Aidan found himself standing amid a raging inferno, the air thick with smoke and the screams of the dying. Temple soldiers, clad in burning armour, surrounded him, their swords gleaming with the reflection of the blazing flames. With each swing of his sword, he cut them down, one after another, his movements mechanical, driven by a primal fury. The heat was unbearable, but he couldn’t stop.

“[Fire Bolt]!” he shouted, his voice hoarse and desperate. A bolt of fire shot from his hand, striking a soldier and sending him crashing to the ground. But as quickly as they fell, more soldiers appeared, their numbers endless.

“[Fire Bolt]!” Aidan screamed again, another soldier falling, only for two more to take his place. His heart pounded in his chest, panic rising as he realized he was fighting a losing battle. “[Fire Bolt]! [Fire Bolt]!” The words tore from his throat, each spell cast with diminishing hope.

The soldiers kept coming, their faces twisted in rage. Aidan’s movements grew frantic, his breaths ragged. “[Fire Bolt]!” he cried, but the flames seemed weaker. Despair clawed at him, the weight of his actions pressing down like a vice.

The faces of the soldiers shifted suddenly. Instead of hardened warriors, he saw familiar faces—his friends, brother, and finally, Kaelira. Her eyes were wide with terror, her voice a desperate plea. “Aidan, please stop!” she cried, her hands reaching out to him. He looked down, his hands covered in blood. His breath caught in his throat as he realized what he had done. He screamed, the sound tearing through the night as he jolted awake.

He was drenched in sweat, his clothes clinging to him. His heart raced as he struggled to separate his dream from reality. Gasping for air, he blinked, trying to orient himself. His eyes landed on Kaelira, standing at the foot of the bedroll, pulling on her shirt. The light from a nearby torch cast a dancing glow across her bare breasts for a moment before she noticed his wide-eyed stare.

Kaelira’s lips curled into a mischievous smile. “Enjoying the view?” she teased as she turned to face him. Her breasts gently bounced as she put her hands on her hips.

Aidan’s face turned crimson as he stammered, “I-I didn’t mean to—I’m sorry—”

“Relax,” Kaelira said with a chuckle, finishing getting dressed. “You’ve seen worse, I’m sure.”

“I would say they are the best I’ve ever seen,” muttered Aidan to himself as he turned to hide his face and rubbed his eyes, trying to shake off the lingering dread from his nightmare. Despite what he had just seen, he couldn’t get the image of Kaelira’s pleading face out of his mind. “I… had a bad dream,” he admitted, his voice trembling slightly.

Kaelira’s smile faded, replaced by concern. “Do you want to talk about it?” she asked gently, sitting beside him. “Sometimes talking about it can help.”

He shook his head. “No, it’s nothing. It was just… memories.”

Kaelira nodded, understanding. “Well, you’re safe now. Memories are just that. Memories. They can’t hurt you if you don’t give them any power.”

“Yeah,” replied Aidan. He didn’t want to admit that his dreams had shaken him. He would never have thought he could turn so violent. It worried him. Little by little, he felt like he was losing himself. Each day forced him to change who he was in order to survive.

Liora stormed in before they could continue the conversation, her face set in a deep scowl. Her movements were brisk, and her eyes flashed with irritation. Aidan immediately sensed her foul mood but didn’t dare mention it.

“I was out scouting,” Liora announced, her tone sharp. She glared at Aidan. “Something you should have been doing instead of sleeping in.”

Aidan opened his mouth to respond but quickly closed it, knowing any excuse would only make things worse.

Kaelira stood up, her expression serious. “What did you find?”

Liora crossed her arms, her brow furrowing. “The temple soldiers are close and closing in. They’re using tracking magic or some other means to hunt us down. We need to move and fast.”

Aidan’s heart sank at the news. “Tracking magic? How are they doing that?”

Liora shook her head. “I’m not sure, but they’re not giving up. They’re determined to find us.”

Kaelira bit her lip, thinking quickly. “We need to find a way to break their tracking spell. If we keep running, they’ll keep following us.”

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Liora nodded. “Agreed. But first, we need to put some distance between us and them. We don’t have much time.”

Aidan stood up, shaking off the last remnants of his nightmare. “Let’s go. We’ll figure out a plan once we’re on the move.”

The trio quickly packed their belonging. The urgency of the situation hung over them like a dark cloud. They hurried to the group of about fifteen others who had escaped from the village, many of whom were still half-asleep or huddled around a small, flickering fire.

Aidan clapped his hands, trying to get their attention. “We need to move now! The temple soldiers are close and tracking us.”

A murmur of fear and dissent rippled through the group. An older man stood up, his face lined with worry. “My name is Garret. I might not be experienced in matters involving soldiers or the like. I’m a humble blacksmith. But as far as I can see. We’re safe here. We’ve been running forever. We need to rest.”

