Night fell heavy upon the Veyra Estate.
Storm clouds gathered above the mountains, yet the clan's central flames burned on, defiant as always. But in a lonely hut at the edge of those proud towers, one light flickered and dimmed.
Aelion lay on his bed, drenched in sweat. His breathing came sharp and uneven, his veins pulsing with colors that shouldn't coexist — red, blue, gold, violet, white. Each rhythm beat out of sync, a storm of power tearing at the boundaries of his soul.
He clutched his chest, groaning.
"I can't… contain it…"
Every time he tried to suppress one element, another flared to life. His body felt as if it were being pulled apart in seven directions.
"Balance."
The word echoed faintly — not from outside, but within. A voice both ancient and close, like wind whispering through the hollow of the earth.
Aelion's consciousness slipped away.
---
He awoke standing in a vast, starlit expanse.
An endless sea of light stretched beneath his feet — shimmering like liquid glass. Above, seven celestial orbs rotated slowly, each blazing with an element's essence. Lightning arced between them. Fire roared in silence. Wind flowed like ribbons of silver.
"The… Elemental Nexus."
The memory of the awakening ceremony returned in flashes — the light, the voice, the power. Now, it all stood before him again, more vivid, more alive.
He felt small before the grandeur of it — yet the Nexus pulsed in rhythm with his heartbeat, as if it belonged to him.
Then, a deep rumble stirred through the void. The orbs flared brighter, aligning one by one.
"You have returned, bearer of Infinity."
The voice rolled through the realm, neither male nor female, echoing across eternity. From the center of the orbs emerged a vast silhouette — a being of pure starlight with eyes like twin suns.
Aelion shielded his face. "Who are you?"
"I am Solmyr, guardian of the Core, overseer of the Nexus. You stand within the cradle of elements — a realm between creation and destruction."
Aelion lowered his hand, awe spreading across his face. "This… is inside me?"
"It is bound to you, as you are to it. The Core of Infinity resides in your soul. But your vessel is incomplete. The seven primordial spirits lie in slumber. Without them, your power will consume you."
"The spirits…" Aelion looked toward the orbs. Each one radiated emotion — fury, serenity, patience, chaos. "Then how do I wake them?"
Solmyr extended a hand. Space rippled, and one orb — crimson like molten gold — descended.
"Begin with the first. The Spirit of Fire Ignara. To claim her, you must withstand her wrath. Only through trial shall harmony be born."
Before Aelion could speak, the orb expanded, engulfing him in flame.
---
He fell.
The light around him burned into a storm of crimson inferno. Mountains of ash and rivers of magma stretched to the horizon. The air shimmered with heat so fierce it felt alive.
Aelion landed hard, coughing as he rose to his knees. His surroundings pulsed with violent energy — every breath threatened to scorch his lungs.
Then a voice cut through the inferno, fierce and feminine.
"Who dares trespass in my dominion?"
A shape emerged from the molten mist — a towering phoenix formed entirely of living flame. Her wings stretched across the sky, her eyes twin suns of wrath.
"I am Aelion," he said, steadying his breath. "I came to awaken you."
The phoenix laughed, a sound like burning mountains.
"Awaken me? Foolish mortal. You are no fire-bearer. I smell water, wind, and weakness within you."
She circled him, flames licking the ground where her gaze fell. "Your soul is fractured. You cannot even hold my ember without burning alive."
Aelion straightened, defiance flickering in his eyes. "Maybe. But I will try anyway."
"Then burn."
Ignara unleashed her fury. Pillars of flame erupted, devouring the ground. Aelion dodged instinctively, though the heat seared his skin. He gathered his will, calling to the faint fire within him — the spark that had always refused to appear.
For a heartbeat, it flared. A single thread of crimson light coiled around his hand.
He hurled it forward. The spark collided with Ignara's inferno and vanished instantly.
She laughed.
"Pathetic. You command nothing."
Aelion gritted his teeth. "Maybe not fire. But something deeper answers me."
He spread his arms, feeling the chaos within him stir — the storm of elements he'd been fighting to suppress. If one refused him, he would use another.
Water surged from the cracks in the molten earth, meeting the flames head-on. Steam burst across the battlefield.
Ignara shrieked in fury. "You dare use water in my realm?!"
Aelion's voice was calm. "Fire is destruction. Water is rebirth. They balance each other."
He stepped forward, each word steady despite the pain. "I don't want to destroy you. I want to understand you."
The flames hesitated. For the first time, Ignara's gaze softened — curiosity flickering beneath the rage.
"You seek harmony where there should be domination… strange mortal."
She spread her wings, her flames turning golden. "Then prove it. Endure my heartfire and live."
A sphere of blinding flame gathered above her. The temperature rose beyond mortal tolerance. The world trembled.
Aelion closed his eyes. He didn't resist. He opened himself to the fire, letting it engulf him. His veins screamed, his body burned from within — yet beneath the agony, he felt something profound: acceptance.
The fire did not destroy him. It became part of him.
When the flames finally faded, Aelion stood amidst ashes, his body wreathed in calm emberlight. His hair shimmered faintly with gold, his aura steady.
Ignara bowed her head, her massive form shrinking into a human-like silhouette — a woman with fiery eyes and wings of molten gold.
"You endure without submission. You balance without fear. You are worthy."
She pressed her hand to his chest, and a searing warmth spread through him.
"Take my ember, Aelion of the Infinite Core. May it burn with purpose, not pride."
Light burst from his heart, and the world of flame shattered.
---
Aelion gasped awake, back in his hut. His skin steamed faintly, and when he opened his palm, a small ember danced freely — pure and alive, responding to his will.
He smiled faintly. "Ignara…"
The ember pulsed, as if answering him.
But his peace was short-lived. He felt the other elements within stir restlessly — lightning, wind, ice — all awaiting their turn. The journey had only begun.
From the shadows outside, unseen eyes watched through the window — a spy cloaked in crimson robes.
"The boy survived the first awakening," the spy whispered into a crystal. "The Core of Infinity is real. Report to the High Council immediately."
Aelion looked toward the night sky, unaware that his destiny was no longer his alone.
Above, the stars shimmered faintly — and somewhere within the Nexus, six more spirits stirred in their ancient sleep.
"One flame ignited…" Solmyr's distant voice echoed through his mind.
"…Six more to awaken."