Part Two – Trial by Fire
Location: Grim's Mindspace – Midnight
The world around Grim shimmered into stormlight.
He stood again in the dream realm—the sky vast and pulsing with violet clouds, and lightning arcing like wild serpents in the air.
Perched upon a shattered crescent of floating earth, the massive silhouette of the stormdragon waited.
Scarred, radiant, and coiled with quiet wrath.
"You called," the dragon said.
"I need your help," Grim replied. "Not for me. For them."
The dragon's massive head tilted slightly. "Your siblings."
"They're strong. But the world's getting worse, and the Court will come for them. I want them trained. Properly."
The dragon's eyes burned with distant fury.
For a moment, Grim thought he might agree.
Then—
"No."
Grim blinked.
"Why?"
"Because I am not their guardian," the beast said. "You bear the essence. The spark. You are the bond. Not them."
Grim stepped forward. "You trained me with storms made for dragons. I survived."
"Barely," the dragon rumbled. "But you were chosen. They are not."
A long pause. The storm quieted.
Then:
"Still… they will not go untempered."
Location: Headmaster's Office – The Next Morning
They stood before the obsidian desk again. This time, the siblings looked... nervous.
Zevrin leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled, aura humming low like a predator suppressing a growl.
"You want me to train them?"
"They need it," Grim said. "And the dragon—he refused."
Zevrin smiled.
The kind of smile Grim didn't like.
"Excellent."
He stood.
The pressure in the room spiked—a crushing weight of authority, arcane wrath, and something ancient beneath the academy walls.
"I've broken spirits twice your age and shaped them into weapons. I have crushed arrogance with silence and turned cowards into blades."
"You want power?" he asked the siblings, eyes burning.
"You'll bleed for it."
The four exchanged looks.
Max adjusted his gloves calmly.
Hadi raised a glowing brow.
Tristan grinned like a man about to flirt with death.
Ayesha cracked her neck.
"We'll manage," Max said.
"Can't be worse than growing up with Grim," Hadi added.
"I call dibs on the sadistic sessions," Tristan smirked.
Zevrin's eyes twinkled with twisted joy.
"Oh, you'll all get your turn."
Sparks appeared over Grim's shoulder, whispering:
"You really don't like them, huh?"
"They asked," Grim muttered.