The darkness was dense, yet it was not dark. It was like a dream where you couldn't tell if you were asleep or awake, present or absent. A feeling suspended between slumber and consciousness. No sound, no ground, no sky. Then... the light. A faint, soft warmth began to seep into her limbs, followed by the smell of damp earth and a gentle sound like the song of the wind among the trees. She breathed in slowly, as if the air were heavy, as if she were learning how to exist.
Sarab (to herself): "What... where am I?"
(She opened her eyes suddenly. She was not in her room. She was lying on a bed of dried leaves inside a circular hut, expertly woven from dark wood and plant fibers. Light filtered through openings in the ceiling, painting the walls with patterns like a living tattoo.)
(She rose hesitantly, and was startled. This was not her body. Her hands were slender, honey-colored, with long fingers and intricate patterns on her nails, as if she had been born with them. Her arms were bare, adorned with small metal bracelets that made a sound she could barely hear. Her hair was long, braided carefully with blue threads and small beads, swaying with every movement as if it were breathing. She wore a light, sand-colored gown made of a soft fabric that wrapped around her body without restricting her movement, decorated with complex geometric symbols in silver thread. A short, sunset-colored sash, silky to the touch, rested on her shoulder.)
Sarab (to herself): "I... where am I and what is this?!"
(She approached a small opening in the hut's wall and pushed aside the curtain made of thick fabric embroidered with strange symbols. A village unfolded before her, stretching across the side of a mountain covered in trees unlike any she knew. Their leaves glowed with a faint blue light, as if they were burning from within. The huts were scattered in harmony around a circular square, from which white smoke rose from earthenware hearths. Children ran barefoot and laughed, carrying small bows. Women sat in circles, embroidering symbols on earthy-colored cloths. And men hung precious stones on massive wooden columns that pulsed with changing colors, as if they held souls within them. Everything here had a meaning. The sash, the braid, the stone, the carving... all were symbols understood in silence, and respected without explanation. She felt as if the very air knew her. As if the ground remembered her footsteps, even though she had never set foot on it before.)
Panic violently crept into her mind.
(Then, amidst this silence mixed with awe, a name was whispered inside her: "Nira...")
Sarab (to herself): "Nira...! Who is Nira... I feel like I know this name. Why do I feel this familiarity with it? Oh God... oh God, where am I?"
(In this body, she was called Nira. A seventeen-year-old girl, an apprentice in the Art of Truth—a mysterious rite taught not through explanation but through testing, where one learns to see beyond illusions, read between the shadows, and understand what things conceal. But Sarab, if she was still Sarab, did not know how she had gotten here. All she knew was that she... was not Nira. And she did not belong to this world. And yet, the place did not treat her as a stranger. The tribe was waiting for her.)
(At that moment, an old woman approached her, her back bent as if she carried the history of the tribe on her shoulders. She held a dark object that resembled petrified tree branches, from which a thin metal thread twisted. A closed-eye tattoo was carved on her forehead, as if etched there since birth.)
The Old Woman: "You have arrived before the door opens... This means that insight looks to your heart, not the other way around."
(She moved closer, her sunken eyes the color of forest ashes after a fire. Her gaze was as if she knew everyone she had seen... and those who had yet to see themselves.)
The Old Woman: (She murmured like one casting a spell): "Today... you will be tested, Nira. Today, the truth is revealed... or you are swallowed by the illusion."
(Sarab, who was just starting to get used to her new body, looked at her with suspicion and said):
Nira: "What truth? And what does it mean to be swallowed?"
(The Old Woman smiled with the smile of one who knows but does not tell. Of one who sees the truth but leaves others to search for it.)
The Old Woman: "Clairvoyance is not seeing things as they are, but as they hide themselves. You will see the lies people wear, and the masks they don't know they are wearing... But before that, you must pass through the Door of the Mirage."
Nira: "The Door of the Mirage?"
The Old Woman: "The Test of Truth. Every child in the tribe takes it upon reaching maturity. But you... you will be the last one today. Because you are different."
(The Old Woman left Sarab, who stood there confused. She touched her own hand, and started in surprise to find someone else smiling at her.)
The Girl: "Nira! Hurry, it's finally the day of the test... We've been waiting for so long."
