Chapter 6 The Dream Of War

• The academy was quiet, almost too quiet, as Ava returned to her room after her first day of lessons. The stone hallways, once filled with the hum of students and magic, now echoed only with the faint sound of her footsteps. The torches on the walls flickered with a soft glow, casting long, wavering shadows that made the ancient building feel both majestic and eerie. It had been an exhausting day. Her mind was still buzzing from the lessons with Professor Lyra, the strain of trying to control her elemental magic, and the constant weight of being a Convergence.
• As Ava slipped into her small bed in the Dormitory of Winds, she felt her body finally relax, though her mind continued to race. Her limbs were heavy with fatigue, but sleep didn’t come easily. Thoughts of the day replayed in her mind—Lyra’s stern but encouraging words, the surge of wind she couldn’t control, and the expectations that weighed on her like stones.
• She stared at the ceiling, listening to the faint sounds of the wind outside the window. What if I never figure this out? What if I’m too dangerous to be here? The thoughts nagged at her until, slowly, her eyelids grew heavy, and the world around her faded into darkness.
• ***
• The dream came suddenly and vividly.
• Ava found herself standing in a vast, barren field, the sky above her churning with dark clouds. The air was thick with the smell of smoke and the metallic tang of fear. All around her, the ground was scarred with deep craters, blackened from some ancient battle. The silence was eerie, as though the world itself was holding its breath.
• Ava’s heart pounded in her chest as she turned in place, trying to make sense of her surroundings. Where am I? She could feel the weight of something heavy in the air, a tension that pulled at her chest.
• In the distance, a figure appeared—cloaked in shadow, tall and imposing. The figure moved with purpose, its form barely visible through the swirling mist that clung to the ground. As it approached, Ava could see that the figure wasn’t alone. Behind it, an army stretched across the horizon, rows upon rows of soldiers clad in armor that gleamed faintly in the dim light. Their faces were obscured, but their presence filled Ava with an overwhelming sense of dread.
• She tried to move, to run, but her feet were rooted to the ground. Panic surged through her as the army advanced, their footsteps reverberating through the earth like thunder. The sound grew louder and louder, until it filled Ava’s head, drowning out everything else.
• “Ava…” The voice came from everywhere and nowhere at once, a low, rumbling sound that sent chills down her spine. She whipped around, searching for its source, but there was nothing—only the dark, endless field and the approaching army.
• Suddenly, the sky above her exploded with fire. Massive balls of flame shot through the clouds, raining down on the battlefield in fiery arcs. The ground shook violently as the fire struck, sending up plumes of dust and ash. Ava stumbled backward, her heart racing, but still, she couldn’t move.
• The army was unfazed by the destruction around them. They marched forward relentlessly, their eyes glowing with a strange, otherworldly light. As they neared, Ava could see that they weren’t entirely human—some were twisted, their bodies warped by magic or some ancient curse. Their faces were contorted into expressions of rage and pain, their movements unnaturally stiff, as if they were being driven by something unseen.
• At the center of it all stood the shadowed figure, its eyes locked on Ava. “You are the key,” it whispered, its voice barely audible over the roar of the firestorm. “You must awaken… or all will fall.”
• Ava’s blood ran cold. Awaken? From what? She tried to shout, to demand answers, but her voice caught in her throat. The shadow figure raised its hand, and the fire in the sky intensified, swirling into a massive vortex that threatened to consume everything.
• Just as the flames seemed to rush toward her, Ava’s vision blurred, and the ground beneath her gave way.
• ***
• Ava awoke with a gasp, her heart hammering in her chest. She sat up in bed, drenched in sweat, her hands trembling. The familiar sound of the wind whistling through the dormitory brought her back to reality, but the remnants of the dream clung to her like a shadow.
• Her breath came in ragged bursts as she tried to calm herself, running a hand through her damp hair. It was just a dream, she told herself, though it felt far too real to be dismissed so easily. Every detail of the battlefield was burned into her memory—the smell of the smoke, the heat of the fire, the chilling voice that had called out to her.
• “You must awaken… or all will fall.”
• What did that mean?
• Ava glanced at the window, where the first light of dawn was beginning to creep over the horizon. She knew she should try to rest, but the dream had rattled her too deeply. There was no way she’d be able to sleep again.
• Something’s coming, Ava thought, shivering as a cold chill crept down her spine. She pulled the blankets tighter around her, but it didn’t help. The sensation from the dream—that overwhelming sense of dread—still hung over her like a dark cloud.
• ***
• Later that morning, Ava found herself walking toward the academy’s library, her mind still racing with the images from the dream. The library was a sprawling, maze-like structure, filled with rows of ancient tomes, scrolls, and books about every aspect of magic. It was one of the oldest parts of the academy, its towering shelves filled with centuries of knowledge.
• She had to know if the dream meant something. Maybe there was a clue somewhere—something that would help her understand why she had seen such a terrifying vision. And more importantly, why the figure in her dream had said she was the key.
• The library was almost empty when she entered, the morning light casting soft shadows across the stone floor. Ava made her way to the restricted section, where the older, more dangerous texts were kept. She had heard that this part of the library held secrets that most students weren’t allowed to access—histories of ancient wars, dark magic, and forgotten prophecies.
• As she approached the gated entrance to the restricted section, she hesitated. A part of her knew that whatever she found here might not offer comfort. It might only deepen the mystery.
• But she had no choice. She needed answers.
• Just as she was about to push open the gate, she heard a voice behind her. “Looking for something?”
• Ava spun around to find Professor Arlen standing a few feet away, his sharp eyes studying her intently. He was the last person she wanted to run into right now. His presence always seemed to carry a weight of authority and judgment that made Ava feel like she was under constant scrutiny.
• “I… I was just—” Ava stammered, unsure of what to say. She didn’t want to explain the dream to him, not yet. It felt too personal, too raw.
• “The restricted section isn’t for students,” Arlen said calmly, though his gaze never wavered from hers. “Especially not those who are… still figuring things out.”
• Ava’s cheeks flushed. “I wasn’t going to—”
• “You had a dream, didn’t you?” Arlen interrupted, his tone softening slightly. “About war. About fire. About… darkness.”
• Ava froze. How did he know? Her heart raced as she looked up at him, her mind spinning.
• Arlen stepped closer, his expression serious but not unkind. “You’re not the first to have dreams like these, Ava. In fact, many Convergences before you have seen similar visions. The academy hasn’t had a student like you in over a century, but the old prophecies… they speak of a time when a Convergence will face a great war—one that could bring about the destruction of the elements themselves.”
• Ava’s mouth went dry. “Destruction of the elements?”
• Arlen nodded. “The dream you had was no ordinary vision. It’s a warning. A glimpse of the future, perhaps, or a memory of something long past. Either way, it’s not to be taken lightly.”
• Ava’s thoughts spun wildly. “But… why me? Why now?”
• Arlen’s eyes darkened slightly. “Because, Ava, you’re the first Convergence in generations. And whether you like it or not, the balance of the elements is tied to you. Whatever is coming—this war, this destruction—you’re at the center of it.”
• The weight of his words pressed down on her, suffocating her with their gravity. She was the key. The dream, the war, the figure in the shadows—it all pointed back to her.
• Ava didn’t know how to respond. She felt like the ground had been ripped out from beneath her.
• “What do I do?” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
• Arlen looked at her with a mixture of sympathy and resolve. “You train. You prepare. And most of all… you stay vigilant. The elements are stirring, Ava. And soon, the entire world will know it.”