As she stood there, the sweltering heat enveloping her, her heart raced and the pounding in her ears intensified. A tingling sensation surged through her skin, starting from her core and shooting up to the top of her head. Suddenly, in a flash, everything in front of her vanished, leaving her standing by the river with her faithful horse. Her friends, who were just moments ago in front of her, had disappeared. Panic began to rise within her, threatening to overwhelm her senses. A wave of nausea washed over her, as she desperately tried to comprehend what was happening to her.
Frantically, she turned her head, scanning her surroundings for any clues. And then, her eyes fell upon Atrum, surrounded by a mesmerizing display of light in a myriad of colors. The lights emanating from his hands weaved and danced through the trees, extending far beyond her line of sight. It was a breathtaking spectacle, captivating her attention and momentarily pushing aside her mounting panic. As Atrum continued to cast his spellbinding light, the brilliance of the colors surrounding him began to fade, causing a sense of unease to settle within her. Though she couldn't quite explain it, she felt a deep concern creeping in.
Driven by an insatiable curiosity, she searched the horizon, following the path of the light to unravel its purpose. Her gaze was drawn to the distance, where the heaviest smoke and the raging fire should have been. The light soared high above the trees, disappearing into the hazy sky. Transfixed by the enchanting display of colors, she stood there, captivated by the power and beauty unfolding before her eyes. However, as the light gradually faded away, a nagging worry seeped into her thoughts. Should she be more worried than she was?
Turning her attention back to her surroundings, she resumed her search for her mother and friends. But then, another light caught her eye, emerging from beyond the trees and drawing closer to her. At first glance, she almost mistook it for the rising moon, but its shape was different, not quite right. Intriguingly, an unusual sound of huge wings flapping accompanied the approaching light, diverting her attention away from her original quest.
To her surprise, she noticed that she, too, was now enveloped in the same colorful light that surrounded Atrum. It shimmered and glowed, casting a gentle radiance on her arms and hands. Lifted by curiosity, she raised her hands, examining them with a mix of awe and confusion. In that moment, she became acutely aware of Atrum's light fading into a dull gray, a clear indication that something was amiss. Instinctively, she felt a surge of determination welling up within her.
Without fully understanding her own actions, she began to sing. As her voice resonated through the air, her light grew brighter, expanding and encasing her in a protective bubble. With newfound purpose, she approached Atrum, hoping to share some of her radiance with him. Placing her hands gently on his back, a burst of rainbow colors erupted from their connection, crackling like lightning. In the midst of the spectacle, a startled voice screamed, "Noooo," but the words were drowned out by the overwhelming display of iridescent brilliance.
Atrum stood there in shock, his mind racing with a mixture of worry and relief. He had come dangerously close to death while trying to control the runaway magic, but Willow had managed to save him. However, her heroic act had clearly taken a toll on her, as she now lay on the ground, muttering incomprehensible words. Atrum wasn't sure what he should do in this situation - should he intervene immediately or give her some time to recover? He took a moment to read her aura, her energy was full, and her colors peculiar but not alarming. Looking deeper he saw a star filled sky which began to spin, so he pulled back. Normally, using such a large amount of magic would require rest, but Willow's tossing and mumbling indicated something more unusual was happening.
As Atrum surveyed the scene, he noticed that everyone else remained frozen in place. Their hands were still raised, their feet were mid-stride, and their expressions were frozen in panic. This was highly unusual, and although Atrum had the power to unfreeze reality, he couldn't help but wonder if it was better to leave things as they were, at least for now. He was fairly certain he was not responsible which meant Willow was. He needed to figure out what to do next, and once Willow regained consciousness, they could begin unraveling the mysteries surrounding her abilities.
Initially, the unknown and the forbidden had been somewhat thrilling for Atrum, but now he found himself growing annoyed. Things were taking too long, people ignoring him and tell him what do, was not something he was used to dealing with. He was a Sovereign and had power, therefore he was in charge. Everyone at home had some magic the privileged had training but few had power. He had both and was until today was one of the Seven most powerful mages he knew. What did that mean, where their others on this planet with the power to challenge his position on the Council of Sovereigns. Change was afoot and he needed more information, or a disaster for him and his world would eventually follow.
On the other hand, Atrum couldn't help but feel concerned about this unexpected apprentice, this child named Willow, who was too young for an apprenticeship test may have more power than he did. He had wanted her to come and train with him, but now he realized the trouble that would come with it. She was too powerful to start as a trainee at university yet knew nothing of magic or of controlling her magic. It was a potentially fatal for her and those around her to stay on Terra Earth, she needed some beginning classes on control but again had too much power to put her in a class of her peers, the only possibility was for him to tutor her until she could challenge the tests to become an apprentice. In his lifetime, which was marked in centuries, there has never been an apprentice so young.
