Elder Vyom sat calmly on a stone beneath the shade of a massive tree, appearing lost in deep thought.
Suddenly, a Wind Sprite—looking like a majestic four-winged eagle—descended toward him.
Without even turning his head, the Elder sensed its presence.
What did you find? he asked the sprite through his mind.
The sprite resonated back, its message clear: "The magic around the tree where the spirit is imprisoned in the underground chamber is vanishing. The area is slowly withering away, and the forest itself is beginning to change."
Elder Vyom took a slow, deep breath. "I see," he replied after a short silence.
"Tell all the sprites to stay away from that tree. I will go and investigate it myself."
The Wind Sprite gave a sharp nod and vanished into the air like a passing breeze.
The Elder then extended his hands forward.
Numerous tiny droplets of energy, glowing like miniature orbs, began to float from his palms. With a subtle gesture, he sent these spheres flying toward the location where the evil spirit was bound.
He closed his eyes for a few seconds, then slowly opened them, whispering to himself, "That should do it."
These energy orbs were his eyes and ears—a surveillance net around the imprisoned spirit.
From anywhere, the Elder could now monitor the seal; the slightest disturbance would alert him instantly.
Standing up, Elder Vyom began walking back toward the clearing where the children were still deep in their spirit meditation.
Maisie calmed the children down and instructed them to take their places on the stones.
There were twelve platforms in total, meaning only twelve students could practice spirit meditation at a time.
Lucian and the rest of the group watched closely from the sidelines.
Lyra's eyes widened as she noticed a boy surrounded by several glowing spirits—they flickered like small, burning red flames.
"Fire sprites!" one of the kids shouted in excitement.
Maisie noted the boy's name: Rainer Stark. He was a commoner from Dasston, a city within the Ravencrest Kingdom.
The noble children, who never missed a chance to flatter Lyra, didn't look too pleased to see a commoner succeeding so easily.
"Feel the connection,"
Maisie guided them. "Can you feel a warmth, a chill, or a strange sensation within you?"
"Miss... I feel a slight warmth inside," Rainer whispered, his face glowing with effort.
"Concentrate on that feeling," Maisie explained. "The more you feel it, the clearer the sprite's voice will become. Keep going."
One by one, the other children tried to connect with the spirits based on their own natures.
However, their connections were fragile and broke within minutes. Exhausted,
many began to collapse.
Finn rushed over to steady them.
"I told you not to overdo it,"
Finn warned. "You're still just kids. Pushing too hard will drain your soul energy completely. You need to learn how to pace yourselves."
The children fell one after another, feeling weak as their energy hit zero.
Rainer's connection eventually broke too, but unlike the others, he didn't collapse. He steadied himself and stood tall. Seeing this, the noble children who were sprawled on the ground felt a surge of jealousy and irritation.
Lyra, however, was impressed. Ignoring the grumbling nobles, she skipped over to Rainer.
"What did the spirits say to you?
How did they talk?
How did you do it?
Tell me, please!" she asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Rainer, turning red with shyness, tried to find his words, but Maisie stepped in. "Princess, you're a bit too excited. Rainer is exhausted; perhaps save the questions for later?"
Lyra's face fell, her disappointment clear.
She began to turn away, but Rainer quickly stopped her. Scratching his head and looking away shyly, he spoke up.
"It... it wasn't anything special, really. You just have to concentrate your energy in one spot and then release it. The sprites around me told me to do that. I couldn't talk to them much longer because my energy ran out."
As soon as Rainer finished, Lyra leaned in close, pointing a finger at him with a dead-serious expression. "Are you telling the truth?"
Rainer nodded nervously.
Instantly, Lyra's serious face melted into a beautiful smile. She grabbed his hand, thanked him warmly, and let out a joyful giggle.
Poor Rainer, now completely flustered, pulled his hand away and scurried off. Lyra waved at his retreating back, shouting one last "Thank you!"
Lucian, standing at the back and watching everything unfold, felt a sudden pang of jealousy.
It stung to see a commoner master the use of nature energy so much better than he could.
But he quickly pushed that thought aside, regaining his composure.
