The wind howled through the charred skeletons of forgotten trees, and ash rained like snow over the desolate plains of Aerith. Standing among the ruins was a boy—shoulders thin, eyes dim, heart heavy. Elio.
He wasn't a warrior, not yet. His arms lacked the hardened muscle of seasoned fighters, and his steps bore hesitation rather than pride. But in his silence, there was weight. In his presence, there was something... off. Something brewing beneath the surface.
"Again," Ronan said, his voice sharp as the wind. The old warrior towered nearby, arms crossed, eyes narrowed. "Draw from within. Feel it. Not with anger—with purpose."
Elio clenched his fists. A faint shimmer pulsed at his fingertips. Blue light—subtle, crackling like restrained thunder. But then it fizzled, as if afraid to emerge.
"You're holding back," Ronan said, stepping closer. "You're scared. Of what's inside you."
"Wouldn't you be?" Elio muttered, glancing away. "You said it yourself. My power—it's not natural."
Ronan knelt before him. "Power doesn't care about right or wrong. It only reflects the heart that wields it."
A moment passed.
Then a tremor rocked the ground. Not distant. Close. Violent.
Elio and Ronan turned. From the forest's edge, a beast emerged—twice the size of a horse, plated in bone, snarling with a mouth of razors.
"Elio," Ronan said calmly, drawing his blade, "this is no lesson."
Elio's heart pounded. His legs locked in place.
The beast charged.
Ronan moved like a tempest—steel flashing, wind screaming—but even he was pushed back. Dust exploded from the impact, and Elio was knocked off his feet.
In that instant—panic, fear, and something more—ignited inside him.
The blue shimmer returned, brighter. Stronger. Dancing up his arm like wildfire.
He stood, eyes glowing, breath steady. The aura coiled around him—not wild, but watchful. A reflection of the storm within.
With a single step, Elio moved.
The ground cracked beneath his foot. The world slowed.
And as he met the beast's charge, fist first, the sky above them split with light.
End of Chapter 1