The sun rose over Alderbrook, bathing the buildings in streaks of orange and red. Air slipped into the narrow alley behind the tavern, having climbed out of a window without anyone in the Holloway noticing. Kelar stood at the far end of the alley, waiting. He grinned. "Good job. You made the right choice. Let's get out of here, yeah?"

  Air raised his fist toward the man towering over him. "Actually, I came here to punch you in the gut."

  Kelar stifled a laugh. "You can't be serious. You came here alone just to fight me? Are you stupid?"

  Air's brows drew together. "Everyone I know thinks I'm special. If I'm really as strong as they say, then maybe I can beat you. Things have been going my way. Why would they stop now?"

  Kelar shook his head. "That might be the most naive thing I've ever heard. You're special, yes, but you have zero skill or experience. If you want to rely on luck alone, be my guest. I'll take you back to Aurelios after I knock you out."

  Air snarled and charged. He threw a punch. Kelar stepped aside. Air followed with a kick. Kelar slipped back again. The man produced a wooden wand wrapped in twisting blue metal tubes and traced a string of symbols in the air. A plume of smoke burst outward.

  Air coughed and looked around, but the alley vanished behind the haze. Worse, the smoke felt wrong. It disrupted the current of wind flowing through him, turning it thick and sickly. Suddenly a fist slammed into his shoulder.

  Kelar chuckled somewhere within the fog. "You haven't done a lick of proper training." His voice shifted positions as he moved. "There's more to magic than blasting and punching."

  Air stumbled back against the tavern wall, eyes stinging.

  "I'll give you a hint," Kelar said, his heel driving into Air's side and shoving him away. "Most people in your situation would start redirecting their magical energy outward. It'd give you an imprint of your surroundings." A fist scraped across Air's face. "But I doubt you can grasp a concept like that."

  Air steadied himself, pressing a hand to his head. There was no pain where he had been struck. He shut his eyes and tensed, remembering the feeling from the other day when he had pushed his energy outward through his fingertip. This time he tried to spread that sensation across his entire body.

  Another punch came. Air raised both arms and blocked it. He slid backward, but the blow did not land cleanly.

  "Ah," Kelar said. "That's more like it."

  With his eyes closed, the world shifted. Blurred shapes pressed against his awareness. When he stood still and focused, he could sense Kelar approaching from the side. As the man lunged, Air leapt upward.

  Air would only just now realize the whenever he jumped, he Instinctively redirected the flow of his energy into his feet. While airborne, he couldn't sense anything around him anymore. Fingers clamped around his right leg.

  "If you can manage that much, how about reinforcement?" Kelar swung his arm down, slamming Air's back into the cold ground.

  Air yelped, bracing for pain. Instead, the impact felt dull, almost harmless, like a heavy shove rather than a crushing blow. He blinked in surprise.

  "That'll be tougher for you," Kelar went on, looming above him through the thinning smoke. "You've been relying on that unique ability of yours."

  Air tried to push his energy outward again, searching for Kelar through the smoke, but a heavy boot slammed into his chest and pinned him to the ground.

  "There's another one like you working under the Church of Emel," Kelar said, grinding his heel down. "She can tamper with anyone's emotions so long as her magical energy is making contact with someone else's." He lifted his foot and stomped again. Air brought his arms up just in time to block. "Your ability is different. More physical." Another stomp. "Like there's a soft barrier wrapped around you." Another. "Doesn't mean yer invincible. I just need to put in a bit more effort!"

  The impacts grew heavier. The thuds echoed off the alley walls. Air's heart pounded as sensation slowly crept through the barrier. With each stomp, he felt more of the weight behind the boot.

  "Breaking a few ribs ought to knock you unconscious."

  Air squeezed his eyes shut. He knew the next one would break through. Kelar lifted his foot, but It never came down. A soft thunk sounded in frontt him, followed by the clatter of metal striking stone. Kelar turned his head. Something small had hit his back.

