---
The noise outside grew still.
Elian and Lyra crept toward the door and slowly stepped outside. The wind rustled the trees gently now, as if nothing had happened. But then they saw him—someone lying on the ground at the edge of the path.
A young man, barely older than Elian, slumped beside a bush, badly injured. His clothes were torn, his arm bleeding, and strange glowing cuts marked his skin. His chest rose and fell in ragged gasps.
"It's only one person," Lyra whispered.
They rushed to him. Elian dropped to his knees, gently turning the stranger onto his back.
"He's still breathing," he said, panic rising. "But he's hurt badly."
They struggled to lift him and carried him back inside, laying him carefully on the floor near the glowing book. Elian looked at the wounds, helpless.
"What do we do?" he asked.
Lyra's eyes darted to the book.
"Wait…" she said suddenly. "The old man said you've gotten great magic from the book, right?"
Elian blinked. "Yeah?"
"Then maybe… maybe you can heal him."
Elian hesitated. His hands trembled as he reached for the book. He opened it slowly—this time, it responded instantly. The pages flipped on their own, glowing faintly, until they stopped on a page marked with a golden leaf symbol.
Words shimmered into view:
"Light of Life — to heal with the touch of belief."
He read the instructions aloud, then placed his hands gently over the stranger's wounds.
He closed his eyes and whispered the words.
A soft warmth flowed from his hands.
The room lit up with a quiet glow.
Before their eyes, the man's breathing steadied. The glowing cuts began to close. The blood stopped flowing. His fingers twitched.
Lyra gasped. "Elian… you did it."
Elian opened his eyes, breathless. For the first time, he felt it—not fear, not confusion—but power. Real power. Flowing from within.
And it had only just begun.
---
The young man stirred, groaning softly as his eyes fluttered open. He blinked at the soft light overhead, then looked at Elian and Lyra, confused but grateful.
Elian leaned in gently.
"Uhm… are you the only one here?" he asked.
The stranger nodded slowly, wincing in pain.
"We were attacked… on our way here," he said, voice hoarse. "I was the only one who made it… because I can teleport."
Elian and Lyra exchanged a shocked look.
"Attacked?" Lyra echoed. "By who?"
The boy looked toward the window, eyes narrowing as if remembering something terrible.
"Shadow beasts," he whispered. "They knew we were coming."
---