Aether Chronicles: Birth Of A Legend

As Raegar took her hand, his touch careful but firm, the crowd seemed to fade, and the music wrapped around them. They stepped onto the dance floor, Valentina leading subtly to ease his nerves, her movements fluid and graceful.

Though much younger than her, he kept pace, surprising her, his focus intense yet softened by the faintest hint of a smile. Yuki watched from the sidelines, her tail swaying in time with the music.

Valentina couldn't help but chuckle softly, charmed by the moment. ''You're quite the dancer, Blackwood,'' she said, her red eyes twinkling. ''Did Yuki put you up to this?''

She noticed the boy's blush deepened, but he met her gaze with a spark of confidence. ''She… suggested it,'' he admitted, then added. ''But I'm glad she did.''

Her laughter rang softly, the sound blending with the waltz as they twirled, the night unfolding in a whirl of music, magic, and unexpected connections. She came to as he continued battling the Devils.

Valentina remembered what her mother had always teased her about him since seeing them dancing all those years ago. 'I didn't know you liked younger men, but I can see he will grow up to be one in a million if his anything like his grandfather.'

She shook her head, watching Raegar jump over the last two Tier Three Devils. He had already killed three, causing her to think. 'It's him! How could I forget about him?'

Following that, Valentina looked at the mage and ordered him to stop summoning the fiends, making the man sigh in relief. As the portal closed, she thought, happily smiling. 'I'll talk to him once class is over.'

***

Raegar skidded to a stop when he blocked the Devil's attack, forcing him to deflect the strikes. Just then, the portal shut behind the fiends, making his smile grow wider as he threw his daggers at the second enemy.

It blocked the attack, but he pulled one of them back using his Aether, prompting him to spin around and kick the dagger. The blade sliced through the air before piercing the creature's head.

This move sent the surrounding students wild as he quickly moved and killed the last Devil, casting a Stormfire Bullet through its head. Raegar watched the fiend drop dead and fade into nothingness.

Following that, the test came to an end, forcing him to deactivate Fusion Overdrive, allowing him to relax as he approached the staircase. That's where he spotted Selene waiting for him with a big smile.

''You were great Rae!'' she happily exclaimed. ''I can't believe you fight so well.''

Raegar chuckled as Professor Morris appeared behind the Demoness as she proudly spoke. ''Well done, Blackwood. The Lord Inquisitor was right, you'll be a great Devil Hunter.''

''Thank you,'' he replied excitedly.

The older blonde woman stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder as she whispered. ''Stay after class. I want to talk to you.''

His eyes narrowed, causing Valentina to giggle, reassuring him. ''It's nothing bad, I just want to talk to you.''

''Alright professor,'' he responded.

Following that, the class continued as the other student fought Tier One Devils, and thanks to his battle, it only encouraged them to do even better. While sitting there, Selene turned to him, her yellow eyes glowing.

''Looks like you got them going,'' she commented, giggling. ''But they're still avoiding you like you're the undead.''

Raegar chuckled, replying. ''It's the scars, but I no longer care about them, thanks to my face being healed in the summer when my grandmother wakes up.''

The Demoness nodded, smiling in happiness. ''Your scars aren't bad, I think they suit you and add to your handsomeness.''

A flush of warmth crept up his cheeks, ignited by her teasing words, making her smirk. She leaned closer, her shoulder brushing against his, her eyes sparkling with mischief as they both turned their attention to the fight unfolding.

The clash of steel and guttural roars filled the air, but between them, a silence settled, their shared amusement creating an unspoken bond. They watched the battle rage on until the final girl stood her ground against a fiend, her strength waning after every desperate swing.

Moments later, Valentina jumped into action. She surged forward, her movements swift. In a single motion, she struck down the Devil that loomed over the girl, its monstrous form crumpling under her blade.

Dust and ash swirled in the air as the professor gently but firmly guided the trembling survivor toward a Healer waiting on the sidelines. Once the fights were over, she turned to the watching crowd.

''This is the Orders test to see who can handle fighting against these fiends,'' the blonde said to the students. ''If hunting Devils isn't for you, there's no shame in leaving, no one will think differently of you, considering the death rate is high among young mages.''

Raegar looked around as six out of the thirty boys and girls got up, leaving the hall, causing Professor Morris to sigh in relief as she spoke. ''You see, we lose hunters every day, especially now days and if the time comes, you'll be called out to aid the empire if a Devil Incursion happens like the one before winter.''

His eyes widened when he heard her words, causing him to think. 'That's when Mother and Yuki were attacked back in the Blackwood Duchy.'

After that, though, he raised his hand, prompting Professor Morris. ''Yes, Raegar?''

''When will we learn more about the Devils? Like how they get into our world and bypass barriers?'' he questioned.

The older blonde nodded, smiling. ''The classes will be broken down into two parts, one is the physical aspect of fighting them. From traps to a friend's weakness, you'll learn everything.''

Valentina walked toward a nearby door and waved her hand, only to reveal two classrooms as she continued. ''Then there's the studying part of the class. This means researching the different types of Devils, how they ambush travelers, or the cults that spring up in the real world.''

Raegar's eyebrow raised another another student asked. ''There are cults?''

''Unfortunely yes,'' the professor responded. ''Nasty business, but the Order needs to hunt them or they will grow. Isolated towns and villages fall prey to this all the time, several were destroyed in the Nytheria Kingdom.''

''Where's that?'' a boy questioned, causing most of the other students to nod.

Professor Morris motioned toward a map and pointed to the far south. ''It's an allied kingdom that guards our southern border against the realms down there. The Order was requested to destroy the farming villages, thanks to the Keepers of the Blood.''

Raegar grew curious and decided to look for books about it when he went there with Zahara. Following that, the class went on with the professor telling them about the cult that terrorized the Southern Lands until Lord Inquisitor Vaelthorne killed the leader and burned the rest.

Sometime later, the bell started to ring, prompting the students to jump up alongside Selene, who glanced at him with a smile. ''I'll wait outside for you, I'll tell Blondie that the professor wants to see you.''

''Thank you,'' he replied.

This made the Demoness beam before she left the classroom, leaving him alone with Professor Morris. The older woman turned to him with a smile. ''I appreciate you staying behind, considering it's the end of lessons.''

Raegar waved her away. ''It's fine, professor. What did you want to talk about?'' he asked.

''Do you remember a noble gathering you attended when you were about four or five?'' she questioned with a curious expression.

He rubbed his chin, nodding. ''From the age of four to twelve, I went to dozens of things. What one was it?''

''The one your Grandfather Griffin threw in the Western Lands,'' she revealed. ''You were young but danced with a lot of the noble girls, especially the older ones that seemed to love you.''

His eyes widened, a spark of recognition flickering as her words tugged at a buried memory, pulling it into sharp focus. The vivid image of a blonde girl, her smile radiant and disarming, flooded back to him.

She had approached him and Yuki with a quiet confidence, her presence cutting through the lively hum of the crowd. His heart had been racing that night, his nerves a tangled knot as he sat on the edge of the dance floor, paralyzed by the thought of stepping into the rhythm.

Raegar recalled the music throbbing around him, vivid and unyielding, his feet frozen to the spot. Then she appeared, a breathtaking blonde with striking red eyes, her dress a vibrant match to their color.

He shook his head and looked at Professor Morris who was smiling at him as she commented. ''I see you remember, wow how time has changed you young master.''

''I do, Lady Valentina,'' he replied with a charming smirk. ''I must admit you are even more beautiful than the day we met.''

Raegar noticed the older woman's cheeks go red causing him to tease. ''Is the powerful Inquisitor Morris embarrassed?''