  Air's eyes snapped open. While Kelar was distracted, he forced his energy outward. The smoky blur sharpened just enough for him to pinpoint the man's position. He planted his hands beside his head, bent his legs, and aligned the soles of his shoes beneath Kelar's raised boot. Then he shifted the flow of energy into his feet. Wind coiled around his legs as he kicked upward. The blast of wind launched Kelar off his feet and hurled him out from behind the tavern. The smoke scattered in every direction. Air flipped backward and landed on his feet.

  Garret stood a few paces away, wide-eyed, clearly shaken by the sight of Kelar flying past him. Air glanced down and spotted a metal spoon lying on the ground.

  A grin spread across his face. "Garret! You're a lifesaver!" He rushed over. "How'd you even know I was here?"

  Garret shrugged, still catching his breath. "I know this might sound weird, but ever since we got out of shelly, it's like I could feel the presence of everyone around me. ...I don't really know how else to explain it. I never really brought it up because I assumed I was just imagining things, and I didn't want to be a bother..."

  "Well, we can figure that out later. We've gotta get back to your house before that bald guy does. He said he was gonna burn it down."

  Kelar's laughter echoed from the street. "You misunderstood. I never said I'd burn that building myself."

  Air frowned. What did he mean? He grabbed Garret's hand and bolted in the opposite direction. Both boys froze when they rounded the corner. A thick plume of smoke rose into the morning sky from deeper within Alderbrook. From the direction of the Holloway. Air's stomach dropped. He was about to sprint when a fireball streaked toward him. He threw his arms up. The flames burst against him, heat searing across his skin. He staggered back, teeth clenched. He had not realized how much he relied on that barrier. Since waking up, he had barely felt any pain. The sudden sting of it sent a wave of fear through him.

  Kelar brushed soot from his sleeve as he approached. "I'm not letting you scurry over there. I want you to think about how you got your friends killed while I'm crushing your bones."

  Air shoved Garret behind him. "No. They'll be fine. Pyre and Silver are still there. They'll protect everyone. And when they're done, they'll come here and beat you up. I just have to keep you busy until then!"

  Most of the town was either asleep or distracted by the fire. Kelar knew he had a window of time before any guild members interfered. As for the fire elemental, he had already prepared for that. He smirked, the skin atop his bald head wrinkling. "Kid, you're adorable."

  The sound of Pyre's footsteps was swallowed by the roar of the flames around her. Fire crawled along the walls and ceiling of the medical ward as she sprinted down the hallway. Pyre was sleeping in a nearby inn when the presence of a raging fire awoke her. Linnea, Silver, and Sir Borin were clutched in her arms, while two injured spellcasters lay draped across her back. All she had to do was find Faelan and get everyone out. Once they were safe, the fire would be nothing to her.

  Room numbers blurred past as she ran. Linnea had said Faelan was in room six, checking on a new patient who had arrived the night before. Pyre passed room five and braced herself to turn. The moment she stepped into the doorway of room six, she came face to face with a floating lattice of sigils. Her eyes widened. The spell detonated, hurling Pyre backward into room seven. She smashed through the far wall and burst out of the building, boots gouging trenches into the dirt as she forced herself upright to keep from crushing the people she carried. She slid to a stop outside and carefully set everyone down.

  Smoke billowed from the jagged hole in the wall. A woman in a red cloak stood framed within it. She held a dagger lightly against her lips, a coy smile curving beneath her eyes. Her gaze drifted to Linnea, who struggled to stand after inhaling too much smoke.

  "Oh, Doc. How's your morning been? I'm feeling so~ much better thanks to you. You and your husband are so nice." She gasped dramatically, covering her mouth. "Wait. I think he's still in there. Somebody better go help him before it's too late." Her tone dripped with mock concern.

  Pyre snarled and lunged. Elara tossed her dagger toward her. Pyre swayed aside with ease, but just before she could close the distance, Elara vanished in a blink, reappearing where the dagger had landed.

