Thrown into fire

LEO

He yawned as his eyes fluttered open to see stones floating above his head. Ryn blinked, thinking he must be seeing things, but when he opened his eyes again, the stones were still moving.

"What the hell!" he shouted, thinking the stones were going to fall on him. While trying to rise, he ended up falling to the ground.

"Ouch," he groaned. "What the hell is happening?"

"You are awake," a voice muttered above him, and he found a pair of gray eyes staring down at him.

Ryn blinked, then gasped and jumped to his feet. "Ma... Master Lysander?" He couldn't believe his eyes.

Lysander tutted, cleared his throat, and placed his hands behind his back.

"Good. It seems you still have a working brain since you remember me. Saves me the trouble of carving you another."

Ryn didn't know if he should laugh at the master's joke or respond, so instead, he wiped the dirt off his robes and looked around.

This is not the hall, he thought. There were floating stones overhead and rune drawings on the ground. This was a different place. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to remember how he had gotten here.

"What is this place? I remember Kael and Sylas fighting, and then I—"

"You cast a rune beyond your level and nearly killed yourself in the process," Lynsander finished for him with a scoff. "You're lucky to be alive."

"I..." Ryn tried to speak but had no idea how he was even able to use such power. "How am I alive?"

Lysander turned to face him, leaning in close as he eyed him suspiciously.

"Ansuz isn't something an untrained, especially an omega, can withstand. But somehow, you're here. Alive."

"I..." Ryn rubbed his hands together and took a step backward. Lysander was too close, and he felt intimidated. "I heard voices in my head... voices that ordered me to use the power."

"That part, I believe," Lynsander muttered. "You're lucky the rune didn't destroy your soul in the process," he snorted and walked toward the bed. "If you use that rune again without proper guidance, you'll disintegrate. Slowly."

"Then, can you train me?"

"No," Lynsander's reply came instantly like he didn't want anything to do with him.

The rejection hit like a slap. Ryn knew the master didn't like him one bit. He had shown this same attitude during his first class.

How was he supposed to survive in a world built on magic? A world where he might be forced to use the powers again?

"But... I need to understand what I am. What this magic is..."

"Do I look like someone who gives special treatment to whiny brats with a death wish?"

Ryn stiffened. He hadn't meant to do that. The only reason he used the power was because of the voice. He needed to figure out who the voice belonged to.

"I'm not asking for special treatment. I just want to know what—" He paused when he realized Lysander wasn't even paying attention to him.

He clenched his fists tightly and heaved a deep sigh.

"If you're strong enough to walk, then you better leave now. You're late for class," Lynsander finally spoke after a few seconds of silence.

Ryn's eyes widened in shock as if he had heard wrong. He had almost lost his life, and now he was being told he was late for class. Even the so-called alphas were nowhere to be found, although he had smelled their pheromones the moment he woke up. He didn't bother to ask the grumpy master about it.

"What class?" he asked. "I just almost died and—"

Lysander burst into laughter.

"Your dragon master doesn't tolerate excuses. Or lateness," he turned and faced him. "He's even crazier than I am."

"Ugh," Ryn groaned and ran a hand through his hair. "I don't even know about any class, and now..." He yawned and walked toward the entrance. His shoulders slumped as he realized they were on top of a mountain. "How do I even get down from here?" he groaned and pointed toward the ledge. "We're on a mountain, and I—"

Before he could finish, Lynsander inscribed a glowing rune in the air, and a swirling portal appeared.

"Goodbye," Lynsander snapped his fingers.

Ryn felt a sudden surge of power pulls him toward the portal. ''Wait!" he screamed as he was thrown into it. "There's still a lot of—!"

His screams grew as he tumbled through the portal, weightless and spinning.

Finally, the portal opened, and he landed face-first onto a cold, tiled floor.

"OW!" he groaned, shutting his eyes in pain.

Then he heard someone clear their throat.

He blinked and looked up slowly.

Dozens of students stood in a semicircle on a training ground, surrounded by banners and dragon sigils. They gathered around him and began whispering amongst themselves.

"Did he just fall from a portal?"

"Isn't that Ryn?"

"He has powers now?"

"Wha..." he gasped and rose to his feet just as the students parted. A tall man in a crimson robe etched with dragons walked toward him. The man's presence was intimidating, so much so that Ryn visibly gulped.

"Who the hell are you," the man asked coldly, "and why have you come late to my class?"