The moment I stepped inside, I knew this place was different.
The scent of aged parchment and burning incense curled through the air, carrying an unfamiliar heaviness that settled in my chest. The wooden beams of the ceiling stretched high above, intertwined with golden filigree that shimmered even in the dim candlelight.
The paintings lining the walls weren't ordinary—they told stories.
Legends.
I paused in front of one, my breath catching as my eyes locked onto the image of a woman standing alone, her sword glinting beneath an unseen light.
She had her back turned.
Yet, something about her was achingly familiar.
I reached out before I even realized what I was doing.
"Mira."
Miss Veena's voice was firm but not unkind. I pulled my hand back, realizing I had been staring too long.
"The Grandmaster is waiting for you."
As we walked deeper into the house, the air shifted.
It was subtle at first.
Then—it grew heavier.
A force pressed against my shoulders, sinking into my bones.
Magic.
But not just magic.
Something ancient. Something that recognized me before I even crossed the threshold.
My breathing became shallow. My steps slowed. My legs trembled beneath a pressure that felt like the weight of an entire world.
Each step closer stole something from me—breath, strength, thought.
By the time I reached the doorway, I could barely stand.
And then, finally, I saw him.
Seated behind a grand desk, his silver hair reflected the candlelight like woven moonlight, his deep blue eyes holding the weight of centuries.
The Grandmaster.
Power radiated from him like an unseen current, filling the space, making the very air feel like it could bend to his will at any moment.
And beside him—
The boy from class.
The one whose gaze had pinned me in place, stirring emotions I couldn't name.
His presence here felt… wrong.
Or maybe too right.
Our eyes met, and in that instant, something shifted.
Like the silent pull of fate had just tightened its grip around me.
The pressure worsened.
A crushing force. An unbearable weight.
It didn't let up.
I grit my teeth, fighting against it.
"No. I won't fall. Not here."
But my body had other plans.
A violent dizziness overtook me, tilting the world on its axis. My knees buckled. The room spun into a chaotic blur.
The last thing I felt was the sensation of falling.
Then—warmth.
Strong hands caught me before I hit the ground.
I barely managed to open my eyes.
The boy.
His grip was firm, steady—a quiet anchor against the storm raging inside me.
"Stay with me," he whispered, his voice softer than I expected.
I wanted to respond. To say something.
But the darkness swallowed me whole.
A Trial or a Test?
When I woke, my body felt lighter.
The crushing weight from before was gone—replaced by something else.
Energy.
Raw, unfiltered power buzzing through my veins, stirring in a way that felt different from before.
Miss Veena sat beside me, arms crossed, but I could see the tension in her expression. She had been worried.
The Grandmaster, however, was smiling.
"Three whole minutes," he mused, his tone light with amusement. "Impressive. I expected you to last one, at most."
I blinked, my throat dry. "What… what was that?"
Miss Veena shot the Grandmaster a look. "You went too far."
His chuckle was deep, rich, completely unbothered. "If she couldn't handle it, she wouldn't have been chosen in the first place."
Miss Veena exhaled sharply. "That doesn't mean you should throw her into the deep end without warning."
"She's stronger for it," the Grandmaster countered, his sharp gaze locking onto me. "A little pressure can unlock what lies dormant. And in her case…"
His eyes flickered.
"There was a lot lying dormant."
Something in the way he said it sent a chill down my spine.
Flames That Shouldn't Exist
Miss Veena turned to me. "Mira, show him."
I didn't need to ask what she meant.
I lifted my left hand.
The fire came easily this time—too easily.
It ignited instantly, swirling in a perfect, controlled inferno. The familiar red and orange hues never came.
Instead—
Blue and white flames licked at the air.
Not just magic.
Something else.
Something not meant for human hands.
The Grandmaster's expression shifted.
For the first time since I stepped into this room—since I had laid eyes on him—his calm wavered.
The silence in the room stretched too long.
When he finally spoke, it was barely above a whisper.
"This… is not ordinary fire."
Miss Veena stiffened. "Grandmaster?"
He didn't answer her. His eyes remained locked on my flames, as if searching for something hidden within them.
Then, in a single motion, he leaned forward.
"Mira, come here."
I hesitated.
The warmth of the flames curled around my fingers, but suddenly, they felt foreign.
Still, I stepped closer.
The Grandmaster studied the fire like a man who had spent a lifetime looking for something and finally found it.
Then, he said, "Do you know what this is?"
I shook my head.
He let out a slow breath. "This power could either illuminate the world…"
His gaze darkened.
"Or burn it to nothing."