Morning sunlight spilled across the courtyard like honey—warm, slow, and peaceful.
Which immediately made Arav suspicious.
Because peace never lasted when Meghala was around.
He stepped outside, stretching his small arms, expecting to see a quiet training setup.
Instead, he found—
A rope.
A single rope.
Suspended between two poles.
Swaying gently.
On fire.
Arav froze.
Sharanya stood nearby with a resigned smile.
Aaryan stood with his arms folded, wearing the expression of someone preparing for a migraine.
Meghala leaned against a pillar, waving dramatically.
"Good morning, little ember! Welcome to your first lesson in Stormflame Fundamentals!"
Arav pointed at the flaming rope.
"…Is that safe?"
Meghala shot Sharanya a look. "You raised a practical one. Excellent."
Sharanya sighed. "Meghala, please explain before demonstrating chaos."
"Fine, fine." Meghala snapped her fingers, and the flame on the rope intensified before dimming to a faint flicker—controlled, obedient. "This is fire that dances, not fire that burns. You will learn to walk near it without being afraid."
Arav blinked. "You want me to walk across the rope?"
"No," Meghala said cheerfully. "You're four."
Arav sighed in relief.
"But," she continued, "you will learn to step close enough to feel its heat… without letting your flame react."
Arav stopped sighing.
Aaryan cut in. "He is not to force suppression."
"Who's asking him to?" Meghala said. "This is about listening. His flame is too obedient. It needs to learn how to behave around other fire."
Sharanya nodded. "Let him try, Arav. Slowly."
Arav inhaled.
He approached the rope.
The heat touched him—soft at first, then stronger, a hum under his skin.
His inner flame flickered.
He stiffened.
"Good," Meghala murmured. "Don't force it down. Tell it what you want."
Arav swallowed.
"Easy," he whispered internally. "Just stay with me. Match the heat."
The flame steadied.
The air shimmered.
A faint distortion rippled against his feet—but only for a heartbeat.
Sharanya's hand tightened against her robe.
Aaryan's posture sharpened.
But Arav stepped forward again.
Closer.
Closer.
Close enough that the rope's flame stretched toward him like a curious hand.
A tiny ember detached from the rope—drifting toward him—
Aaryan moved—
Sharanya inhaled—
Meghala smirked—
Arav lifted his palm.
And the ember landed softly against his skin…
and went out like it had found home.
Meghala snapped her fingers.
"Beautiful."
Arav released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
---
"AUNTY MEGHALAAAAA!"
The courtyard ground shook slightly.
Meghala's face drained of color.
Isha burst into view riding—
Absolutely riding—
a wooden training dummy she had tied to a rolling barrel.
"I MADE A CARRIAGE OF SPEED!"
Meghala groaned. "No—no no no no—"
Isha rolled straight toward the flaming rope.
Arav panicked. "Didi—!"
Sharanya took a step.
Aaryan's aether coiled.
The barrel hit a pebble—
tilted—
spun—
Meghala blurred.
A rush of heat, speed, and shimmering Stormflame aura swept past Arav.
Isha was scooped up mid-spin, barrel halted, flames trimmed away from danger with surgical precision.
Meghala held the girl upside down by her ankle.
"Small moon," she said through clenched teeth, "WHY would you ride a barrel at moving fire?"
Isha beamed upside down. "SO YOU CAN SAVE ME DRAMATICALLY!"
Sharanya covered her face.
Aaryan stared at the sky, questioning his life.
Arav whispered, "This is normal now."
Meghala set Isha down, brushing soot from her forehead.
"Hah. A true Ashvathar—you seek danger for the sake of flair."
Arav muttered, "That's not a compliment…"
Meghala clapped loudly. "Anyway! Lesson two!"
Sharanya flinched. "There is a lesson two?"
"Oh yes."
---
Meghala placed three small flame orbs in the air—floating at different heights.
"Arav," she said, "touch each flame without making them react to you. Think of them as three loud children in a quiet library."
Isha raised her hand. "LIKE ME!"
"No," everyone said together.
Meghala grinned and gestured.
"Go on, little ember. Show me your control."
Arav reached up, and for the next few minutes, he worked—
breathing, focusing, calming, coaxing—
learning how fire behaved when it wasn't his own.
Some flames trembled.
Some leaned toward him.
One tried to jump at him like an excited puppy.
He controlled them all—
Until the third flame.
As soon as he touched it, it pushed back.
Aether rippled.
A micro-distortion snapped—
Meghala's expression sharpened instantly.
"Hold. Don't pull away."
Arav gritted his teeth.
His chest tightened; his small fingers shook.
But he didn't withdraw.
Instead—
"I'm here," he whispered to himself.
And the distortion softened.
The flame calmed.
The rope behind him steadied.
Sharanya exhaled shakily.
Aaryan's eyes softened almost imperceptibly.
Meghala stepped close, placing a steady hand on Arav's shoulder.
"Well done," she said quietly. "That wasn't a trick. That was a decision. Stormflame respects decisions."
Arav blinked. "Was it supposed to be that hard?"
"No," Meghala said. "Which is why…"
Her eyes flicked subtly toward the horizon—
"…things are getting interesting."
Arav didn't understand.
But somewhere—very far away—
in a manor touched by thunderlight,
another child rubbed his temples as a spark danced at his fingertips.
Different element.
Different clan.
Same reaction.
The world was watching them both.