Amilia Vael

Surprise washed over me when Kairon’s eidra shifted from blue to green. I wasn’t too startled at first. I’m a dual-element wielder myself. But this… this was something I believed impossible. His eidra wasn’t blue. It wasn’t green. It was orange—the fire element. My body froze. My throat felt dry as I swallowed.

“M-Mom! It’s orange now…” Kairon’s voice carried panic as he stared at the fading fiery glow around him.

I shook my head, snapping out of my disbelief. “Y-yes… orange is fire.” The words left me in a whisper. Impossible. How can a child wield three elements? No one in history…

I looked into Kairon’s hazel-brown eyes. Confusion shimmered in them. “I-is this bad?” he asked again, stepping closer.

I cleared my throat. “No, it’s not,” I said gently, running a hand through his hair. “It’s just… surprising. Really surprising.” My thoughts were too scattered to form anything else. I was stunned, more than I wanted him to see.

“W-why? If it’s not bad, then why is it surprising?” His bewilderment mirrored my own.

I exhaled slowly. “Because… no one has ever been born with three elements.” A small, nervous giggle escaped me. “Not until you.”

Kairon nodded, slowly. I exhaled a sigh, patting his head to help him ease up. “Kairon…don’t tell anyone about this, ok?” I kept my voice firm; no one should know about this, not until he’s grown enough.

“Ok,” he said, nodding along. “I won’t.”

I point a thumb toward our house, “Good. Now go back inside, I’ll be there in a minute.” 

Kairon hummed softly as he entered the house. The breeze vanished, leaving behind a silence far too heavy to be normal. It felt as though the world itself was bracing for the birth of a great storm…and deep within my chest, I feared that storm now had a name. 

—— ✦ ——

KAIRON VAEL 

The house felt quiet—too quiet. That reaction…I’d seen that expression before. Not on my mother, but on battle-hardened veterans staring at a weapon they couldn’t understand. A mixture of awe…and fear. If even she was shaken, then whatever was happening to me wasn’t normal. 

I clenched my fist, feeling the faint buzz of power lingering beneath my skin. My heart wouldn’t stop pounding, like it wanted answers I couldn’t give. My core felt…different. Awake. As if something inside me had turned and opened its eyes. 

Three elements. No record of anyone else. Was this a gift…or a curse waiting to detonate?

I exhaled a sigh and plopped down on the couch. I didn’t even know I had one element. How am I supposed to handle three?! My brain hurts already…

There was one thing that wouldn’t leave my brain: my mom’s expression. That wasn't the face of someone who saw something ordinary. I saw the fear in her eyes—heard it in her voice—the way her entire posture shifted in an instant.

Even without knowing the rules of this world yet, I understood one thing clearly—this power wasn't something people were meant to have. For the first time since my rebirth…I felt like something inside me had finally begun to wake. 

I leaned back on the couch, staring at my hands. The faint warmth still lingered…almost pulsing like my core was its limits. Testing me. My eyes darted toward the window. Valmira…the elves…that whole encounter…I thought I’d gotten used to this world already. But everything today kept proving I knew nothing. 

I rubbed my face. “Great. I’m three years old and already stressed.”  I let out a heavy sigh and pushed myself onto my feet. I dragged myself to my room, and as I entered, I noticed that it was very messy. I should clean this…maybe later. Laziness had draped me; I plopped down onto my bed, and the softness of it enveloped me in a warm embrace. 

I stared at the roof. “Three elements…maybe I’m secretly the chosen one.” 

The door opened, and Mom walked in just in time to hear it. “Chosen to clean your room, maybe.” She said, observing the mess in my room. 

I felt my face heat up from embarrassment. “Y-yeah, I’ll clean it…” I trailed off, and Mom came closer, crouching beside my bed.

She put a hand on my cheek with a faint smile that didn’t quite hide her worry. “You scared me today.” Her voice was almost a whisper.

“I scared me today,” I muttered. And that made her laugh—hearing it eased something in my chest. 

“I told your dad about it…” Her voice softened, almost shrinking. I already knew where this was going. “He was shocked. Truly shocked. He didn’t believe it at first…just like me.” That fear slipped into her tone again—unsteady, fragile.

Guilt stirred in my chest. I pushed myself up and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Mom,” I said quietly, giving her the softest smile I could manage, “It’s okay. You’re teaching me. I’ll be fine.” I grinned, the tension in the air slowly fading.

Mom gave a light chuckle, “You’re right.” She pinched my cheek, a teasing smirk forming on her face. “That way, I can keep an eye on you. No running away now.”

