The seven heirs lay sprawled across the cold stone of Shadewatch Fortress, bruised, battered, and barely breathing. Their green, crimson, violet, cyan, bronze, and orange auras flickered weakly, a dim echo of the storms they had unleashed just hours ago. Each of them had felt the brush of death for the first time, and with it came a sobering realization: they were not invincible.
Kian's fists trembled as he pressed them against the floor, green aura flickering with each shaky breath. He had adapted, countered, and survived, but the force of the Abyss attack had left him shaken.
Lucien sat silently, steel-gray eyes narrowing. He had underestimated the enemy's coordination, and the weight of failure pressed down on him heavier than any battle. Selina's ruby eyes glimmered with frustration, Ronan's fists clenched until his knuckles bled, and Cira's calm demeanor flickered into quiet worry. Varen and Aren merely stared, reflecting on the sheer might that had almost ended them.
A sudden voice cut through the haze of pain and self-doubt.
"Well done, children."
Lord Alden Savoy stepped into the hall, cloak brushing the floor. His gaze swept over each heir, heavy but approving.
"You stood your ground against a powerful foe. There is no shame in feeling the sting of near defeat it only shows you how much further you must grow."
The words settled over them like a warm mantle. Breaths came steadier, shoulders straightened, and a flicker of resolve reignited in their eyes.
"Go now, recover. Heal. Let this lesson temper you into warriors worthy of the Savoy name. And know this," Alden said, voice low and deliberate, "I will do everything to find those who dared lay a hand on my family. When they are found…" He paused, letting the weight of his promise hang in the air. "We shall wipe them from this world."
---
Meanwhile, in the dungeons beneath Shadewatch Fortress, Vlaud stirred within the iron bars of his cell. His once-commanding aura was restrained, compressed tightly by the suppressive wards Asia had set. The grandmaster of Abyss glared at the stone walls, the faint echo of his frustration barely contained.
"This… is unacceptable," he muttered, jaw tightening. "I failed to complete my mission, and my master will not forgive such incompetence."
The cell door opened slowly, a shadow falling across the floor. Asia stepped in, azure aura coiling around her like smoke, her expression calm yet unyielding.
"You have survived… only because I chose to spare you," she said. "Consider this a lesson. Speak, and tell me what your organization truly plans. There is no room for lies here."
Vlaud's lips curled into a grim smile. Though his freedom was gone, his pride remained.
"You may have bested me, Asia Savoy," he said, voice low but steady, "but the Abyss does not fail twice. My master… Varkhul, he will act. And when he does…" His words faltered under the weight of Asia's piercing gaze.
Asia did not reply. She turned, letting him stew in his chains.
---
Back in the distant shadows of the Ashyn highlands, the Abyss leadership waited. At the hidden fortress of Black Ridge, Varkhul sat upon a jagged obsidian throne, dark aura radiating like a storm contained. Beside him, the four other leaders Bren, Iver, Sven, and Dios knelt in respect, each aura and magic signature formidable, ready to follow his command.
Varkhul's eyes narrowed, glimmering with malicious curiosity.
"Interesting," he murmured, voice rolling like distant thunder. "So the Savoy heirs have not grown weak. Vlaud has returned… or at least, we have received word of his failure."
He stood, the room trembling with suppressed energy, and granted them all a surge of power, binding aura and magic to their very being.
"Hahaha. Prepare yourselves. Contact our allies in the capital. The Savoy family's light is blinking again, and we must extinguish it swiftly."
A flicker of anticipation passed among the Abyss leaders, their minds sharpened by the promise of battle and vengeance. Black Ridge seemed to pulse with dark intent, as if the mountain itself awaited the coming storm.
---
Two weeks passed within Shadewatch Fortress. The heirs had recovered, but the memory of near-death lingered in every motion. Asia led them to a secluded courtyard, where elemental orbs glimmered faintly, awaiting the recognition of those worthy to wield them.
"Children," Alden's voice resonated from above, deliberate and commanding, "your aura has grown stronger, but power alone is not enough. To face true threats… you must learn to channel the elements that flow within your very essence."
Asia's azure aura shimmered around her as she guided Kian forward.
"Two weeks, and your bodies have recovered. Now your minds must awaken. Touch the orbs. Feel them. Let the element speak to you, not the other way around."
One by one, the heirs approached, hesitant at first, then resolute.
Lucien placed his hands on the swirling Wind orb. A gust lifted his hair and coat, moving with his precise motions. The element matched his calculated speed and composure.
Selina touched the Fire orb, her aura streaking like molten embers. Sparks danced along the ground, her confidence and flair manifesting in flames that reacted to each shift of her weight.
Ronan slammed both fists onto the Earth orb, aura erupting in bursts, shaking the stones beneath him. Brute force magnified by elemental synergy.
Cira approached the Water orb, silver-white hair glinting in soft ripples of light. Her aura intertwined with flowing currents, creating slender, lethal threads of water energy, subtle yet precise.
Varen leapt toward the Lightning orb, violet aura surging and flickering wildly. Electricity hummed around him, testing his stability but with focus, he made the energy obey him in short, controlled pulses.
Aren pressed into the Earth orb. Bronze-gold aura deepened, merging with solid stone beneath him. Each step became an anchor, every punch resonating with weight and inevitability.
Kian extended hands to the Nature/Adaptive orb. Green aura intertwined with gentle, shifting energy, responding to his adaptive instincts. Streams of light curved and danced around him, reflecting his ability to harmonize with others' energies.
For the first time, the heirs felt their aura and elemental affinity merge a whisper of potential larger than any training in combat alone. They stumbled, laughed, and cursed as misfires sparked small flames, arcs of electricity, or gouts of water but each error was a step closer to mastery.
"Your bodies have endured the Abyss," Asia said, her voice steady, "but your spirits… they must now learn to shape the raw essence of the world. Only then can you surpass what nearly destroyed you."
Aldeen's eyes swept over the heirs, noting subtle sparks of recognition and pride in their movements.
"Good. This is only the beginning," he said, voice low, carrying weight across the courtyard. "The Abyss will not wait. You must be ready body, mind, and spirit. Grow strong, and let nothing stand in the way of the Savoy name."
The heirs exchanged glances, nods, and faint smiles. The brush with death had left scars, but it had also ignited a hunger a drive to grow stronger than ever before. Kian's green aura shimmered faintly as he observed his peers, feeling the first threads of camaraderie and rivalry intertwine.
And somewhere in the shadows of Shadewatch Fortress, Vlaud's restrained aura pulsed faintly within his cell, a quiet reminder that the Abyss had not yet been defeated, and that the trials for the Savoy heirs were far from over.
---
Heirs' Aura Stages (Post-Abyss, Pre-Magic Training):
Lucien — Disciplined
Selina — Disciplined
Ronan — Disciplined
Cira — Disciplined
Varen — Disciplined
Aren — Disciplined
Kian — Disciplined