Rebirth

Kaelen tried his best to stay on his feet, until his legs eventually gave out, causing him to dropped to his knees as the sword slipped from his grip and clattered to the ground. He gasped for air, his eyelids growing heavy, but he fought the urge to sleep in the forsaken place. Who knows what kind of threat might still be lurking around him?

As he slowly stood, he grabbed the sword that had fallen to the ground. The moment his hand touched the hilt, a familiar pain coursed through his entire body, followed by a weird vision before him, causing him to reflexively drop the sword again.

"Shit, that scared me"

He still couldn't get used to the agonizing pain it caused, but what unsettled him even more was the momentary vision that followed right after. In the meantime, he left the sword on the ground as he looked around the circle, wandering around it aimlessly. He checked every inch of the soil beneath him, the invisible barrier, and the towering monoliths surrounding him. As he began to lose his mind, he even resorted to making strange gestures toward the night sky, hoping it might do something.

'Ahh what the hell!' 

As Kaelen viewed the night sky above him, he fixed his eyes on the single light that shone directly above him. He hadn't thought much about it because he had been fighting for his dear life not long ago, but now that his mind was clearer, he began to question the purpose and existence of the light. One thing he knew for sure was that the light above him played a crucial role in saving his life—well, that is, if you also consider the other two lights that had already vanished. 

***

As time slowly passed, Kaelen began to lose his patience despite everything he had done. The complete silence around him didn't help at all; it was gradually driving him to the edge of his sanity. Oddly enough, he didn't feel hunger or thirst at all. The fatigue that had once overwhelmed his body also seemed to have dissipated. But he knew he couldn't stay in this place any longer, so he was left with no choice but to resort to his final option: which is the sword.

As he approached the sword lying on the ground, he took a deep breath and readied himself. 

'Well, here goes nothing—i guess..'

With his eyes closed, Kaelen quickly grabbed the hilt of the sword with both hands and lifted it from the ground. A sudden pain flows through his entire body, a loud wailing shriek echoes through the plain. Despite the excruciating pain, Kaelen still gripped the hilt as tightly as he could, causing his palms to bleed from the force. After what felt like an eternity, the pain finally stopped. 

Kaelen slowly opened his eye. He stood in the vast expanse of nowhere, his surroundings is a surreal contrast of darkness and vibrant colors. Before him, a dark, ominous light hovered, casting an eerie glow that seemed to swallow the space around it. In contrast, his surroundings were alive with a cascade of colorful lights. Some of these lights shimmered close by, their hues pulsating softly like distant, glowing embers, while others sparkled in the far distance, appearing as faint, twinkling orbs. The interplay of dark and vibrant illumination created a mesmerizing, otherworldly atmosphere, as if he stood at the boundary between two contrasting realms.

Kaelen felt an inexplicable pull towards the dark light before him, a compelling urge to reach out and touch it despite his hesitation. His fingers trembled as they approached the enigmatic glow. Finally, summoning his courage, he extended his hand and touched the dark light.

As his fingers made contact, the light seemed to come alive. It responded with a sudden burst of energy, branching out in tendrils that connected with the other colorful lights scattered throughout the space around him. The dark light transformed into a web of luminous strands, linking the once isolated points of light into a shimmering network. The space around Kaelen now sparkled, as if the dark light had unlocked a hidden symphony of illumination within the boundless expanse.

As the network of lights pulsed with newfound vitality, Kaelen began to feel a strange sensation. His body started to fade, the edges of his form blurring and dissolving into the surrounding area. Gradually, his entire being seemed to dissolve into the radiance,which probably signaling his impending return to the real world. Right before his body starts to dissipate completely, he heard a faint whisper from the air around him

"Wait, what was that? Exci—"

***

With a sudden jolt, Kaelen's awareness snapped back to his real body. The sensation of the otherworldly light dissipated, giving way to the solidity of his physical form. He found himself in a sitting position on the ground, the soft, cool texture of the earth beneath him contrasted to the luminous expanse he had just left. As he slowly stood up, he looked around the area until he spotted Master Cronos just outside the circle, accompanied by another man.He then approached the two of them

"Well done, i see that your attunement ends in a great success" 

Master Cronos complimented him, with a gentle smile on his face

"Yeah, and it definitely wasn't easy"

 Kaelen's gaze shifted to the man with his eyes covered standing beside his master. Noticing his gaze, the man introduce himself:

"Congratulations on the success of your attunement, Mister Kaelen. Please forgive my impudence. My name is Arion Valenor. I am a longtime friend of your master and the headmaster of the Royal Academy of Calaria."

Kaelen subtly bowed his head in response to the man introduction

'The headmaster? Does that mean I'll be seeing him at the academy often as well?'

"Well, I don't want to waste both of your time. It's good to finally see you again, Alaric. And I look forward to your arrival at the academy, Mister Kaelen. So long."

Without waiting for a response, the man walked into the depth of the forest until his figure disappeared from sight.

Master Cronos watched him go for a moment, then turned to Kaelen

 "Shall we go home?"

***

Using the same method they had used to arrive at the ancient site, Kaelen was finally back in the dark forest with the laboratory in sight. He never would have thought that he would miss an old, shabby building standing in the middle of such an eerie, dark forest. 

As he opened the entrance that has already been unsealed by Master Cronos, he was greeted by the sight of the familliar dimly lit interior filled with the faint, musty scent of old books and parchment—But in the center of the room, stood a girl, her attention deeply engrossed in a collection of manuscripts spread out before her on the table. She was surrounded by the soft glow of a single lamp, casting gentle light over her features and the texts she was studying.

As Kaelen and the girl locked eyes, a moment of mutual surprise passed between them. At the same instant, they both exclaimed:

"Who the hell are you?"