Aethelos: The Bastard of Light

Joseph, surprised by Eli's question, remained silent for a moment before answering. · "Zakrom belongs to the terrorist movement, but not to its New Order. He was part of the old group… the one your father and I destroyed." · Eli stared at him, struggling to process what he had just heard. · "Wait… You and my father destroyed a terrorist group?" · Joseph sighed. He knew that explaining the past would only raise more questions, but they didn't have time for that now. · "Eli, I don't have time to tell you the whole story. We need a plan, and I want you to be part of it." · His expression grew serious. · "So I need you to trust me." · Eli remained silent for a moment. What he had learned about Zakrom had completely changed the way he saw the situation. · But before he could ask another question, Joseph began preparing for what lay ahead. · They had no time to waste. · --- · Meanwhile, on the other side of the academy, Lygar and Yana were getting ready to leave for another mission. · Lygar stood with his arms crossed, visibly frustrated. · "We're stuck doing mediocre missions while those guys out there are practically invincible…" · Yana turned towards him, taken aback. · "Lygar, how can you say that?! We're only first-year students! It's normal for us to still be learning. And Zakrom is clearly no amateur!" · "Tch…" · Lygar looked away, his frustration growing. · "We're always stuck doing the same things." · Just then, Brock approached them. · "I hope you're both ready. We have two missions to complete, and we need to move quickly." · Lygar raised an eyebrow. · "Two missions?" · "First, we're going to check the academy's perimeter and make sure there are no terrorists nearby. After that, we're heading to Valley of the Wind." · Yana's eyes widened. · "Valley of the Wind?! But that region has been completely devastated ever since the Great War of the Three Nations!" · "And the government couldn't care less about that place," Lygar added with an ironic grin. "I bet they've forgotten it even exists." · Brock looked at them without showing any particular concern. · "I'm not the government. Now, let's move." · Lygar let out a quiet scoff. · "Pff… With teachers like you, I'm afraid to imagine where we're headed." · Brock ignored the remark and started walking. · "You talk too much, Lygar." · Yana suppressed a small laugh before following him. · A short while later, the three of them began their first mission. · They patrolled the academy's perimeter, inspecting the surrounding forest and the paths leading away from the grounds. Along the way, they encountered several Luzlons and Schulons, but nothing suspicious. · There were no signs of terrorists. · With the first mission completed, they finally set off for Valley of the Wind. · And that was where things began to change. · --- · Upon arriving at their destination, the three were met with the sight of a devastated city. · Ruined buildings, destroyed roads, and abandoned houses stretched across the region. Among the rubble, people struggled to survive in desperate conditions, as if time itself had stopped there when the Great War of the Three Nations came to an end. · Yana stared at the scene in silence. · "This is horrible…" · Even Lygar, despite his usual arrogance, seemed troubled. · "And then they wonder why nobody cares about this region." · Brock said nothing. His eyes swept across the ruins, searching for any suspicious movement. · Suddenly, a bolt of lightning tore through the air, heading straight towards them! · "GROIEN!!" Yana shouted. · In an instant, a tree burst from the ground in front of the group, rising like a natural barrier. · **KRAAASH!!** · The lightning struck the tree, scattering sparks and smoke across the area. · Lygar took a step back, startled. · "What the hell was that?!" · Brock, however, didn't seem particularly alarmed. His gaze settled on a figure slowly emerging from between the ruined buildings. · A dark-skinned woman with brown eyes approached them with an almost provocative confidence. · Violeta. · She stopped a few metres away and crossed her arms, a smile spreading across her face. · "Not bad. You've got some good students, Brock." · The teacher remained alert, making no move to attack. · Violeta tilted her head slightly, as though she were about to reveal something amusing. · "But now… let's see how you handle mine!" · She raised two fingers to her mouth and let out a sharp whistle. · **"Pheeeew! Pheeeew!"** · Two figures immediately emerged from among the ruined buildings. · One headed straight for Lygar. The other moved towards Yana. · The first was a confident-looking young man whose body seemed surrounded by swirling currents of air. · His name was **Jared Hurrakaine**. · The second was a determined-looking boy, with electrical sparks dancing across his fingers. · His name was **Vicent**, Violeta's son. · Jared tilted his head, studying Lygar with a mocking grin. · "So you're the one I get to fight? I hope you're more interesting than you look." · Lygar smirked. · "Funny. I was about to say the same thing." · On the other side, Vicent fixed his gaze on Yana. · "Don't worry. If you give up now, I promise I won't embarrass you too much." · Yana clenched her fists. · "How considerate of you. But I don't remember asking for your advice!" · Vicent smiled as small electrical discharges travelled along his arms. · The four young fighters prepared themselves for battle. · Meanwhile, Brock casually began walking towards Violeta, as though the confrontation between their students were perfectly normal. · "Sorry to drop by like this, Violeta. But I needed to ask you something. Have you been receiving any unwanted invitations lately?" · The woman's smile widened. · "Unwanted invitations? Let me guess… Zakrom showed up at Solaris." · Brock stopped in front of her. · "Exactly." · Violeta let out a brief laugh before glancing at the young fighters preparing to clash. · "You want to know whether they've managed to recruit anyone from our side, don't you?" · Brock's smile disappeared. · "What exactly are you getting at, Violeta?" · She spread her arms, gesturing towards the ruins surrounding them. · "For years, the government has ignored this region. They've abandoned these people to their fate and pretended the war never happened." · Her smile faded for a moment. · "But when nobody cares about us, Brock… there's always someone willing to." · Brock narrowed his eyes. · "Are you telling me you're considering an alliance with the terrorists?" · Violeta didn't answer immediately. · She simply stared at him, her expression unreadable. · Then she smiled again. · "I'm telling you that everything depends on who wins here." · She turned towards the four young fighters. · "Your students… or mine!" · In the distance, a powerful gust of wind began sweeping dust through the ruined streets. · Vicent raised his hand, intensifying the electrical sparks dancing around his fingers. · Jared spread his arms, allowing the wind to swirl around him. · Lygar assumed a fighting stance. · Yana took a deep breath, focusing on the opponent standing before her. · And amid the ruins of Valley of the Wind, the first battle was about to begin.