The sun was dipping low when the Nasarik estate gathered to see him off.
Golden light spilled through the courtyard, washing the marble paths and silver trees in warm hues. The wind that passed through the banners carried laughter, goodbyes, and a weight no one dared to name.
Eryndor stood near the open gates, his usual black attire replaced with something simpler—a fitted travel coat with faint streaks of storm-blue thread running along its hem. His eyes reflected the sky, calm and unreadable, though the soft pull of farewell tugged at his chest.
Lyanna approached with Aren in her arms. The baby cooed, grabbing at the strands of her hair as if to distract her from what was coming.
"You're leaving right when the evening's at its most peaceful," she said softly.
Eryndor smiled, his gaze flicking toward the horizon where the golden rays were already fading to dusk. "Peace doesn't wait for long. It's better I leave before the quiet becomes heavy."
She sighed. "You always find a poetic way to justify running toward danger."
He chuckled and reached into his coat pocket, pulling out a small crystal pendant shaped like a teardrop. Inside it shimmered a faint swirl of wind and lightning—the essence of both their elements intertwined.
"This," he said, placing it gently in her palm, "is a Stormheart Shard. It's something I made from the residual energy of my last ascension. If you channel your mana into it during meditation, it'll enhance your affinity and stabilize your core. You'll grow faster… and safer."
Lyanna stared at the pendant, her thumb brushing against the smooth crystal surface. "You forged this for me?"
He nodded. "I wanted to make sure you can protect yourself and Aren if I'm gone longer than expected. I trust the family, but sometimes fate has its own ideas."
She looked up, eyes glistening faintly. "You sound like you're going off to war."
Eryndor smiled. "Maybe I am."
A voice called from behind him.
"Hey, lover boy! You planning to keep the carriage waiting till morning?"
Eryndor turned to see Kaelus Magna, leaning casually against the open door of the sleek black carriage waiting near the gate. The wind around him flickered like ripples in the air—his signature aura always refused to stay still.
Kaelus grinned, pushing his bangs out of his face. "The Academy isn't going to wait for you to finish your romantic goodbyes, you know."
Eryndor gave him a sideways glance. "I was hoping you'd lose your way there and buy me some time."
Kaelus smirked. "You wish."
Lyanna laughed softly, even as she brushed a tear from her cheek. "The two of you haven't changed since your first duel."
"Hopefully we'll survive this one," Kaelus said, giving her a small, reassuring bow. "You take care of Aren, alright? I'll make sure this idiot doesn't blow up the dorms."
Eryndor rolled his eyes. "No promises."
The moment lingered. The wind stilled, as if the entire estate was holding its breath.
Eryndor stepped forward, his hand brushing gently through Aren's hair one last time. The baby reached up, small fingers gripping his father's thumb tightly before letting go.
"I'll come back," Eryndor said softly. "When I do, I'll bring a world worth living in."
Lyanna smiled faintly, her eyes both proud and worried. "Just come back the same man I married."
He leaned in, kissed her forehead, then turned toward the carriage.
The door shut with a soft thud.
The wheels began to turn. The runes embedded in the carriage frame ignited, lifting it gently off the ground as the wind wrapped around it like a living current. The Nasarik banners flapped in the twilight breeze as Lyanna stood there, holding Aren close, the faint hum of magic fading into the distance.
Inside, Kaelus stretched out lazily on the opposite seat. "So, the God Academy, huh? Can't say I ever thought we'd end up there. You nervous?"
Eryndor looked out the window as the landscape blurred past—forests melting into valleys, valleys stretching toward the horizon where an endless pillar of light marked their destination. "Not nervous," he said. "Curious."
Kaelus smirked. "You always did like walking into lion dens just to see how sharp their teeth are."
"Maybe I want to see how deep their pride runs."
"Fair enough," Kaelus said, resting his head back. "They say each student there's strong enough to destroy a city if they felt like it. Gods-in-training. Freaks of nature. You and I are just the newest rookies in a nest full of monsters."
Eryndor's lips twitched. "Sounds fun."
Kaelus stared at him for a second before laughing. "You're insane."
Eryndor smirked. "You're the one who came along."
The carriage continued through the clouds, magic circles rotating beneath its wheels as the light of the setting sun faded completely. Ahead, in the distance, the sky split open into a breathtaking vista.
Floating citadels hung suspended over a sea of stars. Rivers of light ran through the air, weaving between colossal towers carved from white stone and gold veins that pulsed like living conduits. At the very center, rising higher than the clouds themselves, stood an impossibly large structure—part fortress, part temple—radiating power that hummed even across miles.
Kaelus leaned toward the window, eyes wide. "So that's it…"
Eryndor's gaze sharpened, the faint spark of his aura flickering to life.
"The Celestia Divinity Academy."
The carriage descended through the glowing storm barrier surrounding the city of gods, the air itself vibrating with divine resonance.
And as the gates opened to welcome the next generation of legends, Eryndor's heart beat once—steady, deliberate, unshaken.
The path of mortals had ended.
The road to divinity had just begun.