The morning air was crisp as Aaron emerged into the mansion's garden, wearing loose training clothes and carrying a rolled-up mat under one arm. His muscles still ached from the "wind cliff incident" yesterday, and his joints creaked like rusty hinges.
He winced, rotating his shoulders. "Okay… new rule. No more cliff dancing without proper warm-up."
Today, he planned to focus on flexibility. Nothing intense—just simple stretches to loosen his supposedly frail, undertrained body. He had scoured the Aetherwyn library for something resembling a yoga manual and eventually found an old leather-bound book tucked behind tomes labeled 'Flame Communion Archives'.
Its title, barely legible through the soot stains, read:
"Sun-Soul Awakening Ritual: Movements of Divine Flame"
To Aaron, it sounded like a beginner's stretching guide—maybe something his ancestors used to stay limber.
He sat cross-legged on the mat and flipped the book open.
"'First pose: Ember Rooted Posture. Align breath with inner fire. Lower your center. Sink your spirit.' Huh. Sounds spiritual. Must be good for core strength."
He began the first pose.
---
At first, nothing happened. He took deep breaths, stretched forward, rotated his waist, and felt the pleasant burn of a good stretch.
Then… the air grew warmer.
Aaron blinked. "Huh? It's getting hot. Must be the morning sun."
He glanced up.
The sun was still low—soft gold, barely warming the horizon. Yet the garden around him shimmered faintly with heat. The grass swayed as if touched by invisible flames. The air rippled.
Still oblivious, Aaron moved to the next pose: Molten Sun Salutation—arms raised, chest forward, feet planted wide. A simple stretch in his mind.
Unseen to him, glowing trails of fire began curling around his limbs like dancing ribbons. His mana, once quiet, flared in sync with each motion—responding to the lost rhythm of the Virelith family's ancient fire rites.
Birds took flight from nearby trees. Small woodland creatures emerged silently from the underbrush. A red fox paused beside a hedgehog. A deer stepped into the garden, ears perked.
They all stared.
Aaron, sweating now, stood in a pose resembling a blazing torch.
"Damn, these stretches are intense," he muttered. "Feels like I'm cooking from the inside out. Is this what cardio feels like?"
He continued.
---
Elsewhere, in the forest bordering the estate…
A cloaked figure crouched on a tree branch, peering through enchanted lenses. She was a junior scout from House Virelith, sent to monitor Aaron's rumored progress after yesterday's wind incident.
When she saw the fire trails spiraling from his body, she nearly dropped her lens.
"Impossible…"
She adjusted the focus. Aaron was glowing. His body pulsed with a deep, golden flame—the same hue described in forbidden texts about the Sun-Soul Heir, a Virelith descendant fated to rekindle the Divine Flame.
The scout's heartbeat quickened. "This is… this is a revelation! He's performing the Fire Communion! Without a guide, without a fire altar, and with… grace?"
She didn't wait for the session to finish. She vanished into the woods, racing back to report.
---
At House Virelith…
Lily Virelith stood on a training platform surrounded by blazing spears, drenched in sweat. The fire spirits danced around her in anticipation as she completed her ninth fire rite of the morning.
A butler stumbled up, pale-faced.
"My lady. You… may want to see this."
She took the scroll, wiping her brow with mild irritation. Her eyes scanned the scout's report, each word more ludicrous than the last.
"…Awakened Divine Flame?"
"…Celestial Harmony Movement?"
"…Unconscious mastery?"
She snorted. "Tch. Must be a mistake. That lazy noble? The spoiled pig who was wheezing after climbing stairs last year?"
But as she reread the final paragraph—'All wildlife present remained calm and reverent. The fire spirits knelt. The garden bloomed'—something in her expression shifted.
"…Or maybe…"
---
Back in the garden…
Aaron was flat on his back, breathing hard, arms spread out like a fallen starfish.
He was drenched in sweat. His shirt clung to him. His hair looked like he'd run through a thunderstorm.
"Yeesh. These beginner stretches are no joke…"
The grass around him was still warm. Flowers had bloomed in perfect spirals where he'd stood. The stone tiles under his mat glowed faintly, charred into swirling patterns.
He raised a shaky hand and gave himself a thumbs-up.
"Progress."
---
That evening, in the dining hall…
The Duke stared at his wine glass while a butler whispered the day's surveillance report in his ear.
Aaron sat across the table, quietly sipping soup.
"Father," he said between bites, "I think I overdid it today. Tried some stretches. Fire-themed, I think. You know—sun salutations and stuff."
The Duke's fingers tightened on his glass.
"…Did you burn anything?"
"Just a little moss. Nothing big."
The Duke closed his eyes.
Another noble in the room muttered, "Fire communion. The boy's awakening the lost rites. First wind, now flame. What's next?"
Aaron slurped his soup. "Might try water exercises tomorrow. I think I'm getting a bit dehydrated."
---
Elsewhere, that same night…
The various noble families of the Ten Continents received scattered reports.
House Virelith Report:
The Divine Flame has stirred. Unknown heir may be undergoing Ascension.
Caution advised. Do not provoke.
Sky General's Memo:
Wind and fire phenomena centered on House Aetherwyn. Two events in two days. Recommend quiet observation. Possibly divine intervention.
House Raventhorn (Secret Channel):
Subject A.A. may be a variable. Investigate further. Do not engage. If true identity confirmed, consider… containment.
---
Meanwhile, Aaron—oblivious to it all—lay in bed that night staring at the ceiling.
"Stretching's harder than it looks," he muttered, rubbing his sore legs.
He pulled the blanket up and sighed.
"I really am built like a glass cannon. Just hope I don't pull a muscle tomorrow."
Outside, fireflies glowed brighter than usual. Somewhere in the dark, a fire spirit bowed and vanished into the night.
---
End of Chapter 10