Morning sunlight crept through the narrow window of the isolation chamber, illuminating drifting dust motes like tiny constellations. Elias had barely slept, his mind pulsing with chaotic remnants of the visions forced upon him. Every time he closed his eyes, the great Eye reappeared behind his eyelids, its cosmic pupil swirling with unbearable meaning.
But today felt different.
Quieter.
As though the world itself were holding its breath, waiting to see who Elias would become.
Lena had slept slumped in a chair beside his bed, her blonde hair messy, her cloak draped over her like a blanket. At some point she had reached out and placed her hand on his arm, perhaps to reassure herself that he was still alive. Elias watched her for a long moment, gratitude softening the cold fear in his chest.
Then the door clicked.
Elowen entered without ceremony, robes shimmering faintly with fresh enchantments. Her face was calm, but her eyes carried fatigue—she had clearly been awake through the night, analyzing Elias's condition.
"You're awake," she said.
He nodded.
"And alive, it seems."
"I think so."
Lena stirred awake and sat up groggily. "Huh? Elias? Are you okay? Please don't collapse again."
He offered a small smile. "Still breathing."
Elowen stepped closer, her boots silent against the stone. "We must run diagnostics. But first, answer me honestly: do you hear any voices?"
Elias hesitated.
He did.
Not loud. Not overwhelming. But like whispers submerged underwater—too faint to understand, yet undeniably present.
"…yes," he admitted.
Lena inhaled sharply.
Elowen nodded slowly, as though she expected this. "Do you understand the meaning of the whispers?"
"No." He rubbed his temples. "They're muffled. Distant. Like someone speaking from the bottom of a deep well."
"Good. That means the Mind-Break Threshold has not been crossed."
"The… what?"
Elowen's voice softened with unexpected sympathy.
"Most mortals who awaken such a talent begin to understand the whispers. Once they do, they unravel within days—if not hours. Your mind is resisting. That alone marks you as exceptional."
Elias didn't want to be exceptional.
He wanted to be normal.
But fate had different plans.
"Elowen," Lena said quietly, "what will happen to him?"
The Magus clasped her hands behind her back.
"He will be observed closely… and restricted until we ascertain whether he is stable."
"Restricted?" Elias frowned. "From what?"
"From using magic," she said plainly.
His heart sank. "I can't use magic? At all?"
"Not until you master suppression. The more mana you sense, the more your talent will activate. And the more it activates, the more it will consume your sense of self."
"But I just awakened," Elias protested. "If I don't practice, I'll fall behind—"
"You will fall behind nothing," Elowen cut sharply. "Because the alternative is far worse. An unstable Ominous Wisdom wielder can warp spells, distort enchantments, cause illusions to manifest, or even trigger mass hysteria. You are a potential calamity until proven otherwise."
Lena stood protectively in front of Elias.
"He is not a calamity. He's Elias."
Elowen raised an eyebrow. "Are you certain? The mirrors certainly did not think so."
Lena's face reddened.
Elias sighed.
"Magus Elowen," he said softly, "I'll comply. Just… tell me how to suppress this."
The Magus exhaled slowly, relief flickering in her expression.
"Very well. Then we begin today."
---
Elowen led both of them to a secluded courtyard behind the Hall of Minds. It was surrounded by ancient stone walls covered in climbing moss, and a small pond reflected the crisp morning sky. The air here was calmer, imbued with old, gentle magic.
"This place is a sanctuary," Elowen said. "It was constructed to dull the senses of diviners and clairvoyants. You may find it easier to breathe here."
Elias took a breath—and nearly cried with relief. The oppressive noise in his mind softened. The whispering nearly vanished. The world felt manageable again.
But the Eye…
It still lingered, faint and distant like a memory that refused to fade.
"Sit," Elowen instructed.
Elias obeyed and settled onto the grass.
Lena sat behind him without asking for permission.
Elowen conjured a floating glyph circle. Its slow rotation seemed to calm the air around them.
"Elias," she began. "Your first task is the foundation of all mental discipline—Anchoring."
"Anchoring?" he asked.
"Yes. You must create a stable center within your mind where your perception can retreat when the visions overwhelm you. Normally this takes months. You do not have months. So you will learn quickly."
"How?"
"Close your eyes," she instructed.
Elias did.
"Breathe slowly. Imagine a single point of light inside your chest. That light is you. Not the visions. Not the futures. Not the voices."
He tried.
A soft glow formed in his imagination.
But instantly the glow fractured into millions of splinters, each showing different glimpses—Lena crying, Elowen turning into ash, the courtyard burning, Elias older and scarred, Elias dead on the floor—
His breath caught.
"No," Elowen said sharply. "Ignore them."
"I… I can't." He clutched his chest. "It's splitting again."
"Focus!"
Her voice slammed into his mind like a hammer.
"Find the light again."
Lena placed her hands on his shoulders.
"You can do it," she whispered. "I'm right here."
Her warmth steadied him.
He tried again.
The splintering visions fought back. They clawed at him like thousands of sharp threads dragging his mind apart. His skull throbbed with pressure.
Look, the Eye whispered faintly. See.
"No!" Elias shouted in his mind.
His fist tightened.
He forced the visions aside.
He rebuilt the small point of light.
