"Let's get some rest," Jasmin said, her voice wearyp. The weight of the shattered crystal ball and the revelation of Vedik's abilities pressed heavily on her.

Vedik could see the exhaustion on Jasmin's face and said , " Did father tell you , I am also a very good cook ".

Let me prepare a tasty stew for dinner .

After getting permission from Jasmin , Vedik started preparing dinner in the kitchen.

Vedik was relieved the tension had eased . The fear that had gripped him was starting to recede, replaced by a dull curiosity about the malfunction of the crystal ball.

After 15 minutes, the dinner was served and Jasmin was surprised by how good the food tasted, and the three of them enjoyed the dinner in a comfortable silence.

Then Jasmin, showed Vedik his room and said softly , "This will be your room from now on.

Now go and sleep, your training will begin from tomorrow...

Vedik entered the room with a small smile hanging on his lips . He started unpacking his clothes and thought in his mind , how his life has changed from being an orphan to now having a complete family .

A new determination burned in Vedik's heart. He wanted to understand his abilities, not just for himself, but to prove himself worthy of this new family who had taken him in.

He thought that if this is a dream , he wished to never wake up .

Vedik was exhausted from the long journey so while thanking the Gods for letting him meet William , he laid on the bed and slept .

Jasmin, however, remained wide awake long after Vedik's breathing softened into a peaceful sleep.

Her brow furrowed with worry, she tiptoed across the room, a heavy silence clinging to her movements. Reaching the doorway, she glanced back at Vedik one last time, a silent prayer forming on her lips.

Leaving the room, she found William in the main hall, tending to the injured hand he sustained from the exploding crystal ball.

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Jasmin entered, her face filled with worry. "Let me see that," she said, kneeling beside him and gently taking his hand. As she examined the wound, a faint magical light emanated from her fingertips, soothing the throbbing pain.

"It's not serious," William muttered, his voice filled with exhaustion. "Just a bit stinged."

Jasmin finished tending to William's wound, her gaze never leaving his face. Finally, she spoke, her voice barely a whisper. "William, I need to tell you something."

A Troubled Revelation

William looked up, sensing the urgency in her tone. "What is it, Jasmin?" he asked .

Jasmin began, her voice trembling slightly, "The artifact… it wasn't just a malfunction that caused the explosion."

William frowned. "What do you mean?"

Jasmin said do you know who my teacher is , William replied who doesn't . Isn't your teacher one of the strongest Arcane Magician in the world.

She continued , "Yes and I remembered something she used to tell me about.

When I was younger , people used to hate me as I can use dark element . Only my teacher and parents accepted me. After my parents died ,My teacher adopted me and taught me everything about Arcane magic .

I can remember the bedtime stories , my teacher used to tell me before sleeping.

The stories spoke of fallen civilizations, consumed by a force whispered to be unleashed by a prophesied "Cataclysmic One." A child with power beyond compare, destined to bring about the world's end.

Jasmin continued , in simple words

" there will be a boy born with extraordinary potential, He will be known as the "Cataclysmic One" , who will lead the world to eternal darkness.

The description of the child with unnatural power, … it all fit too perfectly with Vedik.

William's face darkened after listening to this . He said, with low voice , "are you saying this prophecy refers to Vedik?"

It is just a story, Jasmin . Why are you putting so much emphasis on the prophecy which may not even be true .

William continued, "You have seen Vedik , how can that sweet child bring the destruction of the world" .

Jasmin replied, my teacher used to say that , other civilizations used to exist but were swallowed by something unknown. He has many books with unknown languages that are out of this world . He also told me that the "Cataclysmic one" do exist .

After seeing Vedik's potential, I think the boy that the prophecy was talking about is him .

William wanted to refute, but the words didn't come out of his mouth .

Jasmin suddenly said "William do you know a person who can use both Martial Arts and Arcane Magic".

Not only that , have you ever heard about any Arcane user who has achieved 'All elemental affinity'. Even the god descendents have affinity with 5-6 elements at Max .

And these people can be counted with one hand .

Believe me William, I want to say that the story and the prophecy is not true but my teacher has never lied .

William's face paled. He dismissed the prophecy at first, calling it a mere bedtime story. But he thought, What if the prophecy held a grain of truth? What if Vedik, with his untamed potential, was destined to be the harbinger of doom?

A heavy silence descended upon them. William stared at his bandaged hand, a storm of emotions brewing within him. Fear, disbelief, and a fierce protectiveness for their newly adopted son warred within him.

A Glimmer of Hope

"The description… the timing…" Jasmin trailed off, tears welling up in her eyes. "It all fits, William.

William replied , "Perhaps the prophecy has been misinterpreted. There could be another explanation."

Jasmin with a glimmer of hope in her eyes said "We have to find that book, William. We have to understand what this truly means".

A heavy sigh escaped Jasmin's lips. "But what should we do about Vedik? We can't burden him with such a terrible truth."

"Not yet," William said solemnly. "He's just a child. We'll protect him, train him to control his abilities. Maybe, just maybe, there's a way to avoid this prophecy's path."

Jasmin rested her head on William's shoulder, and said " I hope so " ...

Together, they laid on the bed ,holding each other's hand . The weight of the prophecy pressing down on them...