The tower was cold and dusty, but at least it offered shelter from the cutting wind. Yuri sat next to an old, dead fireplace, knees drawn to her chest, eyes lost beyond the cracked beams of the ceiling.

  Everything felt unreal. The ash-colored sky. The lifeless earth. The monsters. The magic. And that woman… Kayla.

  Yuri ran her hands over her face, trying to shake off the unease. But it was impossible.

  In the silence, her heart drifted back. To home.

  To the times she sat on the tatami in the living room, and her grandmother gently stroked her hair while preparing tea.

  "One day, Yuri, you’ll face difficult choices. Always remember that your strength doesn’t come from what you can do, but from what you choose to do for others."

  She hadn’t understood those words back then. They just sounded like wise old sayings.

  But now… they burned in her chest.

  "Help others, even when you’re alone."

  "Even when you’re afraid."

  "Because you were born with something special inside you, even if you can’t see it yet."

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  Tears began to stream down her face without her realizing it.

  She had left everything behind. No goodbyes. No chance to return.

  But those words… they were still there. Alive.

  As if her grandmother were speaking to her even now.

  She was about to clench her fists, ready to make a choice… perhaps the most important of her life… when a voice broke the silence.

  “How touching. But you haven’t seen anything yet.”

  Yuri spun around. Kayla had entered the room, hands clasped behind her back and a sly expression on her face.

  “You cried,” she observed.

  Yuri quickly wiped her face. “Just a bit of dust.”

  Kayla stepped closer and, without another word, made a gesture with her hand. A blue glow floated in the air, forming a small magical circle.

  Out of nowhere, a red spark ignited in the center, dancing like a living flame.

  “Fire,” she said. Then she blew gently, and the flame vanished, leaving a drop of water suspended.

  “Water.” Another gesture, and the drop fell onto a small pile of dust, solidifying into a lump of earth.

  “Earth.”

  Finally, she waved her fingers, and a tiny whirlwind of air lifted the lump, making it hover.

  “And wind.”

  Yuri watched in silence, in disbelief. That dance of the elements felt like a dream.

  Kayla released the spell, and everything faded like mist in the sun. Then she turned to Yuri.

  “These are the four basic elements. Every being in this world has an affinity with one or more of them. And all magic is based on them… even the most powerful kinds.”

  “Most powerful?” Yuri finally spoke.

  “Yes. There are eleven levels of magic. From the simplest…”

  She snapped her fingers, and a small spark flicked at the tip. “…level one. Tavern tricks.”

  Then she grew serious. “Up to level eleven: apocalyptic magic. The kind that can destroy entire cities, bend time, or alter reality.”

  Yuri’s eyes widened. “And what level are you?”

  Kayla looked at her, amused. “You’ll find out. But not yet.”

  She turned, walking toward another room. “Tomorrow we’ll start with the basics. If you truly want to understand where you are… and who you can become.”

  Yuri stayed there for a moment longer, alone. Her heart torn between the memory of her grandmother and the fear of what lay ahead.

  But a thought, subtle and persistent, began to grow inside her:

  “What if it’s true? What if I really could… make a difference?”