Echoes of Magic

The sun had just begun to rise, casting a soft golden light over the quiet village of Alderbrook. The sound of the singing birds and rustling leaves in the breeze filled the air as Elias stood in a clearing near the village, his sword raised. The village chief,a grizzled warrior who was a silver-knight ranked named Grieg, watched Elias from a distance with his arms crossed. The wrinkles on his face deepening with every calculated move Elias made. He had taught Elias everything he knew about the sword - every stance, strike, discipline and aura, everything he needed to become a warrior. "Focus Elias", Grieg called out, his voice sharp but filled with the wisdom of years. " Every strike is a part of your intent, the blade an extension of yourself, your limbs. Don't let the blade control you. You control the blade" Elias nodded, his eyes narrowing as he adjusted his grip. Sweat trickled down his brow but his focus remained unbroken. The surrounding sounds disappeared and it was just him and his sword. For as long as he could remember, swordsmanship has been his life. He had trained for this- trained to pass the entrance exam to the capital's prestigious academy, a place where he secure a good job and more importantly use his position to help the village. Alderbrook was a small village at the edge, it's resources were limited and Elias was determined to change that. His movements were swift and calculated, moving as one with his sword, entrancing Grieg who was watching. His body honed from years of training under Grieg's watchful eye. He wasn't the best swordsman but he wasn't that far off as he could rival Grieg in both skill and technique and though he was still ranked at Gold-pawn, he could hold his own against him. His passion for the sword drove him even if it wasn't what he expected as he had always been fascinated by Magic but his love for the sword was pure and untainted. As usual he was training whilst using aura yet as he swung his sword through the air, something felt different- something he couldn't pinpoint, a tension in the air, a heaviness that seemed to press down on him from all sides. It wasn't like the usual fatigue from hours of practice, it was something otherworldly. With one final swing, swift and precise, Elias delivered a powerful s***h, cutting through the air. As the blade passed through the air, something inside him stirred. A surge of energy, raw and uncontrolled coursed through his body, making him lighter and his sword lighter than air itself The ground beneath him cracked. A pulse of black energy erupted from his body, following the path of the sword. Like a shockwave, it rippled through the air distorting the surrounding and completely decimating everything in the sword's path. Grieg staggered back, shielding his eyes from the burst of power. For a moment, Elias felt the entire world freeze around him. The blade in his hand hummed as though it was alive but his focus shattered and everything returned to normal. Though everything was normal, the sensation of something still remained. "Elias... What in the Primordial springs was that?" Grieg's voice was thick with disbelief as he steadied himself. He whistled loudly as he stared at the c*****e caused by the energy from the sword. His gaze fell on Elias' arm, where a strange mark had appeared- faint but unmistakable. A swirling pattern of black energy like a tattoo that had materialized out of nowhere. Elias stood frozen, his breath shallow as he stared at the mark. He had never seen anything like it before. He was no mage- just a warrior, even though his body allowed for the use of spells, determined to succeed through his sword. But now, with the power that had just shown itself, he felt as though he had touched something beyond understanding- something deep and ancient the world would want buried. "I--I didn't do that", Elias stammered, his voice uncertain. He could feel the pulse of the energy still thrumming beneath his skin, as if something inside him was awakening. A surge of fear rise in his chest. Grieg was quiet for a long moment before speaking again, "You've got more than just skill Elias. You have the talent that comes once in a century and now you've got a mark that i haven't seen before and I think it shouldn't be there. We need to get you to the academy". Elias looked up, confusion washing over him. "The academy? But I wasn't planning...." "The entrance exam is tomorrow.", Grieg interrupted. He then continued, "I already prepared everything. Today after your training, i wanted to have a duel with you to see if you'd be able to hold your own in the academy. But with this , you have to go there." Stepping forward, Grieg placed a firm hand on Elias' shoulder, "Your sword play is good. Hell, give it a few more years, and you would be able to defeat me in combat. But there is something more inside you -something that may be dangerous. The academy would help you understand it. They would have the answers to all your questions." He stared at Elias with wishful eyes and a soft smile then let out a sigh. "Now come on", he said patting Elias on the back. "Let head back and pack up the things you need." The next day, Elias stood at the entrance of the academy, the towering stone walls looming overhead. His heart raced. It wasn't out of fear of the trials ahead but the uncertainty swirling in his mind. The mark on his hand still faintly pulsed but he ignored it, focusing on the task at hand. Today