Cold water and green sludge lapped at the stone floor near the entrance. Taking more steps in, we came to the first dry spot.

Hadrian finally released me. My recovery was nearly complete, and my bodily control was coming back with it. The four of us gathered and pressed on into the cave. Intricate murals were carved into the cave walls. The ones on the left looked ancient, while the ones on the right, while also old, were more recent.

“What do these murals mean?” I asked Elnara, feeling like she’d be the one most likely to answer.

"The ones on the right side were inscribed by your predecessors, the auramancers. They narrate a brief history of their origins and the errors they committed," she replied.

“The mistakes of my predecessors?” I asked.

"Exactly," she nodded. "The left murals, on the other hand, were carved by our ancestors, the initial generation of forest elves. Back then, we took refuge in caves like this one. We felt most at home amidst the forest, yet we were vulnerable to the powerful beasts as a young race. These murals represent a significant merging and the laws of the three God trees ."

After about three minutes of walking, we came across lit torches. It made little difference for those three. For me, it helped. While I wouldn't say I had night vision, my ability to see in dim lighting had significantly improved.

The color of the flames was, at first, bright white, then they progressively got darker, from white to blue, to green, then finally red. The last torch seemed black even. The light they gave off became progressively less. My eyes adjusted more rapidly than the light, so visibility wasn’t too much of an issue. Did those flames mean anything?

Several twists were in the path we took. This cave seemed more like a cavern, with eyes staring at us from the very top of the cave roof. A few felt like harmless bats, and the other gazes felt not so benign.

We stopped before a stabilized portal after navigating deeper into the cavernous expanse. It's not your typical blue or red portal, but white. Had you tried to sense it, you’d think nothing was there without seeing it physically. The portal radiated no mana, nature’s essence, or aura. Nothing. That, or whatever it did radiate, was beyond my ability to sense.

Portal Master Edith was there. “Headmaster Yaul, Lady Elnara, and Sourcer Hadrian, good to see you. And as for you, boy, consider yourself lucky to be here.”

Respectful to everyone but me? Once Edith gave us the green light, Hadrian wordlessly gripped me and flashed the two of us into the portal. Soon, the other two came over as well.

“You know, you could have let me enter by myself."

“And let my idiot ward mess things up at the last minute? I think not.”

“Damn old man….”

“What was that? Young people, so ungrateful these days.”

Before we began to bicker, Headmaster Yaul came in between us. He glanced at me, then pointed upward. My eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when I shifted my gaze to what he was pointing at.

"No way, they...they're real? And there are so many different kinds?"

Arrayed before me were mythical creatures I'd only heard of in legends: griffons, wyverns, vampiric goliaths, giants, and other awe-inspiring creatures. At this rate, I expected to see a dragon next.

"These, young man," began Headmaster Yaul, "are some of the beast sentinels of the school. Take a good look; it will be a while before you see them again. They rotate their duties at the entrance of the shifting mountain. Today, the one who's on guard duty happens to be asleep."

I was peering beyond the magnificent creatures beside me. A structure that looked like a well-preserved ruin appeared a few miles away. It was a harmonious blend of human and elf architecture with elements of a third style I'd never encountered before. A striking blue and white color scheme characterized the unknown style. The citadel was vast, featuring a central tower spire from which three branches extended. From here, I could spot several training grounds. Even at this distance, I could see people of all ages, ranging from fifteen to fifty or more, training. Each wore a colored uniform, not that I’d know what they meant.

I chose to come here, and seeing the scene before me, it all seemed right. This was my destiny. This place was my crucible, where I would craft my path. But why did I want to carve my path? I craved acceptance from my family, from my world. But why was I banished again? My headache intensified. It felt like something was missing. But that was fine. After all, I had aura and nature's essence now, right?

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A feeling of distrust came back again. Would they also jeer and insult? Then another thought came to me: what did I get insulted for again anyway? The memory was hazy. Even if they did, should I care? Things had changed now. But what exactly had changed? My brain had a stab of pain. Forcibly, my thoughts were redirected to the two paths to power given to me now. All I needed to do was develop enough, and the rest would take care of itself.

The thought felt strange, as if it didn't belong to me. Yet, nothing was wrong. While nearly all the powerful in Gansia used mana, even mercenaries without it were respected if they had enough of a reputation behind them. So that’s what I would do: hone these two gifts and earn my place through actions.

The odd feeling was fading by now. My senses were coming in and out. So, when Elnara whispered something, I only caught the end of it.” …sorry.” Who was she apologizing to?

Headmaster Yaul came beside me and looked at Hadrian.

“It’s time you take him to the initiation, Hadrian. No point in delaying.”

"Yes, Headmaster Yaul." Hadrian's voice was tense.

“I’ve come far enough with the three of you. I’ll run off to see Asteria while I’m here. Make sure to train him well.” Elnara gave a hug and left. I’d be dazed, but I was becoming used to her way of doing things.

"It's best that she left; the initiation is for us auramancers to do alone.” Headmaster Yaul muttered.

“Come then, you two, let’s begin.”

