The trail twisted through dense trees now, branches clawing at Luma's arms as she and Ion pressed deeper into the highlands. The mist had thinned, revealing a golden sky—but tension still clung to the air.
Luma kept glancing over her shoulder. "Who was that man in red?"
Ion didn't answer immediately. He led her to a small clearing, where a circle of flat stones surrounded a blackened pit. A few charred sticks lay at the center.
"A long time ago," Ion said, kneeling by the pit, "people believed fire came from gods. It was sacred. Mysterious. But now we know—it is energy being released."
He reached into his cloak and pulled out a smooth metallic rod.
"You saw fire burst from the attacker's hand," he continued. "But he didn't create it from nothing. He redirected energy—stored in something hidden."
Luma knelt beside him. "But it looked like fire... like magic."
Ion nodded. "Because your eyes saw heat and light. But fire is just energy changing form. And the world obeys one strict rule:"
He pressed his palm to the ground and said slowly, "Energy cannot be created or destroyed—only transformed."
He drew in the dirt:
Thermal Energy ← Chemical Energy → Light + Heat
"The red-robed one used a small explosive powder—something like what ancient alchemists used. It burned fast, releasing energy as heat and light. Impressive, but not magic."
Luma blinked. "So he used stored chemical energy… and turned it into fire?"
Ion smiled. "Exactly. Just like we eat food and it becomes movement. Or charge a crystal and it becomes light."
---
They moved on, and soon reached a glimmering stream. Ion dipped his hands in, letting the water flow between his fingers.
"This stream," he said, "is energy in motion. It has potential at the top of the mountain, and as it flows down, it becomes kinetic energy—energy of motion."
He picked up a stone and held it above the water.
"Right now, this stone has gravitational potential energy. If I let go…"
He did—and it splashed into the stream below.
"…that potential becomes kinetic, and then disperses as sound, ripples, even warmth."
Luma touched the water. "So energy never disappears. It just… changes clothes?"
Ion laughed softly. "Well said."
---
Suddenly, a breeze stirred the trees. A faint whisper echoed between the trunks: "The balance tips…"
Luma stood quickly. "Did you hear that?"
Ion's face grew serious. "Yes. We are being watched."
He turned to her. "From this point forward, understanding the laws isn't just for survival. It's for defense."