was supposed to be about proving his worth as a swordsman, not dealing with whatever strange phenomena that's happening with him. He has trained for this. He had trained for years under Grieg, with the goal to impress the academy and secure a place where he could learn to become a master warrior. He wanted to help his village, to give Alderbrook the resources it so desperately needed. The sword was the key to that future and nothing was going to destroy it. The entrance exam began with a series test: writing- general knowledge of norms, rules, laws and history. And practical- combat, strategy and intelligence. After finishing the written test, Elias walked over to the arena where the practical test was being held. The air in the arena was murky, filled with killing intent form both the examiners and examinees. Elias' opponent, an instructor of the academy was a season warrior, strong and skilled but Elias was focused-his blade was an extension of himself, every motion precise. The combat exam started and the instructor's blade came crashing down on him. He felt the pressure- the suffocating killing intent from another warrior, directed solely at him. Elias only blocked and evaded the strikes of the instructor with each attack parried causing pain to Elias' hand on the blade's hilt. After crossing swords for a while, Elias became comfortable and was no longer just evading and blocking or parrying but fighting like a true warrior. The instructor noticed him fighting back, laughed and said, "Normally, entry level students don't last this long when facing me." He and Elias clashed swords and were locked in a clash of strength, swords grating against each other. "Lets take this up a notch shall we?", the instructor said with a battle crazed grin. He pushed Elias away and attacked him furiously. The instructor's sword strikes became heavier and faster than before. Elias went into defence and was barely managing to deflect the attacks. In doing so, something snapped inside of him. A surge of power, wild and untamed ripped through his body. This was unlike anything he had felt before- different from what had happened in Alderbrook in terms of strength, feel and ferociousness. The ground beneath his feet and the force of sword impact sent shockwaves through out the arena. The energy shot out of his body, destroying everything in an eighty centimeter radius of him, knocking his opponent several feet back. The onlookers- students of the academy, members of faculty and some nobles who brought their kids for the exam, all gasped. Elias stood there frozen, breathless, sword still in hand. He raised his sword towards the sky and shot our the remaining dark energy trashing inside of him, using his sword as a conduit. The mark on his hand glowed brightly, the symbols unmistakable, VOID MAGIC. "Enough!", the instructor barked, staggering to his feet. He was shaken but not defeated. Never since the day he took this job has an examinee been able to land a hit on him,let alone push him back. "What was that? What enhancement drug did you use? What are you?", he asked seething in rage. The headmistress of the academy, an imposing woman , a lady for the Sylvaris family, one of the 12 Ruling families in the empire, sister to Lord Regan Sylvaris, the family head, came up behind them and stopped the instructor from going off on Elias. She moved closer to him, her eyes sharp, analyzing Elias with a practiced gaze. "We'll need to discuss this later. For now, you have passed the combat test.", she as she walked past Elias and towards the destroy place. "But what you've done here....." She trailed off, uncertainty clouding her face as she scan the destruction. Elias lowered his sword, still trying to process what had just happened, his body still buzzing from the energy, his mind racing with questions- Why is this mark? Why do i have magic? Why did it come out at this moment? And most importantly, What does it mean for his future? Later that night, Elias walked back to his room that was shown to him after the headmistress had left. His steps were slow and his face displayed the various thoughts swarming around in his head. His thoughts were interrupted by a voice in the shadows. "You have no idea what you've unlocked, do you?" Elias froze, turning to see a figure step out for a darkened corridor. The stranger's presence was like a shadow- silent yet heavy with intent. He couldn't make out a face as the darkness obscured his. view but he had heard the voice earlier whilst going to the written examination site. "You were in the magic research lab with some other instructors" , Elias muttered. "Kaelen, pleasure to make ." Kaelen said making a grand bow. "Your outburst today has drawn alot of attention. Some might say you'll be watched by everyone." Kaelen smiled faintly, eyes gleaming with knowledge. "I have been watching you Elias. You are not just a swordsman but i guess you just found that out. There is something different about you, something greater within you and in time you'll come to know the truth. Remember the watchers are always watching." With those words, Kaelen disappeared, leaving just a piece of paper behind and it read, "We are always watching." Elias' pulse quickened. He was no longer in the safety of Alderbrook. This is the beginning of something beyond his control. He was no longer just a swordsman, he is now tied to some bigger. The path that would lead him down paths that he had yet to even imagine.