  "I'd love to stay and chat, but I've got another elemental to kidnap. Hope you don't mind." She tossed the dagger behind her and disappeared into the trees.

  Silver's eyes went wide. "What!?"

  Pyre looked back toward town, jaw tight. If they were targeting Air, nothing good would come from it. Every instinct screamed at her to give chase, but Faelan was still inside.

  "Hey!" Silver ran toward her. "Don't worry. You go after her. I'll save Faelan."

  "Huh? Are you out of your mind?"

  He was already moving. "Just trust me!" Silver dove through the broken wall and into the burning structure. Heat pressed in from every side as he forced his way toward room six. The roof had collapsed. Charred beams smoldered atop a fallen shape beneath them. Faelan.

  Silver yanked the gravity orb from his bag. He had stowed it after Pyre saved him earlier. Now he poured energy into it and tapped one of the burning beams. The orb pulsed.

  Both the plank and Silver lifted slightly as he twisted the sphere upward. The heavy beam became nearly weightless. Holding his breath, he shoved it aside. Smoke curled around him but seemed to bend away under the orb's influence.

  He grabbed Faelan's hand and twisted the orb left.

  Both of them floated backward, gliding out of room six, through room seven, and out the shattered wall. Once clear, Silver cut the flow of energy. The orb dimmed as he lowered Faelan carefully to the ground. Faelan's body was badly burned, his skin angry and blistered, but he was breathing.

  Linnea rushed to him immediately, hands glowing as she cast spell after spell. Her lips trembled, yet her movements were precise. She called over the two spellcasters she had taken in earlier, instructing them to bolster her strength and dull the pain while she worked. More spellcasters arrived moments later, forming a line as they unleashed waves of water in unison. Steam hissed into the air as the flames began to falter.

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  Silver barely spared them a glance. Air was still out there, and he had a hunch that Elara wasn't being entirely truthful earlier.

  The crack of splintering wood rang in Pyre's ears as she leapt aside, avoiding multiple blasts of fire surging toward her. High above the forest floor, she and Elara bounded from branch to branch. As the elemental of fire, the flames posed no real threat to Pyre, but the girl chasing her clearly had no idea. Deciding to use that ignorance to her advantage, Pyre let Elara believe they stood on equal footing.

  Keeping pace was easy. Catching her was not. Each time Pyre drew close, Elara hurled her dagger forward and blinked to it, gaining another burst of distance. When Elara glanced back to fire another blast, Pyre caught the faint curl of a smile on her lips.

  Pyre stopped abruptly and swatted the flames aside. Elara halted as well. For a moment, they stood balanced on separate branches, the forest wind rustling through the leaves between them.

  "You... played me."

  Elara shrugged playfully. "You're only just now realizing that? You're not just built like an ogre. Seems your brain's as small as one's too."

  Pyre's jaw tightened. A sharp whistling sound cut through the air behind her. She tilted her head and snapped her arm up, catching an icicle aimed for the back of her skull. It shattered in her grip.

  "That makes two," she said flatly. "I'm guessin' the third's still in Alderbrook."

  Rumus stood on a distant branch, cloak billowing. Without a word, the siblings began circling her, launching alternating blasts of fire and ice. Pyre remained still, deflecting each attack with casual sweeps of her hands. Her eyes tracked them like a hawk studying prey. When she saw an opening, She lunged.

  Elara was still writing a spell out and had no time to throw her dagger. She released the spell, hoping it would deter Pyre's advance. A concentrated burst of flames slammed directly into Pyre's face. The fire curled around her harmlessly.

  Elara's expression twisted as Pyre closed the distance and clamped a hand over her face. With her other hand, Pyre seized Elara's wrist, trapping the one that held the enchanted dagger. Still charging forward, Pyre drove Elara headfirst into a tree. The trunk splintered under the impact.