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The tragic death of his last trainee at university, Rynal, still haunted him though. Rynal had been like a son to Atrum, but his progress had not been sufficient to even be considered for his first learner test before the wild portals accident. He was swallowed up by one of those portals, an incident that had shaken Atrum to his core. Several promising students had disappeared that day, none where found. The Sovereigns quickly passed laws to regulate portal magic and hopefully lessen the danger in the future. Yet, Atrum couldn't shake the feeling that the portals and the energy within them were somehow off. When he had proposed the idea of creating permanent portals and monitoring them, he had been met with skepticism and dismissal from some members of the council as well as the university as a whole. That and other ideas had been discussed extensively at the Assembly of Seven, with all the Watchers and other experts pooling their efforts to find a solution. Despite his concerns, the issue was dropped, and he hadn't been able to gather enough support to explore his theory further. Now, with everything he had witnessed in the past few days, it was clear he made been correct that the temporary fixes put in place were merely patches, and the council was in denial of a larger long-term problem. They would accuse him of creating the portal he used to travel here for nefarious purposes, and power plays would ensue. Atrum pondered who he should contact ahead of approaching the council. There were a few Sovereigns who had been willing to listen to his unpopular ideas in the past, but he couldn't help but question their trustworthiness.
Lost in his thoughts, Atrum absentmindedly placed his hand on Willow's head before thinking better of it. When nothing happened, he sighed then focused on the strange words she had started singing earlier, trying to make sense of them. They may hold the clues to what was happening now. The words slowly became clearer to him, and he concentrated on the peculiar verses:
"When dark matter rouge they go,
Too Late we'll be to save the toll.
An ancient power to come is fate,
So, darkness greed and illness great.
Power stalks, the death, and cities rubble.
Solutions small will end all trouble.
Protector's bonds will be the key,
to keep the races, humans free.
What was separate will be whole,
Siblings found the earth's twin's sole.
Seven will stand and two will fall,
The third will give to save them all.
Face the fog with power and might,
Mana and Earth will be made right."
As the song ended, Willow's eyes fluttered open, and she sat up abruptly. Atrum placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, looking into her eyes as he spoke, "How are you feeling?" He was surprised at how easily she had awakened, and her energy was even stronger after reviving him. She didn't appear drained at all, which only deepened his curiosity.
To his surprise, he heard her voice in his mind, asking, "What happened?"
Starting Atrum found this even more curious. What had happened indeed? This was far from ordinary. He had a mental connection with his partner, Tasapa, a dragon who shared a unique bond with him.
Tasapa frantic and anger in her voice, " Where have you been? I have been sending out messages and searching but you vanished until I heard a voice asking, what happened, and it was not your voice!
'Atrum's mind raced, what did this mean for them and how to find the right words to convey the situation to Tasapa or to this child. He couldn't simply say, "You are my new apprentice," based solely on your actions today you are now bound to me. It was a decision that would change their lives through magic and was already made without either of their agreement, a comment that would likely be met with denial if not from her then from her mother. He was not sure he approved but the Creators didn't seem to think they needed permission.
Atrum took a moment to gather himself before addressing Willow. "Can you please explain what you witnessed? I need to understand the whole situation," he said in a calmer tone, hoping her response would provide some clarity and give him time to process.
Unfortunately, her answer only served to replay the last 30 minutes in his mind, overwhelming him with a rush of thoughts. "Dam, dam, dam," he muttered, unable to contain his frustration as he collapsed. As Atrum crumpled forward, Willow instinctively moved away, unsure of her role in his sudden collapse. Confusion washed over her as she questioned her own actions. How had she caused this? What had she done? It all seemed so hazy and impossible to grasp. Feeling alone and light-headed, she struggled to regain her footing and surveyed her surroundings.
It was then that she noticed the eerie silence, devoid of the usual sounds of nature. No buzzing insects, no rustling leaves, no flowing water. She turned to take in her surroundings, and suddenly, movement and sound returned in a rush. She caught a glimpse of her mother and friends, frozen for a moment before springing into action. The air became alive with a cacophony of sounds - birds chirping, insects buzzing, leaves crunching, twigs snapping, and the wind gently swaying the tree branches.
Her mother's terrified scream pierced the air, "Willoooow," before abruptly stopping. The others soon realized something was amiss and mirrored her silence. Their screams faded into open-mouthed shock, wide-eyed disbelief. Zerin was the first to shake off the shock and regain his composure. Willow's mother, still in a state of panic, lunged towards her daughter. The sudden movement nearly knocked Willow off balance, as she was still feeling unsteady. Her mother's strong arms caught her and then gently pushed her away, allowing their eyes to meet.
Her mother's gaze, filled with a mix of fear and concern, held Willow's attention as she asked, "What in the light just happened? Where were you?" Pausing momentarily, she glanced at the position of the sun. "It has been hours."