Kaelion threw himself into the cave, his body scraping against damp stone.
His heart pounded, breath shallow and ragged.
Behind him, there were no growls, no footsteps.
The tigers hadn't followed.
At least… not yet.
Darkness swallowed him whole.
It was thick, suffocating. He couldn't even see his own hand in front of his face.
But turning back wasn't an option.
He pressed one hand against the cold wall and began to move forward, step by cautious step.
The ground was uneven, littered with loose stones and dust.
The silence was nearly deafening, broken only by his own footsteps and the steady rhythm of his breath.
Time seemed to stretch forever.
Minutes passed. Or maybe hours. Kaelion no longer knew.
His legs ached. His chest burned.
Hunger, fear, exhaustion—they had all fused into one long, heavy haze.
And then… a glimmer.
A faint, distant light flickered ahead.
He picked up his pace, heart rising with hope.
The tunnel began to widen. The air grew lighter, less stale.
Finally, he stepped out into the open—and froze.
Before him lay a sight he could never have imagined.
A hidden world, untouched and serene.
A quiet clearing surrounded by moss-covered cliffs, shielded from the outside world.
A slender waterfall trickled down the rock face, feeding a crystal-clear pond.
Short, sturdy trees bore glowing fruit, and giant-petaled flowers swayed gently in the breeze.
Everything felt… alive.
And yet, there was peace.
Even the animals—gentle-eyed deer, silver-coated cats, golden-feathered birds—moved calmly, without fear.
They watched him… almost knowingly.
Kaelion stepped forward, then another.
He wasn't sure if he was dreaming or simply losing his mind.
He approached the water and washed his face.
It was cool and pure.
His throat tightened.
Not with fear this time, but relief.
After the terror, the blood, the screams… this place felt like a gift.
He collapsed beside a tree, sliding down against its trunk.
Closing his eyes, just for a moment.
When he opened them again, something caught his attention.
Nestled between the roots, half-covered by soil and leaves, was an object.
A book.
He pulled it out carefully.
It was thick, bound in dark leather, etched with glowing runes.
Ancient… but perfectly preserved.
Kaelion opened it.
Treatise on Laws and Elements
Elements are not magic tricks.
They are the silent threads that weave reality together.
When a person awakens, they do not gain power.
They gain a possibility.
To understand an element means to understand its essence—
its meaning, its laws, its hidden rhythm.
Only those who reflect, who observe, who truly listen…
can unlock its true strength.
He flipped through the pages. One entry caught his attention.
Element: Fire
Fire is passion and destruction.
It is the roar of willpower, the flame of transformation.
To understand fire is not to tame it—
but to embrace it.
It burns all it touches…
but it also protects, guides, and renews.
Common abilities, depending on comprehension:
– Flame generation
– Flaming projectiles
– Heat-forged weapons
– Control of ambient temperature
– Spiritual flame awakening
– Energy burst and ignition
True fire cannot be trained.
It must be heard.
And accepted.
Kaelion stared down at the pages.
Each word stirred something deep within him.
This was the path.
This was where his journey… truly began.