Chapter Four – The Academy's Edge
Lyrien stirred as the first light of dawn filtered through the cave's narrow entrance. His eyes fluttered open, revealing a haze of pain and confusion. Elyreina knelt beside him, relief mingled with dread. It had been a night of fury and fire—a night that had left their former life in ruins. Now, with only three days remaining before Lyrien's fragile existence finally succumbed, every second pulsed with urgency.
As Lyrien's fevered breathing slowly steadied, Elyreina's thoughts turned inward. Their father's words echoed in her mind—a legacy of knowledge about a world defined by orders and hierarchies. In this realm, every creature and every wielder of power was ranked on a scale of ten, a system that revealed the true measure of threat and talent.
Beasts, for instance, ranged from the Common or Basic Tier—wild and unpredictable—to increasingly formidable categories: Intermediate, Advance, King, Elementary, Corrupted, Fallen, Semi-God, Demigod, and ultimately Demon. The relentless Vorethin from the previous night, with its unnatural, shifting form and malevolent drive, had hinted at the possibility of a creature being a *fallen beast*
Magic, too, was structured by a similar hierarchy. Mages began as mere Initiates and could rise through the ranks: Novice, Adept, Archmage, Sovereign, Pure, Transcendent, Semi-Divine, Demigod, and finally, God-Mage. The last three ranks, however, remained shrouded in myth. No mortal had ever reached the level of Demi-God, let alone God-Mage. They existed only in ancient texts, in legends that spoke of beings who could reshape entire landscapes with a mere thought.
Knights, the stalwart defenders of honor and order, were not left out of this grand design. Their path began at Recruit, ascending through Initiate, Knight, Commander, Veteran, Elite, Master, Grandmaster, Demi-Knight, and culminating in the exalted rank of God-Knight. Yet, much like the highest tier of mages, no warrior had ever reached the final two ranks. The mere concept of a Demi-Knight was whispered in old war tales, while God-Knights were nothing more than myths—symbols of unattainable perfection. Even the Grandmasters of this era could only dream of such strength.
Yet, Lyrien's circumstances were unlike anything seen before. His condition was unmistakable: his skin still burned with an internal fire, and occasional sparks danced at his fingertips—a dangerous, uncontrolled power that hinted at both potential and peril. Elyreina's heart ached as she recalled their father's admonitions: unchecked magic was a double-edged sword, capable of greatness and of damnation.
What few knew—what even Lyrien himself did not yet understand—was that he had already died once.
Their mother, a prodigious mage who had once wielded unparalleled power, had invoked a forbidden spell to bring him back. A spell that should never have been cast. A spell that defied the natural order.
No ordinary resurrection magic—this was something far darker, something beyond mortal comprehension. Lyrien had not simply been healed or revived. His very existence had been altered, bound to an unknown force, and the consequences of such a ritual were impossible to predict. His body was alive, but at what cost?
This was why the beasts pursued him. They weren't simply hunting him—they were drawn to him.
What had their mother done? Why had she been willing to go so far? Elyreina didn't know, but she had seen enough to understand that the act had marked Lyrien in a way that could never be undone. Something had changed within him, something unnatural, something the world itself was trying to erase.
With the remnants of their past crumbling around them, the siblings faced a grim reality. The Academy of Valor and Arcana—a legendary institution that trained the realm's finest warriors, mages, and knights—offered the only hope of salvation. It was said that within its hallowed halls, knowledge was passed down that could tame even the wildest of powers, and secrets long buried could be unearthed. For Lyrien, whose life now teetered on the edge of death due to that forbidden spell, reaching the academy was not merely an ambition—it was a desperate bid for survival.
As Elyreina gently brushed a stray lock of damp hair from Lyrien's brow, she allowed herself a moment of critical reflection. What had truly happened to their parents? Fragmented memories and whispered legends painted a picture of a family torn apart by ambition and dark sorcery—a mother who dared the forbidden, and a father whose honor could not stave off the encroaching darkness. Could it be that their parents' demise was not an accident of fate, but a consequence of meddling with powers beyond mortal ken?
The answers were as elusive as the shifting rankings of beasts and mages that defined their world. Yet one truth remained clear: the very act that had preserved Lyrien's life might now have doomed him.
Determined and resolute, Elyreina resolved that they would journey to the academy. With each heartbeat, the ticking clock reminded her that time was short. Every step forward was a step into an uncertain future, where the old orders might be challenged, and where the mysteries of their lineage could finally be unraveled.
In the fading shadows of the cave, as the storm's echoes subsided into a quiet, foreboding calm, Elyreina rose with fierce determination. The path ahead was perilous and shrouded in secrets, but she would not let fear or despair hold her back. For Lyrien's sake—and for the legacy of their lost parents—she would confront the darkness head-on, even if it meant challenging the very foundations of a world built on power, honor, and the relentless march of fate.
Their journey had only just begun, and the academy's gates beckoned like a promise of answers in a realm of chaos.