Lyra came and stood beside him. Lucian gently patted her head, shifting his focus to the second round. No matter how much he acted like a mature adult, at his core, he was still a ten-year-old boy who, like anyone else, was drawn to such wonders.
Maisie called the children for the second round, explaining things with more caution this time.
"Listen, don't repeat the mistakes the previous group made. Do not push your nature energy to its limit. Gather it slowly in one place and release it bit by bit. Don't put too much pressure on yourselves; if you feel your energy draining, break the connection immediately."
She added with a serious tone, "Especially those with Divine or Dark energy—you must maintain absolute control. Overusing such energy is extremely dangerous."
The children took their seats on the stones and began their meditation.
Finn, after making sure the exhausted children from the first round were resting comfortably, turned his attention to the ongoing activity.
His gaze fell on Lucian. He walked over quietly and stood beside him.
Lucian noticed his presence but said nothing.
From a distance, Elder Vyom stood by a tree, observing the children's hard work and efforts.
He was quite pleased with their progress.
Suddenly, he sensed a strange aura—a terrifying, dark presence. He looked around carefully, but his aged eyes couldn't see anything. He closed his eyes and chanted something under his breath; immediately, the dark aura in the air began to thin out.
His vision sharpened, and he began to examine each child with renewed intensity.
On the other side, Finn watched as children continued to collapse, ignoring the warnings and draining their energy.
Maisie was running around, helping them while scolding them at the same time.
"What a headache," Finn muttered to himself.
He then turned to the boy beside him. "Do you think you'll be able to form a connection with the sprites today?"
Lucian gave a slight nod. "Hmm... I don't know.
What do you think?
You've taught many children before."
Finn paused, trying to think of something motivational to say. But Lucian just stood there, looking as if nothing in the world could bother him. Finn looked away and turned his gaze back to the field.
"I have hope," Finn finally said.
Lucian smirked. "Hope is the final refuge of the foolish."
Finn was taken aback. This kid acted as if he already knew everything, as if the world held no more surprises for him.
Finn simply nodded and kept his eyes forward, silent.
The air was alive as countless sprites gathered around the children like shimmering stars.
One by one, the rounds concluded until it was finally time for the last group: Lucian and Lyra.
Lyra, bursting with excitement, dashed toward her stone and sat down, her arms firmly cradling the Dragon Sprite book. The other children began to cheer for her loudly. Though she felt a blush of embarrassment, she closed her eyes and focused.
Eventually, the remaining children took their seats on the stones one by one. But the gaze of the entire crowd was fixed on only two people:
Lyra Ravencrest—the undisputed prodigy whom everyone admired.
And Lucian Ravencrest—the one everyone was waiting to watch fail, just for the sake of a cruel laugh.
Finn looked at Lucian.
"Go on, it's your turn. Show some spirit."
Lucian merely sighed in exhaustion, ignoring Finn's remark as he trudged toward his designated stone. He sat down lazily in a meditation pose.
Lusian thinks to himself.
"based on my condition, I couldn't attract a sprite even if I wanted to, he thought bitterly. Why am I even wasting my time?"
If I hadn't read that Anomaly book yesterday, maybe I'd still have a shred of hope.
Nearby, the whispering started. "Look, he's back again. Doesn't he know when to quit?"
A noble girl sneered. "He has nothing but his family name. If it weren't for that, he wouldn't even be allowed inside."
"My father told me to stay away from him," another boy added, lowering his voice. "He's cursed. It might rub off on us."
"Seriously?" the others whispered in agreement. "I thought so too."
Lucian cracked one eye open, listening to them mock him, yet his expression remained perfectly calm.
"Prince Lucian! You aren't concentrating!" Maisie shouted. "Focus on your energy!"
Energy? Lucian thought dryly. I'd need to have some first.
Today, not a single sprite would even go near him.
Finn watched with a faint smile. It's as if he already knew this would happen, Finn mused. He looks completely unbothered.
Maisie, however, grew serious. Yesterday, sprites were at least curious about him, but today they wouldn't even look in his direction. I need to speak with the Elder, she thought.
The anomalies I felt in the village yesterday... if Lucian is connected to them, we have a massive problem on our hands.
From his vantage point, Elder Vyom had already pieced it together. He realized that the Evil Spirit in the underground chamber was trying to bond with Lucian because of the dark aura of the Ravencrest line.