  Elara's voice came out muffled beneath Pyre's palm. "What..."

  Pyre pivoted, holding Elara out in front of her like a shield. Rumus immediately ceased his attacks. " 'fraid you two got really unlucky," Pyre said with a smirk.

  Basic spells were simple enough to grasp, but mastering higher tiers demanded Cycles of effort. Most spellcasters specialized in one branch before attempting another. Rumus had devoted himself to water and ice, refining smaller spells to near perfection. Elara had chosen fire, though she lacked the drive to study it further than a few basic spells. Advanced spells drained large amounts of magical energy, and neither sibling possessed a particularly large reserve. Rumus in particular had to rely on smaller techniques to avoid exhausting himself.

  Pyre understood their weakness. If she never awakened as an elemental, her own magical capacity would have been below average. She dropped from the branch to the forest floor, still gripping Elara. Rumus followed, landing lightly opposite her.

  "I'm sure you had your reasons for choosing fire n water," Pyre said calmly. "But they're a terrible match against me. I'm the elemental of fire. Nothing you can cast will hurt me." Elara struggled in her grasp. "Let me go back to town," Pyre continued. "Promise you won't return there to help your friend. If you do, I won't kill her."

  Her hand slid from Elara's mouth to her throat, fingers tightening just enough to sell the threat. Pyre avoided killing whenever she could. If Rumus called her bluff, she would lose precious time subduing him too, and every second mattered.

  Rumus slowly raised both hands, wand pointed skyward. "Then I suppose you'd like a threaded Oath. No more harm will come to me or my sister, and you return to Alderbrook."

  Pyre nodded.

  Without hesitation, Rumus traced glowing lines through the air, forming several sentences. Beneath them, he drew a curling symbol. The written words drifted downward and merged into the mark. The symbol floated toward Pyre and hovered before her face.

  "I accept."

  The mark dissolved into faint particles and vanished. Pyre released Elara. Her neck was bruised and her head throbbed, but she remained standing. Without another word, Pyre leapt away, racing back in the direction of town.

  Elara coughed and looked up at her brother. "W-what are you doing? Kelar won't be able to beat her. The mission..."

  Rumus helped her to her feet. "The mission isn't as important as your safety. And don't worry about the Minister. I've already thought of a way to pin this failure on Kelar. He's the one who ordered us to continue after our initial failure."

  A weak smile crossed Elara's face. "Ah... of course. I'm lucky to have a little brother like you..."

  Air was hurled into the side of a building. Only minutes had passed since his fight with Kelar resumed, yet his body was already battered and bruised. He could barely dodge. In the smoke, Kelar must have been toying with him. Now, without that veil between them, the blows came fast and merciless. The pain was excruciating, but he had to endure. As long as he kept fighting, Pyre would come. She had to.

  Garret could only watch as his friend was beaten down. He wanted to intervene like before, but fear rooted him in place. If Kelar turned his Ire on him, he wouldn't last a second. Worse still, Garret could feel it-Air's body beginning to lose hope. His mind clung to stubborn resolve, but his body was nearing its limit. Every strike made Garret flinch. Tears streamed down his face. He felt utterly helpless.

  Air was knocked to the ground again. His eyes still burned with determination as he tried to stand, but his leg gave out. Garret covered his face, unable to watch the inevitable.

  Several empty barrels suddenly hurtled into Kelar's back. They slammed into him and burst apart in splinters, forcing him to turn. Silver stood before the tavern, enchanted sphere in hand.

  Before, he had made the mistake of pouring everything into the orb at once. Now he triggered it in short, precise bursts. It could only be sustained for seconds at a time, but that was enough. The large man grunted as the barrels collided with him and exploded into wooden shards.

  " What the hell are Rumus and Elara doing? Guess I have to pick up this pace before more of ya come runnin' "

  Silver shrugged, a smug smirk tugging at his lips. " Those two freaks are probably getting their asses handed to them. When Elara ran into the trees, I figured you'd already dragged Air out of town. But the way she was acting...I could tell something was up."

