Aethelos: The Bastard of Light

The outer grounds of Solaris Academy stretched out in a wide area of controlled woodland, gentle hills, and training paths. The sun was already halfway through the afternoon when Group Seven left the preparation room. · Brock Rocket walked ahead with the map in his hand, but the pace was slow. Too slow. · “Sorry…” he muttered for the third time in just a few minutes. “These legs aren’t what they used to be. Go on ahead if you want. I’ll catch up.” · Lygar scoffed. · “If we go ahead, we’ll waste time coming back for you.” · Yana said nothing, but her expression made it clear she was losing patience. Eli, caught between the two, tried to stay calm. · Without any real discussion, the rotation began. · First it was Eli who stayed further back with Brock while Lygar and Yana moved ahead to search for the first crystal. Then Lygar took the position next to the tutor, muttering under his breath. Later it was Yana’s turn. No one spoke more than necessary. Only the essentials: · “You stay with him now.” · “There’s a glow in that direction.” · “Don’t fall behind.” · The first crystal was found by Yana, hidden among roots on a small rise. The second appeared shortly after, on a marked piece of rock, and went to Lygar. The third, Eli located near a dry riverbed. · Each of them already had their crystal when the air changed. · A smell of ozone and scorched earth spread through the woods. The sound of irregular, dragging footsteps made all three stop at the same time. · Between the trees, a golden, deteriorated figure appeared. A Luzlon. It wasn’t as strong as the ones from the Forest of Noxi, but it still held a combat stance, an incomplete blade of Light trembling in its right hand. · “We can’t use full power,” Eli reminded them in a low voice, his heart racing. · The Luzlon advanced. · Brock took a step back, almost stumbling. · “I… I can’t run very fast.” · Lygar cursed under his breath. · “Of course you can’t.” · There was no argument. Necessity spoke louder. · Yana was the first to react. She created a low line of thin roots across the ground — not to attack, but to slow the Luzlon’s steps. Lygar grabbed Eli by the arm and the two of them started running toward a more open area, forcing the undead creature to follow. Eli glanced back only long enough to make sure Yana and Brock were coming. · “This way!” Eli shouted. · For the next few minutes, the escape became a forced game of cover and movement. One warned, another redirected, the third pulled Brock whenever the tutor missed a step. No one smiled. No one mentioned pride or apologies. Only survival and the mission. · When they finally managed to lose the Luzlon on a rocky slope, the three of them stopped, breathing hard. Brock was bent over, hands on his knees, struggling to catch his breath. · Each of them still held their crystal. · Silence returned, but this time it was different. It was no longer just anger. There was the weight of having depended on each other, even if only for a few minutes. · Lygar was the first to speak, his voice rough: · “This isn’t over yet. The sun is going down.” · Yana put the crystal away in her bag without looking at anyone. · Eli looked at the two of them and then at Brock, who was still trying to recover his breath. · For the first time since the argument, they weren’t just in the same place. · They had been forced to function together. · And that, no matter how uncomfortable it felt, could no longer be erased.