Drop… Drop…
The sound of dripping water echoed through the vast stone cave, each drop hitting the ground slowly like a steady heartbeat in the silence.
"Boy! Take rest," Thalorien's voice broke the stillness not sharp this time, but calm . "Tomorrow, there won't be any excuses."
Caelum, still recovering from the lingering weight of their talk, nodded as he took in every word.
"I won't disappoint you again, teacher," he replied, voice steady despite his exhaustion.
And with that…
He laid down, back sinking into the cold cave floor. His limbs finally let go.
Eyes shut.
Breath slowed.
Sleep took him in seconds..
BOOM!!
A loud fire explosion tore through the silence of the cave, shaking the very ground.
Caelum jolted awake, his heart racing.
"What… what's going on?!" he gasped, eyes darting around in confusion.
The air smelled like smoke and ash.
In the distance
A towering black figure loomed near the entrance of the cave.
There stood Thalorien.
His cloak crackling with electric sparks…
Facing off against a massive black dragon one unlike any Caelum had ever read about.
It was huge, far beyond its normal species size.
Its glowing red eyes radiated primal fury.
Each breath it took exhaled dark smoke.
Its obsidian scales shimmered like armor, capable of withstanding high-tier spells with ease.
Caelum's eyes widened.
"The dragon seemed like it had been provoked by someone."
The air pulsed wild, unstable.
And Thalorien didn't move.
He simply stood arms crossed, waiting for the dragon's next move.
Tha… tha… tha… tha…
The dragon's roar echoed deep in its throat as it charged up
Spines along its back glowing ominously, pulsing with energy.
Its jaws opened wide, and from within, a massive surge of dark energy began to form.
A low hum filled the air, vibrating the ground beneath Caelum's feet.
"TEACHER, MOVE!!" he shouted, panic gripping his voice.
BOOOM!!!
The dragon unleashed its devastating breath
A beam of blackened energy tore through the air, crashing directly into Thalorien's.
A violent shockwave followed, sending dust and shattered rocks flying.
Dark smoke coiled in the air, swallowing everything in its path.
Caelum stood frozen eyes wide, fists clenched at his chest.
"Teacher…?"
Silence…
Then
Hahahaha!
Laughter echoed through the smoke. Deep. Confident.
Only one voice could laugh like that.
"It merely tickled, black dragon of Kisard clan," Thalorien's voice rang out sharp and commanding.
As the smoke thinned…
He stood tall.
Not even a scratch on his body.
His cloak danced behind him , untouched.
Caelum let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
A small smile crept onto his face.
"Why was I even worried, he didn't even flinch."
Thalorien raised his arm slowly.
Eyes sharp. Voice calm.
"Dragon… it was an honor."
Above him ten glowing magic circles appeared, layered over each other.
"Inferno Flames—Tier Fifteen."
The circles collapsed into each other, releasing an earth-shaking blast of fire.
BOOOOM!!!
The entire cave lit up with scorching light.
Winds howled. Flames consumed everything in their path.
Smoke rolled out like a giant wave.
And when it all cleared
There was no dragon.
Only a massive crater, ablaze and cracked, marking where the beast once stood.
Caelum stood dumbfounded, a drop of sweat sliding down his cheek.
"Teacher is… strong," he whispered.
Thalorien glanced at Caelum, his eyes narrowed.
"Boy… we need to be careful. Someone or something provoked that dragon."
His tone was calm but sharp, laced with concern.
Caelum's eyes widened as he replayed the moment in his mind.
"That's why it looked so angry…" he muttered under his breath.
Then he asked, curiosity tugging at his voice,
"Teacher… what is a Kilard Clan dragon?"
Thalorien crossed his arms, his gaze distant as he explained.
"Dragons are divided into three clans."
"The Kilard Clan like the one you just saw
They're powerful, proud, and don't act unless provoked.
But they're not the biggest."
He paused.
"The Minro Clan dragons are larger… and far more aggressive."
"Then there's the Jer Clan.
Smaller dragons, spread all across the world. Unlike the other two, they're far more common."
"So that's why it looked way bigger than the dragons in the books…"caelum thought aloud.
"Teacher…" he asked, still catching his breath, "Who could've provoked it?"
Thalorien's face twitched half grin, half fury.
A vein pulsed near his temple.
"Who knows…" he muttered.
Smack!
He crushed his fist into his open palm, the sharp sound echoing through the cave like thunder.
His aura flared slightly.
"But whoever it is… I'll crush them."
His voice dropped, deadly serious.
"How dare they mess with my sleep."
"H-He looks scary…" caelum thought as he swallowed hard .
"For breakfast, we'll eat dragon meat," Thalorien said, casually stretching his arms.
"Go collect the small pieces scattered around the place."
Caelum paused, staring at the battlefield.
"Wait… is that even edible?" he asked, raising a brow.
"Of course," Thalorien answered with a grin. "It's delicious."
Moments later…
"WAA—WAA—WAA!!"
Caelum bent over, puking his guts out behind a rock.
The meat tasted like someone roasted a rat, burned it, and served it with pride.
Meanwhile, Thalorien sat, chewing happily like it was some royal feast.
He handed another piece to Caelum.
"Eat. You've got 20 more rounds to finish today."
Caelum stared at the meat with a disgusted face.
"Teacher… this tastes horrible…"
Thalorien didn't flinch.
"You want good taste… or energy to survive the day?"
Caelum gagged slightly but muttered, "Energy…" still looking nauseous.
"Then eat."
With a grimace, Caelum forced the chunk down, not even chewing it just swallowing as fast as he could.
"Now start running," Thalorien ordered sharply, arms crossed.
Caelum gritted his teeth and took off.
