The camp was quiet.
Most of the recruits slept soundly in the barracks, their bodies exhausted from the relentless training of the previous day. The forest surrounding Ashen Veil's hidden base rustled softly with the night wind.
Edrin stirred.
His eyes opened slowly as discomfort tugged at his bladder.
"…Seriously?" he muttered under his breath.
He sat up carefully, trying not to wake the others, and slipped outside into the cool night air. The sky above was scattered with faint stars, and the moon hung low behind drifting clouds.
He walked a short distance from the barracks and went behind a cluster of bushes.
A moment later he sighed in relief.
"Much better."
As he finished and turned back toward the camp, a voice suddenly spoke from the shadows.
"You're up late."
Edrin nearly jumped out of his skin.
Kaelen stepped into the faint moonlight, arms crossed.
Edrin let out a breath. "You scared the life out of me."
Kaelen raised an eyebrow.
"Well?"
Edrin scratched the back of his neck.
"I… uh… had to take a piss."
Kaelen stared at him for a long second.
"…Understandable."
Edrin then glanced around the quiet camp.
"What about you?" he asked. "Why are you awake?"
"Patrol," Kaelen replied simply.
His gaze swept the trees again before returning to Edrin.
"Now go back to bed. Tomorrow's training will be worse than yesterday."
Edrin groaned softly.
"Great."
He turned to head back toward the barracks.
"Edrin."
He stopped and looked back.
Kaelen's voice had softened slightly.
"If there's something on your mind…feel free to say it."
Edrin hesitated.
For a brief moment, images flashed through his head—his father, the execution square, the burning rage that had exploded from him.
But he shook his head.
"Everything's fine," he said politely. "Nothing on my mind."
Kaelen studied him carefully, but he didn't press further.
"Alright."
Edrin nodded and returned to the barracks.
But as he lay down again, sleep didn't come quickly.
That faint pulse inside his chest stirred again.
The next morning arrived brutally.
Kaelen stood in the training clearing with his arms behind his back as the recruits lined up.
"Shirts off."
Groans followed immediately.
Within seconds, every recruit stood bare-chested in the cool morning air.
Seris and Lyra stood nearby watching.
Kaelen nodded once.
"Physical conditioning first."
The recruits braced themselves.
"100 push-ups."
The group dropped immediately.
"Down… up… down… up…"
By thirty, half of them were already shaking.
By sixty, several collapsed.
Edrin's arms trembled violently as sweat dripped onto the dirt beneath him.
"Eighty… eighty-one…"
His muscles screamed.
He could barely feel his hands anymore.
But he kept going.
Nearby, one recruit suddenly collapsed flat on the ground.
"I—I can't do it!" he groaned.
CRACK.
A whip snapped loudly.
The recruit yelped.
"AAAH!"
His voice rose several octaves as he jumped back into position like lightning had struck him.
The other recruits struggled not to laugh.
Kaelen stood behind him calmly holding the whip.
"Endure."
The recruit nodded furiously.
"Yes sir!"
Seris covered her mouth, giggling quietly.
Lyra sighed and shook her head.
"Kaelen, go easy on them."
"They'll thank me later," Kaelen replied flatly.
"Next."
"100 sit-ups."
Groans echoed again.
Then came the worst part.
"100 squats."
Edrin felt like his legs were made of burning iron by the time they finished.
Several recruits collapsed on the ground completely drained.
Kaelen clapped his hands once.
"Good."
Nobody else seemed to think so.
Once they recovered slightly, Kaelen gathered them into a circle.
"This next part," he said, "is more important than physical strength."
The recruits sat up straighter.
"This is about Aether."
Edrin immediately paid close attention.
Kaelen continued.
"Aether is the life energy that flows through all living things. Every warrior capable of extraordinary power channels it."
He raised his hand slowly.
A faint blue energy shimmered briefly around his palm before fading.
"This energy can manifest in different elements."
He began listing them.
"Fire."
"Water."
"Wind."
"Earth."
"Lightning."
"Shadow."
"Holy."
"Void."
The recruits murmured quietly.
Kaelen nodded toward Lyra.
"The attack Lyra used to destroy the beast that attacked was Holy Aether."
Lyra casually leaned against a tree.
"It's useful against things that shouldn't exist."
Kaelen continued.
"But before you can use Aether… you must learn to feel it."
He pointed to the center of the clearing.
"Sit."
The recruits sat cross-legged.
"Close your eyes."
They obeyed.
"Clear your mind," Kaelen instructed. "Focus on your breathing. Then search for the energy inside you."
Silence fell across the clearing.
Edrin slowly inhaled.
Exhaled.
Inhaled again.
He concentrated deeply.
Energy… inside me…
Then he felt it.
That familiar pulse.
The same one that had appeared during training.
The same one that had exploded when his father died.
There it is…
His heart beat faster.
The pulse responded.
Faint heat spread through his chest.
Meanwhile, Seris watched him closely from the edge of the clearing.
Lyra noticed.
