The days that followed were filled with questions that went unanswered. The village of Olyn, ever quaint and calm, began to feel suffocating to Aeris. The wind still howled through the ridges, but now, it felt like it was speaking to him, beckoning him toward something he couldn't yet understand. Something greater than the smithy he worked in, greater than the forge that had been his life's steady rhythm.
Aeris couldn't shake the image of the flame. The fire that he saw in his dreams. The voice of Kaelion. It was as if his very soul had been ignited. And the sigil on his hand, still glowing faintly, was a constant reminder that his world was shifting, slowly but inevitably.
On the fifth night after the stone had appeared, Orla sat beside him at the hearth, the fire crackling softly in the quiet cottage. She was carving a new piece of wood, her hands steady despite the wear and tear of years spent working. Her face, as always, was etched with wisdom that Aeris had come to rely on.
"Orla," he began, his voice low, "I've been having these dreams. More vivid than ever before. And the sigil... it's still glowing. I don't understand why it's there. Why me?"
Orla paused in her carving, her sharp gaze meeting his. "I've told you before, Aeris. The gods don't choose their champions lightly. The mark you carry is not just a sign of power; it's a sign of potential. Kaelion, the god of human potential, does not just give power. He awakens what lies dormant within you."
"I don't even know who I am," Aeris muttered, running his fingers through his disheveled hair. "How can I have potential when I don't know my own history? My origins are a mystery."
"You were abandoned, yes. But I've raised you to be strong, Aeris. You're more than your past." Orla's voice softened. "But your future... It's something only you can shape. And Kaelion will guide you, whether you're ready for it or not."
Aeris nodded, but the weight of her words lingered heavily. He was trying to come to terms with the possibility that his life was not his own to control. The god of human potential had taken interest in him. But why? What role was he to play in a story that was far bigger than the quiet village of Olyn?
The next morning, as dawn broke over the hills, Aeris couldn't shake the restless feeling gnawing at him. The village was still asleep, its people lost in the routine of everyday life. But not him. He felt like a flame in the wind — flickering and uncertain, but burning with a need to know more.
He left Orla's cottage early, making his way toward the northern ridge once more. The journey had become instinctual, like he was being drawn by an unseen force. As he climbed higher, the air grew thin and sharp, and the village below shrank into a blur. His boots crunched on the loose earth, the only sound breaking the stillness of the morning.
Reaching the top of the ridge, he paused, his eyes scanning the horizon. There was something about the emptiness of it all that was both freeing and terrifying. The wind cut through him, as though pushing him toward an unknown destination.
And then he felt it.
A sudden shift in the air, a crackling energy that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. His hand instinctively reached for the sigil, and he felt it pulse beneath his skin. The ground beneath his feet seemed to hum, as if the earth itself was alive with the power that was awakening within him.
From the trees in the distance, a figure emerged. A woman, cloaked in flowing robes, her face hidden in the shadows of her hood. She moved like a phantom, her presence unsettling yet undeniable. The air around her shimmered, as if reality itself bent to her will.
Aeris tensed, instinctively reaching for the hilt of his blade, though it felt foolish in the face of something so...otherworldly.
"Do not be afraid, Child of Kaelion," the woman's voice was soft, yet it carried an authority that sent a shiver down his spine. "I have been sent to guide you."
Aeris didn't lower his hand. "Who are you? And why have you come?"
The woman stepped forward, her eyes glowing with an ethereal light. "I am Lirael, a servant of Kaelion. And I am here to help you awaken the flame within you."
Aeris's heart skipped. "What do you mean by the flame?"
"The flame of your potential, Aeris," Lirael said, her voice soothing but unyielding. "Kaelion has marked you for a purpose. You are destined for greatness, but you must first understand your power. The sigil is not just a symbol. It is a conduit. A connection to your true self."
"But I don't know how to wield it," Aeris protested. "I don't even know what it means."
Lirael's gaze softened. "That is why I am here. To teach you."
Before Aeris could respond, Lirael extended her hand, and the very air around them seemed to warp. A burst of energy erupted from her, sending a shockwave that made the earth tremble beneath his feet.
Aeris stumbled, his knees buckling, but he found himself rising again, the sigil burning hot against his palm. The warmth spread through his entire body, a fire igniting deep within his chest.
"What is this?" he gasped, feeling the energy coursing through him, raw and untamed.
Lirael stood tall, her eyes glowing with a fierce intensity. "This is the first step, Aeris. The flame of Kaelion is not a simple thing. It is not power as you know it. It is the potential within every human — the ability to shape their own destiny. But it is not given easily. It must be earned."
Aeris's breath quickened. "How?"
Lirael looked at him with a knowing smile. "By embracing who you truly are. By unlocking your hidden potential and using it to challenge the gods themselves."
"The gods?" Aeris whispered, his pulse quickening. "What do you mean?"
"There are those who stand in the way of humanity's true potential," Lirael said, her voice heavy with foreboding. "And Kaelion has chosen you to be the one who breaks through. But you must first learn to control the flame within."
The ground beneath them trembled again, and Lirael's eyes flashed. "We begin now. Step forward, Aeris. And embrace the flame."
Aeris took a step forward, his heart hammering in his chest. The energy swirling around him intensified, and for a brief moment, he felt the weight of his destiny settle on his shoulders. There was no going back. The gods had chosen him. Kaelion had chosen him.
And now, the flame would burn bright.
As Aeris stepped forward, the wind howled around them, lifting his cloak and causing the trees to sway violently. The sigil on his hand glowed brighter than ever before, lighting the path ahead.
And in that moment, he knew that his journey had begun.