"Grandmaster, I don't understand. What do you mean by that?" My voice was steady, but inside, my thoughts churned like a storm-tossed sea. Miss Veena stood beside me, her usually composed expression faltering.
The Grandmaster regarded me with those ancient, knowing eyes, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Mira, your fire makes you unique—no, beyond unique. This flame of yours… it does not exist in this universe. Even among the heavens, no one wields what you do."
A strange chill crawled down my spine, despite the warmth coursing through my veins. "No one?" I echoed, the words feeling too heavy on my tongue. "Not even a single person?"
"Not anymore." The Grandmaster leaned back, fingers tapping lightly against the armrest of his chair. "Long ago, only one other being possessed the flame you now bear."
I swallowed hard. The air in the room felt thick, charged with something unspoken. "Who was it?"
Miss Veena hesitated before answering, her voice reverent. "High Goddess Maya."
A name that felt distant yet familiar, like a whisper in the wind.
"Yes," the Grandmaster confirmed. "Only High Goddess Maya wielded the Samadhi Flame before you. After her death, that fire vanished from existence. Until now."
A flicker of unease sparked inside me. A goddess? I share the power of a goddess? The very thought sent a strange shiver through me. My hand curled into a fist, as if I could grasp the truth from the air around me.
"The Samadhi Flame…" The Grandmaster's voice grew softer, almost as if speaking to himself. "It is unlike any fire in the world. It burns not with mere destruction, but with creation. Blue and white like the coldest ice, yet hotter than the core of the sun. It is enlightenment and catastrophe, the breath of divinity itself."
The words sank into me like embers searing into flesh.
"You are the only living person who holds this flame, Mira." The Grandmaster's gaze bore into mine, unrelenting. "And with it comes great responsibility."
The weight of his statement pressed into my chest, making it harder to breathe. Just yesterday, I had struggled to stay conscious under his presence, and now he expected me to carry the burden of something that belonged to a goddess?
"I…" My throat felt dry, my thoughts tangled in uncertainty. "I don't know if I can handle something like this."
"You need not decide now." The Grandmaster's voice gentled, as if sensing my turmoil. "But this power—this destiny—will not wait forever."
His words sent a sharp pang through me. Destiny. That word again. It had been hovering over me like a specter since I arrived at Artemis Academy.
I clenched my fists, trying to ground myself. "What happens now?"
The Grandmaster studied Mira for a long moment before speaking. His wise eyes seemed to pierce right through her, seeing more than just her physical form.
"Your flames... they match your soul," he murmured thoughtfully. "Strange, though. Your presence is steady, but your heart is in turmoil."Mira kept her posture straight, unwilling to let her emotions show. But as the Grandmaster circled her, his gaze flicked to the long strands of black hair brushing against her shoulders, the sharp arch of her dark brows, and the quiet determination in her deep purple eyes.
There was something almost nostalgic about her appearance. As if he had seen it before, in another time, another life.
A glint of amusement flickered in the Grandmaster's expression. "You cannot remain in the outer court with power like this. From today, you will enter the inner court."
My breath hitched. "The inner court?"
"And more than that," he continued, his tone carrying a note of finality. "You will join the Seven Devils. As of now, you are officially the Seventh Devil of Artemis Academy."
The world around me seemed to tilt.
Seventh Devil.
That title wasn't for ordinary students. The Seven Devils were the most elite, terrifying, and untouchable figures in the academy. Legends whispered their names, spoken with awe and fear alike.
I could barely cast a flying spell without nearly crashing into a tree. And he wanted me to stand among them?
"Grandmaster, wait—" My words came out rushed, panic lacing my tone. "I haven't thought about this—"
"You don't need to," he said simply, still smiling. "You will have plenty of time to think in the inner court."
I gaped at him, my protests crumbling under his unwavering gaze. Was this old man serious?
Miss Veena placed a hand on my shoulder, her touch grounding. "Come, Mira," she said softly. "I will take you there now."
I barely registered my own footsteps as she led me away. My thoughts whirled, the weight of what had just happened pressing harder with every step.
Walking Toward the Unknown
The corridors of the Grandmaster's residence were a world of their own. Polished floors reflected the glow of enchanted lanterns, and the walls—covered in murals of ancient battles—seemed to whisper forgotten tales. Every inch of this place breathed magic.
"Where are we going now, Miss Veena?" My voice was quieter than I intended.
"To the inner court," she replied, glancing at me with something that almost resembled pride. "You don't need to be afraid, Mira. The Grandmaster would not have chosen you if you weren't meant for this."
The words should have reassured me. They didn't.
The inner court. The Seven Devils. The Samadhi Flame.
This wasn't just about me learning magic anymore. This was something else.
Something much, much bigger.
As we walked, the path ahead shifted. The grand corridors faded, giving way to an entrance unlike any other.
A pair of massive gates, forged from black iron and shimmering with threads of golden energy, loomed before us. The entrance to the inner court.
I stopped in my tracks. My heart pounded.
Miss Veena glanced at me, then at the gates. "This is it."
With a wave of her hand, the gates groaned open—the sound reverberating through the air like the toll of a bell. A wave of intense energy rushed out, making the very air feel alive.
I swallowed. This is real.
Beyond the gates lay a world different from anything I had ever known.
The inner court wasn't just a place. It was power itself.
And I was about to step into it.
Miss Veena turned back to me, a knowing look in her eyes. "Ready?"
No. Not at all.
But I stepped forward anyway.