The familiar sight of Fairy Tail's guild hall should have brought Riven comfort, but as he approached the massive building in the pre-dawn darkness, he could sense that something had changed. Magical energy crackled in the air around the structure—not the usual warm, chaotic mix of his guildmates' various magics, but something sharper and more urgent.
Light spilled from every window despite the early hour, and he could hear raised voices from within. This wasn't the normal sound of Natsu and Gray's endless arguments or the cheerful chaos of an impromptu party. This was the sound of serious discussion, the kind that happened when Fairy Tail faced a real threat.
Riven pushed through the heavy wooden doors to find the main hall packed with guild members despite it being barely past sunrise. Master Makarov stood on a table in the center of the room, still wearing his nightclothes but with an expression of grim alertness. Around him, the guild's strongest members had gathered—Erza in her practical armor, Mirajane looking unusually serious, Gildarts nursing a cup of coffee with uncharacteristic focus.
Scattered across several tables were magical communication devices, mission reports, and what looked like hastily drawn maps marked with red circles and urgent notations.
"Riven!" Levy called out as she spotted him in the doorway. She hurried over, her usually neat blue hair disheveled and her eyes bright with the kind of excitement that came from discovering something important. "Thank goodness you're back. We've been getting reports all night."
"Reports of what?" he asked, though the sinking feeling in his stomach suggested he already knew.
"Magical disturbances," she said, holding up a thick stack of papers. "All over the continent. Ice storms in Iceberg that came out of nowhere and froze an entire port city solid. Windstorms in Bosco that lifted buildings off their foundations. Earthquakes in Seven that opened chasms in the middle of peaceful farmland."
Riven felt the color drain from his face as Levy continued reading from the reports.
"But here's the strange part—none of these phenomena match normal weather or geological patterns. The ice storms struck during the warmest part of the day. The windstorms moved in perfect spirals with no atmospheric pressure changes. The earthquakes followed no known fault lines."
*"It has begun faster than I anticipated,"* Baal whispered in Riven's mind. *"Three of my siblings have awakened and chosen bearers. The magical resonance is causing disturbances across the continent as their new hosts struggle to contain powers they do not understand."*
Master Makarov's voice cut through the noise of discussion as he called for attention. "Listen up, everyone. What we're dealing with here isn't random magical accidents. These disturbances show clear patterns of intelligent magic—someone or several someones have gained access to elemental powers far beyond normal mage capabilities."
He gestured to one of the maps, which showed the locations of the various incidents marked with different colored pins.
"The timing is too convenient to be coincidence. All of these events started within the past three days, and the magical signatures don't match any known magic users in our databases. We're looking at new players on the field—people who have gained significant power very recently."
Erza stepped forward, her expression troubled. "Master, there's something else. I received a priority message from the Magic Council an hour ago. They've confirmed at least three individuals who match the description of newly empowered mages. Two have already been approached by representatives from dark guilds."
A murmur of concern ran through the assembled guild members. Everyone knew what it meant when dark guilds started recruiting immediately after mysterious power surges—they were looking for weapons to use against the legal magical community.
"Which dark guilds?" Gildarts asked, setting down his coffee cup with more force than necessary.
"Oración Seis for certain," Erza replied. "Intelligence suggests they've successfully recruited at least one of the new power holders—a young woman from Iceberg who gained control over ice magic that rivals Gray's at his strongest."
Gray straightened at the mention of his magic type, ice crystals beginning to form around his clenched fists. "Someone who can match my ice magic after just a few days of having it? That's not possible unless they're using some kind of amplification artifact."
Riven knew he had to speak up. The guilt of keeping his knowledge secret while his guild tried to piece together a puzzle he could easily solve was eating at him from the inside.
"Master," he said, his voice cutting through the discussion. "I think I know what's happening. And I think it's connected to what happened to me in the desert."
The entire guild hall fell silent. Master Makarov's sharp eyes fixed on him with an intensity that made Riven feel like he was being examined down to his soul.
