Part One – The Guardian Mark
Location: Ashenwell Academy – The Hidden Sanctum, Below the Library
The room pulsed with silence.
Circular, ancient, built before Ashenwell had towers—this chamber had no torches, only runeburned stone and a pool of ethereal light at the center.
Each sibling stood at a point of the circle, facing inward. Grim stood just outside, his presence anchoring the ritual.
"This is where it begins," he said. "You won't come back the same."
Sparks hovered beside him, arms crossed, aura flickering between colors.
"Oh, don't be dramatic. You'll only maybe lose a few limbs or minds."
One by one, the light pulsed—and the Guardians came.
The Awakening
🔥 She'Zariin, the Phoenix, descended in a burst of searing pink fire. Hadi stumbled, eyes wide, as the flames entered her chest—not burning her, but unlocking something vast.
"I burn for truth," the voice echoed. "Shatter the impure, my heir."
💧 Vaelystraa rose from beneath the water of the pool, her icechime voice humming. Tristan grinned wildly as her power poured into him, his breath frosting with every word.
"Balance the tide. And when needed—drown the world."
☠️ Threxion slammed into existence like thunder. Ayesha grunted, her eyes flashing acid green as one of his spectral heads merged with hers before fading.
"Let pain be power. Break the world open."
🌑 Umbros did not appear.
He whispered.
The room darkened. And Max simply stepped backward… into his own shadow.
"Rule them. Or erase them."
Aftermath – Broken and Remade
All four collapsed as the chamber dimmed.
Grim stepped forward, caught Hadi before she hit the floor, then helped Tristan steady Ayesha. Max reemerged, completely calm—but something ancient now stared through his eyes.
"We're not Kindled anymore," Ayesha muttered, her voice hoarse. "We're…"
"Low Ember," Grim confirmed. "And on the edge of more."
Their cores had changed—richer, deeper. Something other pulsed inside them now. Sparks nodded, looking all four over like an approving big sister who wouldn't admit she cared.
"Well, you'll still probably get slapped around by the upperclassmen," she said. "But now at least you'll bleed cooler."
Back on the Surface – That Night
The siblings returned to the dorm just before curfew. Tired, sore, and humming with energy they hadn't earned—only survived.
Grim looked at them, each one glowing slightly in the dim moonlight.
"Rest tonight," he said. "Because tomorrow? You start learning what it means to be an heir."
And far above them, on the Headmaster's tower…
Zevrin sipped his tea, watching them with narrowed eyes and a satisfied smile.
"They're ready."