Chapter 2 – The Disciple's Promise
The forest was silent beneath the full moon. The night breeze gently stirred the leaves, and in a clearing, two figures stood facing one another.
One was tall, elegant, with silver hair gleaming in the light. Elyndra, the elf who had rescued Kael, held in her hands a staff adorned with runes.
The other, much smaller, was a boy of barely ten years. Kael breathed heavily, clutching both daggers in his sweaty hands.
"Again," Elyndra ordered, her voice serene yet firm.
Kael nodded and dashed forward. His steps thudded against the damp grass, his daggers sliced the air… but he lost his balance. He stumbled and fell to his knees.
"Tch!" He struck the ground in frustration.
Elyndra stepped closer, leaning slightly to meet his gaze.
"Wielding steel is not enough, Kael. A dagger is not a weapon… it is an extension of your will. Until you understand that, your blade will remain clumsy."
Kael lowered his eyes, teeth clenched.
---
Hours later, in the same clearing, a magic circle glowed faintly on the ground. Elyndra had traced the runes with care.
"Focus on your breathing. Picture the warmth inside you and guide it outward," she explained.
Kael closed his eyes, stretched out his hand and… a spark appeared!
For an instant, his face lit with hope, but the spark burst into a small flare that singed his bangs.
"Argh! Damn magic!" he shouted, swatting at the smoke.
Elyndra let out a crystalline laugh.
"That was better than last time. At least we didn't set half the clearing on fire, right?"
The boy blushed with embarrassment, but a small smile tugged at his lips.
---
Weeks passed. Amid the whispering wind and the darkness of the nights, Elyndra taught fire and wind magic, and little by little, she introduced Kael to dark magic.
"Darkness is not evil, Kael," she said, as her hands shaped shadows that swayed like smoke. "It is power. What matters is who wields it."
Kael tried, and from his feet spread a long, trembling, frail shadow—yet enough to astonish him.
"I did it!" he exclaimed proudly.
Elyndra watched him with tenderness.
"Foolish child… it's only the first step."
---
That night, the two rested by a campfire. Sparks drifted upward toward the starry sky.
"Elyndra… why did you save me that day?" Kael asked softly.
The elf remained silent for a few moments, her eyes reflecting the flames.
"Because I saw in your eyes the same loneliness that once devoured me. And I chose not to let you die with it."
Kael stared at her, and within him a warmth arose—different from the flames. A certainty.
He stood, took his daggers, and knelt before her.
"Teach me everything. I promise I'll become someone who never again loses what he loves."
Elyndra regarded him seriously, and after a moment, nodded.
"Then you shall be my disciple."
---
The next day, Elyndra summoned a small forest spirit. A radiant, swift creature, floating just above the grass.
"Your first trial, Kael. Defeat it."
The boy swallowed hard and lunged forward. The spirit dodged with agility, striking him again and again. Kael fell, rolled across the ground, staggered back to his feet, and charged once more.
"I won't give up!" he shouted, eyes ablaze.
At last, after countless attempts, he managed to graze the spirit with one dagger. The creature dissolved into shimmering light.
Kael collapsed onto the grass, panting.
Elyndra stepped closer, placed a hand on his shoulder, and murmured with a faint smile:
"Well done, Kael. Your training… has just begun."
The wind blew strong, extinguishing the campfire. And deep within the forest, hidden in the shadows, a pair of red eyes watched the apprentice with cold intent.
To be continued…