The morning after the mage's attack, I woke with a heaviness in my chest that made it hard to breathe deeply. The auroras of Valtheris that had shimmered over Solivane Isle last night were gone. The crystal-tipped trees around our modest estate sparkled faintly in the pale sunlight. I sat up in bed, my raven-black hair a tangled mess, and caught my reflection in the small mirror on my wall. My silver eyes looked back, sharp and restless; my jaw was too defined for a sixteen-year-old, or so the maids always whispered. I didn't feel perfect, not after the chaos of last night. That mage, the glowing rune on his dagger, my parents' unshaken calm—it all swirled in my mind, a storm I couldn't outrun.
Downstairs, Mom was in the kitchen. Her fiery hair was tied back as she hummed the melody that had soothed me last night. The scent of fresh bread and mana-infused tea filled the air, stirring memories of quiet evenings when we'd laugh over dinner or she'd tell me stories of far-off islands while braiding my hair. I stood in the doorway watching her, my throat tightening. I'd be leaving this warmth today, leaving her. After last night's attack, a cold fear gripped me—what if another mage came, and I wasn't here to protect her? Her fingers gripped the teapot too tightly, her glance toward Dad's study too quick. I knew she felt the same fear.
"Morning, Ardyn," she said. Her voice was warm but edged with unease, the same tone I'd heard when she clapped for me after I sent the mage running. "You're up early. Excited for the academy?"
I shrugged, trying to seem braver than I felt. My heart raced as I sat at the table. She slid a plate of bread my way, and I managed a quiet, "I guess." The Aetherial Academy. Dad had said I was ready, but leaving Solivane Isle meant leaving them. After that mage had come for us, I wasn't sure I could handle being so far away. "I've never been off the isle before," I admitted, my voice softer than I meant. "What if I'm not good enough?"
Mom's smile softened. She squeezed my hand, her touch as gentle as ever. "You're more ready than you think, my heart. You've got a gift, one that's rare, even here. You showed that with your quick thinking last night. You'll always have us, no matter how far you go."
Dad walked in. His handsome face glowed with a rare softness, but his presence carried a steady weight, the same weight I'd felt when he watched me fight without stepping in. "She's right," he said, his voice low and measured. "You've got Zentis's fire in you, and Sylra's patience. They'd be proud to see you take this step." I grinned at the mention of my grandparents. Zentis and Sylra—their names warmed my heart, even though I'd never met them. "I'll make you proud too," I promised, meaning every word.
As we ate, Dad's words lingered. A gift. I knew they meant my affinities. Most mages on Solivane Isle handled one element, maybe two if they were lucky. Fire was common, water less so, but earth and wind were rare in these scattered isles. I had all four: fire, water, earth, and wind. Wind was new, though, a faint whisper I couldn't control. I'd spent countless nights scribbling notes by candlelight, puzzling out mana flows. I could weave fire and water into steam or raise a stone slab with earth, but blending more than two elements drained me. Wind was the worst; that weak gust I'd used against the mage had barely worked. I needed the training only the Aetherial Academy could give.
Still, I couldn't shake the feeling they were hiding something. That rune on the dagger—I'd seen it in Mom's old books, possibly tied to Valtheris's ruins. And my dream: an infinite veil of stars, a voice whispering Boundless, a girl with silver hair and emerald eyes who felt like fate. I wanted to ask, but their calm last night, the way they'd watched me fight like they knew I'd win, made my stomach twist. What did they know?
After breakfast, I packed my things: a few clothes, my notes on mana flows, and the dagger I'd taken from the mage. That rune seemed to pulse faintly in my hand, a puzzle I needed to solve. Mom helped me tie my cloak, her fingers lingering on my shoulders. "Be careful, Ardyn," she said quietly, her eyes searching mine. "The world out there might feel different, but it's still our world. There are dangers everywhere, even here on Solivane Isle. Trust your instincts, but don't lose who you are." Her voice dropped to a whisper, the same tone she'd used when she mentioned Liora. "And keep an eye on those who watch from afar.
"I nodded, my throat tight. Who was watching? I wanted to ask, but her eyes told me now wasn't the time. "I won't, Mom. I promise."
Dad handed me a small rune-etched pendant; its surface was cool against my palm. "This was Zentis's," he said, his voice low. "It'll keep you grounded. Wear it and think of us." I slipped it around my neck. The weight of it comforted me. I hugged them both. My eyes burned, but I blinked hard. I'd never been good at goodbyes, and this one felt bigger than I could handle. I had to go. The Aetherial Academy was waiting, and so was my path.
The boat to the mainland was small. Its wooden deck creaked under my boots as I stepped aboard. The captain, a gruff man with a scar across his cheek, gave me a nod, his eyes lingering on my cloak a little too long. "You're the Vaelor boy, right?" he said, his voice rough. "Heard you've got some talent. Better watch your back out there."
