Early morning, the Headmaster awoke to the sound of shouting.
"What's the commotion outside?" she asked groggily, rubbing her temples from lack of sleep.
"A knight is trying to enter," one of the mages explained. "He claims to be Princess Elery's brother."
The Headmaster let out an exasperated sigh. "Who do these people think they are, that they can just barge into the Arcane Lyceum?" she muttered while dressing and stepping out toward the gate.
Outside, a man in armor was kneeling before the guards. His voice trembled with urgency.
"Please... let me see my sister. I need to tell her about the Queen."
The Headmaster crossed her arms, clearly unimpressed.
"What could be so important that you cause a ruckus at dawn?" she asked coldly.
"I'm sorry, but... it's personal," Sir Lucian replied, eyes lowered.
"Then leave." She turned her back without hesitation.
But before he could speak again, he dropped to his knees, bowing his head to the dirt.
"Please..."
The usher moved by his desperation, stepped forward.
"Headmaster... shouldn't we at least let them see each other? Even if only for a moment?"
The Headmaster paused. A long breath escaped her lips as she turned back around and studied the knight's face.
"...Fine. Follow me."
"Thank you, Headmaster." Sir Lucian stood quickly and followed her into the Lyceum.
Inside her study, the Headmaster gave him instructions.
"She still has classes this morning. You may speak with her afterward. Wait here until then."
"Understood," Lucian said quietly.
As the Headmaster left, silence filled the room until a faint glow began to pulse from his bag.
Lucian furrowed his brows and opened his rucksack. The light was coming from a small box where he put the shard their mother had given him.
He opened the box and it floated, glowing brighter with each second, and drifted slowly toward the mirror across the room.
As if drawn by an unseen force, it hovered directly before the mirror's surface.
Lucian stood and approached cautiously. He reached out and touched the mirror but nothing was out of the ordinary.
Princess Elery stood before the small clay pot, her hand stretched forward trying to use her power without incantation but bears no result.
"Again," the Headmaster commanded from her seat, voice firm and sharp.
Elery took a breath and waved her hand once more toward the soil. Still, the seed lay dormant.
"Again"
"I can't do it," Elery said, turning toward her with a sigh. "It's not working."
"That's because your mind wanders."
Elery clenched her jaw. "How am I supposed to do it when you haven't properly taught me?"
"I've already told you," the Headmaster said, rising from her chair and walking over. "You were born to yield the energy around you, not recite spells like an amateur conjurer. The problem is here." She tapped Elery's temple with two fingers.
"Close your eyes."
Elery followed her guidance.
"Now... empty your mind."
Darkness enveloped her thoughts.
"You're in a vast space... alone. There's nothing around you. No light. No color. Just you and the silence."
Elery tried to sink into the void.
"Focus only on what you hear. What do you hear now?"
She paused. "I hear… birds. Outside."
"Good. Now, cancel them out. Cancel everything, every thought, every sound. There is only you and the void."
The Headmaster gently lifted Elery's left hand and directed it toward the pot once more.
"In that dark space, you see it. A pot before you. A single seed buried inside."
Elery focused harder.
"You are not looking at the seed... you are the seed. You are under the earth. You are buried under the soil. Your shell is breaking. Something in you wants to grow."
Elery tilted her head, trying to envision it but her thoughts still felt distant, floating.
"Think nothing, hear nothing. You must be one with it and not a separate entity. You can't see and hear it, you must feel it. The energy and life coursing through your veins as you become one. Remember you're the earth and the earth is you. That applies to everything."
Elery's breath slowed. She imagined darkness again. Cold soil. The weight of it above. She wants to rise.
The soil in the pot stirred.
A small, green sprout pierced the surface and reached toward the light.
"Keep going," the Headmaster whispered back, her voice softer now, almost proud.
Elery pictured herself growing until the entire dark space is covered. She fell on the ground from the lack of energy and out of breath.
"Well done," the Headmaster said and patted her shoulder.
When Elery opened her eyes, the entire room was overgrown with greenery. Vines crept along the walls, flowers bloomed across the ceiling, and the seedling she had nurtured had erupted into a small, thriving jungle.
"Remember how you felt today and apply it," the Headmaster said, her voice full of rare pride. Then she turned away. "Someone is waiting for you. You'll be happy to see him. He's in my study."
Still catching her breath, Elery made her way to the Headmaster's study.
She reached the Headmaster's study and pushed open the door.
"Your Highness."
The voice stopped her cold. A voice she hadn't heard in a long time.