The spirit had 'marked' him. That was why the pure sprites were fleeing from him. I must keep Lucian close, the Elder decided. And I need to inform the Ravencrest family immediately.
While everyone was unsettled by Lucian's anomaly, Lyra was surrounded by dozens of sprites of all sizes and natures. The students broke into thunderous applause at her incredible talent.
Maisie praised Lyra and offered Lucian a sympathetic "Better luck next time," but Lucian knew luck had nothing to do with it.
He silently stood up and walked back to his spot.
The Elder approached Lyra, patting her head kindly. "You take after your mother. Your divine energy is pure and balanced—just like a Saint's."
Lyra stood up happily and showed him her book. "Elder, why didn't my sprite come out? I wanted to talk to it!"
"You are incredibly gifted, Lyra," he explained gently, "but an Elementary Dragon is far beyond your current reach. With time and hard work, you will speak with it one day."
"Lyra felt a pang of sadness, but she understood what the Elder was trying to say. Taking a deep breath, she decided not to dwell on it any further."
Lyra thanked him with a bright smile and turned to run toward her brother—only to find that he was gone. she got confused.
The Elder followed her gaze, his brow furrowing. He hadn't even noticed when Lucian had slipped away.
He beckoned Maisie over and whispered through telepathy: "Find Lucian. Send your sprite to track him down immediately. I have a very bad feeling about this."
Maisie summoned her spirit, a fierce Fire Wolf.
Mounting the beast, she dashed into the dense forest to search for Lucian.
As she disappeared into the trees, she called forth more sprites, sending them in every direction to track him down.
Back at the training grounds, Finn stood before the restless crowd. He gave a sharp, loud clap that instantly silenced the chatter.
All eyes turned toward him.
"Alright, everyone! Today's session is over," Finn announced. "You've all done well. Now, we head back to the guest house to prepare for the evening session. Let's move!"
The children, still buzzing with excitement about their connections with the sprites, followed Finn.
They were happy, dreaming of the day they would finally learn to speak with the spirits.
Among them, Lyra walked in silence, her heart heavy with worry.
She knew her brother better than anyone—he preferred his own company and hated being in crowds—yet she couldn't shake the nagging anxiety.
Her hands gripped the Dragon Sprite book so tightly her knuckles turned white. She stared at the cover, silently praying for his safety. As if responding to her plea, the book emitted a faint, comforting glow.
Meanwhile, near the ancient tree, Elder Vyom summoned his own spirit—a colossal serpent. This was the same spirit that had sensed the strange aura earlier.
"Elder," the serpent hissed, "we have searched the perimeter, but we found no anomalies."
Vyom nodded slowly.
Even the spirits couldn't find him? What exactly happened here? he wondered. "Did you sense the Dark Aura?"
"Yes," the sprite replied.
"It has been lingering in the village for days; Maisie has been investigating it. But it feels normal—nothing to be alarmed about."
Vyom considered this. A lingering aura was common near the seal of an evil spirit. But the real danger was the Ravencrest boy.
His dark energy was unstable, perhaps even damaged. Why did he wander off alone? Vyom thought. He's done it before, but now, with the evil spirit acting so strangely, we must get him out of this village as soon as possible.
With a silent command, the serpent slithered into the shadows to join the search.
As Finn led the group toward the guest house, the air was filled with the sounds of mocking laughter.
"Did you see that Ravencrest prince?" one boy jeered.
"The moment he sat on the stone, the sprites practically tripped over each other to get away from him!"
"Even Miss Maisie was scolding him," another added with a smirk.
"He doesn't even try.
Some of us attracted many sprites, some just one—but nobody else actually scared them away!"
Laughter erupted through the group. "If this keeps up, the Prince might be last in success, but he'll definitely be No. 1 in failure!"
Lyra heard every word.
Her blood boiled, and she wanted nothing more than to lash out and punish them. But the overwhelming worry for Lucian drained her energy, leaving her feeling helpless and small.
Finn suddenly stopped and spun around, glaring at the children. "Listen! It doesn't matter what you think of the Prince.
Remember who he is. He is a Prince of this Kingdom and a member of the most powerful family in the world!"