  Kelar laughed. "You really think you'll make a difference? I've seen you fight. You're nothing to me!"

  He unleashed a volley of explosive spells. Silver activated the orb and leapt onto the tavern roof, sprinting across the tiles as blasts tore through wood and stone behind him. One explosion caught him mid-stride, knocking him off balance. He unfurled his whip, latching onto a nearby sign. Swinging in an arc, he used another short burst from the orb to land safely on the ground. He didn't have much left. A sickly sensation crept up his legs, warning him he was nearing his limit.

  Kelar prepared another barrage but was interrupted by a sharp punch to the ribs. He slid across the dirt, clutching his side. Air stood there, fist extended.

  Kelar had released his reinforcement when Air fell, and with his attention shifting to Silver, he left himself wide open. "How the hell are you even standing?" Kelar snarled.

  Behind Air, Garret knelt where he'd been moments earlier. A faint green glow faded from the boy's trembling hands.

  "Of course," Kelar muttered, clicking his teeth. "Should've stomped that brat's head in when I had the chance." He began tracing a massive spell, sigils spinning into place around him. "Alright. Screw subtlety. I'll crush all of you at once."

  Kelar began weaving a large spell. Being more experienced than Rumus or Elara, Kelar completed the advanced spell swiftly. The sigils dissolved, and the earth answered. The ground rumbled violently. Cracks split the road as slabs of stone heaved upward, folding around Garret and Silver. Rock walls sealed around them, pinning their limbs. The stone tightened further, threatening to crush them alive. Air darted between rising fragments, weaving closer to Kelar.

  "You still want to keep going?" Kelar grinned. "One little punch and you think you've done something?"

  Air lunged and drove his fist into Kelar's gut. Kelar didn't budge. Air could feel the layers of magical energy protecting the man. It felt like hitting a stone wall.

  "That's how powerless you are, boy!"

  He kneed Air in the stomach. The boy doubled slightly but refused to fall. Air struck the same spot again. Nothing.

  "What are you gonna do? Keep swinging until it magically works?"

  Kelar's fist snapped into Air's face. Blood sprayed as Air stumbled back, barely catching himself.

  "I have to..." Air muttered, wiping his nose.

  Garret's healing had helped him back on his feet, but exhaustion was already dragging him back down. Still, he refused to collapse. Not when Pyre could appear at any moment.

  "I must admit," Kelar said coolly, stepping forward, "once you're corrected, you'll make an excellent student. How about taking Elara's place? I don't mind disposing of her. Bringing you to the minister might even earn me another promotion."

  Garret, trapped in darkness, closed his eyes. He could see the people around him as small balls of light. Air, Kelar, Silver appeared as floating spheres of energy in a void. He searched desperately for Pyre's presence. Nothing.

  "Please," he whispered in his mind. "Help."

  Then more lights flickered into existence. Small at first. Then dozens. Hundreds. They surrounded him, glowing brighter as his plea echoed. Air had said belief mattered. Even as Garret's wavered, Air's burned unwavering and fierce.

  Air clenched his fist. He knew this would be his last strike. Magic surged through him, gathering into his knuckles. Kelar pulled back his own fist, ready to strike Air down.

  Out of nowhere, thin green growths burst from the earth around Kelar's feet. the Vines twisted upward, wrapping tightly around Kelar's leg and siphoning away his energy. The shimmering layer protecting his body thinned.

  "What the?"

  Air's fist shot forward. It slammed into Kelar's stomach and sent him flying into a heap of trash bins. The sudden gap in his defenses had been just wide enough. Air exhaled sharply before collapsing, unconscious. The stone prisons around Silver and Garret crumbled into rubble.

  Garret grinned. "Haha! You did it!"

