Present Day.
A young man, around seventeen, stood alone in a secluded glade. Sweat glistened on his brow as his sword danced in the air—swift, uncertain, desperate. Unaware that fate, once again, had begun to turn.
On the training ground, Kairos, Tavin, Elenor, and Kellan gathered in the bright early morning. They saw the young man standing alone in the secluded glade. The group went up to him.
"Good morning, Ronan."
The young man turned to the group, his eyes wide with surprise. "Good morning. What the hell?" he exclaimed, scanning his friends. "I haven't seen you guys for a few days, and suddenly, you're all at Adept Tier One?"
Elenor smirked, giving Ronan a playful fist bump on the back. "Even if we're at Adept Tier One, I doubt we could beat you while you're at Novice Tier Four. Sigh... Life's unfair, isn't it?"
Kellan chuckled but quickly interrupted, his tone serious. "Actually, I have something important to share. Did you guys hear about the Dimensional Rifts linked to Serenwyn Academy? I heard they'll be accessible to students at the Adept Tier in twenty days."
Tavin nodded, his expression thoughtful. "Yeah, I've heard about it too. Those Rifts are said to hold treasures and trials, but only for those strong enough to handle them."
Ronan clenched his fists, a determined glint flashing in his eyes. "Then I'll have to advance to Adept as soon as possible. Don't worry, I'll definitely join you all. For now, I'm heading to the library. Goodbye!" He turned abruptly, his steps quick and purposeful as he left the group behind.
Elenor watched him go, then turned to Kairos with a raised eyebrow. "Is everything okay with him? Ronan seemed... oddly happy."
Kairos gave a small shrug and a half-hearted wave. "Who knows? That guy's hard to read sometimes."
Tavin, standing with his arms crossed, glanced at Kairos. "By the way, where's Samantha? She's usually with you two."
"She went on a mission," Kairos replied. "She said she'd be back in six to ten days."
Kellan scratched his head, his tone tinged with doubt. "Do you really think Ronan can advance so soon?"
Elenor burst into laughter, her voice ringing with confidence. "Oh, he'll definitely advance. That's just how Ronan is."
Kellan frowned slightly, unconvinced. "Why are you so sure?"
Tavin turned to Kellan, a small smile tugging at his lips. "You've known him for two years, haven't you? Haven't you noticed something special about him?" Kellan hesitated before nodding, prompting Tavin to continue. "Ronan isn't like most people. He doesn't look to legends or heroes for inspiration. He observes, analyses, and makes decisions based on what works best for him."
Kairos chimed in with a small chuckle. "And trust me, his ideas are way more bizarre than you'd expect. But somehow, they always seem to work out."
The group fell silent for a moment, each lost in their own thoughts. Then, Elenor grinned, her tone light. "Well, I guess we'll just have to wait and see what crazy plan he comes up with this time."
After a few more minutes of idle conversation, the group dispersed, the anticipation of the Rift challenge hanging in the air like an unspoken promise.
As Ronan made his way toward the library, his thoughts churned. There are four classifications of magic users: Novice, Adept, Master, and Grandmaster. Each tier has its own subtier—Novice has four, Adept has six, Master has nine, and Grandmaster has twelve. I'm stuck at Novice Four... His fists tightened at his sides. I can't stay here any longer. I need to push forward—fast.
At Night,
Ronan leaned against the doorframe of Kairos's room, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'm heading out tomorrow morning. Going hunting with Ms. Amara."
Kairos, seated on his bed with a book in hand, froze mid-page. His eyes darted up, filled with surprise. "Wait, what? Hunting? With Ms. Amara? Since when does that happen?"
Ronan smirked, his expression mischievous. "Since I asked her for advice on improving my flame element control."
Kairos tilted his head, eyebrows raised in disbelief. "And that worked? How did you even convince her?"
"It wasn't that hard," Ronan replied, leaning further into the room, his tone casual but tinged with excitement. "I just asked if she had any suggestions, and she told me to practice with Beast Flame."
"Beast Flame?" Kairos repeated, his shock now mingled with concern. "Ronan, I know your flame control is good, but are you sure? You are still at the Novice tier. Isn't it dangerous to absorb flame cores?"
"I know, but low-grade beasts aren't very dangerous," Ronan admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "I told her it's nearly impossible to get my hands on something like that right now. That's when she offered to let me tag along on her hunt. If they come across any low-grade Beast Flame, they'll let me use it. If Ms. Amara agrees, that means it should be fine."
Kairos stared at his brother for a long moment, the weight of the revelation sinking in. "And you're just going to walk into a magical beast's territory? Do you even know what kind of creatures you'll be facing?"
Ronan shrugged, trying to mask his unease with bravado. "Whatever it takes, Kairos. You know I can't afford to fall behind. If this can help me get stronger—"
"Yeah, but at what cost?" Kairos interrupted, his voice laced with worry. He set the book aside and stood up, facing Ronan directly. "You can't just throw yourself into danger every time you feel like you're not enough."
Ronan's smirk faded, replaced by a flicker of vulnerability. He looked away, avoiding Kairos's piercing gaze. "You don't get it. I need this. If Samantha comes back before I do, just... help me out, okay?"
Kairos's expression softened, but his concern remained. "When are you leaving?"
"Early. Before sunrise." Ronan hesitated, then added, "Don't tell anyone, alright? Not until I'm back."
Kairos sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping. "Fine. But you'd better come back in one piece."
Ronan managed a faint smile. "I will. Thanks, Brother."
As Ronan turned to leave, Kairos called after him, his voice quieter but firm. "Ronan... you don't have to prove anything to me. Or to Samantha. You're enough, just as you are."
Ronan paused, his hand gripping the doorframe. For a brief moment, his resolve seemed to waver. Then he glanced over his shoulder, his smile now bittersweet. "Good night, Kairos."
"Good night," Kairos replied. The faint echo of his footsteps lingered long after the door shut. Kairos sat back on his bed, staring at the closed door. His book lay forgotten beside him as he whispered to himself, "Be careful, Ronan."