The cold marble floors of the Sigil Chamber echoed beneath Lucian's footsteps. The room was vast and circular, walls lined with glowing runes that pulsed softly in rhythm with his heartbeat.
He stepped onto the central platform where the ancient magic of the academy tested every Sigil bearer's essence. A calm voice from nowhere spoke.
"Focus, Lucian Zevrik. Let your Sigils reveal themselves."
Lucian closed his eyes and reached deep into himself, searching for the familiar breeze of wind magic. It came first—gentle and steady.
But then, unexpectedly, a flicker of warmth spread through his chest. Fire sparked at his fingertips.
"Impossible," he whispered.
Before he could stop it, the platform trembled and cracked, earth rising from beneath his feet, splitting the floor into jagged shards.
The chamber fell silent.
Lucian's eyes snapped open. The fire and earth magic that shouldn't have been there—both surged within him like untamed storms.
A figure stepped from the shadows—it was Master Thalos, one of the academy's senior instructors.
"Your abilities… they defy all known Sigil boundaries," Thalos said, brows furrowed. "This is both a gift and a curse."
Lucian's heart pounded. "I don't know how this happened. I only wanted to protect my friends."
Thalos nodded slowly. "Your power is rare, Lucian. Such divergence in Sigils is unheard of in generations. The academy will watch you closely."
As Lucian left the chamber, whispers followed him like shadows.
"They say he's the one who can wield the forbidden elements."
"Multiple Sigils? That's dangerous."
"Maybe he's cursed."
Back in the dormitory, Maren and a few others gathered around.
"Ignore them," Maren said, voice steady. "You're stronger than they'll ever understand."
But Lucian felt the weight of their stares, the suspicion lurking beneath their words.
He glanced at the hidden wings beneath his cloak, then out the window to the capital city sprawling beneath the academy.
His path was only beginning—and the world was already watching.