. The library, even at night, was always alive with the hum of knowledge. The flickering firelight illuminated the towering bookshelves, casting long shadows across the room.
As Eren walked deeper into the library, he noticed the large tome he had been studying—the Codex of the Ashford Line—sitting on the same table where he had left it. It beckoned him, and for the first time, the idea of delving deeper didn't feel as daunting. Instead, it felt like an invitation. An invitation to understand.
He reached for the book, but as his fingers brushed the cover, something odd happened. The pendant at his chest grew warm, a pulse of heat surging through him. The symbols etched into the pendant seemed to shift slightly, glowing faintly in the dim light of the room. Eren froze, his heart pounding in his chest.
The book trembled on the table before flipping open on its own. The pages turned quickly, stopping at a section filled with strange illustrations—diagrams of circles and symbols that Eren had never seen before.
A whisper of a voice, faint yet clear, echoed in his mind.
"It's time."
Eren's breath caught in his throat. He stood still, staring at the open pages in front of him. The voice hadn't come from anyone in the room—it was inside his head.
He glanced around the library, half-expecting to see someone watching him. But the room was empty, as it always was at this hour.
"Who—?" he began, but no one answered. Instead, the pages of the Codex seemed to pull him in. The symbols began to glow brighter, their ancient runes dancing across the pages, as though inviting him to read.
Without fully understanding why, Eren stepped closer to the book and began to read aloud the strange symbols, his voice barely a whisper. As he did, the air around him shifted. The temperature dropped, and a low hum filled the room, the sound vibrating in his chest.
The world seemed to shift, the walls of the library blurring and fading as a new vision unfolded before his eyes.
This time, the vision was clearer, and the images were more distinct. He saw a large, dark stone tower rising from the center of a vast, barren plain. A storm of swirling magical energy surrounded the tower, its top lost in the dark clouds above. Figures, cloaked in robes, stood at the base of the tower, their hands raised to the sky.
The vision shifted again, and Eren saw something that made his heart stop. A tall, imposing figure stood at the heart of a great ritual, holding an orb of dark energy in his hands. His face was obscured by a hood, but there was something familiar about him—something unsettling.
The figure spoke words in a language Eren didn't understand, and the air around him crackled with power. Then, with a sudden, violent burst, the orb shattered, and a wave of destructive energy radiated outward, tearing through the land, erasing everything in its path.
And then, the vision ended.
Eren stumbled backward, his hands shaking as the room came back into focus. His heart pounded in his chest, and the warmth of the pendant had turned into a burning heat. The pendant was alive with energy, and Eren could feel it surging through him, filling him with power and fear in equal measure.
"What was that?" Eren whispered, his voice trembling. He could still feel the lingering pull of the vision in his mind, the dark tower, the destructive energy. The figure at the center… He knew that face.
A sudden voice broke through his thoughts, sharp and commanding.
"Eren."
Eren spun around, his heart racing in his chest. There, standing in the doorway, was Professor Seraphina, her face unreadable. She stepped into the room, her eyes scanning the book and the now glowing pendant around Eren's neck.
"You've seen it," she said, her voice colder than usual. "The vision of the Tower of the Fallen."
Eren blinked, the words hanging in the air. "The Tower of the Fallen?" he repeated, his voice barely above a whisper. "What is that? What does it mean?"
Seraphina's expression darkened. She walked toward him, her footsteps echoing in the silent room.
"The Tower of the Fallen is a symbol from your family's history," she said, her tone serious. "It is the site of a failed ritual, one that destroyed your ancestors. The figure you saw… he is the last of the Ashford family to seek ultimate power—the one who tried to control the forbidden magic at the heart of your bloodline."
Eren's mind raced. "What happened to him?"
Seraphina's eyes met his, her gaze intense. "He was consumed by his own ambition. The power he tried to harness was too great. It destroyed him—and nearly took the world with it. The Codex holds the secrets of that ritual, the magic that was meant to shape the world. But it's dangerous, Eren. Too dangerous."
Eren's heart sank. "Is that why you've been teaching me all this? To stop the ritual?"
Seraphina's lips pressed into a thin line. "No. It's more complicated than that. You, Eren, are the last of the Ashford line. The magic inside you—the magic that has been dormant for centuries—is connected to the ritual in ways you don't yet understand. The pendant is a key, but so is your blood."
Eren's breath caught in his throat. "What does that mean for me?"
"It means you are not only learning magic," Seraphina said softly. "You are learning to control something far greater than yourself. And if you fail, the consequences will be catastrophic. You must learn to control your power, or the Tower of the Fallen will rise again."
The weight of her words hit Eren like a physical blow. The visions, the power of the pendant, the legacy of his ancestors—it was all connected in ways he couldn't yet grasp. But one thing was certain: his journey was just beginning, and it would take everything he had to survive it.