The weight of Professor Seraphina's revelation stayed with Eren long after he left the library that night. The Tower of the Fallen. The failed ritual. The shadow of his ancestor, the one who had nearly destroyed the world. Every time he tried to sleep, the images from his vision haunted him: the swirling storm, the hooded figure, the orb of pure destructive energy.
By the time dawn broke, Eren had resolved to push forward. He couldn't let fear stop him. If the pendant and his bloodline were as dangerous as Seraphina claimed, then it was his responsibility to ensure that history didn't repeat itself.
The day began with the usual bustle at Aetherwell Academy. Students scurried to their classes, clutching spellbooks and enchanted quills. The halls echoed with laughter, chatter, and the occasional hum of magic from misfired spells. But for Eren, everything felt heavier, more deliberate.
The morning's lesson was a practical session on elemental magic, held in one of the academy's outdoor courtyards. The air was crisp, and the sky a pale blue, with clouds drifting lazily overhead. Professor Caelith, a tall, wiry man with silver-streaked hair, stood at the center of the training grounds, addressing the gathered students.
"Control," he said, his voice sharp and commanding. "Magic is not about raw power. It's about mastery. A fire that burns out of control is no better than a storm that rages without purpose. Your task today is simple: summon and contain the element of fire."
At his words, the students murmured among themselves, some looking excited, others nervous. Eren glanced at the practice stations that had been set up—rows of stone pedestals, each with a small copper brazier at its center.
Caelith continued, "Focus your energy on the brazier. Call the flame to life, but do not let it escape the boundaries of the copper ring. The moment it grows too large, you've lost control. Understood?"
The students nodded, and Caelith gestured for them to begin.
Eren made his way to one of the stations and took a deep breath. Fire magic. He'd practiced basic elemental spells before, but nothing like this. Still, he couldn't afford to falter now. He closed his eyes, feeling the pendant's familiar weight against his chest.
"Focus," he whispered to himself.
He extended his hand toward the brazier, recalling the incantation they had studied. The words felt strange on his tongue, ancient and powerful.
"Ignis oriri."
At first, nothing happened. Eren furrowed his brow, concentrating harder. He imagined the flame, small and contained, flickering to life within the brazier. He felt a spark of warmth in his palm, then a sudden rush of heat.
A small flame burst to life in the center of the brazier, dancing and flickering. Eren exhaled in relief, but the moment was short-lived. The flame began to grow, spreading beyond the confines of the brazier.
"Contain it," Eren muttered, panic rising in his chest.
He tried to will the fire back, but it only grew larger, licking at the edges of the copper ring. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he struggled to regain control.
"Breathe," came a calm voice from behind him.
Eren turned to see Kaia, her arms crossed as she watched him with a faint smirk. "You're fighting it too much," she said. "Fire doesn't like being told what to do. You've got to guide it, not wrestle with it."
Eren frowned. "Easy for you to say."
Kaia shrugged. "It's like music. You don't force the notes; you let them flow."
Eren hesitated, then nodded. He turned back to the brazier, trying to ignore the growing whispers of the other students around him. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, letting Kaia's words sink in.
Guide it. Don't fight it.
He focused on the flame, imagining it shrinking back into the brazier. Slowly, the fire began to respond, its wild tendrils receding. Eren opened his eyes to see the flame contained once more, steady and controlled.
"Better," Kaia said with an approving nod.
Eren allowed himself a small smile, but his relief was short-lived. A sudden burst of heat radiated from his chest—the pendant.
Before he could react, the flame in the brazier surged upward, roaring like a living creature. Gasps echoed around the courtyard as the fire leapt into the air, forming a spiraling column of heat and light.
"Eren!" Caelith's voice cut through the chaos.
Eren's heart raced as the flame grew larger, its heat searing the air around him. He could feel the pendant's energy pulsing, feeding the fire, amplifying it beyond his control.
"Stop it!" someone shouted.
"I—I'm trying!" Eren stammered, panic gripping him.
The column of fire twisted and turned, almost as if it were alive. And then, to Eren's horror, it began to shift shape, forming a vague outline—a figure cloaked in flames. The fiery form stood tall, its head tilted as if regarding him.
The courtyard fell silent. All eyes were on Eren and the fiery figure.
"Enough!" Caelith's voice rang out, his hand raised as he began to cast a containment spell.
But before the spell could take hold, the fiery figure turned its head, locking eyes with Eren. For a moment, Eren felt as though the world had stopped. The figure's eyes burned with a strange intensity, and a single word echoed in his mind.
"Soon."
And then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, the fire collapsed, vanishing into smoke and leaving the brazier cold and empty.
Eren staggered backward, his chest heaving as he tried to process what had just happened. The courtyard buzzed with whispers, students staring at him in shock and fear.
Caelith approached, his expression grave. "Eren," he said, his voice low. "Come with me. Now."
Eren nodded numbly, his mind still replaying the fiery figure's piercing gaze.
As he followed Caelith out of the courtyard, one thought consumed him:
What had he just unleashed?