A sly smile crept onto her face.
"Well well," she whispered.
Seris glanced at her.
"What?"
Lyra smirked.
"You look worried."
"I'm not."
Lyra leaned closer.
"You're staring at him."
Seris's cheeks turned faintly red.
"I'm observing him."
Lyra chuckled.
"Sure you are."
Seris looked away briefly before regaining her composure.
"I won't deny I'm… fond of him."
Lyra raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
Seris shrugged lightly.
"He reminds me of someone."
Lyra smiled knowingly.
Meanwhile, Kaelen stood silently watching the recruits.
But his attention was locked on Edrin.
Because something unusual was happening.
The air around Edrin had begun to shimmer faintly.
The pulse inside him was growing stronger.
Kaelen's eyes narrowed slightly.Edrin felt it.
That same pulse.
Slow.
Warm.
Alive.
It throbbed quietly in the center of his chest, like a small flame hidden beneath layers of ash.
There…
His breathing slowed naturally.
The world around him faded—the wind, the forest, even the quiet murmurs of the other recruits.
All that remained was the pulse.
And then it responded.
A faint warmth spread down his arms.
His fingers twitched.
The energy inside him stirred again, stronger this time, like something awakening after a long sleep.
Nearby, one of the recruits suddenly spoke.
"I—I think I feel something!"
Another recruit opened one eye.
"Really?"
"Yeah! Like… tingling in my hands!"
Kaelen didn't look impressed.
"Focus," he said calmly. "Do not chase the feeling. Let it come to you."
The recruits quickly shut their eyes again.
But Edrin's pulse was growing stronger.
The warmth in his chest expanded, slowly traveling up his spine.
For a brief moment, the ground beneath him seemed to tremble slightly.
Kaelen noticed immediately.
His eyes sharpened.
That's not normal…
Seris noticed it too.
Her posture straightened.
Lyra glanced between them.
"You both look like you just smelled smoke," she said quietly.
Seris whispered, barely audible.
"Something's happening."
Edrin's breathing deepened.
The pulse surged again.
And then—
A faint glow appeared around his hands.
It was weak.
Barely visible.
But it was there.
A soft flicker of reddish-orange light.
Kaelen's eyes widened slightly.
Fire Aether…?
But something about it felt different.
Unstable.
The energy flickered erratically before suddenly—
WHOOSH.
A small burst of flame erupted from Edrin's palm.
"AH!"
Edrin's eyes shot open in panic as he instinctively flung his hands outward.
The flame disappeared immediately.
But the sudden movement broke everyone's concentration.
The other recruits jumped up in shock.
"What was that?!"
"Did he just—?!"
Edrin stared at his hands.
"What… was that…?"
Kaelen stepped forward slowly.
"Stay calm."
Edrin looked up at him.
"I didn't mean to do that."
"I know."
Kaelen crouched slightly, examining him carefully.
"Most recruits take weeks to feel their Aether."
He gestured toward Edrin's hands.
"You manifested yours in minutes."
The other recruits stared at him in disbelief.
One muttered under his breath.
"Show-off…"
Another whispered.
"That was real fire…"
Edrin shook his head.
"I didn't have control over it.Like before"
"That's obvious," Kaelen replied dryly.
Lyra approached slowly, her expression thoughtful.
"You felt it before, haven't you?"
Edrin hesitated.
"…Yes."
"When?"
He swallowed.
"During training."
"And before that?"
Edrin's chest tightened.
He remembered the execution square.
The rage.
The flames.
"…Yes," he said quietly.
Seris exchanged a brief glance with Kaelen.
Lyra crossed her arms.
"Well," she said casually, "that explains the little fireworks show."
Kaelen stood up again.
"For now, that's enough."
The recruits looked relieved.
"Training ends here for today."
Several of them immediately collapsed onto the ground.
But Kaelen turned back to Edrin.
"You."
Edrin straightened nervously.
"Yes?"
"Stay."
The other recruits groaned as they left the clearing.
Soon only four people remained.
Kaelen.
Lyra.
Seris.
And Edrin.
The forest felt quieter now.
Kaelen folded his arms.
"Your Aether is unusually reactive."
Edrin frowned.
"Is that a bad thing?"
Lyra shrugged.
"It can be."
Seris stepped closer.
"Power without control is dangerous. Not just for enemies… but for yourself."
Edrin looked down at his hands again.
"They burned on their own."
Kaelen nodded.
"That means your emotions are directly tied to your Aether flow."
"Which means," Lyra added, "if you lose control… things explode."
Edrin swallowed.
"Great.Just great now i'm a walking bomb."
Seris placed a hand on his shoulder.
"But it also means your potential might be far greater than most."
He looked up at her.
"Potential?"
Kaelen spoke calmly.
"Your training will change starting tomorrow."
Edrin blinked.
"How?"
Kaelen turned away slightly.
"You will begin advanced Aether control training."
Lyra smirked.
"Lucky you."
Edrin wasn't sure if that was a good thing.