"Grandfather?" Asher remained rooted to the spot.
Marnie frowned, annoyed by the fact that Asher recognised the old man.
" 'Grandfather'? Asher careful! This might be a trick!"
But it wasn't.
Eddy handed him a Pyropex Griffin's egg with a smile and disappeared.
"Wait! Don't go...Not now," Asher's voice broke.
Marnie still had suspicions about the egg they were given, believing it was some kind of trap.
Remi decided to lighten the mood and nudged Asher's side. "Hey, cheer up! We've got the crystal, which is still intact, and we've obtained the egg!" She said, giving him a slight push forward.
"Hey, can we just leave it at that? Even if that was your grandfather Asher, still, it's the Nevermore Forest, things like this are bound to happen". Marnie kept on insisting, doubting Asher's encounter.
"Just keep your mouth shut, will you?!" Asher snapped. "If you're going to split up and find another egg, then that's not my problem!"
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"You have all passed the test, congratulations," Malovik said.
Asher remained unsettled but was called by Malovik. "I'll have to speak to you after this, young one". Asher nodded in response.
Just when everything had calmed down, one of the students, Edgar, stirred up the others.
"Hey, that's not fair! They didn't find the egg; it was given to them by the Darkling," He said.
Remi flinched.
"Yeah! He's not like the rest of us; he has a Sagea, so that's technically cheating!" Another added as they all began to complain and say terrible words against them.
"This is what I was trying to avoid, Asher, but you refused to listen," Marnie added.
Asher felt goosebumps as he gripped his cloak at the sides and began to tremble.
"Silence!" Lord Malovik commanded. "You all have no say in this; their fight with the Darklings is far greater than yours with the Griffins. They will be receiving much greater rewards than you all, and that's final! Any further comments will result in your failure!"
Even after this, Asher felt miserable. Everyone had recognised him.
How? Why didn't they recognise him earlier? Was he non-existent?
These questions flooded Asher's head, and he felt defeated because now, everyone was against him.
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When the day became brighter, other students had completed the tasks as well.
Surprisingly, most students from the Terra Circle and Argentum Tier failed the test and lost their opportunities.
Rumours about Asher spread like wildfire around the Academy. When Rowan heard it, he was devastated and relieved. "He just has to live with it".
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"Come on! Who cares if you've gotten a squirrel?" Remi asked, knowing that everyone cared and mocked Asher for it.
Students snickered as they passed by their table, "It's the squirrel guy".
Asher looked down at his food that had been there untouched for the last few minutes, and the steam had evaporated. His chest tightened as he clenched his fists under the table.
"Hey, shut it, coward!" Remi yelled across the cafeteria, drawing everyone's attention.
Edgar stood up from where he was seated and approached their table.
His appearance was off the charts.
Edgar was blonde and tall, with a strong body build that suited the uniform perfectly. He even smelled nice, like the fragrance of fresh flowers. But despite his polished look, his personality was a different story.
Edgar's pride swelled from his life of luxury and privilege. His family's wealth, titles, and influence in Ravenwood made him feel superior to others.
"Remi, you know better than to cover for this pathetic being,, He scoffed.
Asher remained seated. 'Just why?! I want to disappear! I want to end this!' He thought.
The students murmured as Edgar picked up the bowl of rice and dumped it onto Asher's head.
"Look, everyone! He thinks he can get away with cheating on the test! He's pathetic!"
Remi seethed with rage at the scene and grabbed a glass of water, but someone held her back.
"Stop", Asher insisted.
"Are you stupid?! Let go! Let me show him what that feels like!" Remi struggled, but Asher's grip remained steady on her wrist.
"Oh? Poor you...Tsk! Tsk! I wonder if your grandfather Darkling gave you the egg out of pity!" Edgar mocked.
That triggered something in Asher as he let go of Remi.
His status screen suddenly appeared and glitched.
[Ignifax Inferno - Unlocked!!]
Asher bowed his head as steam escaped from his body. He felt a hot sensation scorching his internal organs.
"Inferno..." he whispered. A gust of warm wind blew through the cafeteria causing others to stumble backwards and leaving Edgar to fall on his butt.
Asher's transformation was nothing short of apocalyptic. His veins blazed with an inner fire, pulsating with an orange glow that seemed to sear the air around him.
Flames danced through his hair, casting flickering shadows on his face, while his eyes burned with an unearthly crimson intensity, as if the very essence of Ignifax had been unleashed within him.
Remi stumbled backwards. "Ig...Ignifax Inferno?" She stuttered.
Asher's skin shone in the light, resembling the scales of a dragon.
"What the hell is this?!" Edgar asked in fear.
"He's gonna burn everything down!" A student yelled.
Lord Malovik, Maverick, Fang, and Rowan stepped into the scene.
"That would be enough now!" Maverick interrupted.
When Asher's gaze locked with his brother's, his fiery transformation faltered. His body crumpled to the floor, his flames extinguished, and his eyes rolled back as he succumbed to darkness, his form returning to its human state.
"Asher!" Remi attempted to touch him, but got burned.
"I call upon the eternal pact! Erebus!" Rowan summoned, commanding Erebus to bring Asher.
"Edgar Salmore! To the Order of Veil! Now!" Maverick ordered as the guards escorted Edgar out of the cafeteria.
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When Asher was saved by Ignifax, it turned out that Ignifax had been waiting for that moment to occur.
Its goal was to build a connection with Asher, and it succeeded.
Asher was taken to the Arcane ward, where he was laid on the bed.
"I did see it. It disappeared after I asked if Asher was going to be alright," Remi said.
Fang didn't like the worried look on Rowan's face. "Hey, he's fine. It all turned out good anyway"
"I know that, but... I don't think he can take in all that power." Rowan confirmed as he held Asher's hand.
"He has been chosen from birth, I suppose," Lord Malovik said.
Ignifax was not an ordinary dragon; it was the first dragon of the first male Sagea master. The statue outside their school honoured that legacy, ensuring that future generations respect and remember their contributions.
Maverick frowned. "Are you sure about that? This young one?" He asked, not wanting to believe it.
"Rowan dear, Asher will be in our care," Malovik said with a smile and chuckled.
Rowan was right about Asher not being normal; he had always done incredible things for their family when they were younger.
As for Remi, she felt a sense of pride wash over her.
'That'll show those brats, ' she thought.