Lightning tore through the sky with terrifying violence.
In a single, blinding instant, it struck an unseen target.
High above the ground, Karl had originally intended to descend quietly. His plan had been simple: drop closer to the earth, deactivate the Bio-Force Field's optical camouflage, and then greet everyone properly. He wanted to avoid startling the people below, especially his teacher.
What he never expected was that Hen would act so decisively—without even confirming who or what the target was.
A fully formed Alzur's Thunder screamed through the air, aimed straight at Karl's face.
"Zzzt!"
The thick, crackling bolt slammed into the invisible Bio-Force Field, erupting into a burst of blinding white light and savage energy. The violent discharge rippled outward like a miniature storm, distorting the air itself.
The sheer power of the lightning disrupted the field's delicate balance. The optical camouflage flickered wildly, like a faulty lantern about to go out.
A heartbeat later, the illusion collapsed entirely.
Karl's figure was revealed—suspended calmly in mid-air.
Thanks to the Bio-Force Field absorbing most of the impact, Karl gained a precious instant to react. Just before the lightning could overwhelm the barrier and strike his body directly, he shifted several metres sideways with smooth precision, narrowly evading the core of the blast.
Stray arcs of electricity grazed him, crawling over his clothes and limbs like living serpents. They dissipated harmlessly, leaving him completely uninjured.
Karl steadied himself and hovered in place, positioning his back toward the blazing sun. The remaining layers of the field still masked his facial features, ensuring that no one on the ground could see him clearly.
Below, Hen had already raised his hand again. Lightning danced restlessly around his fingers, gathering for a second strike. Dalton and the others, startled beyond reason, instinctively tightened their fingers on their crossbow triggers, their weapons trained upward.
Realizing that things were about to spiral out of control, Karl shouted at once. His voice carried effortlessly through the air, calm and unmistakable.
"Teacher! It's me—Karl! Hold your fire!"
The instant Hen heard that familiar voice, the sharp wariness in his eyes softened. Recognition flickered across his face, though the lightning surrounding his hand did not immediately disperse.
Instead, Hen subtly extended a thin tendril of psychic energy toward the hovering figure. The probe slipped through the air and touched Karl's mind.
What returned was unmistakable.
Karl's mental signature—familiar, steady, and impossible to mistake.
Only then did Hen fully relax. The lightning vanished with a snap, and he waved away the Glyphs of Slowing he had instinctively cast. The dense, watery shield surrounding him dissolved into mist.
Under the stunned, almost reverent gazes of everyone present, Karl slowly descended from the sky.
Dalton's jaw dropped so far it looked as though it might hit the ground. His eyes were wide, his face drained of color.
"L-Lord! You—" His voice cracked. "You can fly?!"
Philip and the other Blood-Angel knights wore identical expressions. Hardened warriors all, yet at that moment they looked like boys witnessing a miracle for the first time. Their long-held understanding of the world trembled violently.
The crowd erupted into hushed exclamations and frantic whispers.
"Heavens above… Lord Karl can fly?"
"Is he—one of the gods from the old legends?"
"How would I know?! Who do you expect me to ask?"
"Didn't you see the power he displayed on the Erlend border?"
"Maybe he truly is a god walking among us, hiding his divinity all this time."
Speculation spread like wildfire, feeding on fear, awe, and unrestrained imagination.
Hen, though clearly astonished, remained far calmer than Dalton and the others. Nearly five centuries of life had given him perspective. Wonders no longer shook him to the core.
What mattered was not that Karl could fly—but why.
Without speaking, Hen raised a hand and flicked his wrist. A translucent spell-shield snapped into existence, its surface patterned with faint, intricate runes. The barrier expanded, enclosing only Hen and Karl.
Outside, the world blurred and fell silent. Sight, sound, and magical perception were completely blocked.
Only then did Hen turn his full attention to Karl.
Excitement colored his voice, and the ageless sharpness in his eyes seemed to glow.
"Karl," he said eagerly, "did you find a Djinni and manage to master its power?"
To Hen, this was the only explanation that made sense. Only wish-granting spirits like Djinn could bestow abilities such as flight so suddenly, so completely.
Karl hesitated.
He understood Hen's hope immediately—and it pierced him more deeply than the lightning had. His teacher had spent centuries searching for a cure for his failing heart. A Djinni could grant such a wish.
Karl wanted to say yes. He wanted to give Hen that joy, even if only for a moment.
But it wasn't true.
And he would never deceive the man who had guided him through so much of his life.
Meeting Hen's eager gaze, Karl shook his head slowly.
"Teacher… forgive me. My flight has nothing to do with any Djinni."
Hen froze.
"It's the result of my own awakening and development," Karl continued gently. "It's my power—nothing more."
He added quietly, "If I truly had found a Djinni, I would have told you first. I would have used the wish to try to cure your heart."
Hen's eyes swept over Karl, sharp and assessing. He wore a simple shirt and leather garments. There was no sign of a sealed vessel, no trace of Djinni-binding magic.
At Karl's honest denial, the bright hope in Hen's gaze dimmed. A flash of disappointment crossed his face—brief, but unmistakable.
Then it vanished.
Hen had lived too long to cling to false hopes. The disappointment lasted no more than a breath before he smiled again, warm and sincere.
He reached out and patted Karl's shoulder.
"My boy," he said softly, "your intentions alone are enough to gladden my heart."
He studied Karl more closely now, sensing the subtle, profound changes beneath the surface.
"But this astonishing transformation," Hen continued, "did it happen after you left the college?"
He was referring not only to the flight, but also to the deeper, more refined aura radiating faintly from Karl's presence.
Karl nodded. "Yes, Teacher. Only recently."
He chose not to elaborate. Explaining the existence of a godhead fragment would only raise more questions than answers.
"But that isn't what truly matters," Karl said, his voice turning serious.
Hen looked up, attentive.
"I believe I have another way to cure your heart," Karl said. "It's unconventional—and there are uncertainties."
Hen's expression sharpened.
"The outcome will depend on one thing," Karl continued. "Whether you trust me enough to let me try."
Not long after, they sat facing each other in a quiet chamber deep within the manor. Thick stone walls muffled all sound, and warm lamplight bathed the room in calm stillness.
They occupied high-backed chairs, positioned only a few steps apart.
Hen leaned forward, his hands resting on his knees, curiosity written plainly on his face.
He studied Karl intently.
——
Hen could not help but wonder how Karl could be so confident. His heart disease was the result of centuries of accumulated damage—an ailment even the Brotherhood's most skilled healers had failed to cure.
Karl did not answer with words.
Facts, after all, spoke louder.
He raised his right hand slowly and opened his palm.
Then, he turned his mind inward—toward the vast, blazing Solar Energy within him, and the precious, golden threads of Divine Power intertwined at its core.
Light began to gather.
For more chapters
patreon.com/Robertt45