(Before Nira could ask, the girl had grabbed her wrist and pulled her, a smile on her innocent face. In the ritual square, the tribe gathered. A sacred fire burned in the center of a circle of gemstones, which glittered with different colors as if they were pulsating with life. Children who had reached seventeen wore white sashes, and their symbols were embroidered with the "closed eye" emblem. The elders whispered ancient incantations, in a language spoken only on this day.
One of the elders stood, smiling at the children.)
The Elder: "Children... today is the day of truth. You have prepared for this day for years, and now the moment has come for your souls to reveal their essence. Your test today is not a test of strength, but a test of perception. Inside this cave, you will find a mirror... a mirror that reflects what you do not want to see."
"Each person has their own unique test. Only then... will the truth reveal itself, and you will receive your elemental stone that represents the core of your soul."
(Nira's eyes widened as she listened, feeling her heart pound fiercely.)
(The first one entered, then the second, and they came out with different stones. Gray, brown, and some came out with nothing. Some cried, and some laughed.)
(Then, a name was called):
The Announcer: "Ryan... step forward."
(He entered and came out a few minutes later. All eyes were on him, a tall young man with dark honey-colored eyes and calm, stoic features. Nira looked at him and saw him looking at her and smiling before he went in. In his hand was a black stone pulsing with a red light, like a beating heart. Whispers arose: "The Fire Stone... the Stone of Supreme Leadership!")
(Then, the last name was called):
The Announcer: "Nira."
(Whispers echoed: "The stranger." "She had a strange dream a few days ago." "The elders watch her a lot.")
(She walked towards the cave with slow steps, hiding her nervousness, but her heart was beating against her chest with a palpable anxiety. She passed by Ryan, and felt a strange look from him—but she did not turn back.)
Sarab entered the cave with hesitant steps. It was not just cold; it seemed alive, breathing from the walls and seeping into her. The cave did not just want to scare her... it wanted to know her. The sound of water drops echoed, but it did not seem to be coming from above. It was as if it was falling inside her head. She looked around, touching the walls with a tense hand. They were disturbingly smooth... not rock, not wood, but more like warm skin covered in soft moss.
Sarab: (She muttered in a voice that was barely audible): "What is this place? Oh God, if I'm dreaming, let me wake up... I'm scared and I don't know what to do."
(Her heart was pounding violently. Everything in her screamed to run away... but she didn't know where to go. There was no door behind her, just a darkness that swallowed the way back. In the middle, she saw a mirror. Or so it seemed. But it did not reflect her image... it looked like a window into something deeper. She approached it slowly; the air felt heavier with every step she took.)
(And when she looked, she gasped. She saw her face. Then she saw it change. First, into a girl who looked like her, but with different eyes, filled with a painful innocence. Then an older woman crying, her face full of fear. Then a man laughing maliciously, his eyes two sparks of darkness. Then a child screaming, holding out its hands to her as if begging for help. Then a face... she had never seen before, but it resembled her in a strange way, as if it were an incomplete version of her... or a potential version of her.)
(She took a step back.)
Nira: "What... what is this?!" (She whispered, and her voice trembled.)
(She looked behind her; no door. No exit. Nothing. She turned her gaze back to the mirror. The faces were still there... changing, breathing, moving, as if waiting for her decision. And a voice... that did not come from outside, but from deep within her.)
The Voice: "Which one are you?"
(She felt as if her mind were splitting. A part of her said: "Choose... anything. Just get out." She did not know that if she chose one of them, she would be trapped in their own illusion and would have to fight to escape... and if she didn't choose, she would fail the test.)
(Her hand trembled. She closed her eyes. Then she took a deep breath.)
Nira: (in a steady voice): "I am all of them... but I am... none of them."
(Something shook inside her, as if she had wrenched a decision from the void. When she opened her eyes, the mirror had disappeared... and in its place... was a small, transparent stone with a vortex of light inside, swirling slowly as if weaving an unspoken meaning.)
(Nira stepped forward and picked it up with trembling hands. It was neither cold nor warm. It was alive. She didn't understand what she had done, but she... knew it was the right thing. She walked out of the cave. Her eyes shone with a color that could only be seen by those with clairvoyance. But no one saw the true stone. The Old Woman, with a light movement, stirred her staff in the grass. No one noticed. The stone flashed for a moment, and turned yellow in Nira's hand, as if it were the Earth Stone.)
The Tribe (cheering): "She has won the Earth Stone!"
Nira (to herself): "No... it was transparent... I'm sure of it."
