Chapter 9

 The next morning, Eveline awoke with the feeling that something was about to change profoundly. The wind blowing through the windows of the tower where she resided seemed colder, laden with a foreboding she couldn't ignore. Alaric's invitation to the advanced study of lineage magic weighed heavily on her mind. She knew she was about to embark on an irreversible path, and the answers she sought might reveal truths that had so far remained hidden, even from herself.

Eveline prepared quickly and made her way to Alaric's tower. The building was located in the most isolated part of the academy, an ancient structure that seemed to have been hewn directly from the mountain rock. Few had access to this area, and it was here that the most powerful wizards conducted their most advanced and dangerous studies.

Upon arrival, Alaric was already waiting for her at the top of the tower, in front of a large table covered with ancient books and scrolls. There was a bright intensity in his eyes, a mix of curiosity and expectation. He knew Eveline was no ordinary student and that what she carried within her was rare, perhaps unique.

"Are you ready?" Alaric asked, lifting his eyes from a scroll. "What we're about to explore won't be easy, and it may awaken forces you haven't fully mastered yet."

Eveline nodded, determined. "I'm ready. I need to understand what this power really means. What this lineage can reveal about who I am."

Alaric studied her for a moment before rising and walking to the center of the room, where there was a large magical circle drawn on the floor, glowing with ancient runes. He pointed to the circle, indicating that Eveline should step inside.

"This circle will connect us directly to the flow of lineage magic that traverses time and space. It will reveal the secrets of your power but will also test your mental and spiritual resilience. You will not only see your own memories but also access the ancestral knowledge of those who came before you."

Eveline took a deep breath, feeling a slight tension in the air, but stepped forward into the circle. As her feet touched the runes, she felt a different kind of energy around her, as if the air were charged with electricity.

Alaric began to murmur ancient words, his hands moving through the air with precision as he controlled the magic pulsing through the circle. Eveline closed her eyes, feeling the power flow towards her. At first, it was just a faint vibration, but it quickly transformed into something much greater, a force that seemed to want to pull her away from her own consciousness.

Then, everything around her darkened.

Eveline was thrown into a deep void where time and space did not exist. Her mind was bombarded with images and memories that belonged not just to her but to countless lives, from times she did not recognize. There were voices, faces, feelings—all mixed in a whirlwind that left her dizzy and lost.

Suddenly, a clearer scene formed before her. She saw a woman, dressed in ancient attire and adorned with arcane symbols. The woman stood on a devastated battlefield, surrounded by flames and fallen bodies. Her eyes shone with the same power Eveline felt within herself. It was an ancient vision, of a war that seemed to have occurred centuries, perhaps millennia ago.

"You..." Eveline whispered, recognizing something in the woman. "Who are you?"

The figure slowly turned, her eyes locking with Eveline's. "I am you from a time you do not yet understand. I am the beginning of your lineage, the first of many who carried the power you now control."

Eveline took a step back, feeling the weight of the revelation. "Does this mean my magic... comes from an ancient lineage? Something that has been passed down through generations?"

The woman nodded. "Yes. You are not the first to bear this burden, and you will not be the last. But your connection to this power is different from the others. You are special, Eveline. Something within you transcends the limitations faced by others."

Before Eveline could ask more questions, the scene abruptly changed. She was thrown to another place, now seeing a younger version of herself—Suzume from her past life. She was alone, sitting in a small apartment, surrounded by loneliness and regrets. The image brought a familiar sense of pain and isolation, but now Eveline saw it with different eyes.

"Do you regret what you were?" asked a voice echoing in her mind.

Eveline hesitated. "I... don't know. I made many mistakes. I didn't know how to connect with the world. But I learned, and now I am here."

"You have learned," replied the voice. "But what will you do with this learning?"

Suddenly, the flow of images ceased. Eveline felt the ground beneath her feet again, and the weight of reality fell upon her like a tide. She was back in Alaric's tower, still within the magical circle, but felt as if she had lived an entire lifetime of experiences.

Alaric watched her intently. "What did you see?"

Eveline took a deep breath, feeling her heart still racing. "I saw a woman, very ancient, on a battlefield. She said my magic is part of a lineage, and that I am different from everyone else."

Alaric remained silent for a moment, pondering her words. "This confirms what I suspected. Your magic is not just a common inheritance, Eveline. It is rooted in something much greater, something that could change the course of everything we know. You are the key to something we do not yet understand."

Eveline frowned, trying to process it all. "But what does this mean for me now? What should I do?"

Alaric stepped forward, his expression serious. "You must continue to train, but with caution. Your power is still growing, and the more you know, the more dangerous it will become. But something greater is coming your way, something that will involve not only you but the entire realm. And you must be ready for it."

Alaric's words hung in the air, heavy with the gravity of what was to come. Eveline knew she couldn't back down now. Whatever it was, she would face it.

And as she left the tower that day, she felt that the shadows of her past and the forces of her future were finally beginning to align. Fate awaited her, and she was more determined than ever to discover what it truly meant to be Eveline, heir to a power that transcended time.