Prologue

  In a world where magic is the very fabric of life, spirit mages are revered for their ability to bond with elemental spirits. Rarely, a mage may possess one or two familiars, each representing a different element, allowing them to wield powers beyond the ordinary. Without a familiar, one cannot perform adept magic, but there are ways to perform and measure the affinity a person has towards specific elements to perform rudimentary magic. Those with high affinities & familiars often ascend to positions of power—becoming kings, rulers, or nobles—while those with a single affinity and without familiar typically serve in the military. Yet, such power often breeds corruption, with many using their gifts for personal gain or to oppress others.

  Rumors of a prophecy began to circulate: a boy would be born who could bond with multiple spirits, even summon different elemental spirits and powerful hybrids. His abilities would be so devastating that he was destined to challenge the existing order and perhaps become the next emperor. Alarmed by the threat to his throne, the Emperor ordered his most trusted mages to seek out the boy and eliminate him. These mages, renowned for their mastery and feared for their ruthlessness, were given a single command—search and destroy.

  Chapter 1: Unavoidable Circumstances

  Present Time: (1118 AD)

  Location: Jenju Castle

  The air crackled with tension, the ground trembling under the weight of powerful spells being unleashed. Within the walls of Jenju Castle, a battle raged—chaotic, violent, and destined to become legend. The boy darted through the smoldering battlefield, his form a blur of speed as fireballs exploded around him. Behind him, his familiar, a fiery wind spirit, swirled protectively, incinerating any enemy who dared approach.

  The boy turned to the fiery wind spirit, readying his next command. "Ventus Ignis, portare me ad locum altiorem!" ("Wind of Fire, carry me to a higher place!") he commanded.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  The familiar's voice echoed back with a booming resonance, "Volatus meum te tollit, ut visum possis praevalere!" ("My flight will lift you so that you may prevail with vision!") The air around the boy shifted as the spirit enveloped him in a whirlwind, lifting him up to a higher vantage point.

  Once atop a nearby hill, the boy pointed toward the advancing enemies. "Terra, ad me transfer!" ("Earth, bring me closer!") The ground beneath him trembled, forming a sloping path to carry him safely down.

  The earth spirit responded, "Fidem tuam in me ponas, et iter tibi creabo." ("Place your trust in me, and I shall create the path for you.") The boy descended, the ground rising smoothly underfoot to bring him closer to the action.

  Turning his attention to his water spirit, he commanded, "Unda, sequere fluctus mei impetus!" ("Water, follow the waves of my attack!") The spirit answered back with a gentle but determined voice, "Aquam meam tuam viam sequar, ut hostes submergant!" ("I shall guide my waters along your path, so that our enemies may drown!") The water flowed alongside the boy, ready to strike.

  Finally, the boy called to his dark-fire familiar, "Ignis Tenebrae, perficere incursionem nostram!" ("Dark Flame, complete our assault!")

  The spirit's voice rumbled like burning embers, "Ignis meus devorabit omnia quae adversantur nobis!" ("My fire will consume all that stand against us!") With that, dark flames erupted from the spirit, swirling together in a devastating blaze.

  The 10th Grand Mage Infantry, the elite vanguard of the Emperor’s forces, lay in ruin. Half of its soldiers had been wiped out in mere minutes, their powerful spells and formations no match for the boy’s unrestrained might. At the center of the battlefield, the Emperor stood atop the castle walls, his expression a mix of anger and dawning fear. The boy he had sent countless mages to kill, the boy whose existence threatened the very foundation of his rule, was now cutting through his forces with ease.

  "Ridicule ineptum," ("Ridiculously pathetic,") the Emperor had scoffed when the reports first arrived, dismissing the boy as a minor threat. But now, watching his army crumble, his confidence wavered.

  Months earlier, rumors of a gifted child had reached the Emperor’s ear—rumors of a village where a boy with multiple elemental affinities was hiding. The Emperor had sent his assassins, one after another, only to have them disappear without a trace. In a final, desperate bid, he ordered the 10th division to raze the village to the ground, hoping to draw the boy out from hiding. The village was indeed destroyed, its people were reportly slaughtered, and yet the boy had remained elusive—until now.

  “What’s done is done,” he muttered, his voice barely audible. “I let greed and the council’s machinations steer my hand. I was a fool.”

  He shook off the sentiment and turned to his advisor, "Mustela!" ("Weasel!") he barked.

  The thin, rat-faced mage hurried over, bowing quickly. "Yes, my lord?"

  "Congrega omnes Magistros!" ("Gather all the Mage Leaders!") the Emperor ordered. "We’re going to end this fight ourselves."