The afternoon sun hung low in the sky, painting the Silver Grove in molten gold as it filtered through the canopy. Eryk's muscles screamed with every step, his body a symphony of aches and protests. His arms felt like lead, his legs trembled beneath him, and his back was a single, unbroken knot of pain.
Sera fared no better. Her usual sharpness had been dulled by fatigue, her steps uneven as she trudged beside him. Her dark hair clung to her sweat-slicked neck, and her eyes—usually so full of fire—were half-lidded with exhaustion. She didn't complain, though. Not aloud. But Eryk could see it in the way her jaw clenched, the way her fingers twitched at her sides as if itching to strangle someone.
"Probably me," Eryk thought wryly.
Ares, perched on Eryk's shoulder, let out a soft chirp. "You smell like sweat and defeat."
Eryk groaned. "Thanks. Really needed that."
Yavanna, walking ahead with her usual effortless grace, glanced back at them with an amused smile.
"You'll get used to it."
Sera shot her a glare. "I don't want to get used to it!"
Eldrin, who had been silent for most of their walk back, finally spoke.
"Tomorrow, we begin magic training."
The words sent a jolt through Eryk, equal parts anticipation and dread. His stomach twisted.
"Magic?"
Eldrin nodded, his silver hair catching the fading light.
"You must learn to wield the void within you. To control it, rather than let it control you."
The thought was thrilling. Terrifying. The Null Grimoire was a living thing inside him, a presence that whispered in the dark corners of his mind. To control it? To bend it to his will? It was everything he'd wanted—and everything he feared.
Sera, ever the skeptic, narrowed her eyes.
"And what about me?"
Eldrin's gaze flicked to her. "You will learn to channel your earth core properly. Assuming you don't waste my time with more childish antics."
"I've got no earth core already!" Sera hissed. "And this idiot consumed the earth core he asked on Riven!"
Sera looked at Eryk.
"Did Eryk took it in you?" asked Eldrin.
Sera didn't react. "No. But it was shattered during the Starfire Trial on the Academy. So it's already gone!"
Eldrin looked at her. "It's not gone. It's juts resting inside of you because you're not feeling it."
Sera's nostrils flared, but for once, she didn't argue. The mention of her earth core—stolen, lost, now dangled before her like a prize—was enough to silence her. Eryk saw the hunger in her eyes, the desperate want she'd never admit aloud.
She wants it back.
And Eldrin knew it.
As they trudged toward the palace, Eryk's mind buzzed with questions. What would magic training entail? Would it hurt? Would it work? Would he finally be able to touch the Null Grimoire's power without fearing it would devour him whole?
Ares, sensing his unease, nudged his cheek. "You will not fail."
Eryk wished he shared the dragon's confidence.
Behind them, Sera kicked a pebble, sending it skittering across the moss-covered path.
"I still hate this place!"
Yavanna, walking beside her, smiled. "Give it time."
Sera muttered something under her breath, but there was no real venom in it.
Eryk glanced at the sky, where the first stars were beginning to emerge, pinpricks of light in the deepening blue. The Silver Grove was beautiful, yes. But it wasn't home.
And as much as he dreaded the days ahead, he knew one thing for certain:
The real storm hadn't even begun.
~○~
Eldrin left them at the palace gates, disappearing into the shadows with a final, unreadable glance. The four of them—Eryk, Sera, Yavanna, and Ares—lingered outside, too exhausted to move, too restless to sleep.
Yavanna stretched, her arms arching over her head.
"Come on," she said, nodding toward a massive tree at the edge of the castle grounds. Its branches stretched wide, its leaves shimmering faintly in the twilight. "You need to see this!"
Sera eyed her suspiciously.
"See what?"
Yavanna just grinned. "Trust me."
They followed her to the base of the tree, where the roots formed a natural bench. Eryk collapsed onto it with a groan, his body protesting every movement. Sera sat beside him, though she left a careful distance between them, as if afraid to admit she needed the rest just as much as he did.
Ares hopped down from Eryk's shoulder, stretching his wings before curling up on the grass like a cat.
Then, as if on some unseen cue, the Silver Grove began to change.
One by one, lights flickered to life across the kingdom.
Not lanterns. Not torches.
Living light.
Bioluminescent blossoms unfurled their petals, glowing sapphire and gold. The vines that wove through the trees pulsed softly, their veins alight with silver. Even the water in the distant streams shimmered, as if the stars themselves had fallen into them.
The entire kingdom awoke.
Eryk's breath caught.
"It's beautiful," he whispered, his voice barely audible.
Sera, for once, didn't argue. She just stared, her sharp features softened by the glow, her eyes wide.
Ares let out a soft chirp, his golden eyes reflecting the light. "It is... acceptable."
Eryk looked at Yavanna. "Ares told that this is acceptable."
Yavanna laughed, the sound bright and warm. "Acceptable? That's high praise from you!"
"Seriously, are you two telepathically talking to each other or something?" Sera asked. "Looked like you two are talking to the wind!"
The dragon huffed but didn't argue.
For a long moment, they just sat there, watching as the Silver Grove transformed into something out of a dream. The air hummed with magic, the wind carrying the scent of night-bells and something sweet and something alive.
Eryk turned to Yavanna, a thought nagging at him. "Why didn't you show on us yesterday? In the garden?"
Yavanna blinked, then shrugged.
"I went to the library instead."
Sera raised an eyebrow. "The library?"
Yavanna nodded. "I had an assignment to finish."
Eryk frowned. "An assignment?"
She waved a hand dismissively. "Elven studies. History. Boring stuff."
There was something in her tone. A lightness that didn't quite reach her eyes. Eryk couldn't tell if she was lying or just avoiding the truth.
Sera, ever perceptive, narrowed her eyes. "You're hiding something."
Yavanna sighed, then grinned. "Fine. Maybe I was avoiding Eldrin's lectures. Or maybe I just wanted some quiet. Either way, the library's better than listening to you two bicker."
Sera scoffed, but there was no real heat in it.
Yavanna stretched again, then stood.
"Speaking of the library... if you're not too busy with training tomorrow, I'll take you there. It's worth seeing."
Eryk glanced at Sera, who rolled her eyes but didn't protest.
Ares flicked his tail. "Will there be things to burn?"
Eryk smirked. "No."
The dragon sighed. "Boring."
As the last light faded from the sky, Eryk leaned back against the tree, his body heavy with exhaustion. The lights of the Silver Grove shimmered around them, a kingdom alive with magic.
Tomorrow would bring magic training, pain and struggle.
But for now, in this quiet moment, with the weight of his friends around him, the future didn't seem so daunting.