The room still hummed with the aftershock of the awakening. The faint crackle of purple light lingered in the air, fading only when the serpent exhaled.
Sarah's golden eyes narrowed as she gazed upon the boy, the aura around him still trembling like a candle caught in a storm.
"Magnificent…" she whispered, voice rippling like wind across still water."This aura—without question—belongs to an elemental awakening. But…"
Her tone changed, soft wonder twisting into calculation.
"It seems we were only partly correct."
The serpent tilted its head, scales shifting in iridescent light as her gaze deepened, seeing not with eyes but through Ether.
"What he has awakened—it's not purely Lightning or Flame. It's something beyond, an extension of his senses. Yet…"
Her voice grew faint as if receding into herself. The air shimmered with energy as Sarah's Ether swept around the young master's form, scanning.
The Scan
Through her sight, his body was a universe of light.In his abdomen, deep beneath layers of blue Ether—pure and fluid—burned a small flicker of black and violet flame. It pulsed softly, like a heartbeat.
"Curious…" she murmured."So much life energy surrounding it. It's almost being suppressed."
Her gaze sharpened.
"Lady Elara, Lord Levan—his element might belong to the Gregorian Class."
The word hung in the air like a secret.
Narration — The Gregorian Elements
In the world of Arian, the known elements shaped the six pillars of existence—Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Lightning, and Light.Yet, hidden between them existed a seventh branch—rare, ancient, and undefined.
These were called the Gregorian Elements—manifestations of Ether so obscure they defied comprehension. Often mistaken for mutations of existing elements, they existed at the fringes of the Gaia System, uncharted and unteachable.
Their bearers were prodigies or tragedies. Because such powers came without guides—without masters, without paths.History remembered few who survived their own awakening.
Return to the Chamber
The old lady's eyes were heavy with memory.
"I have seen three Gregorian awakenings in my lifetime," she said softly."All of them burned brightly… and all of them burned out."
Sarah's tone softened as she turned her attention back to the boy.
"Yet this one is different. His Ether doesn't fight it—it nurtures it. That is unheard of."
Elara's shoulders eased slightly at those words, her hand unconsciously over her heart.
"So he will be alright?"
"Yes," Sarah replied. "His life is no longer at risk. The natural Ether in his body has stabilized the element's flow."
But then she added quietly,
"However, we don't yet know what this element truly is."
Father and Son
Levan stepped forward. The violet light from the pedestal had dimmed to nothing, leaving only the faint echo of Ether in the air. His son's right eye had returned to its usual color.
He knelt, leveling his gaze with the boy's.
"How do you feel?" he asked."Anything strange in your body? Any pain?"
The young master hesitated before answering.
"It's quiet," he said finally.
Levan frowned slightly.
"Quiet?"
The boy nodded. His gaze drifted to his right hand—the same one that had touched the crystal.
"Ether usually makes a sound… when it moves. I can hear it when people use it. But this—" he raised his hand, staring at the faint residue of black and purple—"it's silent. Completely silent."
Levan exhaled slowly, unsure whether to be relieved or unsettled.He placed a hand on the boy's shoulder and smiled faintly.
"Then it seems even your element has your temperament—quiet, but strong."
The young master only nodded.
Later That Night
His room was dimly lit by candlelight. The boy sat cross-legged on the floor, trying to manifest the same violet aura. His breathing was steady, his focus sharp.
Nothing.
Then a spark—small, like a heartbeat—flickered in his palm before fading.He tried again. And again.Each attempt made the air hum softly but left no trace of the element.
Why won't it come out?
He closed his eyes and whispered,
"Mind's Eye…"
But no voice answered this time. Only stillness.
Meanwhile — The Parents' Chamber
Elara stood by the window, her reflection dim in the glass.
"He's fine for now," she said quietly, "but what do we do next?"
Levan, seated beside the table, traced the edge of his cup.
"From what Lady Agaria and Sarah said, his life energy has stabilized. He's safe."
Elara turned to him.
"Safe isn't enough. We don't even know what he awakened."
Levan nodded, eyes narrowing with thought.
"Then we follow Agaria's proposal. He'll continue training under the Lady Knight. She'll teach him precision and control.""And the cultivation method?"
"We'll incorporate the Eastern techniques she mentioned. Qi refinement, Ether breathing — it should help him learn how to separate his natural Ether from his element."
Elara sighed softly, her gaze softening.
"He's five years old, Levan… and already bearing the weight of two worlds."
Levan looked out the window toward the moonlit courtyard.
"Then we'll make sure he never carries it alone."
And so began the boy's next chapter — the path of silence, the path of the unseen element.
The world called it dormant.But in truth, it was merely waiting to awaken.
[End of Chapter 17 — The Dormant Flame]