(But no one noticed her astonishment. Only the Old Woman, who stared at her in silence, knew the truth.)
(The ceremony ended, and some of the children insisted on celebrating. Sarab managed to get away from them and returned to the small hut on the outskirts of the tribe from which she had come.)
(She buried her head in her arms, and the Old Woman's words after she passed the test continued to echo in her mind.)
The Old Woman (in a low voice): "You... are not from here, are you?"
(Sarab hesitated.)
Sarab: "I don't know... everything feels wrong."
(The Old Woman smiled a strange smile, and said): "Tell no one. Not about your origin, nor about your element. Just say that you felt a spark... no more."
Sarab: "But... why?"
The Old Woman: "Because they do not like what they do not understand." (Then she gestured to the trees behind her.) "We are in the Narissa tribe. Begin your journey... but do not forget, your secret is your strength."
(Sarab did not reply. She only looked at the fire, then at her hand, which still felt a slight prickling. She stood up, and the Old Woman's voice echoed: "The element of the soul... no one must know its secret... not yet.")
(The sun was faint, as if it never fully rose. She walked between the huts, watching the children run, the men hanging stones on the wooden columns, and the women embroidering symbols on long robes.)
(It was midday when a child knocked on Nira's hut door.)
The Child: "Elder Sirana is about to begin the first Aynara lessons for the new members. You must hurry to the square."
(Nira went out quickly. She didn't fully know what "Aynara lesson" meant, but something in the child's voice made her not hesitate. And when she arrived at the wide square, a circle of children and young adults were sitting on the ground, each holding a small stone in their hands.)
(In the center, a tall woman stood, with thick gray hair that hung in heavy braids over her shoulders. Her features were sharp, and her eyes were as deep as if they could read beyond faces.)
"This is Elder Sirana, the trainer for controlling Aynara."
(Sirana raised her hand, and spoke in a voice that the heart heard before the ear.)
Sirana: "Aynara is not just energy... it is a cosmic consciousness that permeates everything."
(She paused for a moment, then continued): "But not all souls are open enough. For them, an older science exists... the science of the language of the ancients, symbols and circles that are drawn with precision, and activated to direct external Aynara. It can be used to increase power, to create an energy explosion, or even to close a gate that can only be opened by knowing the correct symbol. But it is dangerous, and requires deep knowledge... A simple mistake in one symbol can hurt more than it helps... But there are those who risk their lives to make a pact with a creature to gain power or to seal a contract with it."
(She then added in a low tone): "To carry Aynara within you... that is rare. But to understand how to guide it wisely? That is true progress."
(Now, Nira understood that there were three types of Aynara wielders: those who can summon it from within themselves, those who use symbols, and those who make pacts with obscure creatures.)
Sirana: "Today, we begin the first lessons in communicating with Aynara. Whoever succeeds in touching the core of their element will begin their true journey."
(A moment of silence fell, and then some began to test their elements.)
(A moment of silence fell, then some began to test their elements. Elder Sirana said: "An element is not what you see... but what you feel." Her words were like pulses that struck Sarab's heart more than her ears. "Sarab" sat among a group of new students, each holding a stone in front of them. The stone was hard and heavy, with an earthy, gray color, unlike any piece she had ever seen before.)
(Sirana said in a quiet but firm voice): "Every element is not an inanimate object. It is a being with a soul's pulse and a memory. And whoever learns how to listen... can summon it. The stone each of you holds not only indicates which element you are close to... but also helps to enhance communication... Inject some Aynara into it and try to communicate with your own element, try to feel it and call to it.)
(Everyone closed their eyes, and silence fell. Nira felt the rustling of the wind through the trees, and the soil of the earth beneath her... but she felt nothing from the stone.)
(She muttered to herself): "Why do I see nothing? To whom is it silent? Does this mean I don't have an element?" Then she whispered: "I'm not even from this world... maybe I have no right to communicate with any element." But she remembered Sirana's words: "Some elements hide... not because they reject you, but because they are testing you."
(She opened her eyes slowly, to find all the students busy with individual exercises.)
(Sirana approached her and asked with a rare gentleness): "Did you feel anything?"
Sarab: "No... just silence."
(The Elder smiled and said): "Good. Silence is the first language the earth speaks." (She gave her a piece of pale paper with drawings of initial meditation exercises on it.) "Sit alone over there, and contemplate this drawing. Let the earth look at you first... do not try to impose yourself."