I forced a smile, my hand brushing the dagger at my hip. "I'll manage," I said, but his words made my skin prickle, reminding me of the mage's growl: Multiple affinities… your family hoards crystals. There was something about the captain, the way he moved with a quiet strength, his eyes scanning the horizon. For a moment, I thought I felt a flicker of mana around him, deep and steady, but I brushed it off. I'd been on edge since the attack, and I had enough to worry about without wondering about a man I barely knew.
As the boat pulled away, I watched Solivane Isle shrink in the distance. The crystal-tipped trees glinted in the sunlight. My chest ached, but a spark of excitement flickered too. The Aetherial Academy was a place for mages like me, a place where I could push my limits and find answers to the questions that haunted me. I'd heard whispers of the mainland's name, Lunareth a land where mana flowed like rivers, where the Academy's spires pierced the sky. I hoped I was ready for what awaited me there.
Halfway across the water, a shadow passed overhead, too big to be a bird. I looked up. My heart slammed against my ribs. A massive creature circled above: a wyvern. Its scales shimmered blue and gold like the auroras; its wings cut the air with a low, rumbling whoosh. I'd read about them in Mom's books—creatures born of raw mana, thriving where mana pooled naturally. This one was a juvenile, smaller than the adults I'd read about, but its presence pressed against me, a heavy pulse of mana that made my skin crawl. It could summon gusts with its wings. Its claws were sharp enough to shred steel. Its scales were tough, except at the joints where they were softer, more vulnerable. Even a juvenile was beyond me, a kid from Solivane Isle facing a monster.
The captain swore and grabbed a spear from the deck. "Stay down, boy!" he barked, his eyes narrowed with focus. I couldn't move. My gaze locked on the wyvern as it dove, its claws gleaming like knives, its screech piercing the air.
My heart pounded, a mix of fear and the cold anger I'd felt when the mage threatened my family. I reached for my mana. The familiar buzz of fire and water warmed my palms, my strongest affinities. I tried wind too, but it sputtered, a weak breeze, useless against the wyvern's dive. It beat its wings, sending a gust that rocked the boat. I stumbled, my boots slipping on the wet deck.
I scrambled upright, my hands shaking, my mind racing. The wyvern was fast, but I knew its scales were weaker at the joints. I wove fire and water together. The elements merged into steam with a sharp hiss. I shaped it into a thin lance and aimed for the wyvern's wing joint as it dove again. The steam shot out, scalding, but the wyvern twisted. The lance grazed its side with a sizzle. It roared. Its tail whipped the water, a wave soaking the deck. The boat lurched beneath me.
The captain lunged, his spear aiming for the wyvern's underbelly, his movements steady, deliberate. The spear tip scraped its scales, drawing its attention, giving me a split-second to act. My eyes caught the boat's anchor chain, heavy, coiled on the deck. I pulled earth mana from the boat's wooden frame. The chain lifted with a groan. I wrapped it around the wyvern's tail as it swooped low, yanking hard to anchor it to the boat. The creature thrashed. The boat shuddered, its flight slowing, making it a bigger target.
The water around us churned, and I saw my chance. I reached for water mana, feeling it surge through my veins like a cold current. I pulled a wave upward. It splashed into the wyvern's face with a loud smack. The beast shook its head, droplets flying, its eyes blinking rapidly. I gripped Zentis's pendant, my fingers trembling. A faint warmth spread through me, a whisper in my mind: "Focus, Ardyn…" My heart steadied, and I acted.
I wove fire, water, and earth together, leaving wind out. My body burned with the effort; a sharp pain sliced through my chest. Steam formed, scalding, and I mixed in sand from the deck. The mist turned abrasive, gritty. I aimed for the wyvern's wing joint. The steam seared through the softer scales; the grit tore at its flesh. The creature shrieked, its wing faltering, but it kept flying, its claws raking the air too close.
Then the wyvern thrashed against the chain. Its wing caught in the boat's rigging. The ropes groaned, tightening around the joint I'd weakened. The beast's panicked yanks pulled them taut. The boat lurched violently; wood creaked. The wing bent at an unnatural angle. A sickening snap echoed. The wyvern's wing crumpled, and it spiraled into the water with a splash that nearly capsized us. The chain dragged it beneath the waves.
I dropped to my knees. My breath came in ragged gasps. My vision swam. My arms trembled; my veins buzzed. My whole body ached with strain. The captain's spear, the chain, the rigging, Zentis's pendant—they'd all played a part. I'd woven my magic, but I'd barely held on, relying on everything around me to survive. The captain stood over me, his expression unreadable. A glint in his eyes made me shiver, like he saw something I didn't. "Not bad, boy," he muttered, his voice low, before turning away.
I clutched the pendant. The sea breeze felt cold against my skin; my chest heaved. The mainland loomed closer, its shores shimmering with faint mana. Lunareth, they called it—a land of magic and mystery, where the Aetherial Academy waited. My mind lingered on the rune, the dream, the girl with emerald eyes—pieces of a puzzle that felt closer now, pieces I'd started seeing under the auroras. I'd survived, but I had a long way to go.
Valtheris stirred, and I, Ardyn Vaelor, was only beginning.