A sharp, shrill voice cut through the silence.
A noble girl stepped forward, her nose turned up. "What does it matter? Weak is weak. He's even more pathetic than a commoner. At least commoners have talent."
The laughter resumed, louder than before.
Finn rubbed his temples, feeling a massive headache coming on.
The arrogance of these brats, he thought. They haven't seen a bit of the real world yet. "Shut up and keep moving!" he barked. "We don't have time for this!"
Rainer, walking in the middle of the crowd, noticed Lyra's downcast face. He could see how upset she was.
I'm just a commoner, he thought. I shouldn't speak to high nobles. But... I want to help.
He remembered his mother's words: "No matter who they are—rich, poor, king, or slave—everyone feels pain and joy. Sometimes people break, and they need a hand to hold. If you see someone like that, help them."
Steeled by the memory, Rainer mustered his courage.
He approached Lyra, but stopped for a second, remembering how she had intimidated him earlier. Shaking off his fear, he called out softly, "Princess Lyra?
Princess Lyra?"
Lyra continued walking, her head bowed. Rainer moved closer, repeating her name. He was terrified she might snap at him, but he didn't stop.
Finally, Lyra paused and turned. Her eyes were glassy, filled with unshed tears. "What... what do you want?" she asked quietly.
Rainer flinched at the sight of her tears. "You... you looked sad," he stammered. "I just thought I should talk to you."
Lyra stared at him for a few seconds. Then, a tiny, sad smile touched her lips. "Don't worry. I'm okay. Thank you for thinking of me."
She turned back and continued walking, clutching her book. Rainer stood frozen in the middle of the path, watching her go. "You're welcome," he whispered to the air.
A sudden, bone-chilling sensation washed over Maisie, as if the very earth beneath her had split open. Her fire-wolf skidded to a halt, growling at the void.
Maisie looked up; the protective barrier of the village was flickering violently. Around her, the vibrant colors of the forest began to fade into a dull, blurred gray, as if the world itself was losing its soul.
Panicked, Maisie tried to reach Elder Vyom through telepathy. But the moment she opened her mind, a thousand screeching needles seemed to pierce her brain.
The mental backlash was so violent that blood began to seep from her nose and ears. She bit her lip hard, stifling a scream, as she clutched her head in agony.
Damn it! What is happening? she hissed through the pain. I trained all these years to protect this village... I can't fall now.
Her mind raced. Should I find Lucian? Or go to the Elder? She forced herself to breathe.
Lucian isn't just a boy anymore; he's the center of this anomaly. The Elder has been watching him for a reason. Ever since he arrived, the balance has shifted. Finding him isn't just a mission—it's the only way to save the village.
With telepathy blocked, she had no choice. She urged her wolf forward, deeper into the darkness.
As she rode, the sky above turned a bruised, pitch-black color, as if night had swallowed the day in an instant.
Deep within the forbidden zone, the ancient tree had transformed into a nightmare. Its leaves were charred black, and its branches, soaked in a viscous black liquid, writhed like living tentacles, hungrily sucking the magic from the air.
Lucian approached the tree, guided by the shadowy chain protruding from his own body.
His eyes had turned into cold, hollow black crystals.
He walked in a trance, his mind filled with the echoes of the insults and the mockery he had endured.
He had only come to the forest to escape the voices, but the forest had something else in store for him.
Suddenly, near the roots of the tree, a searing pain exploded in his gut.
Lucian collapsed to his knees, clutching his stomach as if something was trying to claw its way out from inside him.
A blood-curdling scream tore from his throat, echoing through the entire forest.
The sound was like a physical blow, piercing the ears of everyone in the village. As the scream faded, the ground beneath Lucian shattered.
Several black chains, drenched in a substance that looked like dark blood, erupted from his torso, binding him tightly.
The earth gave way, and Lucian plummeted into a yawning abyss. The fall was violent; he hit the bottom with a sickening thud, coughing up a mouthful of blood.
Outside, the village was plunged into an unnatural, absolute darkness. Day had officially been devoured.
Down in the depths, as Lucian lay broken and gasping for air, a heavy, cunning voice vibrated through his very skull:
"The little prince of Ravencrest..."