Moonborn: The Lost Legacy

After some time our trio able to learn how to control floating board, Ryulune finally crossed his arms and nodded. "Now, come down."

Keld, Elowen, and Cassian descended from the platform, their breaths still uneven from the intense practice. The moment Keld's feet touched the ground, his eyes widened in surprise. "Seluna! You're here too?"

Elowen gasped and immediately elbowed Keld. "Keld! She's the Queen! Show some respect and don't call her name so casually!"

Keld blinked, then awkwardly scratched his head. "Oh, right! I totally forgot. I'll call her Queen Seluna from now on."

Seluna chuckled softly. "No need. You three may call me by my name."

Keld smirked and shot Elowen a smug look. "See? Even she doesn't have a problem with it."

Elowen groaned. "That's not the point, idiot."

Before another argument could break out, Ryulune clapped his hands. "Alright, now that you three have managed to control your board it's time to move forward. Let's travel across Lunara."

The trio nodded eagerly. Without another word, Ryulune took off into the sky. Elowen's jaw dropped. "You can fly?! How?!"

Cassian was equally stunned. "Yeah, that's some next-level magic!"

Ryulune chuckled. "It's nothing. With time, you three will be able to do this too. Now follow me."

The trio exchanged glances before waving goodbye to Seluna and taking off after Ryulune. As they soared through the sky, their eyes widened at the breathtaking view of Lunara beneath them. The vast land stretched endlessly, dotted with floating islands, shimmering lakes, and luminous forests.

Cassian whistled. "Damn… this place is beautiful. It's like I just entered heaven."

Keld grinned. "If this is heaven, then does that mean we died?"

Elowen smirked. "If we did, then you're definitely in the wrong place. You belong somewhere a lot warmer."

Cassian burst out laughing. "Yeah, a place where people get poked with pitchforks."

Keld rolled his eyes. "Hah, very funny. I'd like to see you two survive without my genius."

Elowen scoffed. "Genius? You barely passed the last survival test."

Cassian snickered. "Yeah, the only thing you're good at is finding excuses."

Keld dramatically clutched his chest. "Betrayed by my own comrades! How could you?!"

Elowen shook her head. "Just shut up and enjoy the view."

Ryulune, still flying ahead, smiled at their antics. "Alright, we're here. Come down quickly."

As they descended, Keld eyed their destination. "Wait… it's just a small island with one house? That's it?"

As they got closer, they noticed two figures standing on the island—Ankh, and a striking woman with red hair and crimson eyes. Her figure was toned and radiated confidence.

The trio landed alongside Ryulune, and Ankh crossed his arms. "Welcome to your training area."

Keld grinned and immediately zeroed in on Ankh. "Your height is still the same, huh?"

Ankh twitched. "What did you just say, you little—?! That's it! Today, I'm not letting you get away!"

The red-haired woman sighed. "Ankh, stop. They're new". 

Ankh stopped and smirked. "You're lucky she's here."

Ryulune cleared his throat. "Alright, let's not waste time. Introductions first."

The red-haired woman smirked and placed a hand on her ample chest. "I am Scarlett Emberlyn. Third star."

Elowen stared at Scarlett, then down at herself. Then back at Scarlett. Then at herself again. Internally, she sighed. I'm still growing… But outwardly, she muttered in a slightly jealous tone, "Nice to meet you."

Ankh followed next. "I'm Ankh sixth star"

The trio introduced themselves, and Ryulune nodded. "Now that introductions are over, let me tell you who will be training whom."

He turned to Elowen. "You will be trained by Scarlett. You have the potential to master fire element techniques."

Elowen smiled, but a hint of jealousy still lingered in her eyes. She bowed slightly. "I'm in your care."

Scarlett smirked. "It won't be easy."

Ryulune continued. "Cassian, you will train under Ankh. Your element is ice, and he will guide you."

Cassian bowed. "I'll be in your care."

Ankh grinned. "Good. Get ready to experience true cold."

Keld, noticing the pairings, frowned. "Wait… then who's going to train me? There's no one left."

Ryulune raised an eyebrow. "I am still here, aren't I?"

Everyone froze. Even Ankh and Scarlett looked shocked.

Ankh leaned over to Scarlett. "Did he just say he'll personally train keld?"

Scarlett smirked. "Poor thing."

Keld clenched his fists. "Hey! Who are you calling a poor thing?!"

Ryulune ignored the banter and clapped his hands. "Training starts now. Elowen, follow Scarlett. You'll be training elsewhere."

Elowen and Scarlett exchanged nods before heading off. Ankh motioned for Cassian to follow, and the two disappeared into the distance.

Keld, now alone with Ryulune, crossed his arms. "So… where are we training?"

Ryulune smirked. "Nowhere. We're staying right here until the Nishapith Academy entrance exam."

Keld groaned. "Ugh… another exam? I don't want to study!"

Ryulune chuckled. "Don't worry. This one doesn't require studying. You just have to demonstrate your Vitra and execute one elemental attack. If you do well, you'll be chosen by Nishapith Academy. So… are you ready?"

Keld cracked his knuckles. "Let's do this!"