One round… two… five…
By the twelfth round, his knees buckled.
Thud! He collapsed, face down, gasping for air.
Suddenly, CRACK!
A sharp noise echoed Thalorien had slammed his palm against the cave wall, eyes blazing.
"If you're this weak… how do you expect to surpass Arthur and Azrael?" he snapped.
"Forget surpassing them you won't even be able to protect the ones you love!"
Those words hit Caelum harder than anything else.
His fingers clenched the dirt.
His breath heavy.
His eyes trembled.
"I'll become stronger…"
He whispered to himself.
"So strong… that anyone who stands against me will know fear."
The wind howled softly through the cave. The fire flickered.
A new fire burned within Caelum.
With trembling arms, he pushed himself back up.
And began again
Running. Falling. Rising.
Training not just his body now…
But his soul.
"That night caelum vowed to himself"
"I'll get stronger gripping his chest." Facing the cave walls.
Time passed.
Days turned into weeks.
Weeks into months.
And months into years…
Caelum's training never stopped.
He ran. He pushed. He endured.
Until finally his body transformed.
Lean,Defined body and Durable stamina.
He could now run non-stop without breaking a sweat.
Soup. Soup.
Steam rose from their bowls. Both sat calmly, enjoying a hot meal near the cave's fire.
"Brother, pass me the dragon soup again," Caelum said, relaxed.
"Haha, sure," Thalorien replied, handing him the pot. "Take as much as you want."
"Today, we start rune magic."
Caelum's eyes lit up as he slurped loudly.
"ALRIGHT!"
He was souping so hard now, you'd never believe two years ago he couldn't even chew dragon meat.
Over time, the bond had grown.
So much… that Caelum no longer called him "teacher."
Now, it was "Brother."
"Finally…" Caelum muttered, a grin spreading across his face.
"All those years of pushing my body… building my stamina… it was all for this moment."
Rune Magic.
The ancient power whispered in legends.
And today… it was within his grasp.
Thalorien stood tall, his arm raised.
Fwoooosh!
A massive sphere of water emerged from his open palm.
"Caelum," Thalorien spoke, his voice deep and commanding, "Rune Magic is no ordinary spellcraft."
He turned, eyes serious.
"It's an ancient art known only to a rare few. It doesn't just use mana… it puts an immense load on the body. If your vessel is weak, the pressure alone will crush you."
"That's why we spent all that time sculpting your body."
"Not just for strength but to survive the strain."
He stepped forward, the sphere of water on his hand.
"Rune Magic revolves around five primary elements Water, Fire, Earth, Air…"
"And then… there's the fifth the one only chosen individuals are blessed with."
"I was blessed with Thunder," Thalorien said, his voice steady.
"But you…" he turned to Caelum, his gaze piercing "You have two elements.
Dark and Light. Two opposing forces."
Caelum sat in front of him, the cave now silent.
The air held tension.
"Sit closer," Thalorien commanded.
"Don't worry about the cold, the air, or the sounds around you. From this moment…
Only my voice matters."
Caelum nodded, inching forward. His breath slow. Focused.
"Listen closely…"
"Imagine how you cast a regular spell you think, you gather mana, and you release."
"But in Rune Magic, it's different."
Thalorien's tone shifted slower, deeper.
"You must understand the very purpose of the element you're calling."
He raised two fingers and pointed upward.
"Let's take Air. You don't just think 'wind' or 'gust'… you feel it.
What is air? It gives life we breathe it. Without it, we suffocate.
Now… imagine it and let your mana flow shifting that idea."
"From breath of life... to the power of a storm to destroy everything that comes in it's way".
That's how Rune Magic works not just raw mana, but understanding."
Caelum exhaled slowly, closing his eyes lips slightly parted.
"Good," Thalorien nodded.
"Now… try. Feel the air. And imagine it.
Woshhhh
A gust of air swirled around Caelum as he extended his hand forward, eyes narrowed in focus.
He pictured it a raging storm, fierce and wild, devouring everything in its path.
Suddenly, wind magic began to form in his palm.
A sphere of condensed air swelled, larger… and larger… and larger
Until
BOOM!
The magic burst forth, violently surging past Thalorien and just barely missing him.
"Haaah—!" Caelum collapsed to one knee, gasping for breath, sweat trailing down his cheek.
Thalorien chuckled calmly, brushing wind off his shoulder.
"You did well for a first try, Caelum," he said. "Once you master rune magic… you won't even need to imagine the elements. They'll come naturally to your will."
He turned to leave.
"For now… focus."
The silence returned as Thalorien's footsteps faded. Caelum stood there, alone.
"So I have to imagine it... but how?" he muttered, pacing slowly.
"Action equals cost. What it gives… and what it can take…"
His fingers brushed his chin thoughtfully.
He tried again.
And again.
And again.
Each time failure.
"Gaaah! This is hard…" he exhaled, collapsing backward, staring up at the cave ceiling.
But in his eyes… was a glint of determination.
After failing for days… again and again, it was now the seventh week.
Why can't I control it?
Storms. Power. Destruction.
He clenched his jaw. Then suddenly it hit him what it gives comes first, what it takes comes second.
First, imagine what it gives.
He imagined his childhood, standing in the rain, gripping his mother's hand.
The wind screamed, but her voice? Calm. Soft.
"Listen, my child. Close your eyes. Feel the wind. It's not here to hurt you… it's alive."
He breathed it in.
Let your mana flow. Imagine the wind.
A tiny sphere of air flickered on his palm.
His eyes ablaze ,I did it He exhaled like a weight came off his body.
"Haa… I got the first part."
From a distance, Thalorien's voice floated half-laugh, half-grin:
"You got it, huh, boy? Hahaha."