The sun rose gently over the spires of the Heavenly Blade Sect, casting gold across the quiet courtyards. After the chaos of the day before, the academy felt strangely calm — as if the earth itself had taken a deep breath and settled into uneasy silence. The students murmured about cracks in the ground that had appeared and vanished, about tremors that had shaken the grand hall. No one really knew what had happened — and Zeref wasn't about to tell them.
He stood at the edge of the lotus pond, his reflection rippling softly in the water. His thoughts, however, were anything but still. He could still feel that faint warmth in his chest, like a living heartbeat beneath his skin — quiet, but undeniable.
The mark of the twin crescents glowed faintly under his robes whenever he thought about that radiant sphere deep below the earth — Aetherion.
Zeref clenched his hand over his heart, feeling the faint pulse of energy there. "What exactly are you…?" he whispered.
"Still wondering about yesterday?"
The voice behind him was gentle, calm — yet carried a tone that always made him straighten instinctively. Zeref turned to see Lin Zhiyao, standing in her usual white and silver robes, a serene expression on her face. Morning light glimmered in her hair like threads of starlight.
"Miss Lin," he said, bowing slightly. "Yes. I… can't stop thinking about it. That light, the voices, the energy. You said it recognized me. I need to understand — what exactly is the Aetherion?"
She studied him quietly for a moment, her eyes unreadable. Then she gestured for him to follow. "Walk with me, Zeref."
They moved through the inner gardens of the sect, where the air was filled with the scent of early blossoms and the faint hum of spiritual energy. Lin Zhiyao led him to a secluded pavilion overlooking the misty valley below. The place was silent except for the whisper of wind through the bamboo leaves.
When she spoke, her voice was low but clear. "The Aetherion is not a relic, Zeref. It is the very essence of creation — the pulse that beats beneath existence itself. Every world, every realm, is born from fragments of its light. When the stars align, its energy flows through the universe, weaving life and balance."
Zeref listened intently, every word sinking deep into his mind. "Then why is it here? On our world?"
"That," she said, her gaze distant, "is one of the greatest mysteries of all. The Aetherion Codex says it fell to our planet in the age before history — when the first lights of civilization began to burn. A meteor, they believed. But not of stone or fire… of pure energy. It buried itself deep beneath the surface, resting dormant, watching, waiting for the one who could awaken it again."
She lifted her hand, and a faint glow shimmered between her fingers. Lines of light formed in the air, then swirled outward until they took shape — a floating, ancient book made of ethereal energy. Its cover was engraved with golden runes that pulsed faintly like living veins.
Zeref stepped back slightly. "That's—"
"The Aetherion Codex," Lin Zhiyao said softly. "The book that found me when I was a child."
The book opened on its own, pages turning like waves of light. Strange symbols danced across them, rearranging themselves into words in a language Zeref could somehow understand.
Lin Zhiyao began to read aloud:
"When the heavens tremble and the twin stars align, the heir shall be born. In his heart shall dwell the mark of convergence. In his veins shall flow the light of rebirth. And when the Aetherion calls, he shall awaken — the child of balance, bearer of celestial flame."
She looked up from the Codex, meeting his gaze. "That mark on your chest — it's not just a symbol, Zeref. It's proof. The Aetherion's energy recognized you even before you were born. You were chosen to become its heir — the one meant to restore the balance between creation and decay."
Zeref felt his breath catch. He had suspected something ever since the cavern, but hearing it spoken aloud filled him with an unfamiliar weight. "Balance between creation and decay… What does that mean?"
Lin Zhiyao walked toward the railing, her eyes fixed on the horizon. "Every age reaches a point where it begins to collapse upon itself. Empires rise and fall, stars burn and fade, life blossoms and withers. The Aetherion exists to keep the cycle from breaking — to ensure that when destruction comes, renewal follows. Without it, the world would eventually… stop."
He frowned. "So this power isn't meant for battle."
She smiled faintly. "Not in the way most people think. It's not about destroying your enemies, but understanding the flow of energy that binds everything. To control Aetherion is to cultivate the planet itself — to breathe life where there is none, to heal what has been broken, and to guard the thin thread between worlds."
Zeref turned to the Codex again, watching as the pages turned themselves once more. "If that's true… then why me? I don't feel like someone who could control that kind of power."
Lin Zhiyao approached him quietly. "That's exactly why it chose you."
He blinked, confused.
"The Codex says the heir must possess both strength and restraint — a heart that seeks harmony rather than dominance. You fight not out of pride, but purpose. You protect even when you have nothing to gain. That purity is what binds you to Aetherion's light."
Her words struck something deep inside him — something that felt both comforting and terrifying.
He looked at his hands, remembering the times he had fought, the times he had doubted himself, and the strange calm that always guided him when everything else seemed to burn away.
"So… what happens now?" he asked quietly.
Lin Zhiyao closed the Codex with a soft sound. The book dissolved into threads of light that sank into her palm. "Now," she said, "you learn."
"Learn?"
"Yes. The Aetherion's power is vast and wild. Even a single spark of it could destroy if not guided correctly. But it can also create wonders beyond imagination. I'll teach you how to sense it, how to channel its essence through your spirit rather than against it."
Zeref straightened slightly, his expression firming. "You'll teach me how to control it."
Her lips curved into a faint smile. "I'll teach you how to listen to it. Control will come later."
The air around them shimmered faintly, reacting to her words. She raised her hand again, and soft waves of energy rippled outward. "Close your eyes," she said. "Feel the air. Not just the wind, but the rhythm beneath it."
He hesitated, then obeyed. The world fell silent.
At first, he felt nothing — only the faint chill of the morning breeze. But then, slowly, something deeper stirred. Beneath the surface of sound and touch, there was a quiet hum — like the heartbeat of the world. It resonated through his veins, pulsing in time with his chest.
"That," Lin Zhiyao whispered, her voice seeming to come from everywhere, "its Aetherion's breath. It flows through everything. The trees, the air, even the space between thoughts. Learn to feel it, and you'll never be lost."
Zeref's expression softened as the hum grew clearer. The mark on his chest glowed faintly beneath his robe, syncing with the rhythm of the world around him. For a brief moment, everything — the light, the wind, the stillness — became one.
Then the glow faded, and he opened his eyes again.
Lin Zhiyao was watching him closely, a trace of approval in her gaze. "You see? It's already responding to you."
He exhaled slowly. "It's… overwhelming. Like it's alive."
"It is alive," she said softly. "The Aetherion is the pulse of existence. And now, it's a part of you."
The silence that followed was heavy yet peaceful. Zeref looked at the horizon — the sky where the faint traces of the twin stars lingered even in daylight. For the first time, the weight he carried felt not like a burden, but a calling.
Lin Zhiyao turned to leave, her steps light. "We'll begin your true training tomorrow," she said. "But remember, Zeref — the Aetherion may have chosen you, yet how you use that power will define what kind of heir you become. Promise me you'll never forget that."
Zeref nodded firmly. "I promise."
She gave him a faint smile — the kind that hid both pride and worry — and disappeared down the stone path, her figure slowly fading into the morning mist.
Zeref remained there alone, the warmth of the rising sun brushing against his face. He looked once more at his reflection in the pond — calm water rippling around the faint light beneath his chest.
The heir of Aetherion had begun to awaken.
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To be continued...