The next morning, Ira stood in the academy courtyard again—this time not as a regular student, but as a new member of the Rift Wardens.
At least… a beginner one.
His stomach twisted with nerves as he waited.
Talia stood beside him, arms crossed.
"Are you sure you're ready?" she asked.
"No," he admitted honestly. "But I don't think the rift will wait for me to be ready."
Talia laughed softly. "That's true."
Before they could say more, footsteps echoed from the shadows of the courtyard.
A tall man with silver hair walked toward them. His expression was calm, but his eyes were sharp, almost glowing.
He wore a black coat with the Rift Warden symbol on the chest: two wings crossing over a circle of light.
"You're Ira," he said. "And you must be Talia."
Talia straightened. "Yes, sir."
The man nodded.
"I am Commander Solas, leader of the Rift Wardens. From today on, I will personally oversee Ira's training."
Ira blinked.
"Wait… personally?"
"Yes," Solas replied simply. "You're not normal, Ira. You're connected to the rift itself. If you're not trained properly, you could lose control—or worse."
Ira swallowed hard.
Talia stepped forward.
"What about me? Can I stay with him during training?"
Solas looked at her carefully.
"Your loyalty to Ira is strong. That alone makes you valuable. You may stay. But do not interfere."
Talia nodded.
---
Solas led them to a long, empty hall made of stone, with strange glowing marks drawn across the walls.
"This place is called the Focus Chamber," Solas said. "It was built to contain unstable magic… like the kind Ira carries."
Ira felt a little insulted, but also… he understood.
Solas walked to the center of the room and tapped the floor with his staff.
A ring of light appeared, circling Ira's feet.
"Step inside," Solas ordered.
Ira stepped forward. The ring rose around him like a glowing wall.
"Your first lesson," Solas said, "is control. Your power reacts to emotion. Fear, anger, sadness… any strong feeling makes the rift respond."
He pointed at Ira's hand.
"Show me the light from yesterday."
Ira took a deep breath and focused.
At first nothing happened—then a soft glow filled his palm, spreading into silver lines up his arm.
Talia watched with big eyes.
"Good," Solas said. "Now hold it steady."
The glow wavered. Ira clenched his jaw and tried again.
The light flickered harder.
His heartbeat rose. The ring around him started to vibrate.
Solas raised a hand.
"Calm your mind. You are in control, not the rift."
Ira took another breath.
"Right… I'm in control…"
Slowly, the shaking stopped.
The glow became smoother, softer.
Talia smiled proudly.
"You're doing it, Ira."
For the first time, Ira felt… confident.
---
But the moment he felt proud, something snapped.
A sudden surge shot through his arm.
The glow flared too bright.
Solas' expression changed instantly.
"Stop! You're overflowing—"
The ring burst.
A wave of silver energy exploded outward.
Talia threw herself behind a pillar.
Solas shielded himself with his staff.
The blast slammed into the walls, shaking the chamber like thunder.
Ira fell to his knees, gasping.
His hand still glowed wildly, like a flame refusing to die.
Talia rushed to him.
"Ira! Are you okay?!"
"I—I didn't mean to," he said, breathing hard. "It just… got stronger on its own."
Solas walked toward him slowly, looking more thoughtful than angry.
"Interesting," he said. "Your power doesn't only react to emotion. It grows when you think you understand it."
Ira blinked.
"That sounds… dangerous."
"It is," Solas said bluntly. "Extremely."
But then Solas placed a hand on Ira's shoulder.
"Yet it also means something else. You're a fast learner. Faster than any Warden I've seen."
Ira stared up at him in surprise.
"You mean… I can really do this?"
Solas nodded once.
"With time."
Talia exhaled in relief.
"Ira, that was scary… but also amazing."
Ira managed a small smile.
---
A Strange Message
Just as Solas prepared to start the second lesson, the ground trembled lightly.
Then a sound echoed through the chamber—
A faint whisper.
"…Ira…"
He froze.
His breath caught in his throat.
Talia heard it too.
"Ira… that voice…"
Solas spun toward him.
"What did you hear?!"
Ira swallowed.
"It sounded like someone calling my name. But… I recognized it."
Solas narrowed his eyes.
"Recognized it? From where?"
Ira's voice shook.
"It sounded like…
my brother."
Talia's hand flew to her mouth.
Solas stepped closer, his expression suddenly serious.
"Ira," he said quietly, "your brother is not in this world… not anymore."
Ira's heart pounded.
"I know," he whispered. "That's why it doesn't make sense."
But deep inside, he knew it wasn't a mistake.
He had heard Riel's voice.
Clear. Real. Close.
Solas stared at him for a long moment.
"The rift is reacting again," he said. "This is not normal."
Talia grabbed Ira's hand tightly.
"Ira… what if your brother is trying to reach you?"
Ira looked at her, then at Solas, then at his still-glowing hand.
"I don't know," he whispered, "but I need to find out."
The whisper came again—soft, distant, but unmistakable:
"…Ira… find me…"
And with that, his next path became clear.
---