CHAPTER 37: REST

Ian leaned back on the bench, closing his eyes for a moment as the faint wind tugged at his hair. The events of the day replayed in his mind with sharp clarity. The six Queens, each powerful in their own right, had not only acknowledged him but bowed before him. The ritual still lingered in his veins, a warmth pulsing beneath his skin like a living flame. It should have been exhilarating, yet all he felt now was a gnawing pressure, a weight that seemed to grow heavier the more he thought of it.

He muttered softly to himself, "Leader of an Empire... me? I don’t even know how I got here."

The thought made him chuckle bitterly, though there was no humor in it. Where he had come from, the most responsibility he bore was surviving deadlines, exams, and the occasional expectation from others. Now he was bound by mana to six rulers who looked at him with reverence and expectation, as if the destiny of their entire world hinged on his shoulders.

His eyes opened again, and he stared at the sky above, streaked with hues of orange and violet. "How am I supposed to be what they want me to be?" he whispered.

He ran a hand over his face, the memory of the small flame he had conjured earlier flickering in his mind. It had been nothing compared to Piper’s roaring fireball, yet the Queens had spoken as though his potential was beyond anything seen before. That contradiction unsettled him. Power he could not control was as dangerous to him as it was to everyone else.

For a while he sat in silence, simply listening to the distant sounds of the estate—the murmur of voices, the occasional call of a bird settling for the night. The quiet allowed his thoughts to settle, and little by little, the tension in his chest eased.

He heard light footsteps behind him but did not turn. Piper’s voice broke the silence, steady and respectful. "My Lord, Chloe and I will remain close. Whenever you are ready to continue, say the word. Until then, rest your mind. A soldier who fights without clarity is a soldier who falls."

Chloe added softly, "And you’re not just a soldier anymore. You’re more than that. Take the time you need, Ian."

He managed a faint smile at her words and nodded without looking back. "Thank you. Both of you. I’ll come when I’m ready."

The two women retreated again, leaving him to the fading light of the evening. Ian sat there a little longer, gathering strength from the calm. He knew rest could not last forever. The Queens expected him to grow, to master what burned inside of him, and sooner or later he would have to face the fire head-on.

The sky had deepened into a canvas of stars by the time Ian finally rose from the bench. His shoulders still felt heavy with thought, but his resolve was stronger than when he first sat down. He dusted off his clothes, took a long breath, and made his way toward the faint glow of torches flickering in the training yard.

Piper was already there, standing in the center of the yard with her arms crossed. Chloe lingered near the edge, her usual warm expression softening as she noticed him approach. Neither of them spoke at first, giving him the space to break the silence.

"I’ve thought enough for now," Ian said firmly, his voice carrying more weight than before. "If I’m going to live through this and not let them down, then I need to learn. I need to be more than someone stumbling with sparks."

Piper’s eyes gleamed faintly in the firelight. She uncrossed her arms and gave a small nod. "Good. That’s the answer I was waiting for. Resolve matters as much as skill. Without it, even the strongest mana would burn you from within."

Ian smirked faintly. "Well, let’s try to make sure I don’t end up combusting then."

Chloe laughed lightly at his remark, the sound easing some of the tension. She moved closer and handed him a waterskin. "Drink first. You’ll need it. Training without rest or strength will only make you collapse."

Ian accepted it gratefully, gulping down the cool water before wiping his mouth. He handed it back with a nod. "Alright, Piper. Show me what’s next."

Piper’s expression was unreadable as she studied him. For the first time since their meeting, there was no edge of mockery or impatience in her tone. "Tonight we push further. You’ve touched the flame. Now you will learn to shape it, to bend it to your will rather than letting it flicker like a candle. Fire can burn and destroy, but in the hands of someone with discipline, it can protect, it can shield, it can even give life."

Ian raised his brow. "Sounds like a lot for a guy who just managed to light a glorified match a few hours ago."

"You’ll manage," Piper replied simply.

Chloe smiled and added, "She means she’ll make sure you manage. Don’t be afraid, Ian. The fire answers to those who refuse to bow to it."

Her encouragement sparked something inside him. Ian exhaled slowly, rolling his shoulders as he stepped into the center of the yard where Piper waited. "Alright then," he said with a steadier voice. "Let’s see if I can convince this fire to listen to me."

Piper lifted her hand, conjuring a swirling flame that hovered like a living spirit in the air between them. Its glow painted their faces in shades of gold and red. "Then let us begin," she said calmly.

And as Ian extended his hand toward the flame, the night grew quiet, as if the world itself waited to see what he would do next.

The sky had deepened into a canvas of stars by the time Ian finally rose from the bench. His shoulders still felt heavy with thought, but his resolve was stronger than when he first sat down. He dusted off his clothes, took a long breath, and made his way toward the faint glow of torches flickering in the training yard.

Piper was already there, standing in the center of the yard with her arms crossed. Chloe lingered near the edge, her usual warm expression softening as she noticed him approach. Neither of them spoke at first, giving him the space to break the silence.