I walked behind Hadrian, with the Headmaster leading the way. Whispers surrounded us, meshing into a cacophony of noise. Being able to pick out conversations still took work for me. I'd have to learn to actively direct my aura to my senses to solve this problem. Still, a few were clear enough for me to hear.

“A new one today, huh? It’s been what, three months since the last one?”

"Yeah, the sourcers outside are struggling to find new blood. I wonder how well he’ll take the initiation?”

The whispers meshed again. Most were some combination of gossip and talking about a new face. From what I could decipher, I was the first new face in months. That was worrying. If Hadrian hadn’t found me by chance, what would’ve happened to me? Especially in a kingdom that worships mana, like Reverent.

The other two seemed oblivious to the surrounding chatter; their eyes focused on the interior of the central spire. A few moments later, we entered. The interior was well-lit and decorated in a mix of three styles. This time, they branched off by themselves. The center was dominated by white steel and red. The east wing was adorned with white and blue, while the west wing was decked out in shades of green, evoking a sense of nature. There, I saw some elves again, no familiar faces though. The steel-colored and red theme was for the auramancers. What was the last one for? Before I could ask, Hadrian pushed me forward.

“Why the rush?" I questioned.

"You're going to be here a long time, Falond. There's no need to stand around gawking like an idiot," Hadrian retorted, his tongue as sharp as ever.

Idiot must be his favorite word.

Those words were getting under my skin less over time. At this point, I brushed it off. Sharp words or not, they wanted to do this “initiation.” An unsaid rule seemed to be that you must undergo the process before you do anything else within the citadel. That said, why rush so much? Like Hadrian himself said, I’d be here a long time.

A lengthy corridor stretched before us, ending with two immense white steel and red doors. To the sides were several doorways and sub hallways. The decorative objects in the hallway were minimal. There is no time for frills when those who use this path to power are on the verge of extinction. Headmaster Yaul turned his gaze toward me.

"Young man, come forward. You'll be leading us now," he instructed. "Beyond those white steel and red gates, you'll find another pair of doors crafted from ancient stone and dark wood. That's where the initiation will take place. Given the other Sourcers' lack of success in finding recruits, Sourcer Hadrian and I will conduct your initiation."

After taking the lead, I walked over to the two steel doors. Without me touching them, they began to open. Pausing slightly from surprise, we continued further inside.

"The doors respond to the aura signature of the Headmaster or any of the Sourcers," Headmaster Yaul explained. "Without one of us or a teacher, the doors would remain closed to you. If anything, they aim to ensure those from the other two camps do not come here. While we are allies, the alliance is strained as of late.”

That was news; the elves and humans seemed to get along fine. Several of their leaders were training me at times. It couldn’t be that bad, could it?

Multiple other entrances spread past the grand white steel and red doors. A circular meeting area sat in the center, ringed by imposing doors that led to various subsections. A podium stood in the middle, looking like where the higher echelons would meet.

Directly across, a pair of ancient-looking gates commanded my attention. They were black, with traces of rusted brown evident. These must be the ones Headmaster Yaul had pointed out. Though faint, a distinct aura seemed to seep out from behind them.

"Go ahead," Yaul urged. "You're looking at the right doors."

Subconsciously, I slowed down. Then, my face hardened; based on what I had heard, the initiation wasn’t pleasant. Since I came upon the Moth, trust was often taken and not given. Part of me was tired of having no choice in matters concerning me. The pattern I was coming upon was that this was the way of these places I was a part of now. You had no control if you didn’t have the power or knowledge.

With those thoughts swirling around, I came before those ancient doors, black as midnight. In front of me were two ring handles; my hands reached for the two ring handles and pushed. A creak was heard, and a layer of dust came off. The unknown had me pause for a second. Headmaster Yaul gently nudged me in. Hadrian came with a lit torch, and the door closed behind us.

The interior of the chamber was shrouded in darkness, the only light coming from Hadrian’s flickering torch. After the ancient doors creaked shut, a mysterious glow began to fill the room. Four statues lit up, each glowing with a different color - blue, red, white, and green. A fifth spot, illuminated by a black light, was oddly empty. I wondered why there would be a light but no statue.

Each statue had its unique feature. The green statute had blood flowing from thousands of cuts on its back. The white statue had a crushing gravity around it, with bracers and a chest plate having symbols representing thousands of pounds of weight. The blue statue seemed to be in pain, holding its head in its hands. The red one was the most chilling to me. Its eyes were crushed, bleeding, with a blindfold hanging around its neck. The statue had no expression, with a stoic presence instead.

"These statues, Falond, symbolize the paths of initiation. Some have only one path, and not all paths give the same result. We can guide you towards the most suitable one, but ultimately, the choice rests with the great initiators."

Was that what the robes meant? To represent the path of initiation, one was chosen by? A sense of unease overcame me, and I began to back away.

"I can imagine what you're feeling, young Falond," Headmaster Yaul said, lightly grasping my shoulder. His grip was gentle, but it held me in place, frozen.

"But now's not the time." The cold tone of voice he had caused me to stiffen further.