The moment Aiden crossed the inner threshold, Elandor led him through vast corridors whose walls were adorned with ancient magical engravings.
They glowed with a faint light, as if narrating a history that spanned for centuries.
Silence filled the place.
A silence that was not terrifying…
But rather, majestic.
Every step Aiden took only caused his heart to flutter with increasing agitation, until they reached a colossal door crafted from a gleaming black metal, upon which thirteen interlocking magical circles were engraved.
Elandor’s strides came to a halt.
He raised his hand calmly, and the twin giant doors slowly parted, emitting a deep sound that echoed throughout the castle.
Aiden’s eyes widened.
An immense hall unfolded before him, its ceiling rising dozens of meters high, centered by towering stone pillars.
At its far end, thirteen thrones were lined up, occupied by the holders of the most potent authority the continent of Aegisor had ever known.
The sheer majesty of the place was enough to make the words vanish from his mouth.
Elandor advanced with confident strides, while Aiden followed him in silence, until they stopped before the thrones.
Elandor bowed in respect to his peers, then spoke calmly: “I apologize for gathering you in such haste…
but today, I have found a case that the history of this continent has never witnessed before.” Tranquility reigned in the hall.
He then began to narrate what had transpired since his encounter with Aiden inside the school of magic, how his curiosity had led him to test his mana, and how that human youth had managed to fuse the wound simply by directing his pure mana toward it.
No one interrupted him.
All the mages listened with utmost attention, their gazes locked onto the youth standing behind his master.
As for Aiden…
He felt his breath quicken.
He had never imagined that he would one day stand before the Thirteen Mages gathered together, let alone be the centerpiece of their discussion.
The moment Elandor finished recounting what had happened…
Silence enveloped the hall.
A long silence…
Until it seemed as though time itself had stopped.
The mages exchanged glances among themselves, without a single one uttering a word.
They were not looks of doubt…
Nor of mockery…
Rather, they were the looks of scholars who had discovered a phenomenon unknown to history.
After a few moments, one of them broke the silence, saying: “If what we have heard is true…
then we are not merely standing before a rare talent.” Another added in a quiet voice: “But before a case that has never been recorded in the history of this castle.” The rest of the mages nodded in agreement.
Then, their decision was issued unanimously: “Aiden shall be deemed an exceptional case, and placed under the care of the Castle of the Thirteen Mages.” Aiden felt his heart pounding violently.
He did not know…
That this decision, issued in tranquility within that great hall…
Would be the beginning of the most pivotal chapter of his life.