THE CIRCLE OF POWER
The air in the patriarch's chamber hummed with anticipation as Luna Frostborne, Liora Greenhaven, Aria Harmonix, Skyler Aeris, and Lyra Timekeeper took their respective robes from the pedestal. Each one was black as midnight, woven with threads that shimmered with their elemental light only when held close—frosty white for Luna, emerald green for Liora, golden for Aria, blue for Skyler, silver for Lyra. The fabric was light as a breath, yet when they pulled the hoods over their heads, they felt a weight settle on their shoulders—a weight of history, of sacrifice, of duty.
As they slipped the robes on, a surge of power washed over them. It wasn't overwhelming—more like a gentle current merging with their own Mega elements, amplifying their control just enough to be felt. Luna felt her frost magic grow sharper, able to form intricate patterns with barely a thought. Liora's nature power hummed in sync with the robe's threads, as if the fabric itself was alive with leaves and roots. Aria's resonance magic vibrated through the material, turning the robe into a tuning fork for every energy wave in the room. Skyler's wind power wrapped around her like a loyal companion, and Lyra's time magic felt more stable, more precise than ever before.
"This is… intense," Skyler said, her voice slightly muffled by the hood that hid her face completely—no features visible, just a dark shadow where her face should be. The disguise was perfect, just as the patriarch had promised—not invisible, but unreadable.
Liora nodded, her hood bobbing slightly. "I feel like I'm carrying a piece of the Twelve with me. A sense of responsibility I can't quite put into words."
The priestess smiled, gesturing toward a doorway on the far side of the chamber. "Come. It's time to take your places in the Circle of the Twelve."
They followed her through the doorway into another room—vast and circular, with a ceiling that soared high above, painted with constellations that matched the ones in the patriarch's chamber. In the center of the room, arranged in a perfect circle, were twelve massive stone seats—each one carved with intricate designs that depicted a different element and its role in the balance of power. The first seat showed waves crashing against rocks (Mega Water), the second ice crystals glistening in the sun (Mega Ice), the third lightning splitting the sky (Mega Lightning), the fourth wind swirling through mountains (Mega Wind), the fifth earth rising into peaks (Mega Ground), the sixth trees growing from stone (Mega Nature), the seventh rubber strands stretching and bouncing (Mega Rubber), the eighth sound waves weaving into patterns (Mega Resonance), the ninth a scale balancing light and dark (Mega Neutrality), the tenth a clock face spinning endlessly (Mega Time), the eleventh mirrors reflecting countless images (Mega Copy), the twelfth threads connecting everything in existence (Mega Connection).
As they approached the circle, two figures already seated in the seventh and ninth seats turned their hooded heads toward them. Their robes were also black, shimmering with faint silver and purple light respectively.
"New faces," a voice came from the seventh seat—light, with a hint of playfulness. "About time. We've been waiting for more to join the party."
"Kael, don't scare them," the voice from the ninth seat said—deeper, calmer. "They just finished their trials. Give them a chance to catch their breath."
Luna stepped forward, her hooded head tilted slightly. "You're Kael and Nova, right? The patriarch mentioned you two—Mega Rubber and Mega Neutrality."
"The one and only," Kael said, leaning back in his seat with a casual gesture. "Though you'll have to take our word for it. Can't exactly show our faces, now can we?"
"Where's the third one?" Aria asked, her eyes scanning the circle until they landed on the twelfth seat—empty, its carvings of connecting threads seeming to glow softly in the dim light. "The patriarch said Riven was here too. Mega Connection."
"Library," Nova said simply. "He's been holed up there since we finished our trials two years ago. Can't get him to come out for anything—says he's got important reading to do."
Lyra's silver light flickered beneath her robe. "Do you know what he's reading?"
Kael shrugged, a note of confusion creeping into his voice. "Your guess is as good as ours. He wasn't always this quiet—used to be the one cracking jokes, leading us into trouble back when we first arrived. But ever since we finished our trials… he's been different. Keeps his cards close to his chest. Even us—we've been friends since day one, finished our trials together—can't figure out what's gotten into him."
The five new Mega Wizards exchanged glances, their hooded faces hiding their curiosity. They didn't know any of these three—didn't know Kael's playful demeanor, Nova's calm wisdom, or Riven's mysterious obsession with books. All they knew was that they were now part of the same circle, bound by the same legacy.
One by one, they took their seats. Luna settled into the second seat (Mega Ice), her frost magic resonating with the carvings. Liora sat in the sixth (Mega Nature), feeling the stone beneath her seem to come alive. Aria took the eighth (Mega Resonance), the sound patterns on the seat humming in sync with her power. Skyler claimed the fourth (Mega Wind), the wind carvings swirling as if caught in a breeze. Lyra lowered herself into the tenth (Mega Time), the clock face on the seat spinning slowly for a moment before stopping.
The moment the fifth of them sat down, the entire room seemed to vibrate with energy. A wave of power washed through the circle—connecting the eight filled seats, making the carvings on each one glow with bright light. The air crackled with potential, with the promise of what could be when the twelve seats were finally full.
Skyler leaned forward in her seat, looking around the circle at the four empty chairs—the first (Mega Water), third (Mega Lightning), fifth (Mega Ground), and eleventh (Mega Copy). "Eight seats filled," she said, her voice carrying in the quiet room. "Who do you think will take the other four?"
Nova was silent for a moment, then said, "The patriarch says Mega elements only awaken in those who are strong enough to bear them. It could be months. Years. Maybe even decades before we find the last four."
"Or maybe they're already out there," Kael said, a hint of excitement in his voice. "Hiding in villages, training in secret, waiting for their trial to call them. Imagine—twelve Mega Wizards, all together in this circle. We could do anything. Protect Valvyx from whatever comes next."
But as Kael spoke, in the Sanctuary's deepest library, Riven Nexusborn sat hunched over a table covered in ancient tomes—their pages yellowed with age, their words written in a script that had been dead for centuries. His black robe was draped over the back of his chair, his face illuminated by the soft glow of a magical lamp. His eyes—sharp and ambitious—scanned the pages, absorbing every word.
To become the king of Elyria, one tome read, one must surpass the Mega Element tier and evolve into the Ultra Element—a power that transcends all others, that bends the very fabric of reality to its will. Only then can one claim the throne and unite the fractured land.
Riven's lips curved into a cold smile as he turned the page. He'd come to the Sanctuary not just to join the Twelve, but to become the strongest among them. To master every skill he could find in these ancient books. To evolve his Mega Connection into Ultra Connection. To be the first king of Elyria in a hundred years—one who would rule with absolute power, no longer bound by the legacy of the fallen Twelve.
He didn't care about the other Mega Wizards—Kael and Nova were just friends to be used, the new five just pawns in his game. All that mattered was his goal. And as he read on, discovering a ritual that might speed up his evolution, he didn't notice the dark energy that was beginning to seep from the tome's pages, wrapping around his hands like shadowy threads.
Back in the Circle of the Twelve, the five new Mega Wizards and their two new companions sat in silence, looking at the four empty seats. The room's energy still hummed around them, full of hope and possibility. They had no idea who would fill those chairs. They had no idea that the one empty seat in their circle—Riven's—belonged to someone who didn't want to protect the legacy of the Twelve, but to use it for his own ambition.