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POV: Elyara Fiendraite
The last thing I remember… were Arthur's final words.
The person who saved me—or perhaps the one I tried to save.
But deep down… I know he was the one who changed my life.
Without him… I don't know what would have become of me.
When my father told me he found no cave, no child my age, nothing at all… my world collapsed.
I cried, shouted, and told them:
"If not for him… I wouldn't be alive!"
My parents remained silent.
And so, for months, I drowned in sadness—until I slowly began to adapt, returning to my intensive training under their supervision.
But something… was changing.
I started noticing strange signs on my father.
He would leave his room trembling, his face pale, his eyes sunken… as if he lost a piece of his lifespan every night.
Mother, on the other hand…
She would rise each morning with unnatural cheerfulness—an energy I had never seen in her before.
And some nights… in her eyes, I saw swirling blue spirals, like a silent madness taking root.
Sometimes Father would beg me to sleep with them, afraid of "something"…
But Mother would stand between us, watching him with dead eyes and a cold, unmoving smile—
A smile that froze my blood.
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One day, as I finished my solo training, my mother came running toward me, shouting with excitement:
"Elyara! You're going to be a big sister soon!"
I froze—
Then joy exploded inside me.
I had always been lonely.
My parents never allowed anyone near me, and my only friend lived far away, in a duchy near the continent's border.
If only Arthur were here…
Maybe I wouldn't feel this alone.
I hugged my mother tightly, eyes sparkling:
"Really?! Really?! Is it a sister or a brother? Tell me!"
She laughed, wagging her finger:
"No, no, Elyara… you mustn't act like that. And besides, I don't know yet. You'll have to wait until next year to see."
I lowered my head in disappointment:
"Then why tell me now? You got my hopes up for nothing…"
Mother cupped my cheeks with exaggerated sadness, her tone overly dramatic:
"Oh my… does my daughter hate her mother for sharing good news? Even your father—who worked very hard on this child—doesn't know yet."
Her words… her tone…
Something felt wrong.
I muttered softly:
"I'm sorry… I'm just lonely. You two are always busy… you're only home in the morning or at night."
She hugged me, kissing my head—her voice soft, yet hiding something sharp beneath:
"We're sorry, my little one… but don't blame us. You don't know how worried your father is for you. One day, you'll walk your own path… until then—
we must protect you.
Whether you like it… or not."
A shiver ran through me.
I knew I couldn't argue.
Then the head butler arrived, announcing Father's return.
Mother clapped lightly, smiling sweetly:
"Come, darling… let's welcome your father."
I asked excitedly:
"Will you tell him I'll be a big sister?"
Mother stopped.
She turned her head slightly toward me, a smile that was nothing short of inhuman stretching her lips.
She placed a finger against her lips and whispered:
"No, dear… not yet.
I still need him to… stay in the house."
I froze.
Her face… her voice…
Everything changed in that moment.
It was the first time…
I felt afraid of my mother.
---
Two Years Later
I sat at the center of a golden circle, surrounded by blue crystal pillars arranged in every direction.
The Awakening Circle.
A sealed chamber designed to contain any unfamiliar or dangerous power that might emerge during a child's awakening.
Only family members were allowed inside—to decide whether their child's awakening should be revealed to the world… or kept hidden.
I felt it inside me—
A force desperate to burst free.
The moment of breakthrough…
The moment I would become an Awakened.
My parents watched from outside.
And my little sister, Sophie—barely two years old—stared at me curiously.
Then the pain struck.
A searing wave tore through my body.
Bones cracked.
Black, foul-smelling liquid seeped out of my skin.
Then blue celestial light engulfed me, forcing a scream from my throat.
The light pierced the chamber—
A chamber buried 200 meters underground
And shot upward, splitting the sky.
Then it appeared.
Celestial birds of many shapes gathered…
And finally converged into one form:
The Legendary Phoenix.
But it wasn't the red fire phoenix of myths—
It was a radiant sky-blue phoenix.
Its feathers shimmered like gemstones,
And its eyes burned with white, sacred flames.
The whole world saw it—
But no one knew whom it belonged to.
Then the phenomenon faded.
And from the dying light emerged a girl—
Unreal in her beauty.
Snow-white hair cascading to her waist,
Blue eyes shining like stars,
A dress woven from phoenix feathers.
A tiny blue phoenix circled her…
Before settling on her back as a glowing tattoo—
A Sky Phoenix Mark.
My vision blurred.
I lost balance, falling—
But Mother caught me swiftly, crying with joy.
She told me
Rest now, my little one, you have succeeded
---
Ten Months Later
In a modern training arena, father and daughter stood facing each other.
Alistar, clad in light armor allowing full mobility, his steely blue eyes filled with pride and seriousness.
Elyara, wearing a flexible combat outfit, her snowy white hair tied tightly, her blue eyes glittering with excitement.
"Ready, little one?" Alistar asked, his deep voice resonating as the wind stirred around him.
"Always, Father!" Elyara replied confidently, raising her hand in preparation to summon a spark of flame.
The training began.
Alistar moved first, summoning a cloud of dense darkness that enveloped him, attempting to obscure Elyara's vision.
But she didn't hesitate—she clapped her hands, releasing a gust of stormy wind that tore the darkness apart, revealing her father nearing her position.
"Very good!" he praised, launching sharp shards of ice toward her.
Swiftly, Elyara summoned a stone wall from the ground.
The icy arrows shattered against it, sending shimmering fragments flying.
"Excellent defense—
But what about your offense?" Alistar teased, his hands glowing with cold blue light as he prepared another ice spell.
Elyara didn't give him the chance.
A spark in her palm burst into a small but powerful fireball, shooting toward him.
At the same time, she summoned floating stones that whirled around her, ready to launch.
Alistar created a wind vortex around himself, diverting the fireball before it dissipated.
Then he hurled a massive ice projectile at Elyara.
She countered by firing the spinning stones, colliding with the icy blast and turning it into a cloud of mist.
The battle intensified—
A dance of clashing elements.
Wind against flame.
Ice hitting stone.
Darkness biting into light.
Elyara moved with dazzling agility, dodging her father's attacks and responding with increasing strength.
In a critical moment, Alistar seized upon a brief hesitation—
He froze the ground beneath her, immobilizing her for an instant.
Then he summoned a swirling storm of wind that lifted her several feet into the air.
"Surrender, little one. It's over!" he challenged.
But Elyara refused.
Trapped in the windstorm, she gathered every last bit of her strength—
Unleashing an explosion of fire that shattered the storm and pushed her father back a step.
In the resulting chaos, she launched a volley of sharp stones at him.
Caught off guard by her power, Alistar was forced to raise a thick ice barrier.
Even then, the impact cracked the ice, forcing him down to one knee.
"I think that's enough, Father!" Elyara said, breathing hard, eyes shining with triumph.
Alistar smiled proudly as he stood again, placing a hand on her shoulder.
**"You've exceeded my expectations, Elyara.
You're ready—more than ready—to join the Academy.
The world is about to witness the rise of a new heroine."**
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