Pyros stood in utter despair, paralyzed under the pressure of the dark mana erupting from Kael's body. From the depths of his mind, Kael was screaming to his failing limbs: "Move! Just a little!" But as he continued to uncontrollably pour mana into the darkness in his hand, he could no longer keep his consciousness afloat. The darkness was no longer just a spell in Kael's palm; it felt like a living, breathing coldness. The freezing sensation spreading from his fingertips to his heart had turned his body into a block of ice. He desperately wanted to move, but he remained frozen as if sealed by an invisible force. His mind was blurring, and he was losing control of his body second by second. As the dark void within him expanded, Kael felt the crushing weight of his own power for the first time.
Just as Kael was about to release that endless dark sphere and turn the surroundings into an inferno, an ancient voice echoed from afar. Zephyros appeared, opening his hands to the sky as he whispered a sharp, commanding mantra of the gale:
"Sever the void! Gale of heavens, consume the abyss! Disperse and vanish!"
With Zephyros's call, a rising wind began to slowly dissipate the dark magic in Kael's hand like a layer of mist. Just as Kael's knees gave out, Varkas rushed in like the wind and caught him in his arms. "Kael! Are you okay?" Varkas's voice reached Kael as if from underwater; his eyelids grew heavy, and his consciousness sank into darkness.
Zephyros descended beside Pyros, who knelt on the ground in a state of misery. His gaze was as sharp as the wind. "Pyros, what was that? I expect a rational explanation from you!"
Looking at his trembling hands, Pyros said with a cracked voice, "Zephyros... I am so sorry. I had never worked with dark magic before. I succumbed to my curiosity during training. I thought I could still seal his powers even if I removed the ring, but the seal detonated instantly. That... that power wasn't even at the fourth ring level! I thought I could restrain it..."
"That is enough!" Zephyros roared. "You are a master, Pyros! I entrusted Kael to you for his training, not for you to satisfy your curiosity! Have you ever thought about the disaster that would have occurred if I hadn't arrived in time?"
Pyros struck his head against the ground. "You are right... I am so sorry. I do not deserve to be his mentor. I am truly ashamed of myself."
Zephyros sighed and placed his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Lift your head, Pyros. We are old friends, and there aren't many people I can share Kael's secret with. You will continue his training, but that ring will never leave his finger again. I don't want to see a single mistake more."
Pyros nodded with gratitude. "I promise, Zephyros. From now on, I will not let him touch anything other than fire magic."
Zephyros turned to the unconscious boy in Varkas's arms. "How is he?"
"He's breathing, pulse is normal," Varkas said. "He only has minor wounds; his general condition is good." Zephyros frowned as he noticed a strange magical scar in the palm of Kael's hand. "Did this happen during training?"
Pyros looked on in surprise. "No, I'm seeing this for the first time. He must have done it while practicing on his own."
After a brief silence, Zephyros commanded: "Varkas, take him to his room. Have him see me when he wakes up."
Towards evening, Kael woke up with a headache as if drums were beating inside his brain. "Ah, my head... Wait, the last thing in my hand was that dark..." He quickly jumped out of bed and looked out the window at the training grounds. Everything was silent. "Was it all a dream?"
"I wish it were a dream," said Zephyros, standing at the door. His voice was calm yet cold.
"Uncle..."
"I thought I spoke clearly enough about that seal business with Master Pyros, Kael. I warned you repeatedly that no matter what happens, you must not remove that ring until you reach the sixth ring. Even if Pyros is your master, ignoring your own uncle's words has broken my heart."
Kael bowed his head in guilt. "I am so sorry, uncle. I thought since I had progressed so much in fire magic, I could control the darkness too."
Zephyros slowly entered the room. "Look, Kael, people generally do not try to master İtwo types of magic at the same time. It only slows them down. Dual-element users are rare because their bodies consume extra mana trying to restrain two separate powers. I temporarily sealed the darkness so your body wouldn't be crushed under this weight, allowing you to focus on fire. And it worked; you approached the fourth ring in a short time. But dark magic..."
Zephyros looked out the window. "Dark magic is a power belonging to demon kin. They do not gather mana from the surroundings like we do; they are born with mana itself. While we learn techniques and incantations to perform magic, they use it as naturally as breathing. Your human body cannot yet bear the weight of such power. That is why I said 'Sixth Ring.' If your mana capacity increases, perhaps we can succeed in controlling it."
Kael was about to say something, but Zephyros raised his hand and silenced him. "I don't want an incident like this ever again. That ring is your life insurance. I won't be this lenient next time. Do you understand?"
Every one of Zephyros's words sat on Kael's chest like a heavy stone. The disappointment in his uncle's eyes hurt much more than the physical wounds he had received. He felt not just like a failed student, but like a traitor who had stabbed his family's trust in the back. He was afraid to lift his head, for he knew all he would see in his uncle's eyes was the reflection of a boy who had almost caused a disaster because of his own ambition. The lump in his throat was even more suffocating than the sensation left by the dark magic; facing the reality of whether a moment of curiosity was worth losing the people he loved was the hardest lesson he had ever learned.
Kael swallowed hard. "Yes, uncle... I will never take it off again."
"Good. Come down for dinner later."
Once Zephyros left the room, Kael slumped onto his bed. He looked at the silver moon rising through the window. All the distance he had covered until today, the power he had gained... suddenly seemed like nothing. He had experienced, in a bitter way, how his own power held dominion over him.
He clenched his fist, his nails digging into his palm. "I will not be a slave to my own power," he murmured. The fire burning in his eyes was brighter than the moonlight.
"From this day forth," he said against the darkness, "my training will double. I will either tame this power or be consumed by its ashes."