(Ryan, a boy with bright eyes, touched the stone, and it burst into a sharp red color. Another girl named Lyra gently lifted a drop of water into the air. A massive young man named Kyle moved a vortex of wind around his body.)
(It was Nira's turn. She stepped forward slowly. She felt everyone's eyes on her, and a fear that crept into her bones. She held the Earth Stone and waited. Nothing. She squeezed it, closed her eyes, but the stone remained dormant.)
(She said nervously): "I only feel a spark... nothing is clear."
(Sirana was not surprised, but looked at her with contemplation): "Some elements hide when they are afraid of being misunderstood. It's alright...)
(Nira returned to her seat and closed her eyes. Something began to stir inside her... but it was not fire, nor water, nor air, nor even earth. It was a sound without sound, a strange feeling that resembled longing... or fear.)
(She saw an image in her mind, then it faded. She opened her eyes quickly, her heart pounding.)
(Ryan looked at her and whispered): "Did you... see anything?"
(She said, trying to seem calm): "Just shadows... nothing important."
(She felt lost. Everything around her was strange... the language, the looks, even these abilities.)
(At the end of the lesson, Ryan approached her and said): "Would you like to see the secret training area? Only those with clear qualifications are allowed in."
(Sarab said with some caution): "And do I have them?"
(Ryan smiled): "I don't know... but I do know one thing. You are not normal."
(She followed him in silence through the stone corridors, where the trees began to grow closer together and the light receded bit by bit.) (They arrived at a massive door of dark wood, with a circular symbol carved into it with four intersecting lines.) (A massive man stood in front of the gate, wearing a black cloak, his face as rigid as a stone.)
(Ryan approached and raised his hand, and his palm glowed with a red flash.) (The guard bowed slightly to him, then looked at Sarab.)
(He said in a steady tone): "And you?"
(Nira felt confused and tried to hide her unease): "I... I don't have qualifications yet."
(The man looked at her for a moment, then said): "No entry without an elemental proof."
(Ryan interjected): "But she passed the Test of the Mirage!"
(The man replied without emotion): "The test is not enough. The element is the key."
(Sarab looked at her hand, then at Ryan, and said with a faint smile): "It's alright... I'll come back later, when I have the key." (She turned and walked away with slow steps, a voice echoing in her mind): "The element of the soul will not be accepted here... I must find another element, any element."
(She returned to the training square, where Sirana was still standing alone, contemplating the sky.) (She approached her and said): "I want to learn... to connect with my element."
(Sirana looked at her for a long time, then said): "Earth is not easy. It is silent, but it is heavy. It requires inner stability."
(Nira said with determination): "Maybe I don't have stability now... but I want it. I need help."
(Sirana approached her, placed her hand on her shoulder, and said): "Determination is the beginning of the road. All elements respond to those who seek them honestly." (Then she took a small book with a gray leather cover from her bag and handed it to her): "This is a book of the principles of elemental communication. In it, you will learn how to meditate, how to feel the sparks of the elements inside your soul."
(Nira took the book, thanked Sirana, and sat down under a tree whose leaves glowed at sunset.) (She opened the first page and began to read, her heart still pounding with questions she couldn't find answers to.)
(She opened the first page and began to read. "An element is not what you see... but what you feel." Those were the first words in the new chapter of the book Sarab opened. They were written in a dark ink that leaned towards purple, as if they were born from the ashes of a dream. She began to read about the elements, not as powers, but as living beings. Fire, earth, water, and air.
(She felt a power rise from her lower back, travel through her arms, and pour out of her palms. Then she tried more. She looked at a nearby rock, not wanting to push it... but to communicate with it. She imagined her soul touching it, not her body. The rock shifted, slowly, without a sound, as if it responded not to a command, but to an invitation. Sarab laughed quietly.)
Sarab: "The earth is not commanded... it understands."
(She closed her eyes again, but this time she was not looking for an element... but for a relationship. The earth is a silent mother. It does not ask, but it gives. It does not speak, but it protects. She opened her eyes, and the small wall she had formed was still standing. It was not just dirt... but the first sentence in a new language.
(She stood in front of it, wanting to lift it again, to test herself. But in that moment of concentration, she felt an inner emptiness, as if something was being pulled from her depths. The air became heavier. The pulses faded, and her vision went black. Then... nothingness.)