—Narrated by Eli Whitmore
---
The Academy never felt so far from comfort.
We returned from the Scorched Vale tired, bruised—but more united than ever. And yet, as soon as my boots touched the marble floor of the Arcane Institute again, I felt something cold inside me. Like a chill that hadn't come from wind or snow, but from fate whispering in my ear.
I didn't tell the others right away, but my chest had been burning since I touched the Seal of Fire. Not pain—just heat, growing hotter each day.
I was afraid to ask what it meant.
---
We sat in the Lightshade chamber that evening. Everyone looked exhausted.
Thorne stood at the center of the round table, his voice low.
"The second seal has awakened. But these trials are more than just unlocking power."
Felix crossed his arms. "They change us. I felt it. We all did."
Ryker nodded beside him. "And whatever's coming… it wants to break us before the final gate opens."
I was quiet.
Luna noticed. "Eli?" she asked. "You okay?"
I looked up, but before I could speak—
The mark on my hand burned.
My eyes widened.
"I— I think something's happening—"
The room spun.
The world bent.
And suddenly, I wasn't there anymore.
---
The Vision
I stood in a place I had never seen before—yet somehow, I knew it too well.
The Academy lay in ruins. Its towers crumbled. The sky was black with stormclouds, swirling like an angry sea.
Students ran through the halls, screaming. Magic burst wild and uncontrolled through the air. Shadows crawled across the walls like oil come to life.
Then I saw them.
My friends.
Felix was on the ground—his hand reaching toward someone, bleeding. Ryker's body was shielded behind him, not moving.
Luna stood alone, fighting something I couldn't see, her light flickering like a candle about to die.
Draven lay face-down, and his sword was shattered.
And Thorne…
He was on his knees in front of the broken gate, blood dripping down his cheek, his hands gripping the cold stone.
> "You failed them," a voice said.
"You opened the gate. And the Binder came through."
I turned—and saw myself.
Not who I was now.
A darker version. Older. Worn. Hollow.
My future self.
> "You thought unity was enough," he said.
"But you didn't look within. You weren't ready. You weren't strong enough."
"No—" I whispered, tears falling. "This won't happen. I'll stop it. I'll—"
> "You already failed."
He touched my forehead—and suddenly, I felt all of it.
Their pain. Their loss. My guilt.
Then—
I woke up.
---
Back in the Chamber
My body jerked upright. I was in Thorne's arms.
"Eli!" he called. His hand was on my cheek, warm and trembling.
The others stood around me, faces pale with worry.
"What happened?" Luna asked.
I looked at them all. Then I said quietly:
"…I saw what happens if we fail."
They went silent.
I sat up slowly, my voice shaking.
"The Academy falls. The final gate opens… and something horrible comes through. I saw all of you… hurt. Or worse."
Draven asked, "The Binder?"
I nodded. "Yes. But it wasn't just him. Something darker. Older. And it wasn't just about power. It was me. I opened it. Because I wasn't ready."
Thorne looked straight at me. "Then we make sure you are."
---
That Night
I sat alone in the Moonlight Courtyard. The stars above twinkled like curious eyes watching from another world.
Thorne joined me, silent for a while. Then he asked softly,
"What else did you see?"
I hesitated.
"I saw… myself. But different. Like if I gave up hope. Or let fear win. And Thorne—"
I looked at him.
"You were on your knees. Crying. Bleeding."
He didn't flinch. He just said:
"Then I'll bleed again if I have to. But I'm not letting you fall."
My eyes stung with emotion.
"Promise me something?" I whispered.
"Anything," he replied.
"When the time comes… and I start to lose myself… remind me who I am."
Thorne reached out and touched my hand—the one with the seal's mark.
"You are Eli Whitmore," he said.
"You are the Gate Way Keeper. The light that binds us. And you'll never be alone."
---
As the wind blew gently around us, I felt that same heat in my chest again.
But this time, I understood.
The seals weren't just testing our unity.
They were testing me.
And the next trial wouldn't just be about what we could do together… but what I must face alone.
---
To be continued...