That morning, the mountain air felt colder than usual. A thin mist veiled the area around Gorion's small house, creating a calm atmosphere that held an invisible pressure. It was the kind of atmosphere that signaled the beginning of something significant. Elara stood by the kitchen, cleaning her hands after breakfast, while Sylveras sat near the window, gazing at the distant valley.
"Come on, to the back," Gorion said, suddenly appearing at the doorway. "Your training starts today."
The three of them walked past the side of the house to the spacious backyard, which bordered a dense forest and steep slopes. In the center of the open field stood two massive stones—each nearly as tall as a two-story house, their surfaces glimmering faintly like glass.
"What are those... stones?" Elara asked quietly.
"Ardan's protective stones," Gorion answered curtly. "Each of you will face one stone. Your task is simple—destroy it."
Sylveras stepped forward, eyeing the stone with keen interest. He raised his hand, trying to sense the mana flow within. His brows furrowed instantly.
"It's layered with a seal," he muttered.
"Correct," Gorion replied. "Tiered magical seals from Ardan. These stones can't be destroyed with mere physical force or basic-level magic. You'll need to learn how to combine techniques, elemental understanding, and mana control efficiently."
Elara looked at her assigned stone, then turned to Gorion. "I don't have destructive magic. How can I—"
"Use what you have," Gorion cut in firmly. "Your healing magic is not useless. Light is a form of energy. Learn to focus and transform it. That's part of the training."
Sylveras gave a small smile. "Doesn't sound easy."
"This training is not about raw power. It's about boundaries," Gorion said, looking at them sharply. "You are not allowed to use advanced magic. Only basic spells. Sylveras, you must not release your sealed power, not even a little."
Sylveras bowed his head and nodded slowly. "I understand."
"The seal Ardan placed on you is no joke. If you try to force it open, even slightly, your mana could be detected by the All-Seeing Eye. That means the high elves—agents of the gods—will know your location instantly. Not to mention the demons curious about your power."
Sylveras clenched his fists. "I won't let that happen."
"Good," Gorion nodded. "Focus on the basics. You're already skilled in various fundamental spells. That's your real strength."
Elara glanced at Sylveras. "So... you can use all the basic elemental magics?"
Sylveras shrugged. "I just learned from a lot of books and experimented. I couldn't decide what to specialize in, so I studied everything."
Gorion gave a small smile. "That's what made you a good teacher for the village children. You could teach anyone because you understood the foundations of all. But now, it's time for you to go further."
They got to work. The first day was full of failure. Elara's magic bounced off the stone's surface. Her healing light was too soft, too scattered. She had to learn to focus her magic like a blade.
Sylveras tried combining wind and earth magic, attempting to create pressure in the stone's cracks, but Ardan's seal withstood everything.
Days passed. Each morning they arrived with tired bodies, scraped hands, and frustrated minds. But each night, they slept with new understanding, a step closer.
The first month nearly passed when finally, something changed. Elara managed to condense her light magic, transforming it into a spear of light that pierced a crack in the stone. Sylveras combined wind and water to freeze the stone's outer layer, then used earth and fire elements alternately, creating pressure and fractures that finally broke through the protective layer and shattered the stone.
When cracks began spreading across the surface of each stone, they didn't cheer. They only looked at each other, exchanging faint smiles with labored breaths. They knew—this was only the beginning.
From afar, Gorion watched them silently. "Two children unaware of the great fate awaiting them... but also two lights that might just challenge the coming darkness."
Training had just begun, and the next six months would be a journey full of blood, sweat, and self-discovery. But today, they had taken the first step onto the right path.
And that was more than enough.