"Lucian?..."
Sir Lucian stepped forward and wrapped her in a tight embrace. She stood frozen for a second, then hugged him back.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, startled but relieved.
He pulled back slightly, still holding her by the shoulders. "How could you just leave me and come here without a word?" he said, voice laced with worry.
"I knew you wouldn't agree," Elery said, guilt brushing her tone. "I had no choice."
"We have to go back to Dostani." His tone shifted, serious, almost urgent.
"What? No!" Elery stepped back. "I can't go back. There's so much to learn here, Lucian."
"Please, Elery…" His eyes dropped, heavy with something unsaid.
"It's Mother."
Elery's breath caught in her throat. "What happened to her?!"
"It's... the curse." His voice was barely above a whisper.
She staggered backward. "Is she…?"
Lucian shook his head slowly. "I don't know. But she's weakening. You know how she's been using her power to keep Princess Liora from decaying. Every time she uses it, it takes from her own life force. That's the curse, our family's curse. That's why none of us live long."
Elery stared at him, numb. If she had known... if she had just known... she would've stopped her mother, even if it meant being hated for it.
"We have to go back," Lucian said gently, then glanced at the mirror across the room. "Besides... I don't think this place is as safe as it seems."
"What do you mean?"
Lucian knelt and pulled a box from his rucksack. He opened it.
"Mother gave this to us."
Inside were two shards, softly glowing.
Elery lifted one and stared at it. The glow pulsed warmly in her hand.
"This looks like..."
"The one we took from the dark mage," Lucian nodded. "It's a different color, but look..."
He guided her toward the mirror. As they stepped closer, the shards glowed brighter. Lucian took one of them and stepped away. The light dimmed instantly.
"I think the shards glow when another shard is nearby…" Sir Lucian said, stepping closer to Elery. "And the closer they are, the brighter the glow."
Elery looked at him, her eyes widening with realization. Slowly, they both turned their gaze toward the mirror, then back to the shard in her hand.
"I already checked," Lucian added. "It's just an ordinary mirror... But I could be wrong."
Elery raised a hand and touched the mirror's surface. Just as he said, it's ordinary. Still, her mind wandered back to when the purple shard glowed on her first day.
"I still can't go back," Elery whispered. "This place... it might hold the key to breaking the curse."
Lucian closed his eyes, jaw tight with frustration. She was as stubborn as ever.
"I promised mother I'd protect you. I can't leave you alone here."
A knock broke their moment.
The door creaked open. The Headmaster and the usher stepped inside.
"Are you done?" the Headmaster asked. "Your brother has to leave now."
Elery quickly hid the glowing shards back inside the box and handed it to Lucian. She turned to the Headmaster, a pleading look on her face.
"Can't he stay? Please?"
"We can't allow that," the usher answered quickly. "We already made exceptions yesterday. Too many guests stir unrest among the students. It would damage the Headmaster's reputation-"
The Headmaster glanced at the box Lucian held.
"Actually... why don't we let him stay?" she said suddenly.
The usher blinked, confused. "But that would harm your standing even more."
"When have I ever cared about reputation?" the Headmaster said flatly. "The Lyceum was built to cultivate talent, not gossip. He's the best knight in Dostani, yes? That makes three of the most promising individuals on the continent, all under one roof."
She turned to the usher. "Have him join Lord Edric's class."
The usher nodded. "Understood. Follow me," she said to them.
Once the room emptied, the Headmaster's expression shifted. She walked toward the mirror, her eyes narrowing.
"So they now have three shards," she murmured. "If I take them... I'll have more than half of the orb."
Her reflection stared back at her with knowing eyes.
"I should start preparing."
Caleb opened his eyes in a beautiful scenery in front of him. A cool breeze brushed against his skin, and the scent of grass and fresh earth greeted him. He sat up, finding himself atop a hill overlooking a peaceful valley. A quaint town lay nestled in the distance, its rooftops glowing golden in the morning sun.
"Where... am I?" he muttered.
He heard giggles and laughter of children behind them. He turned around to see two children playing under a giant tree. He walked towards them to ask where he is but a woman came calling one of them.
"Seraphyne!"
"Mother!" The two children ran towards their mother.
"Mommy, the tree greeted me today a happy birthday," the girl with long white hair and vivid red eyes said cheerfully.
Her mother glanced at the giant tree, then down at her daughter. A strained smile formed on her lips. "Happy 8th birthday, Seraphyne. Let's go now. It's time to prepare for your birthday."
