The smell of ash and burning wood filled Aiden's lungs, acrid and suffocating.
With every breath, the searing air scorched his throat and nose, each inhales a cruel reminder of the inferno consuming his childhood home. The crackling of flames and the groaning collapse of timber surrounded him like a nightmarish symphony, punctuated by the sharp snaps of splintering beams.
"Mom! Dad! Eris!"
His voice cracked as he screamed, desperation raw and unfiltered. He dragged himself across the blistering floor, his small hands leaving dark trails in the thick soot as he inched toward a jagged opening in the crumbling wall. His body screamed in protest, the burns on his skin threatening to paralyze him, but the desperate need to find his family drove him forward.
Then he saw them—three hooded figures standing amid the blaze, their faces obscured by shadows deeper than the smoke should allow.
"A survivor..."
The voice was distorted and unnatural as if spoken through layers of static. Whether altered by a spell or some arcane device, Aiden couldn't tell, but it sent an icy chill through his young body despite the overwhelming heat. The tallest of the figures stepped forward, their silhouette stark against the flickering flames.
"He's just a child," one of them said, their tone unnaturally devoid of emotion, hollow as a forgotten grave.
The smallest member of the group approached him, their movements deliberate and unhurried. A glint of steel caught Aiden's eye—a ceremonial dagger, its blade etched with symbols that seemed to writhe in the firelight.
"No!" he tried to scream, but his voice caught in his throat, the combination of paralyzing fear and thick smoke reducing it to a broken rasp. He pressed his face into the scorched floor, too terrified to look up, his trembling form betraying his terror.
"Enough," the tallest figure commanded, their tone cold and final. "Leave him. He won't last long in this inferno."
"But—"
"I said leave him. The dead are dead. This child will join them soon enough."
The smaller figure hesitated but eventually sheathed the dagger with practiced grace. Aiden watched them retreat through smoke-stung eyes, his vision blurred with tears and ash.
As the group began to turn away, Aiden forced his battered body to move. He clawed at the ground, trying to rise, but his limbs failed him. The pain was overwhelming, but not enough to drown out their parting words.
"Lunethra," one of them said, the name falling from their lips like a dark prophecy.
Aiden's heart seized as he spotted his parents' lifeless bodies lying near the group, their forms terribly burned and unrecognizable save for the tattered remnants of their familiar clothes. His throat constricted, a scream building inside him, but no sound escaped.
The rain began to pour, hissing as it met the flames, creating a ghostly shroud of steam around the ruins of his home. It cooled his blistered skin, but it couldn't extinguish the fire of vengeance igniting in his soul.
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The group disappeared into the haze, their dark cloaks dissolving like phantoms in the mist. Aiden tried to follow, his mind screaming for vengeance, for answers, for anything—but his small body had finally reached its limit.
His vision narrowed to pinpoints, the world dissolving into shadows. The last thing he heard before darkness claimed him was the gentle patter of raindrops and the haunting echo of that name: Lunethra.
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"Aiden. Wake up."
"Hmm... Did we arrive?"
"Almost. I think about five minutes until we see the city."
The girl sitting across from him spoke casually, her raven-black hair swaying gently with the rhythm of the train's motion.
"I bought some snacks while you were sleeping. Want some?"
"It's alright, Eris. You can have them."
He patted his sister's head gently before standing up from his seat and stretching his stiff muscles.
"Let's hope we didn't come all this way for nothing."
A few minutes later, the train glided to a stop at Lunethra Station, an academy city anchoring the heart of the continent. The train's whistle cut through the air with a high, sharp note that echoed through the vaulted station as it settled into place. The hiss of steam and the collective murmur of the bustling platform brought Aiden fully awake. He grabbed their modest leather bag of belongings and turned to Eris, who was already pressed against the window, her wide eyes reflecting the golden light of the city beyond.
"Wow," she whispered, her breath fogging the glass.
Aiden followed her gaze and felt his own chest tighten with wonder. Lunethra was unlike anything they'd ever seen in their rural homeland. Towering spires of opalescent stone pierced the sky, their gleaming surfaces etched with intricate runic patterns that shimmered with barely contained magical energy. Bridges of impossibly delicate design arched gracefully between the buildings, their pathways teeming with students and scholars clad in robes of every hue imaginable.
Airships drifted overhead like mechanical clouds, their sleek brass-and-crystal forms gliding silently against the backdrop of a impossibly vibrant azure sky. The city's streets seemed alive with their own consciousness, lined with crystalline lampposts that glowed even in the daylight. Magic coursed visibly through luminous veins embedded in the cobblestones, lighting up in ripples as people walked over them. Markets bustled with merchants selling enchanted wares, while creatures both mundane and mythical moved seamlessly among the crowds.
"It's like something out of a dream," Eris said, her voice barely audible over the cacophony of the station.
"Yeah," Aiden muttered, gripping the bag's worn strap tighter. "A dream indeed."
The nightmare of heat and burning wood slowly faded from his mind, replaced by the overwhelming reality of Lunethra's beauty and energy. Yet, the echo of that terrible night still lingered in the darkest corners of his thoughts.
Together, they stepped off the train, joining the flowing river of people moving through the station. The air buzzed with tangible magical energy, the voices of countless travelers blending into a symphony of languages and accents from across the realm. Aiden couldn't help but glance over his shoulder every so often, old habits dying hard.
He checked the enchanted chronometer mounted on the station wall. The time, 08:17, gleamed in shifting runic numerals.
(So, about forty minutes until the ceremony.)
"Want to take a little detour, Eris?" he asked his sister, who was still lost in her own world of wonder.
"Won't we be late for the orientation?"
"We've got some time. We can head straight there if you prefer."
Eris crossed her arms and tilted her head, considering his proposal with mock seriousness.
"I suppose taking the scenic route wouldn't hurt."
"As you command, princess." He swept into an elaborate bow as if he'd spent years practicing the gesture.
Eris, seeing Aiden's theatrical display, punched him lightly on the shoulder before leading the way with an exaggerated "Hmph."
Aiden let out a quiet laugh, rubbing his shoulder more for show than from any real discomfort, and followed close behind his sister. His eyes, however, never stopped scanning their surroundings, watching for shadows that moved against the flow of the crowd.