"Wielding two elements as a mage is very impressive. Not even King Vulnar has that," Marcel said.
Cedric shook his head. "No, I-I don't think that was Aiden's evolved type."
Pelia and Marcel exchanged confused glances. "What do you mean?" Pelia asked.
Cedric explained, "Someone was controlling Aiden's body. He said his name is Garuza."
Pelia's eyes widened. "Garuza? He defeated Shinra like it was nothing," Cedric added, his voice laced with unease.
Cedric's hand began to shake, and Pelia noticed. "Are you okay?" she asked.
Cedric took a deep breath. "The fear he inflicted... I've never encountered something like that before."
He looked at Pelia and Peter. "I-I need to rest."
Pelia and Peter nodded, and Cedric opened the door to his dorm room, closing it behind him.
Marcel, Pelia, and Peter exchanged serious glances. "We need to find out who this Garuza is," Marcel said.
Pelia nodded. "Let's head to the library tomorrow during free time. There might be something about this... being."
Marcel and Peter nodded in agreement, their faces set with determination.
****************
In the midst of darkness, Aiden stood, his body the only source of light. He began to shake violently, looking around trying to figure out where he was.
Suddenly, purple flames surrounded him, and a deep voice sent a shiver down his spine. "Aiden... Qinsura..."
"W-who are you?" Aiden stammered.
"I am your fate, your future, your past, your present. No matter where you are, I exist."
The voice spoke, and glowing purple eyes appeared in the darkness. "Succumb to me or you die."
Aiden felt a force drawing him closer to the darkness, and the glowing purple eyes seemed to be getting nearer.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!" Aiden screamed in the darkness.
He jolted upright in his bed, sweat covering his entire body. He panted heavily, looking around frantically.
He was in his dorm room, and his friends Peter and Marcel were sleeping peacefully.
"It's a dream, it's a dream," Aiden repeated to himself, trying to calm down.
He looked out the window and realized it was already nighttime.
Aiden slowly moved towards the door and opened it, then closed it behind him. Unbeknownst to him, Peter was awake and watching.
Aiden decided to head to the rooftop of the academy's building, his go-to spot for relaxation. The cold night breeze always seemed to calm him down.
He gazed up at the moon, lost in thought as he replayed the dream in his mind. The voice, the words it spoke... "I am your fate, your future, your past, your present."
Aiden thought to himself, "What does that mean? Is it saying we're the same? Connected somehow?"
As he pondered, he recalled something that stuck in his head. "Those eyes... they're so similar to Shinra's."
Aiden began to pace slowly around the rooftop. "If Shinra has the same mana as a Shadow Yaijuu, and the Shadow Yaijuu was created by the Shadow Emperor..."
He paused, then sat down. "Does that mean... the Emperor was talking to me?" The realization hit him like a ton of bricks.
Aiden touched his head slightly and sighed. "My head hurts."
"Here," a voice said.
Aiden turned to see Peter standing behind him. "Peter? What are you doing here?"
"I saw you leave, so I followed. Are you okay?" Peter asked.
Aiden lay down on the roof and sighed. "I hope so."
The next day, most students had left their dorms and were talking about the hunt and the Yaijuu's abilities.
As Peter, Pelia, and Aiden were about to enter the warrior class, Isaac stopped them. "There's something that needs to be discussed in the king's palace. And Aiden, you're instructed to go there."
Pelia raised an eyebrow. "The king's palace? This is about the hunt, right?" Aiden asked, and Isaac nodded.
"Okay, let's go," Aiden said.
"You're not the only one," Isaac said as a group of students approached them, including Cedric, Fredrick, and Alexa.
Fredrick stretched out his hand for a handshake. "My name is-"
"Pelia interrupted, "Fredrick Finland."
Alexa smirked. "Oh, you know who he is. That's good. I mean, there's no way you can just forget someone like him, right?"
Peter rolled his eyes.
Fredrick turned to Aiden and gave him a light smile. Alexa, on the other hand, gave Aiden a serious look.
"Let's go. The rest of you, head to class and keep busy," Isaac said to the students in the warrior class.
As they walked, they met Rhea, who joined them without saying a word.
Aiden thought to himself, "This is my first time meeting the king. I wonder what he's like." He had heard that the king was compared to Zeru, the hero who defeated the dragon four thousand years ago.
The comparison was due to the king's long reign and control over the kingdom. No opposing forces dared to attack, as it was said he single-handedly secured victory for his kingdom during the First Dark War.
As they left the academy, the students and teachers couldn't help but notice the commotion. "Where are they going?" one student asked. "Are they having some sort of special training?" another wondered.
Aiden and the group walked through the bustling streets, taking in the sights and sounds of the city. They passed by vendors selling food like bread and roasted meat, and children laughing and playing together.
A blacksmith displayed his silver armor, and Aiden noticed the mana radiating from it. "I feel mana radiating from it," he said.
Isaac explained, "The same way mana radiates from graded weapons is the same way it works on armor. Mana is like air... it exists around us."
Twelve minutes later, they arrived at the king's palace. The golden structure gleamed in the sunlight, and two statues of golden lions stood guard at the entrance. Aiden's eyes widened in awe as he took in the grandeur of the palace.
Inside, King Vulnar sat on his throne, sipping wine from a glass cup in his left hand. He swirled the wine and took a sip, savoring the taste.
Fredrick, Alexa, Cedric, Rhea, Aiden, and Isaac bowed before the king, who acknowledged their respect with a nod.
"So this is the king....king Vulnar." Aiden thought as he felt the immense mana radiating from the King's body.