The Emberlight Guild's lower wing smelled faintly of scorched parchment and leather oil. Kael adjusted the strap of his newly issued satchel as he followed Instructor Merin down the spiraling staircase. Behind them, flickering runes pulsed along the walls—old enchantments, subtle reminders of the Guild's long-standing history.
Merin stopped at a steel door flanked by two dormant guardian statues.
"Most Initiates start off with scouting or beast-culling," she said, tapping a rune lock. "But Guildmaster Renn gave me specific instructions for you. You're not going to be babysitting fields from gremlin swarms."
Kael raised an eyebrow. "Special treatment already?"
"Earned, not given," Merin replied. "You've got raw potential, Kael. But this world doesn't care about potential. It cares about performance. Let's see how you hold up under pressure."
The door groaned open.
Inside was the Guild's Mission Archive—towering shelves of crystal-bound contracts, pulsing faintly with Essence. A few veteran adventurers were already combing through them. One grizzled man gave Kael a nod but said nothing.
Merin led him to a lower shelf labeled Tier-1: Flicker-Class Assignments and pulled a small, violet-etched orb from its cradle.
"Assignment: Ember Swells, Southern Fringe," she read. "A minor Essence tremor unearthed a Varnok burrow. Locals report strange howls at night and livestock going missing. You're not expected to clear it—just scout, survive, and return with data."
Kael took the orb and felt it pulse in his hand. Not fear—excitement.
"Solo?"
Merin smiled. "With a partner. You'll meet him outside. And Kael…" She paused, gaze sharpening. "These are Varnok ruins. Even dormant ones are dangerous. If you find anything beyond your means, you run. Understood?"
He nodded. "Understood."
—
The air outside Elandor was crisp, touched by spring winds and the distant shimmer of Essence currents. Kael met his partner under the outer gate: a quiet youth with a thin sword, wind-tousled hair, and a subtle air of danger.
"Name's Daren," the boy said. "I'm Flicker 3rd Flame. You're the fast learner, right?"
Kael grinned. "That's what they tell me."
They set off down the southern trail, boots crunching against gravel and runed stones, the landscape transitioning from paved roads to rugged brush.
"So," Daren said, not looking over, "what's your Path?"
"War Mage," Kael answered.
Daren blinked. "Seriously? At Flicker? That's a crazy path for your level."
Kael shrugged. "I like a challenge."
—
By evening, they reached the edge of the Ember Swells—a low valley wrapped in mist and scorched bramble. The terrain shimmered faintly, saturated with old Essence damage. As they descended, Kael's skin prickled.
Something was watching.
Not long after, they found it.
A Slinkback Varnok—low-tier, roughly humanoid, its limbs twisted like cracked whips. Its eyes were hollow, and it moved with a disturbing, jerking lurch as it skittered across the rocks.
Daren whispered, "One of the burrow scouts. Shouldn't be alone."
Kael nodded and stepped forward. No fear in his chest—just fire.
The Varnok hissed and lunged, limbs snapping like arrows.
Kael ducked under one strike, then swept his leg low, disrupting its footing. His hand surged with Essence. Flame Pulse—a focused kinetic burst laced with heat. It shot from his palm and blasted the Varnok mid-torso, flinging it against a tree.
It screeched, limbs reforming from black slime.
Kael gritted his teeth. They healed fast.
Daren flanked the creature, his sword slicing its knee at a strange angle. The limb folded inward.
Kael visualized his next cast.
The air shimmered—heat rippling around his arms. Second Layer Breathing. Internal focus. The training from Emberlight clicked in his mind.
He stepped in. Controlled. Sharp. Strike with will.
The flames coalesced around his palm, not exploding outward but sharpening into a blade of focused heat. With a shout, he drove it into the Varnok's core—direct, piercing.
The creature writhed… then collapsed, black ichor steaming from the wound.
Kael backed away slowly, panting. "That was… tougher than expected."
Daren stared. "That was a controlled cast without a chant. Flicker level. Who the hell are you?"
Kael offered a half-smile, wiping blood from his cheek. "Someone who doesn't want to be powerless."
—
They set up camp farther uphill, out of range of the burrow. As the fire crackled, Daren watched Kael practice movements—flowing, silent arcs of his limbs, fingers carving invisible patterns in the air.
"You always train this much?" Daren asked.
Kael didn't answer at first. His eyes were closed. Breathing deep.
These weren't just training movements. Something deeper was forming. A form he hadn't shared with anyone. Something personal.
Finally, he said, "Yeah. Every day. Until I catch up."
—
When they returned to Elandor three days later, Kael was different. His movements sharper. His presence firmer. His soul brighter.
Instructor Merin watched as he submitted the completed orb. She glanced at the Essence reading and raised a brow.
"Report says you neutralized a Varnok solo."
Kael nodded. "Wasn't planned."
"Neither is death," she said.
"Congratulations on reaching Flicker – 3rd Flame."
"Thank you" Kai stated, not with pride. With resolve.
He had a long way to go.
But he was walking it.
Step by step, flame by flame.