Finding the Sanctuary
The Argentum Spires rose before them like colossal silver monuments, reflecting the morning sun in shards of blinding light. Each tower seemed to hum with mana, the very air vibrating as if the city itself breathed with power. Riven, Kael, and Nova paused at the edge of the grand plaza, taking in the scene. Spires twisted upward, connected by bridges of crystal, while streets below bustled with people and floating carriages. Magical lamps flickered to life along the streets, their glow shifting subtly as passersby moved through them.
"This place… it's insane," Kael breathed, stretching his elastic limbs toward the sky. "It feels like we've stepped into a dream."
Nova's gray eyes sparkled. "I still can't believe this place is real. I've never felt more alive."
Riven's gaze swept across the plaza, noting the currents of mana trailing through the air, the subtle shifts in elemental energy in every structure and passerby. He remained quiet, lips curved in a faint, polite smile, though inside, his thoughts churned.
"Everything here… potential. Power everywhere. But first, find the Sanctuary."
They started walking, weaving through the busy streets, searching. The city was vast, more enormous than they had imagined. Each corner revealed another twisting avenue, another shining tower, another plaza filled with the hum of latent magic. They passed fountains where silver water floated in the air, flowing in impossible arcs, and statues of legendary wizards whose eyes glimmered with eternal mana.
An hour passed. Their feet ached, and their stomachs protested. Riven's eyes scanned the city ceaselessly, observing magical wards on doors, flowing glyphs over alleyways, and the energy signatures of every citizen. Kael and Nova, though tired, kept their spirits high, marveling at the city's beauty.
Finally, the smell of roasting meats and baked bread led them to a small, bustling eatery tucked into a side street. A painted wooden sign read: Zet's Restaurant. They entered, grateful for a break.
The interior was warm, cozy, and filled with the scent of sizzling dishes. Patrons laughed and chatted, elemental sparks drifting from cooking stoves in rhythmic dances. They found a table near the window and ordered a meal—their funds just enough for the three of them. Riven quietly observed, noting the subtle enchantments preserving the food's warmth and magical infusions keeping it fresh. Kael chattered about the city's grandeur, Nova teased him, and for a moment, the tension of their journey eased.
"Feels like we've been walking forever," Nova said, picking at her bread. "I almost forgot what hunger feels like."
Kael laughed, stretching his elastic arm as it extended several meters before snapping back. "I could eat ten of these meals! But… yeah, walking through this city is exhausting."
Riven said nothing, scanning the walls and the streets outside through the window. Something was different—a subtle aura he recognized from the faint magical signatures of sanctified places. His eyes narrowed. He stood abruptly.
"I think I found something," Riven said, gesturing toward a narrow street across the plaza. "A door. It's… different from the others."
Nova and Kael followed his gaze. The door was silver, unlike any other in the area, with faint runes shimmering along its frame. "That could be it," Kael said, rubbing his chin. "The Sanctuary must be hidden from plain sight."
They finished their meal, leaving just enough money to pay for the food. The trio exited the restaurant and made their way toward the unique door. The streets seemed even larger now, but Riven moved with purpose, the Mega Connection subtly guiding him through the mana currents of the city. They passed floating gardens, crystalline bridges, and citizens practicing elemental arts, all oblivious to the trio's urgent mission.
After what felt like an eternity of weaving through alleys and plazas, they arrived at the door. Its silver surface shimmered under the sun, the runes forming symbols they recognized as the primal elements of Elyria. Riven's hand hovered over the handle, his pulse quickening.
"This… this is it," he said quietly, eyes gleaming. "The Sanctuary."
Kael grinned. "Well, let's not keep it waiting."
Nova nodded, taking a deep breath. "Here we go."
---
The Sanctuary
They entered through grand silver doors carved with swirling runes representing each known element. The interior was a vast cathedral, lit by floating crystals that pulsed in slow, hypnotic rhythm. Shelves of ancient scrolls lined the walls. Holy water flowed in suspended rivers through the air.
The priestess stood at the center of the chamber.
Tall. Ethereal. Her hair a cascade of silver threads that shimmered like moonlit water. Her eyes glowed with a soft, knowing blue—as if she saw more than the physical.
"Welcome, travelers," she said, voice smooth as drifting smoke. "I felt your arrival the moment your Mega Elements awakened."
Kael puffed his chest. "Really? That fast?"
"You shine like stars now," she replied with a smile.
Nova stepped forward, bowing. "Priestess, we came to inquire about becoming Mega Wizards. We wish to take the next step."
Riven remained silent, though inside something twisted.
"Mega Wizard—? A stepping stone at best.
Still… if it grants more power… I will take it."
The priestess's expression shifted to something more mysterious—an enigmatic smile curling at the edges of her lips.
"The path to becoming Mega Wizards," she said slowly, "lies in the training grounds of the Mega Order."
She raised a hand, and glowing symbols materialized in the air around them, each representing a sacred trial.
"Each of you must choose your own training ground."
Her voice deepened, resonating through the chamber like a distant thunderstorm.
"Only by confronting the weakness of your element can you ascend."
A whisper of tension threaded the air.
Kael stepped forward eagerly. "Weakness? Mega Rubber doesn't have one!"
