Cyrus's Perspective
When I first met Lila, I thought, "Ah, another water user." But then I saw her using fire magic as well. She wasn't just fire, she was water too. A rare combination. A beautiful one. Fire and water. Heat and calm. Passion and balance. Two opposites dancing together. That's what made her special.
And that's why I agreed to train her.
We were in Skaldirth, a region where mountains kissed the sky and rivers ran wild. The wind was strong, the earth firm beneath your feet. A perfect place to train, especially when you have mastery over all four elements like I do, fire, water, wind, and earth.
Lila had potential. I saw it right away. But potential without direction is like fire without air—useless. So I gave her tasks. Many of them. Every single day.
One morning I'd tell her to boil a lake without burning the trees around it. The next day, I'd tell her to extinguish her fire mid-air, or told her to supply water to entire farm and other stuff as well. And while she trained, I… well, I talked. To the ladies, mostly. Can't help it. They like a man who controls the wind, after all.
But Lila? She didn't let me rest. She was always moving, always asking for more tasks. Even when I tried to take a short break, sip some tea and tell a silly joke to a passing traveler, she'd come back.
"Master Cyrus, what's next?" That girl was tireless.
She woke up early and didn't sleep until every task was complete. Whether it was reading magical theory books I gave her, or heading to a low-ranked dungeon nearby to test her skills, she never once backed down. She even started keeping a journal—every spell, every failure, every progress point. She wrote it all down before bed.
Now that's discipline.
In Skaldirth, training isn't done in warm halls or quiet grounds, it's done in the wild. The locals believe that to master the elements, you have to face them head-on. Mages meditate beneath waterfalls to strengthen their focus, spar barefoot on frozen cliffs to harden their bodies, and chase wild winds through canyons to learn how to move with nature, not against it. I made sure Lila followed the same path. No shortcuts. No comfort. I had her hold her stance beneath the crashing Silvervein Falls until her legs trembled, had her cast fire spells while waist-deep in snow, and made her track wild beasts through the storm-swept ridges. She hated it at first—but she learned.
So, I taught her the next step. Not just how to cast spells, but how to feel the flow of magic. "You have to understand not just your magic," I told her, "but the magic of the elements themselves. Fire isn't just heat, it's life, hunger, emotion. Water isn't just calm, it's strength, memory, and patience. Listen to them."
She listened. And she learned.
For the water element, Skaldirth's teachings are just as demanding, but quieter, deeper. Water isn't tamed by force; it's understood through stillness and patience. I had Lila spend hours sitting in the Glassen Pools, where the water runs cold and silent, learning to match her breath to the rhythm of the current. She had to shape spells while submerged, control temperature without disturbing the flow, and listen—not with her ears, but with her magic. One task had her form water spheres while walking blindfolded across slick river stones, learning trust, control, and balance. In Skaldirth, water isn't about peace, it's about endurance, memory, and hidden strength. And I made sure she felt all of it.
But as the days passed, something strange started happening. I kept getting the feeling that someone was watching me. Not in a dangerous way, just a quiet, curious stare. I assumed it was a shy girl. Happens all the time. I'm not blind, I know I'm charming. So I didn't look too hard. I thought, "Let her have her little secret. A gentleman respects a lady's feelings."
Lila also noticed.
"Master Cyrus… I feel like someone's watching us," she said one day, her eyes scanning the trees.
I laughed. "Probably just one of my fans. Don't let it distract you. Let me handle them."
She gave me a funny look but nodded. And I kept pretending like I didn't know.
---
But in truth, the person watching wasn't a shy admirer. It was Zora.
Disguised and hidden in plain sight, Zora, who has disguise himself for now and had taken it upon himself to secretly observe Lila. Not to interfere, not to step in. Only to watch, to ensure her safety, to see with his own eyes the progress she made. Quiet, cautious, and disciplined, Zora kept his presence hidden from both of them, never once revealing himself.
He didn't want Lila to know. This was her journey. Her growth. And Zora believed in her strength.
---
Then there was Fizzle. That little floating puffball who chose to stick with Lila. Always nearby. Always watching. Well, almost always. Sometimes she'd disappear, only to return with crumbs on her cheeks and her round shape even rounder.
She ate everything. If it was sweet, salty, sour—didn't matter. If it tasted good, Fizzle would eat it.
But Fizzle wasn't just eating.
She was also keeping an eye on me. Every time I flirted too much, or got a little too friendly with the ladies, she'd float down, land on my shoulder, and say something like, "Cyrus, don't you have better things to do?" Or lie to the girls, "He's already taken," she'd say, or "He smells like burnt socks." Rude. But funny.
Even I laughed sometimes. And during training, I always made jokes.
"Hey Lila, why don't mages ever fight in the snow?"
"I don't know, Master Cyrus…"
"Because they don't want to chill out!"
I'd burst out laughing. Loud and long.
Sometimes she laughed too. Her eyes would light up, and that serious face would melt into a smile. Fizzle? She'd roll her eyes. "That was stupid," she'd say. But I knew she was laughing inside.
Lila kept improving. Her fire spells got sharper. Her water magic became stronger. I saw her start to combine them, first one, then the other. Switching fast. Heat to cold. Steam and force. It wasn't easy, but she didn't give up.
Strength is just the beginning. I told Lila that once, when she asked why I kept pushing her so hard. "Because people will follow you one day," I said. "Not just because of your magic, but because of your heart. A leader doesn't just burn bright, they light the path for others. And to do that, you need more than power. You need patience, purpose, and the courage to stand even when no one else does." She didn't say much, just nodded… but I saw it in her eyes. She understood.
I lead the Grand Party. We have together face many problem, you just name it. And I've seen what happens when a strong adventurer crumbles under pressure. That's why I trained her the way I did. Not just to fight, but to endure. To adapt. To lead. Because someday, when the storm breaks and the world is watching… Lila won't flinch. She'll rise.
Once I saw she had control, I brought out the next step—sword training.
She used a sword already, so this was the natural next move. But I pushed her further.
"Infuse your sword with fire," I said. "Now with water. Now both."
It was hard. Fire is wild. Water is calm. Keeping both on the same blade? That's like trying to balance a storm on a stick. She could do one. She could do the other. But both together? Not yet. Well I don't use any weapons myself, but I don know that even infusing one element to any weapons isn't that easy, and now she as to do it with two elements, yikes. That being said I can do it, even with all my four elements, it is really, really difficult by the way.
Still, she made progress.
Her sword glowed red with fire. Then it shimmered blue with water. Then flickered with both—briefly. But she hadn't fully mastered it yet.
And then came the call. The corrupted core dungeon. A dangerous place. But Lila wasn't a beginner anymore. She wasn't perfect. She still hadn't mastered the final step. But she was ready. Her body was ready. Her magic was ready. Her heart was ready.
---
Before we left, Lord Thaldrik Haildaleom called us. A final blessing. Words of strength.
He looked at Lila and said, "You have fire in your heart and the strength of the sea in your soul. You are fierce, and you are calm. You are both force and flow."
He raised his hand.
"I shall name you… The Blazing Tide."
Lila's eyes widened. She stepped forward, bowed her head, and said softly, "Thank you, my lord. I will carry this name with pride."
I smiled.
A warrior of fire and water. A force of nature. And I, Cyrus the Ultimate Mage, was proud to call her my student. That name fit her perfectly.
Lila, The Blazing Tide.