Chapter 3 — "The Ashen Plains"
The Ashen Plains stretched out before Erik like a living nightmare.
The air was thick with ash, swirling lazily around him as if the land itself had long since given up any hope of recovery. The ground beneath his boots was cracked and jagged, like the very bones of the earth had been shattered. A faint, sulfurous scent burned in his nose, and the distant rumble of what sounded like thunder carried on the wind, though there were no clouds in the sky.
It was as though this place had been abandoned, forgotten by the rest of the world—a scar left by something ancient. Something powerful.
Erik stood at the edge of the Plains, the faintly glowing Glyph of Initiation still pulsing in his hand, a reminder of the strange bond he now shared with the world of Velhraz.
He took a deep breath. No turning back now.
The Archivist's warning still echoed in his mind: "The Ashen Plains are filled with wild Aether-infused creatures, remnants of ancient battles."
Erik wasn't sure what that meant yet, but he had no choice but to push forward. The Academy, his destination, lay somewhere beyond this wasteland. And he had to prove his worth before he could even dream of entering its gates.
As he moved forward, his eyes scanned the horizon. The landscape was eerily quiet, save for the occasional gust of wind that lifted clouds of ash into the air. But something was wrong. The stillness felt wrong.
A low growl cut through the silence, sending a chill through Erik's spine. He froze.
From the corner of his eye, something large shifted. His heart pounded in his chest. He wasn't sure what it was—whether it was a creature, a force of nature, or something else entirely. But it was big. Too big.
Suddenly, a massive shape burst from the ashen ground to his left, a blur of motion and shadow.
Before he could react, a beast—part beast, part ethereal Aetheric construct—lunged at him with blinding speed. Its body was a twisted amalgamation of sinew and glowing energy, its eyes glowing bright yellow like twin suns. Its claws extended in a slashing motion, cutting through the air with a sharp hiss.
Instinctively, Erik brought up his hand, and the Glyph flared in response, sending a pulse of energy through his body.
Aether.
A surge of power blasted from his palm, but it was raw, uncontrolled. The energy surged outward, slamming into the beast's glowing chest, sending it tumbling backward with a roar. But it wasn't enough to stop it. The beast, undeterred, quickly righted itself and charged again.
Erik's heart raced. He had no time to think. This wasn't a simple sparring match or test. This was life and death. His hands shook as he struggled to control the power surging through him, trying to access the Aether more effectively.
"Think!" he whispered to himself, trying to focus. Focus.
He remembered the Archivist's words: "Power is not always what it seems." The Aether wasn't just raw force—it had to be shaped, controlled. He had to understand it, not just channel it blindly.
The beast lunged again, its claws slashing. This time, Erik wasn't so lucky. One of the claws raked across his arm, sending a shock of pain through his body. He gasped, but the pain was momentary. The wound was already healing, but the damage was done. He needed to act fast.
"Aether!" Erik shouted, closing his eyes for a brief moment.
He focused, the energy within him vibrating with potential. And then, he saw it.
A surge of glowing energy pooled around his hands, forming into a shield—a force field of condensed Aether. The beast collided with it, and for the first time, Erik felt like he was truly controlling the energy within him.
The creature howled, its claws scraping against the invisible barrier, but it couldn't penetrate the shield. Erik's body trembled with the effort, his entire being strained by the force he was holding back.
But the shield wouldn't last. The beast was too powerful.
Desperation surged within him. With a growl of effort, Erik gathered his strength, focusing the energy from the shield into a focused, piercing blast. The Aetheric energy in his hands swirled violently before being released in a pulse of concentrated force, blasting the beast away in a blinding explosion of light.
For a moment, Erik stood frozen, panting, his body shaking. His heart hammered in his chest.
The beast was gone. Its form disintegrated in the aftershocks of the explosion, leaving nothing but a smoldering crater where it had stood.
Erik couldn't believe it. He had done it. He had killed the creature. But the victory felt hollow. His body was drained, and the pain in his arm was starting to return.
More than that, he knew the danger wasn't over. This was just the beginning.
Suddenly, the Ashen Plains seemed alive—shifting, moving. Erik's senses screamed at him to move. To run.
Without thinking, he turned and sprinted forward, his boots pounding the cracked earth beneath him. He had no idea what lay ahead, but the Academy was the only place where he could hope to learn, to grow, and to understand what had just happened.
But the Ashen Plains had more in store for him. The beast he had slain was only a taste of the horrors this world had to offer.
And Erik Stahl was just beginning to discover the full power of the Aether—and the danger it brought with it.
End of Chapter 3