I couldn’t help but giggle, “Yeah!” I replied excitedly. My worry and stress were gone now, replaced with a sense of determination. I don’t know how unusual I was, but I do know that whatever it takes, I’ll protect my family this time. I ran a hand through my ash-brown locks and got out of my bed. My stomach growled. I was hungry. “Mom, I’m hungry.” I looked at her, she smiled, and started walking toward the kitchen. “Where’d dad go, anyway?” I asked, he hadn’t come back yet.

“Hm? Oh, Rendal went to Erasden; the weather was clear, so he decided to go.” She answered. “And food’s almost ready. Go and sit at the table.” 

He’s always going there… I wonder what’s Erasden like…I slid into the chair and waited for the food to be served, my stomach growling loud enough to shake the heavens. “Mom, hurryyyy,” I groaned dramatically, dropping my head onto the table like I was dying.

She snorted. “Relax, you little drama king.” Amusement was evident in her voice.

“I’m not dramatic,” I mumbled into the wood. “I’m starving!” I said, lifting my head to see her moving around the kitchen. I watched for a moment; it was comforting. Almost enough to make me forget that a few minutes ago, I apparently broke every known rule of elemental wielding. 

A faint buzz pulsed from my core, pulling my attention away from watching my mother. My fingers traced the wooden table.  If I really had three elements…what was sleeping inside me? A faint tremor crawled through my core. Something cold. Solid. Three elements…maybe more. Why me? Whatever the answer was, I knew one thing for sure: this time, I wasn’t going to lose anything.

Mom placed a plate full of steaming food in front of me. I swear my eyes sparkled. “Eat before you pass out from your ‘terrible suffering,’” she teased, flicking my forehead lightly.

I stuck my tongue out at her and grabbed the food instantly. Three elements? Mysterious awakening? Rare phenomena? Yeah…no thoughts. Just food. For now.

I bantered with Mom for a long while. And I was glad that the tension in our house had gone. Sleep didn’t come easily. My core kept pulsing through the night, a faint thrum beneath my ribs that refused to quiet down. By the time morning came, I wasn’t sure if I had rested…or simply waited for the sun. The first rays slipped into my room, brushing against my face with a gentle warmth. 

I blinked slowly, feeling the heaviness in my eyelids and the lingering stir in my core. For a moment, I just lay there—breathing, listening, trying to understand the strange pulse inside me. Whatever happened yesterday…it wasn’t stopping.

I washed my face, feeling the cold water drip down my face. I stared at the reflection of my face in the water for a moment. I was reincarnated into this body, Kairon’s body…exhaling a sigh, I stepped out of the house.

Outside, the sun had covered the horizon in its warm, golden rays. Soft wind whispered past the trees, slow, deliberate, and peaceful. I gazed around and saw that most of the village folks were out working on their farms. My gaze landed on my mother, who was leaning against a nearby tree, her hair flowing gently in the breeze. 

I approached her, my steps slow and calm. She looked at me and gave a small smile. “Kairon,” she said. “Ready for training?” Her question lingered in the air. Was I? I asked myself, hesitant at first, but nodded after a few seconds.

“Yes, I’m ready.” I took a few steps back. The buzzing of my core got stronger, itching to be let out. I took in breath. 

“Good,” she nodded, crossing her arms. “You know what to do. Repeat what we did yesterday, gain control over your arcis and eidra.” She drummed her fingers against her arm. Waiting for me to start. 

I closed my eyes, and everything around me faded away. Sound, vision, smell, the only thing I was focused on right now was the increasing buzz of my core. Nothing happened; it was quiet, my body temperature didn’t rise, my breathing didn’t get heavy. This sensation was different; it felt more grounded.

As time passed, I felt the ground beneath my feet tremble. My brows furrowed, the shaking continued, till I felt myself being raised, like an elevator taking me up. My eyes snapped open. I was at least seven feet up, and beneath me was a pillar made of earth. Confusion, worry, and anticipation all washed over me at the same time. 

I looked down at Mom, and she was looking up at me with wide eyes. Mouth hung up, body trembling like a leaf. The fear in her eyes was evident; she covered her mouth with both hands. And I felt my heart drop, dread took over my senses. The earthy pillar beneath my feet started to crack. I fell to the ground, feeling a sharp pain in my butt. A low grunt escaped my lips.

“M-mom,” my voice trembled. “W-what’s wrong…why are you looking at me like that?” I asked, and my worry only grew when no reply came. She just looked at me, as if she was scared of me. My breath hitched, tears starting to form in my eyes.

“H-how…?” Her voice was barely above a whisper. They felt fragile, vulnerable. And they were enough to let me know that something wasn’t right here. She gulped; her voice trembled when she spoke. “You have earth…all four elements…!” My eyes went wide. All four…?

(Thank you for reading Echoes From The End so far! If Kairon’s journey has caught your interest, don’t forget to leave a like and subscribe for the adventures ahead. This is only the beginning… and the world is far bigger than you’ve seen.)