"I’ve thought enough for now," Ian said firmly, his voice carrying more weight than before. "If I’m going to live through this and not let them down, then I need to learn. I need to be more than someone stumbling with sparks."

Piper’s eyes gleamed faintly in the firelight. She uncrossed her arms and gave a small nod. "Good. That’s the answer I was waiting for. Resolve matters as much as skill. Without it, even the strongest mana would burn you from within."

Ian smirked faintly. "Well, let’s try to make sure I don’t end up combusting then."

Chloe laughed lightly at his remark, the sound easing some of the tension. She moved closer and handed him a waterskin. "Drink first. You’ll need it. Training without rest or strength will only make you collapse."

Ian accepted it gratefully, gulping down the cool water before wiping his mouth. He handed it back with a nod. "Alright, Piper. Show me what’s next."

Piper’s expression was unreadable as she studied him. For the first time since their meeting, there was no edge of mockery or impatience in her tone. "Tonight we push further. You’ve touched the flame. Now you will learn to shape it, to bend it to your will rather than letting it flicker like a candle. Fire can burn and destroy, but in the hands of someone with discipline, it can protect, it can shield, it can even give life."

Ian raised his brow. "Sounds like a lot for a guy who just managed to light a glorified match a few hours ago."

"You’ll manage," Piper replied simply.

Chloe smiled and added, "She means she’ll make sure you manage. Don’t be afraid, Ian. The fire answers to those who refuse to bow to it."

Her encouragement sparked something inside him. Ian exhaled slowly, rolling his shoulders as he stepped into the center of the yard where Piper waited. "Alright then," he said with a steadier voice. "Let’s see if I can convince this fire to listen to me."

Piper lifted her hand, conjuring a swirling flame that hovered like a living spirit in the air between them. Its glow painted their faces in shades of gold and red. "Then let us begin," she said calmly.

And as Ian extended his hand toward the flame, the night grew quiet, as if the world itself waited to see what he would do next.

He sat slumped on the bench for a while, catching his breath and staring at the faint scorch mark on his palm where the tiny flame had once danced. His chest rose and fell heavily, but there was a hint of a smile tugging at his lips. For the first time, it felt as though he had taken a step toward belonging in this strange world.

Chloe came over with a jug of cool water and handed him a cup. "Here, drink this. You look like you’ve wrestled with the sun itself."

Ian took it and downed the entire cup in one go, groaning in relief. "Wrestled and lost. But I’ll call it a draw since I didn’t end up a pile of ashes."

Chloe laughed softly. "If that’s your measure of success, then you’ll do fine here."

Piper, however, was not laughing. She stood with her arms crossed, her sharp gaze never leaving him. "Do not celebrate so quickly. One spark is nothing. Until you can summon flame at will, and shape it into more than a flicker, you are still nothing more than a beginner."

Ian sighed and leaned back, shaking his head. "You really know how to kill a man’s mood, don’t you?"

"I am not here to pamper you," Piper snapped. "I am here to forge you into what you are meant to become. That requires discipline, not idle words."

Chloe placed a gentle hand on Piper’s arm. "Enough for tonight, Piper. He has done well, and even you know it. You do not have to grind him into dust on the first day."

Piper let out a sharp breath through her nose but said nothing more.

Lyra, who had been silent all this while, finally spoke. "My Lord, you should rest. Tomorrow will demand more from you, and you cannot face it if you collapse from exhaustion."

Ian rubbed his temples and nodded slowly. "Rest. Yes. For once, I agree with that plan." He pushed himself up to his feet. "But you should all know... I may look like I’m slacking sometimes, but I’m not going to quit. Not after everything I’ve seen today."

Piper gave him a long look, her eyes narrowing as though measuring the weight of his words. Then she gave a curt nod. "Good. Remember what you’ve said when you’re on the ground and your body screams at you to stop."

Ian gave her a tired smirk. "I’ll remember. And I’ll remind you that you were the one who promised to make me into something worth remembering."

Piper’s lips pressed into a line, but Chloe caught the faintest flicker of approval in her expression.

Chloe walked beside Ian as they entered the estate again. "You really surprised her, you know," she whispered. "She doesn’t admit it, but she’s impressed."

Ian raised a brow, looking at Piper’s back as she walked ahead. "Impressed? Could have fooled me. She looks like she’d throw me into a bonfire if I sneezed wrong."

Chloe chuckled, lowering her voice. "That’s her way. If she pushes you harder than anyone else, it’s because she expects you to rise to it."

Ian thought about that as he rubbed the back of his neck. He was still exhausted, but deep down, something in him stirred at the idea of rising to the challenge.

By the time they reached his chambers, Chloe and Lyra had prepared a warm bath for him again. Ian sank into it without protest, letting the heat ease his aching body. Afterwards, he dressed in the simple night robes they gave him and collapsed onto the bed.

As his eyes grew heavy, he thought of the Queens, of the strange glowing orb, of the flame that had obeyed him for just a moment. Everything about this world was overwhelming, but he could not shake the thought that maybe, just maybe, he was beginning to fit into it.

Sleep claimed him soon after, deep and heavy, carrying him away from the weight of the day.