Seraphyne squealed with excitement. She had been told this birthday would be the most special of all.
Caleb followed behind them as they made their way into town. He called out to passing townsfolk, waved at a few yet not one person so much as looked his way. It was as if he were invisible.
He trailed them to a grand house in the center of town. Inside, attendants dressed Seraphyne in a soft green dress and a ceremonial robe of ivory and gold. Her mother approached her with a blindfold.
"Mommy, why do you have to cover my eyes?" Seraphyne giggled, reaching up to remove it.
Her mother gently stopped her. "Because it's a surprise."
The girl's curiosity turned to delight again.
An old woman in a ceremonial white robe entered the room and gave a silent nod. Her presence was cold, commanding.
"It's time," she said.
The assistants guided Seraphyne down the stairs. Outside, the entire town had gathered, all dressed in the same white robes, their faces lit by torchlight.
"Mother, I don't think I can do this," Seraphyne's mother whispered nervously to the elder.
The old woman's gaze hardened. "This is why she was born. Blame yourself for your own lack of ability."
The words stung, but the procession moved on.
They led Seraphyne to a ceremonial seat. A group of men hoisted it onto their shoulders and carried her through the crowd, up the hill. Caleb followed, each step feeling heavier than the last.
At the top of the hill, a grand feast had been prepared beneath the vast canopy of the Tree of Life. Torches burned in a perfect circle, casting flickering light across the celebration. They lowered Seraphyne to the ground and positioned her directly in front of the tree's colossal roots.
"Mommy?" Seraphyne called out uncertainly.
"I'm here," her mother whispered beside her, gripping her hand.
"There's nothing to worry about."
"Can I take my blindfold off now?"
"Not yet."
The townspeople gathered around in a wide circle. The old woman stepped into the center, her voice ringing with authority.
"We are gathered here on this sacred day to honor the end of our suffering," she began. "For years we endured endless rains and floods as my strength waned. But the blood of our line does not fail us."
She raised her hand to the crowd.
"Behold, my granddaughter, Seraphyne, born with the purest gift. She will succeed me as the Guardian of the Tree of Life and restore balance to our land!"
The crowd erupted in cheer.
Seraphyne's mother and grandmother gently guided her toward the massive tree. Beneath its tangled roots was a hidden entrance.
"Where are we going?" Seraphyne asked, her curiosity piqued.
"To your special gift," her grandmother said with a faint smile. "The townspeople made it just for you. It will be your new home."
"Wow! Will mother, sister, and grandmother stay here too?"
Seraphyne asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"This is a special gift just for you, my love. We cannot stay here," her mother replied gently.
"What? Then I don't want it!" Seraphyne protested, her voice rising in a tantrum.
"You'll like the place, child," her grandmother said firmly, brushing past her reaction.
At the end of the winding tunnel, they stopped. Her mother knelt and gently untied the blindfold.
Seraphyne's eyes widened.
The underground room shimmered in soft golden light, filled with all the things she loved, beautiful dolls, rows of fancy clothes, delicious food laid out on a table, and a velvet bed surrounded by flowing curtains. The walls were etched with roots from the Tree above.
"What do you think?" her grandmother asked. "Isn't it wonderful? Everything you love is here."
Seraphyne was mesmerized at first but then turned to her mother with concern in her voice. "Can I come here with Nysarra tomorrow?"
Her mother knelt to her level, brushing back a lock of white hair. "Yes... Nysarra can visit you here, but... you can no longer go home."
"Why?" Seraphyne whispered, her eyes already glistening.
Her grandmother stepped forward, her voice sharp and final.
"Because you are now the Guardian Spirit of the Tree of Life. Even if you try to leave, you cannot pass beyond the hill. This is your home now."
"I don't want to be a guardian spirit!" Seraphyne cried, shaking her head. "I want to go home!"
"There is no choice," her grandmother said coldly. "You inherited the power. If your mother had inherited it, she would be here instead of you. But your mother was born... useless." She threw a sharp glance at her daughter, who lowered her eyes in shame.
"Don't worry," her mother whispered, trying to soothe her. "We'll visit you often. I promise. You won't be alone."
But her words only made the child cry harder. "I want to go home! I want to go home!"
"We have to leave now," the old woman ordered, already turning her back.
Seraphyne grabbed onto her mother's robe, refusing to let go.
"No! Don't leave me!" Seraphyne sobbed, clinging tighter.
Her grandmother's hand lashed out, prying Seraphyne's fingers away with a forceful grip.
"Please! Mommy! Don't leave me!"