CHAPTER 6

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The air was still as I stood at the edge of the clearing, staring down at the faint imprint of my feet in the dirt. I’d done it. The training had begun, and I could feel the Flow more clearly now, like it was part of me. But something gnawed at me—something the hermit hadn’t said aloud but was always lurking behind his words: consequences.

He made it sound like every action I took would cost something, like the magic would take more than it gave. But for me, it wasn’t like that. I had felt the power of the Flow coursing through me, and it responded to me as though I was its natural vessel. It was exhilarating, effortless. And yet, every time I showed the old man what I had learned, he looked at me with those wary eyes. He saw something in me that he didn’t trust. But I didn’t care. What mattered was that I had power now, and it was growing.

The hermit approached me, his expression as neutral as ever. He hadn’t been impressed by the demonstrations I’d performed over the last few days. No matter how much I accomplished, how much control I gained, he still looked at me like I wasn’t ready.

"We’ll push further today," he said, gesturing to the clearing. "You’ve done well with the elements, but mastering the Flow means mastering not only control but restraint. You have power, Niv, but you lack discipline."

Restraint. Discipline. These were just excuses to keep me from reaching my potential. I clenched my fists, feeling the surge of magic swirling beneath my skin, begging to be unleashed. I could feel the wind responding to my agitation, rustling the leaves in the trees, though I hadn’t called it.

"I’m ready for more," I said, my voice tight.

The hermit studied me for a long moment. "You think you’re ready for anything. That’s the problem."

Without another word, he raised his hand, and the wind around us shifted, growing cold and sharp. I could feel the magic building in the air. He was finally going to show me something real.

"Today," he said, his voice low, "I won’t hold back. You will learn the limits of your power—and of your control."

The ground trembled as the hermit summoned the full strength of the Aetheric Flow. Energy pulsed through the earth, through the air, making the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. I braced myself, my mind racing with the possibilities of what he would throw at me.

Without warning, the ground beneath my feet erupted, chunks of rock and earth shooting toward me like arrows. My instincts kicked in, and I moved without thinking—my Auto-Dodge activated, and my body shifted effortlessly, evading each strike with fluid precision. But the assault didn’t stop. The air crackled with electricity as the hermit conjured lightning, sending jagged bolts toward me, the ground sizzling where they struck.

I could feel the magic in the air, the currents of power coursing around us. But I didn’t flinch. I reached out with the Flow, bending the wind to my will, wrapping it around me like a shield. The lightning strikes dissipated against the barrier, the energy fizzling out harmlessly in the air.

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"Good," the hermit said, his voice calm even in the chaos. "But defense is only part of it."

Before I could respond, the air around me shifted again, the wind growing violent and unpredictable. It howled through the trees, sending branches crashing down around me. I moved quickly, dodging debris and summoning earth to protect myself from the falling branches.

But then something unexpected happened.

The ground beneath me began to soften. I could feel the earth shifting, pulling at my feet like quicksand. Panic shot through me as I tried to step back, but the ground swallowed me up to my knees, locking me in place. My heart raced, the familiar surge of power rising in me as I tried to break free.

The hermit stood a few feet away, watching me, his face expressionless. "You rely too much on raw power, Niv. You think if you can control the Flow, you can control everything. But magic isn’t just about bending the world to your will. It’s about understanding the balance of forces."

I gritted my teeth, struggling against the earth that held me. Balance. Restraint. I didn’t care about balance. I cared about winning. About power.

I focused, reaching deeper into the Flow, pulling more energy into myself. I could feel it swirling in my chest, hot and intense. The wind responded, whipping around me, and the earth began to crack under the pressure of my will. Slowly, I forced the ground to release me, the earth crumbling away as I pulled myself free.

The hermit’s eyes narrowed slightly. He could see the power I wielded, but he didn’t trust it. Didn’t trust me.

"Good," he said, his voice calm. "But remember this: power without purpose is dangerous. You may be able to control the Flow now, but if you lose control—if you let your emotions dictate your actions—it will consume you."

I clenched my fists, anger simmering beneath the surface. He still didn’t get it. I wasn’t like him. I wasn’t just some wandering mage trying to survive in the forest. I had a goal. A purpose. And I would stop at nothing to achieve it.

But I didn’t say any of that. Instead, I forced myself to nod, playing along with his warnings.

"Now," the hermit continued, "let’s see how well you’ve learned to combine the elements. Use fire, earth, and wind in unison to create an attack—one that’s both precise and powerful."

I didn’t hesitate. I raised my hands, summoning the energy from the earth beneath me. The ground responded, shifting and cracking as I drew power from it. At the same time, I called upon the wind, shaping it into a swirling vortex around me. And then, with a thought, I ignited the air with flames, feeding the fire with the wind, turning the vortex into a fiery storm.

The combined forces roared to life, a swirling inferno of fire, wind, and earth. I could feel the power in it—the sheer destructive potential. But I held it back, keeping it contained. I could sense the hermit watching me closely, his gaze sharp, waiting for me to lose control.

But I didn’t.

With a flick of my wrist, I sent the storm crashing into the ground at the far end of the clearing. The earth shook with the force of the impact, fire and wind tearing through the trees, leaving a smoking crater in the ground.

The hermit said nothing for a moment, his eyes fixed on the crater. Then he turned to me, his expression unreadable. "You’re stronger than I expected," he admitted, his voice quieter now. "But strength isn’t enough. You must learn to control not just the magic, but yourself. Or you will fall."

His words hung in the air, but I barely heard them. I was too focused on the crater, on the power I had just unleashed. It had been so easy, so natural. But it wasn’t enough. I needed more. I needed to push further, to unlock the full extent of what I could do.

The hermit turned away, heading back toward the tent. "That’s enough for today. You’ll need rest before we continue."

I stayed behind, staring at the smoldering ground, the wind still swirling faintly around me. His words echoed in my mind—you will fall.

But I wouldn’t. I couldn’t. There was only one path for me, and I wouldn’t let anyone, not even the hermit, stand in my way.