Year 687.
The Second Great Elemental War had ended seven years ago.At least, officially.
Since the invasion of my village, the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Kingdom had lived in a rotten peace, eaten away by resentment and lies. Rumors spoke of lands never returned, rigged negotiations, broken agreements made in the shadows. They claimed the Earth Kingdom was the victim.
Bullshit.
The real dead. The real burned. The real forgotten…That was us.
Now, I lived with my uncle, Elëv.
He had taken me in after the massacre. Fed me. Protected me. Forged me.
A former Fire Warrior, he had fought alongside my father. Both had survived the beginning of the Second Great Elemental War. But their past remained a wall. A wall of silence I had never managed to break.
We lived in Valen, a city in the northwest, not far from the capital of the Fire Kingdom: Pyrrhès.
It was him who had enrolled me in the Academy of Pyrrhès.
At first, I didn't want it.Then, slowly… impatience replaced doubt.
— It's the perfect place to become stronger, he had told me.— Stronger how? I asked.— Strong enough to survive.
He had saved for seven long years to send me there. Seven years of deprivation. Seven years of sacrifice.
Sometimes, I wondered what I would have become without him.
Elëv was the one who taught me how to wield a sword. How to strike with my fists. How to channel the fire burning inside me.
That morning, I called out to him.
— Hey, Uncle.— Yes, Aydan?— When are we leaving for the capital?
He gave me a calm look.
— Soon. And be patient.
I clenched my teeth.
Patience was not my strength.
A few weeks later, he woke me before dawn.
— Aydan… Aydan, wake up… he whispered.
I groaned.
— AydAN! he suddenly shouted.
I shot upright.
— YES!
He sighed.
— We're going. It's time to head to the capital.
I looked at him.
Tired… but happy.
Then his smile faded. His gaze turned hard. Determined.
— Alright, I said simply. Let's go.
Elëv took the reins of the horse. A cart loaded with supplies followed behind us. I sat in the back, silent, watching the road stretch endlessly ahead.
Hours passed.
Then Pyrrhès appeared.
The capital was crowded. Merchants shouted, children laughed, families walked together.
I looked away.
— I miss you… I whispered.
Elëv had heard.
He didn't answer.
The grief was his too.
The Academy of Pyrrhès stood before us.
Gigantic.
Massive walls. Majestic architecture. Towers of stone and metal, engraved with the elemental symbol of fire.
I had never seen anything so large.
Before I entered, my uncle stopped me one last time.
— From here on, you'll be alone.— I know.— I won't be here to guide you anymore.— I know that too.
He placed a heavy hand on my shoulder.
— Become the best. You carry the blood of the Arin. The blood of Warriors.
I smiled.
— Thank you, Uncle… thank you for everything.
I took my bag and walked away.
When I turned back one last time, he was still there. Standing tall. Proud.
Inside, the Academy was even more impressive.
A man with a powerful voice stepped forward.
— Excuse me, dear students! Allow me to introduce myself: Solan de Valbraise, headmaster of this wonderful institution and the greatest Academy in the Kingdom! Welcome to Pyrrhès.
We were all standing in the main hall.
— I will give you a brief tour of the Academy.
He guided us through the grounds alongside several professors: the campus, the dormitories, the classrooms, the sword and magic training halls, the laboratories.
I didn't miss a single detail.
— It's… too beautiful, I murmured.
Everything breathed wealth. Nobility.
I still wondered how my uncle had managed to gather such a sum.
At the end of the visit, we were led toward the dormitory.
They handed us our student uniforms.
My room was enormous. Larger than the house I shared with Elëv.
I froze.
— Seriously…
I put on the uniform. It fit perfectly.
I lay down on the bed.
It was already five in the evening.
Tomorrow, class introductions would begin.
I would meet other students. Allies. Rivals.
But my goal remained unchanged.
To become stronger.
And one day…
To take my revenge.