The splinters tried to break it again—
But Elias held it.
He held it.
He held himself.
After several minutes of trembling focus, the light stabilized.
His breathing slowed.
The whispers softened.
The headaches eased.
When he opened his eyes, the courtyard looked slightly brighter.
Elowen nodded with genuine approval.
"Well done," she said. "Anchoring is the first step. With enough practice, you will be able to maintain clarity even under strain."
Elias exhaled shakily.
Lena smiled triumphantly, squeezing his shoulder. "I knew you could do it."
Elowen turned away, hiding a faint smile. "Do not grow overconfident. This is merely the beginning."
---
Over the next hour, Elowen guided Elias through breathing patterns, mental fortification exercises, and controlled sensory reduction. Elias struggled, failed several times, and nearly collapsed once—but he refused to quit.
Lena watched every moment, offering silent support or encouraging whispers whenever he faltered.
During one exercise, Elowen paused to study him.
"You're adapting quickly," she said, almost to herself. "Too quickly, perhaps…"
Elias frowned. "Is that… bad?"
Elowen's eyes narrowed.
"It is concerning. Human minds do not adjust this rapidly to divine interference. But yours is… shifting. Adapting. Molded as though it always anticipated this."
Lena crossed her arms. "So he's talented. Why is that bad?"
Elowen did not answer.
But her silence was heavy with meaning.
---
The final test of the session was the most difficult.
Elowen pointed to the sanctuary pond.
"You will gaze into the water. Your reflection will provoke your talent. If you can withstand your own eyes, it means you are gaining control."
"I don't want to see more futures," Elias murmured.
"You won't," Elowen replied. "Not if you anchor correctly."
He took a deep breath.
Stepped toward the pond.
Lena followed close behind.
And slowly, he looked down.
At first, he saw only his reflection: pale skin, tired eyes, hair damp with sweat. But seconds later, the water rippled—and his reflection's smile turned upward.
Elias's pulse shot up.
"Elowen—!"
"Stay anchored!" the Magus barked.
The reflection twisted. Its eyes glowed faintly. The grass around the pond darkened as though poisoned by its gaze.
Elias felt panic seizing his chest.
He summoned the inner light.
The splintering visions clawed at it.
But he pushed back.
He held firm.
And with a shuddering breath, he forced his reflection to return to normal.
The water stilled.
The pond calmed.
Lena let out a shaky exhale. "I swear I almost punched your reflection."
Elias laughed weakly.
Elowen looked… impressed.
"You are extraordinary," she said quietly. "And that is both blessing and curse."
---
Training ended only when Elias nearly fainted from mental exhaustion. Lena caught him just in time.
Elowen conjured a soft mana cushion beneath him.
"That is enough for today," she said. "Too much strain so soon will be counterproductive."
Elias nodded, head spinning.
Lena fed him water from a small flask and glared at Elowen. "You pushed him too far."
"He must be pushed," Elowen replied. "Or he will break later."
Lena looked away angrily, but she didn't argue further.
As Elowen prepared to escort them back to the isolation chamber, she paused.
"Elias," she said softly, "I must be honest with you."
He looked up.
"You are not the first bearer of Ominous Wisdom."
His heart froze.
"But you are the first to survive this long without losing yourself."
Elias felt cold.
"How many others were there?"
Elowen hesitated.
"Not many. The kingdom destroyed most records of them. Those who awakened it were either confined… or executed."
Lena gasped. "Executed!? Why!?"
"To prevent mass magical distortion," Elowen answered. "Their visions warped reality. Their whispers spread fear. Their dreams triggered illusions that affected entire cities."
Elias felt sick.
"Then why haven't you… killed me?"
Elowen met his gaze without flinching.
"Because for the first time, I see someone capable of resisting it."
The wind blew through the courtyard, carrying the faint scent of pine trees and distant rain.
Elowen's face softened.
"And because you deserve a chance. A real chance—not the fate that befell the others."
Elias lowered his head.
He did not know what future awaited him.
He only knew he could not face it alone.
Lena stood close, as though reading his thoughts.
"I'm with you," she whispered.
He managed a small, grateful smile.
Elowen watched them quietly before turning toward the academy hall.
"Rest for now," she said. "Tomorrow we begin boundary discipline."
Elias frowned. "Boundary discipline?"
Elowen paused at the doorway.
"It is a method for distinguishing between your thoughts and those that do not belong to you."
Elias shivered.
Because he understood immediately:
The whispers were not his.
And they were growing louder.
---
That night, after Lena had returned to her dormitory and Elowen left him under guard, Elias lay awake staring at the ceiling.
His mind felt clearer than before.
But the Eye remained.
Hovering at the edge of his consciousness.
Waiting.
Watching.
He turned on his side, clutching the blanket.
"I'll control you," he whispered to the dark. "No matter what you are."
The Eye flickered faintly.
We shall see.
Elias shivered.
But he did not break.
For the first time since awakening, he felt a spark of hope—
fragile, trembling, but real.
And he knew one thing for certain:
If he wanted to survive, he would have to master the Ominous Wisdom faster than anyone before him.
Before the kingdom saw him as a threat.
Before the whispers grew louder.
Before the Eye demanded more.
Before the world decided what he would become—
A sage, or a monster.