CHAPTER 5
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I woke up before dawn, my body aching from the previous day’s training. The mornings were always cold, the kind of cold that settled into your bones and refused to leave. But I was getting used to it. The pain was becoming familiar, even welcome. It meant I was pushing myself harder, getting stronger. It meant I was closer to my goal.
The hermit was already up when I stepped out of the tent. He stood at the edge of the clearing, his back to me, watching the trees sway in the wind. His presence was always the same—calm, steady, like the forest itself. He didn’t turn when he heard me approach, but I knew he was aware of my every movement.
“Today,” he began without looking at me, “you’ll go deeper into the Flow. You’ve tasted its power, but now you must learn to navigate it with control. Magic doesn’t simply respond to will—it responds to understanding.”
I nodded, my mind sharp with the anticipation of what was to come. Over the last few days, I had learned to tap into the Aetheric Flow, feeling the energy of the world coursing through me. The power had been overwhelming at first, threatening to tear me apart, but I had managed to rein it in, to bend it to my will. It wasn’t enough, though. Not yet. I needed more.
We made our way back to the stone clearing, the same one where I had first felt the Flow. The forest was alive with sound—the rustling of leaves, the distant call of birds, the faint hum of life all around us. I could sense it now in a way I hadn’t before. Everything was connected, part of the same current of energy that flowed through the earth, the air, even my own body.
The hermit stood in the center of the clearing, gesturing for me to sit in front of him. I obeyed, sitting cross-legged on the cool ground, my breath steady, my mind focused.
“Close your eyes,” he instructed, his voice low. “Feel the Flow again, but this time, do not simply let it pass through you. Learn from it. Let it teach you. Each thread of the Flow has a lesson, a secret. Once you understand it, you’ll be able to master it.”
I closed my eyes, exhaling slowly as I let my awareness expand outward. The Flow was easier to feel now. It was like a steady pulse beneath the surface of everything, vibrating with energy. I reached for it, letting it wrap around me like a current, but this time, instead of trying to control it, I listened. I let it speak to me.
For a long moment, there was nothing—just the hum of energy. But then, slowly, I began to sense something more. The Flow wasn’t just energy. It was knowledge. I could feel it, like whispers in the back of my mind, ancient and powerful. I opened myself to it, letting the knowledge flow into me.
Images flashed in my mind—symbols, patterns, elements shifting and colliding. Fire, water, earth, air—all woven into the fabric of the Flow. I could feel the way they moved, the way they interacted with the world. I understood them. Not just how to control them, but how they worked, how they were part of the greater whole.
A sudden clarity washed over me, and in that moment, everything made sense. The elements, the magic, the Flow—it was all connected, all part of the same system. I could see it, feel it, and more importantly, I could use it. The knowledge settled into my mind as if it had always been there, waiting for me to unlock it.
I opened my eyes, my heart pounding in my chest. The hermit was watching me closely, his expression unreadable, but I could sense the shift in his posture. He had noticed the change. He knew.
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“Do you feel it?” he asked quietly.
I nodded, the realization still sinking in. “Yes,” I whispered. “I understand.”
The hermit didn’t respond immediately. He stepped back, his gaze still locked on mine. “Then show me,” he said, his voice steady but expectant. “If you’ve truly learned, prove it.”
I stood up slowly, feeling the Flow beneath my feet, the energy thrumming through my veins. The power was there, waiting to be called. But this time, it wasn’t wild, wasn’t something I had to wrestle with. It was mine to command.
I raised my hand, focusing on the air around me. The wind stirred, responding to my will. It was gentle at first, a soft breeze, but with a thought, I increased its strength, sending a gust whipping through the trees. The leaves rustled, the branches swayed, but it didn’t stop there. The wind spiraled around me, lifting dust and debris from the ground, circling me like a storm I had conjured with nothing more than a thought.
The hermit watched silently, his expression calm but intense.
I took a deep breath, extending my other hand toward the stone slab in the center of the clearing. I could feel the earth beneath it, the solid weight of the stone pressing down into the ground. I reached out with the Flow, connecting with the earth beneath it, and with a simple command, I lifted the stone into the air. It hovered, suspended by the invisible threads of the Aetheric Flow, and then slowly, I set it back down.
I exhaled, my chest tight with exhilaration. I had done it. I had controlled the elements, not just one, but multiple, all at once. And it had been effortless, like second nature. The knowledge I had gained from the Flow had settled into me so naturally that it felt like I had always known it.
The hermit approached me, his face unreadable. “You’ve learned faster than I expected,” he said quietly, his tone almost reverent. “Most people take years to even understand the basics of magic. But you… you’ve mastered the elements in a matter of days.”
I met his gaze, my heart still racing from the rush of power. “It’s because I need it,” I said, my voice low but firm. “I can’t afford to waste time.”
He nodded slowly, his eyes narrowing slightly as if he was considering something. “Magic comes easily to you, Niv. But that doesn’t mean it’s without cost. The Flow is part of the world, and every time you use it, you’re drawing from that balance. You must never forget that.”
“I understand,” I said, though the truth was, I didn’t care about balance. I cared about power. The more I learned, the closer I came to avenging my parents. And that was all that mattered.
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The next few days passed in a blur of training. The hermit continued to push me, forcing me to expand my control over the elements, to test the limits of what I could do. And each time, I learned faster. I mastered each skill with ease, as if the Flow was feeding me the answers before I even had to ask the questions.
It was exhilarating, the way the magic responded to me. I could summon fire with a flick of my wrist, bend water to my will, shift the earth beneath my feet, and command the wind like it was an extension of myself. Every lesson, every challenge the hermit threw at me, I conquered with ease.
But the more I learned, the more I realized that the hermit was holding something back. He had taught me the basics, yes, but I could feel there was more—deeper magic, greater power that he wasn’t showing me. And I needed it. I needed all of it.
One evening, after another day of training, I sat by the fire, watching the flames dance in the darkness. The hermit sat across from me, silent as usual, but I could feel his gaze on me, like he was waiting for something.
Finally, I spoke. “You’re not teaching me everything, are you?”
The hermit didn’t respond right away. He poked the fire with a stick, the embers glowing brighter. “You’ve learned quickly, Niv,” he said after a moment. “Faster than anyone I’ve ever seen. But that doesn’t mean you’re ready for everything.”
“I am,” I insisted, leaning forward. “You’ve seen what I can do. I’ve mastered the elements. I’ve controlled the Flow. What else is there?”
The hermit sighed, his eyes darkening. “Magic isn’t just about control, Niv. It’s about understanding the consequences of your actions. You’ve learned how to manipulate the world around you, but that doesn’t mean you’re ready to face the cost of that power.”
I frowned, frustration bubbling up inside me. “What cost? You keep talking about balance and consequences, but you haven’t shown me anything that proves it’s dangerous. I can handle it.”
He met my gaze, his expression hard. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”