"Explain," the old man said simply.
Riven took a deep breath and began to tell them everything—about the prophecy Baal had revealed, about the seventy-two Djinn and their inevitable awakening, about the seven Great Djinn whose bearers would compete for ultimate power. With each word, the expressions of his guildmates grew more serious.
When he finished, the silence stretched for long moments before Natsu broke it.
"So you're telling us that there are going to be seventy-two people running around with ancient spirit magic?" The dragon slayer's voice was unusually subdued. "And seven of them are going to be so powerful they could probably level countries?"
"That's about right," Riven confirmed miserably. "And from what Baal tells me, not all of the Djinn choose their bearers based on good intentions. Some prefer bearers who are willing to use their power for conquest or domination."
Master Makarov stroked his mustache thoughtfully. "And this prophecy says that eventually all seven Great Djinn bearers will have to face each other in some kind of trial?"
*"The Trial of Dominion,"* Baal clarified in Riven's mind. *"Though the exact nature of the trial has been lost to time. It could be single combat, a series of challenges, or something else entirely. What is certain is that only one bearer can emerge as the Djinn King."*
"Baal says it's called the Trial of Dominion," Riven relayed. "Only one of the seven can become the Djinn King and command all seventy-two Djinn. The others..." He swallowed hard. "The prophecy doesn't say what happens to the ones who lose."
Mirajane, who had been quietly listening to the entire explanation, finally spoke up. "Riven, you said that some of these Djinn prefer bearers with violent or ambitious tendencies. What about the ones that have already awakened?"
*"Valefor, who awakened in Iceberg, typically chooses healers or those with protective instincts—but she can be swayed by those who promise to use her power to preserve what they consider important, even if their methods are questionable. Zepar of the winds seeks those who value freedom above all else, which can include those who wish to be free from moral constraints. Leraje..."* Baal paused. *"Leraje is particularly dangerous. The Djinn of Plants and Earth gravitates toward those with the temperament of rulers. His bearers often become conquerors."*
Riven relayed this information, watching as the implications sank in around the room. If even the "good" Djinn could be manipulated into choosing problematic bearers, what would happen when the truly malevolent spirits began to stir?
"There's something else," he added reluctantly. "Baal can sense when other Djinn awaken. Last night, while I was in Stillwater, I felt another presence stirring. Something powerful, somewhere to the south."
As if summoned by his words, a tremor ran through the guild hall. It wasn't physical—the building didn't shake—but every mage in the room felt it as a ripple of magical energy that made their own power resonate in response.
Lisette burst up from her underground workshop, her hair even more disheveled than usual and her clothes singed with scorch marks from magical experiments.
"Did everyone else feel that?" she asked breathlessly. "Because I was analyzing some ancient texts about power awakenings, and my detection equipment just went completely haywire. Something massive just activated somewhere within a day's travel of Magnolia."
*"Leraje,"* Baal confirmed grimly. *"The Earth King has chosen his bearer, and they are close. Very close."*
Before anyone could respond, the guild hall doors burst open with enough force to slam them against the walls. A figure strode inside, magical energy radiating from them like heat from a forge. When they lowered the hood of their dark traveling cloak, it revealed a young man roughly Riven's age with silver hair and golden eyes that seemed to glow with inner power.
He was tall and lean, with the kind of confident posture that spoke of someone accustomed to being obeyed. His clothes were expensive and well-made, suggesting noble birth or significant wealth. But it was the magical aura surrounding him that made every member of Fairy Tail tense for potential combat.
The newcomer's power felt ancient and vast, with an earthy, grounding quality that spoke of deep forests and mountain stones. It resonated with the same frequency as Baal's lightning, but with a completely different character—where Baal was dynamic and crackling with energy, this presence felt solid, patient, and absolutely immovable.
"I'm looking for the bearer of Baal," the stranger announced, his voice carrying a slight accent that suggested origins in one of the northern kingdoms. "I have a proposition for him."