Ryulune glanced around cautiously before speaking in a hushed voice.

"Before we begin, I need to tell you something... something I couldn't say before because others were around."

Keld looked at him curiously. "What is it?"

Ryulune took a deep breath. "Your power is sealed within ten seals. We must break them one by one."

Keld frowned. "Can't we just break them all at once? Wouldn't that be faster?"

Ryulune shook his head. "No. If we did that, the entire world would be destroyed. Our power is too great, and because it has been sealed for so long, breaking it suddenly would cause it to explode, annihilating everything."

Keld swallowed hard, his heart pounding. "So... how do we do it safely?"

Ryulune smirked. "Don't worry. We can break the seals gradually, and as we do, you'll be able to master your power. Plus, you have that ring the Queen gave you, right?"

Keld nodded, lifting his hand. "Yeah, I'm wearing it right now."

Ryulune's eyes gleamed. "That ring is not just for protection. It also weakens your first seal slowly, allowing your body to adapt to the power. At the same time, it restricts your vitra from overflowing."

Keld stared at the ring in awe. "This thing is that powerful?"

Ryulune nodded. "As I can see, there's an enormous amount of vitra surrounding you, but your body is too weak to absorb it. If we don't train you properly, your body will collapse under the pressure. So, starting today, we'll strengthen your body and open the pathways for vitra to flow through you."

Keld clenched his fists, determination burning in his eyes. "What do I have to do?"

Ryulune smiled. "Since it's your first day, I'll go easy on you. We'll do four exercises today."

Keld smirked. "Only four? That'll be easy!"

Ryulune chuckled darkly, summoning his vitra. Suddenly, five massive iron balls materialized and chained themselves to Keld's arms and legs.

"Let's begin your first training. You have to complete ten laps around this island… while carrying those."

Keld laughed. "That's it? I can do that right now!"

The moment he took a step, he stumbled forward, almost falling flat on his face. The weight was unbearable!

Ryulune smirked. "Oh, did I forget to mention? Each of those balls weighs 50 kilograms."

Keld's eyes widened. "W-What the f—?!"

Ryulune laughed and dashed ahead. "Hurry up! You have four exercises today."

Gritting his teeth, Keld forced himself up and started running—or rather, crawling—at a turtle's pace. His muscles screamed in agony with every step.

"Think about your family and friends! You have to save them!" Ryulune shouted from afar.

Keld clenched his fists tighter. "I will do it!"

Three grueling hours later, Keld finally completed the laps. He collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath, staring up at the sky. "I... finally did it..."

Ryulune nodded approvingly and waved his hand, making the iron balls disappear. "Good. Now, let's move on to the second exercise."

Keld groaned. "Give me a break..."

Ryulune tossed four bracelets toward him. "Wear these—two on your wrists, two on your ankles."

Keld obeyed, but as soon as he put them on, he felt an unbearable pressure weighing him down. "What did you do?!"

Ryulune grinned. "Nothing. You just have to wear them until the entrance exam. They each weigh 60 kilograms."

Keld's jaw dropped. "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!"

Ryulune laughed. "Nope. Now, onto the third exercise!"

Keld groaned. "Wait, what about the second?!"

Ryulune smirked. "Wearing those bracelets is your second exercise. Now stop complaining and get ready."

Keld sighed heavily. "Fine. What's the third one?"

Ryulune crossed his arms. "Land a hit on me."

Keld blinked. "You're joking."

Ryulune smirked. "Try me."

Four exhausting hours passed, and despite his best efforts, Keld couldn't even graze Ryulune. His body felt like it was made of lead. He fell to his knees, gasping. "I... I can't..."

Ryulune chuckled. "That's enough for now. Let's move on to the last exercise."

Keld, barely able to move, looked up in despair. "What?! There's still more?!"

Ryulune smirked. "This one's easy. You just have to sit."

Keld narrowed his eyes. "Are you messing with me?"

Ryulune shook his head. "Not at all. This exercise is to open the vitra pathways in your body. Sit down and concentrate. It will hurt a little."

Keld exhaled sharply. "How much compared to everything I just did?"

Ryulune gave him a devilish grin. "You'll see."

With a sigh, Keld sat cross-legged. Ryulune placed both hands on Keld's bare back, channeling his vitra into him.

The moment the energy surged into his body, Keld's eyes widened, and he let out a bloodcurdling scream. It felt like his entire body was being torn apart from the inside. His veins burned, his muscles spasmed, and his mind felt like it was shattering.

Keld clawed at the ground, gasping for breath. "I-It's too much!"

Ryulune's voice remained calm. "Endure it. If you want to survive, you must adapt."

Minutes felt like hours as Keld suffered through the pain. His vision blurred, but somehow, he held on. Just as he thought he would pass out, the pain began to subside, and a strange warmth spread through his body.

Ryulune removed his hands. "It's done. Your training for today is over."

Keld collapsed onto his back, drenched in sweat, gasping for air. "I... I survived..."

Ryulune chuckled. "Barely. Get some rest. Tomorrow, we continue."

Keld groaned, closing his eyes. "Tomorrow... I might actually die..."