“We can’t stay,” Liora snapped. “They’re using tracking magic. They will find us if we don’t move immediately.”

Aidan gave Liora a look as a young woman clutching a small child before them shook her head. “How do we know they’re really coming for us? Maybe it’s just a scare tactic.”

Aidan stepped forward, his voice firm. “Look. We don’t have the luxury to wait and see. They’re relentless and won’t show mercy if they catch us. We have to keep moving.”

Garret looked around, seeing the fear in everyone’s eyes. “What if we can’t keep running? What if they catch up to us anyway?”

Kaelira moved to Aidan’s side, her voice steady. “You all know me. We’ll find a way to break their tracking spell. Trust us. But we need to put distance between us and them first. It’s our only chance.”

There was a moment of tense silence before Garret sighed heavily and nodded. “All right. We’ll move.”

The group began to gather their belongings, moving, but with no real sense of urgency. Aidan, Kaelira, and Liora waited outside the cave entrance. Once everyone gathered, The trio led the way, pushing through the dense underbrush.

As they moved through the forest, Kaelira glanced at Aidan. “Do you think we could disrupt their tracking spell? If we attack them head-on, we might be able to stop them following us.”

Aidan frowned, considering the possibility. Maybe. Honestly, I have no idea. But we can try. You never know if you never try.”

“Then we’ll need to capture one of their mages,” Liora scowled, her voice barely hiding her disgust. “It’s risky, stupid even. We have no idea how many soldiers there might be, but it might be our best shot. If it doesn’t get us killed.”

The group moved through the dense forest as fast as the slowest member could. The morning sun filtered through the canopy, casting dappled shadows on the round. Aidan felt a heightened sense of awareness, as if the forest around him was sharper and clearer. The rustling of leaves and distant calls of birds seemed amplified, each sound distinct and clear.

He caught himself wondering if this heightened perception was a result of his recent level-up. The magical energy within him felt more potent, almost tangible, like a gentle hum beneath his skin.

‘Is this what the others experience all the time?’ He thought as he stepped over a fallen tree. ‘how much clearer do they see? No wonder I never stood a chance against them in training Shit. Did Eryndor survive?’

Beside him, Kaelira and Liora discussed their next steps in hushed tones, their voices a low murmur against the backdrop of the forest.

“We need to find a way to isolate one of their mages,” Kaelira said, her gaze scanning the trees ahead. “If we can figure out how they’re tracking us, we can stop them.”

Liora nodded, her face still scrunched in a scowl. “ greed. We should set up an ambush. Lure them in and capture one and either not alert the others. Or kill them.”

Aidan listened, but he wasn’t interested. His senses, though partially tuned to the conversation, HE almost felt the forest around him. He noticed a slight tingling in his fingertips, a faint but growing connection as green and brown orbs floated through the forest. He knew the others couldn’t see the orbs. It was as if he could almost see the flow of magic in the air, subtle currents that swirled and eddied with life.

Shaking his head. Aidan turned to the other two. “How do we make sure they don’t overwhelm us?” He asked as he stepped closer to join the discussion. “We need to be quick and quiet.”

Kaelira glanced at him, a thoughtful look in her eyes. “We’ll need to find a place to hide and observe their movements. Once we know their numbers, we can pick our moment.”

“There’s a narrow pass not far from here,” Liora suggested. “If we position ourselves correctly, we can use the terrain to our advantage and catch them off guard.”

“How do you know there is a narrow pass nearby.” Asked Aidan.

Liora stared daggers at Aidan. “I just know. Ok. Unlike you. I have lived in this forest for my entire life.” She spat.

Aidan hesitated, unsure of what to say. He turned and decided that it wasn’t worth arguing with Liora. He wasn’t sure, but she seemed increasingly hostile toward him. Kaelira Slowed down to speak with Garret about what they were going to try. Liora stormed ahead. Ignoring Aidan and the others.

Aidan walked alone for a while as he focused on the magical energy coursing around him, trying to visualize how he might harness it. He felt a spark of excitement mixed with apprehension. ‘I know that strange woman said I was different from the others.’ He pondered. ‘Even the Elder had said I might be able to use Elemental magic.’

The forest began to thin, and the sound of rushing water reached their ears, marking the approach to the pass Liora had mentioned. They slowed their pace, moving cautiously as they scouted the area, ensuring it was safe for the rest of the group to catch up.

“This should work,” Kaelira said, surveying the natural bottleneck created by the landscape. “We can hide here and watch for their approach.”

Liora nodded, her expression grim. “Let’s get to work. We need to be ready before they find us.”

Aidan took a deep breath, feeling the magic within him resonate with the world around him. “What do you need me to do?”