  The smile faded quickly. He could have sworn someone else had just helped, but there was no one else around? He rushed to Air's side and tried to heal him again. The moment he began forming symbols, nausea overtook him. Had he used all of his energy when he healed Air before?.

  Kelar rose from the wreckage, trash sliding off his shoulders. His expression was no longer amused. Silver stepped protectively in front of the boys. Kelar managed only one step before a gloved hand settled on his shoulder. He turned to see a man of equal size stood behind him, draped in a long black cloak. A blank white mask concealed his face.

  Kelar leapt back, eyes wide. "What are you doing here!?"

  "Does the Church of Emel truly send its heralds to beat children?" the masked man asked coldly. "You abandoned your post for this?"

  "Shut up!" Kelar began scrawling another spell. "The council's rules were suffocating! I don't even believe in Emel, but since I joined up with this church, I've never felt freer!" His booming voice wavered.

  The cloaked man raised his pale palm. "Dispel."

  The spell Kelar was casting dissolved instantly.

  He then pointed at Kelar's head. "Force."

  An invisible impact snapped Kelar's head back. He crumpled to the ground, unconscious, a bruise blooming across his scalp.

  Silver stared in disbelief before recognition dawned. "Hey... you're the Inquisitor, aren't you?"

  The man nodded.

  Silver quickly retrieved the special guild card in his pocket and presented it. The Inquisitor stepped closer, examining it. "I see. You must be Anya Delmare. I am here to escort you and the Advent to the Great Hall."

  His masked gaze shifted to Kelar's fallen form.

  "It appears my mission has expanded. I will require a thorough explanation of what transpired here after I have restrained Kelar Graye."

  Silver nodded silently.

  Pyre burst through the trees and back into Alderbrook. The fire in the Holloway had been extinguished, and the streets were eerily empty. She moved in long bounds across town, scanning for any sign of where the others had gathered. The guild hall was the most likely place.

  She noticed the damage around the tavern but ignored it when voices drifted from the guild hall's open doors. Landing lightly at the entrance, she sprinted inside. Down the first hallway, into the meeting room-

  Silver, Anya, and the Inquisitor stood near the long central table.

  She slowed just enough to catch their conversation.

  Anya tapped her foot rapidly. "I know you've got that mask on, but Anya is clearly a woman's name. Does he really sound like an 'Anya' to you?" She shot Silver an irritated look. "And you. Why didn't you correct him?"

  Silver scratched the back of his head. "Oh, I totally meant to... at some point."

  The Inquisitor stood perfectly still as he responded, not even glancing at her. "Again, I apologize, ma'am."

  "Quis?" Pyre called as she approached.

  The Inquisitor stiffly rotated his entire body to face her. "Miss Pyre. We've been expecting you."

  "You have? What's goin' on? Where's Air? That Emel goon didn't get him, did they?"

  Anya shook her head. "Nope. Thanks to their efforts, they managed to hold out until the Inquisitor here stepped in."

  Pyre broke into a grin. "Seriously? Talk about a stroke of luck. What're you even doin' here?"

  "The High Council has issued a summons," the Inquisitor said, stepping forward. "I was tasked with transporting an advent found her in Alderbrook. After that, I was supposed to find and transport you too, but it appears fate has simplified my task."

  "Ugh. Whenever any of those guys summon me it's cuz they want me to hit somethin'." Pyre glanced at Silver. "What about Faelan? You got him out, right?"

  Silver avoided her eyes. "I did. He was in rough shape, though. Everyone who was hurt is in the guild's break lounge. We had to turn it into a makeshift hospital after the actual one burned down."

  Pyre was already moving before he finished. She spun on her heel and bolted down the hall, shoving through the lounge doors. Inside, Air, Garret, and Faelan lay on donated mattresses spread across the floor. The bedding looked mismatched, clearly brought from townsfolk's homes.

  Air, freshly awake, lifted his head slightly. A weak smirk tugged at his lips.