Morning sunlight spilled across the training grounds, a large circular arena made of pale stone engraved with runes. Today, the entire place was filled with voices. Elven scholars whispered excitedly, mage instructors took notes, and guards stood in formation as if expecting something monumental.
Shoko stood in the center, trying not to show how tense he was.
Ariandel placed a reassuring hand on his back. "Focus on me. Not on them."
He nodded. Elyndra stood nearby, wearing a calm smile, though the worry in her eyes was obvious.
King Velion observed from a raised platform alongside the Queen.
Shoko took a slow breath. "So… they all want to watch?"
Velion answered from above. "They are here because you may be the first step toward something thought lost. Do not fear them."
Shoko couldn't help but mutter, "Not helping…"
Ariandel chuckled softly. "Just do your best."
Shoko nodded again, then lifted his hands.
A ripple of magic moved through his veins. Threads formed instantly — thin silver lines glowing with faint gold. They spun around his arms like flowing ribbons. Some of the elven scholars gasped.
One whispered, "That resonance… impossible."
Another said, "Children do not command threads like that. No one does."
Shoko tried to ignore them and focused. He extended his hands, letting the threads spread across the ground in a wide arc. They formed a pattern he had never attempted before — a complex weaving of spirals and lines.
His breathing steadied.
He could do this.
Ariandel stepped back to give him space. "Now lift the weave."
Shoko tugged upward. The ground shook as the threads rose, lifting several stones into the air. The stones hovered, spinning in controlled rings.
The elven instructors stared in disbelief.
Ariandel whispered, "Incredible…"
But the King's eyes narrowed. "No. Something is guiding him."
Shoko felt it too.
A presence.
A subtle pressure behind his thoughts.
As if someone was helping steer the magic.
He gritted his teeth. "Not again…"
A voice echoed inside his mind.
"You are not ready to resist me."
Shoko stiffened as golden light sparked from his fingertips.
"Stop," he whispered. "Let me do this myself."
Ariandel stepped forward. "Shoko? What is wrong?"
Shoko's threads trembled, shaking the suspended stones violently. The scholars backed away. Velion stood up.
"Shoko, release the magic!"
But the threads tightened instead, glowing brighter. A surge of golden force shot through the weave.
Ariandel shouted, "Shoko, listen to my voice! Stay with me!"
The stones suddenly cracked, shards breaking off and spinning dangerously fast.
Elyndra ran toward him. "Shoko!"
Shoko grit his teeth and yelled, "I'm in control!"
But the masked figure's whisper slipped through his thoughts again.
"No. I am."
A brilliant flash erupted behind Shoko's eyes. His threads surged outward wildly, forming a dome of vibrating light that forced everyone back.
King Velion raised a hand. "Contain it!"
Elven mages joined forces, summoning barriers around the dome as it expanded, growing brighter and brighter. The ground shook violently.
Shoko screamed inside the light, feeling two forces fighting for control of his magic — his own, and the other.
He shouted, "Get out of my head!"
Ariandel pushed through the wind, tears forming. "Shoko! Come back to me!"
Elyndra sprinted beside her, voice breaking. "You're strong! You can fight it!"
Shoko's eyes snapped open.
He could see the masked figure inside his mind — wings spread, threads of golden light flowing from its hands.
It leaned forward, whispering.
"Show them your truth."
Shoko roared in defiance, tearing his hands downward. His threads collapsed, unraveling the dome in an explosive burst of silver light.
A shockwave spread across the arena.
The elven mages' barriers shattered.
The light faded.
Silence followed.
Shoko fell to one knee, breathing hard. Sweat dripped down his face. Ariandel rushed to his side and caught him before he could collapse.
"Shoko!" she cried. "Talk to me!"
He gasped, "I… I didn't mean to lose control. Something… was pulling me."
Elyndra knelt beside him, gripping his hand tightly. "You fought it. You stopped it yourself."
Velion approached slowly, robes fluttering in the lingering magic.
He looked down at Shoko with a grave expression. "This was no ordinary surge. Someone interfered."
Ariandel glared at him. "He is exhausted. You can question him later."
But Shoko shook his head weakly. "No… he should know."
Velion knelt, surprisingly gentle. "Then tell me, Shoko. What did you see?"
Shoko met the king's eyes. "A figure. Like me… but older. Stronger. Transparent. Wings… white and gold. A mask over its eyes." He swallowed. "He controls threads too."
Velion's expression darkened.
The Queen stepped closer. "A creation echo…"
Elyndra flinched. She recognized the term from her memories of the book. A creation echo was not just a spirit.
It was fate itself, woven into a being.
She whispered under her breath, "It's starting earlier than it should…"
Ariandel hugged Shoko tightly. "You are not facing that thing alone."
Shoko leaned against her, exhausted but still conscious. "I don't want to run anymore. I want to understand it. I want to beat it."
Velion rose to his full height. "Then we must change our plans."
Elyndra stood, worry twisting her face. "What do you mean?"
Velion looked at the assembled mages. "Shoko's magic is not merely evolving. It is awakening something ancient. Something dangerous." He turned to Shoko. "We must accelerate your training. But with caution."
Ariandel nodded. "I will stay with him through all of it."
Shoko managed a tired smile. "I know."
Elyndra squeezed his hand. "You scared me. Don't do that again."
Shoko chuckled weakly. "No promises."
The King pointed toward the shimmering dust left from Shoko's outburst.
"This was only the beginning. Whatever watches you… will not stop."
Shoko lifted his head.
And for the first time, he didn't look afraid.
He looked ready.