Kael's training changed after that night.
Before, Sylara had focused on building his endurance, sharpening his instincts, and teaching him the ways of survival. But now, everything revolved around control.
His power was no longer slumbering. It stirred beneath his skin, raw and unrefined, responding to his emotions, to his thoughts—even to the subtlest shifts in his will. But it was like a storm without direction, a force that threatened to consume rather than obey.
And so, Sylara devised a trial.
The First Trial: Stillness Amidst Chaos
Kael stood in the center of the valley, eyes closed. Around him, the winds howled, the trees trembled, and the very earth rumbled beneath his feet. Sylara, hovering above, unleashed the full force of her power upon him gale-force winds, shockwaves of pure energy, and the deafening roar of her voice shaking the land itself.
The trial was simple.
Do not react. Do not let your power flare. Hold it in.
At first, it was unbearable.
The moment the pressure struck him, his instincts screamed to defend himself. His power surged in response, pushing outward, struggling to shield him. The air crackled around his body as the same invisible force that had stopped Sylara before flickered out of control.
"Again," Sylara commanded, her voice cutting through the chaos.
Kael gritted his teeth, forcing his body to remain still.
The storm raged. His own power writhed inside him, straining against the pressure. But he clenched his fists, grounding himself.
Breathe. Control. Do not let it rule you.
The winds screamed. The earth trembled. But Kael… stood firm.
Then, as suddenly as it began, the storm ceased. The valley fell silent.
Sylara landed before him, her emerald eyes gleaming with approval. "Good. You are beginning to understand."
Kael let out a shaky breath, sweat dripping down his brow. He could still feel his power thrumming beneath his skin, but for the first time… it was quiet.
The Second Trial: The Test of Precision
Sylara led Kael deeper into the valley, where a single floating ember of energy hovered before them. It was tiny, no larger than a spark, yet it pulsed with a power that seemed endless.
"Your power is vast, but if you cannot focus it, you will be nothing more than a wildfire burning without direction," Sylara said. She gestured to the ember. "You will touch it. But only with the barest fraction of your power."
Kael frowned. "That… doesn't sound hard."
Sylara let out a low chuckle. "Then try."
Kael reached out. He barely let his power stir just a whisper of intent, a mere fraction of what he could summon The ember exploded.
A shockwave of force sent him stumbling back, the air rippling from the sheer lack of restraint. Sylara shook her head. "Too much."
Kael clenched his jaw, stepping forward again. This time, he focused harder. He narrowed his intent, willed his power into the smallest, softest touch possible.
He reached out The ember flickered violently then collapsed in on itself, snuffed out.
Sylara sighed. "Too little."
Kael's frustration boiled. He could move mountains with his strength, shatter the ground with a mere thought and yet he couldn't control a simple ember?
He took a deep breath.
No. He would master this.
This time, he did not force it. He did not let his emotions cloud his intent. He simply let his power flow, steady and controlled.
He reached out And the ember remained.
A perfect, delicate balance.
Sylara smiled.
The Final Trial: The Name of Power
As the days passed, Kael's control sharpened. He no longer let his power lash out wildly, nor did it suppress itself to nothingness. He had found balance.
But one final test remained.
"The world knows magic through spells, through chants and rituals," Sylara said one night, her emerald eyes gleaming beneath the moon. "But your power is not bound by such things. It is a force that answers only to you."
She lowered her head, voice filled with ancient knowing.
"To truly command it, you must name it."
Kael's breath hitched.
A name.
He closed his eyes, feeling the energy within him. It was not just a weapon, nor a tool. It was a part of him.
And in that moment, he understood.
His power did not belong to the world.
It belonged to him.
And so, he spoke the name that had always been his to claim.
And the Forgotten Vale trembled in response.