Nova elbowed him gently. "Kael, every element has a flaw."
Riven's eyes narrowed slightly.
"If this priestess thinks she knows my path better than I do—she's wrong."
The priestess's gaze swept over him.
For a moment, her eyes sharpened—piercing, probing—as if she sensed the storm beneath his mask.
Riven held her gaze with practiced serenity, even as the Mega Connection pulsed with warning.
⟢ SYSTEM ALERT
[External Entity Attempting Emotional Scan]
[Blocking…]
[Blocked Successfully.]
His smile didn't falter.
But the priestess's did.
She knew something was wrong.
And Riven knew she knew.
The air grew still—heavy with silent tension.
"The Sanctuary does not interfere once a trial begins," she reminded herself. The Scale would judge him far better than she ever could.
Finally, she continued:
"You will choose your training ground at dawn. Prepare yourselves. The trials ahead will test not your power… but your truths."
Kael and Nova nodded.
Riven did not.
His thoughts churned like wildfire.
"Truth—? There is no truth but power.
And I will carve my path through anyone who stands in the way."
But aloud, he simply said:
"We understand, Priestess. We are ready."
Inside, though?
He whispered a vow only the System could hear:
"Elyria will bow to me. Starting with the Spires."
---
Trials of the Mega Ascendants
Dawn broke over the Argentum Spires like liquid gold spilling across ancient stone. Riven, Kael, and Nova stood at the training grounds' entrance, gazing toward the three colossal portals that shimmered in the courtyard—each one leading to a sacred trial, each one pulsing with elemental resonance.
They were no longer trainees.
No longer High Element users.
They were aspirants to the throne of power—future Mega Wizards, the highest elemental masters in Elyria.
But before any of them could ascend, they had to conquer the one thing they feared most: their elemental weakness.
---
Nova Aetherwynd — The Timeless Loop
Nova stepped toward the first portal, its surface swirling with silver clockwork and drifting motes of stardust. The air around it pulsed rhythmically—tick, tick, tick—like the heartbeat of time itself.
DING!
⟢ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
[Trial: Defeat The Timeless Loop]
[Title Reward: Mega Wizard]
Kael gave her a reassuring nudge, a confident smile on his face. Riven offered a supportive nod, his calm presence grounding her. Nova inhaled deeply, gathering her courage, and stepped forward into the trial.
Her Mega Neutrality hummed uneasily.
"This resonates with Time," Nova whispered, breath trembling. "It's… beautiful."
Kael gave her a gentle nudge. "You'll crush it."
Riven forced a supportive smile. "We believe in you."
She nodded, inhaled deeply, and entered.
The world swallowed her.
Inside, she was met with a landscape of endless mirrored plains, reflections of herself stretching toward eternity. The air shimmered with temporal fractures. Every step echoed infinitely—past, present, and future overlapping in dizzying waves.
I must stay centered, she reminded herself.
Neutrality thrives in balance… even against Time.
The challenge began.
And Time itself bent to break her.
---
Kael Elastor — The Magma Forge
Kael approached the second portal, glowing red-hot like an open wound in reality. Lava churned behind the veil, sparks erupting like hungry serpents. The heat hit them in waves so intense Nova staggered back before entering her own trial.
DING!
⟢ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
[Trial: Defeat The Magma Forge]
[Title Reward: Mega Wizard]
Kael cracked his knuckles, grinning. "Fire beats Rubber, huh?"
He rolled his shoulders. "Let's see about that."
Riven nodded. "Be careful. Magma can destabilize your elasticity."
"Good thing I'm flexible."
He winked and leapt through the portal without hesitation.
Inside the Magma Forge, the air was molten fire. Lakes of lava bubbled violently, metal platforms drifting on heat currents like floating anvils. Elemental fire spirits prowled the molten rivers, their flames shaped like twisted wolves.
This is it.
The forge that breaks or reforges rubber.
Kael smiled. "Bring it."
---
Riven Nexusborn — The Balanced Scale
Riven stood before the third training ground—the one he had chosen.
It was a strange thing: a shimmering portal of pale gray, the inside looking like an infinite plain of sand and stone lit by a colorless sky. Two massive stone scales towered in the distance, their plates suspended by thick chains that hummed with unseen energy.
He felt nothing from this portal.
No resonance. No excitement. No threat.
Only… emptiness.
The priestess's words echoed inside him:
"Only by confronting your weakness can you ascend."
He grimaced.
"Neutrality isn't my weakness… everything is my weakness—connection ties me to everything—and disconnects me from nothing. How do I fight what affects all?"
DING!
⟢ SYSTEM ANALYSIS
[Mega Connection Weakpoints: Multiple Overlaps Detected]
[Recommended Training Grounds: NONE]
[Success Probability in The Balanced Scale: 7%]
He swallowed the rising frustration.
"Seven percent…?" he muttered.
The priestess standing beside the portal gave him a calm, steady look. "Faith is not measured in numbers," she said softly. "Step forward. The gate does not open for doubt."
Riven's lips curved into a small, determined smile, but inside, the Mega Connection whispered: "They believe in the person I used to be. Not the one I am now."
He stepped into the portal.
DING!
⟢ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
[Trial: Defeat The Balanced Scale]
[Title Reward: Mega Wizard]