Chapter 307: Train more and learn from past

Days passed gently in rhythm — morning classes at the Academy, evenings spent in the grove. Between lessons, Lira found peace among the whispering leaves and the scent of growing magic.

Her grove had changed. The new orchard, planted with the Apples of Grounding, stretched far behind the rows of herbs and potion flowers. The saplings shimmered faintly under sunlight, their trunks pale silver-green, their leaves edged with a soft golden hue that flickered when touched by wind.

Every tree pulsed faintly with life energy, a steady rhythm — ba-dum, ba-dum — like a quiet heartbeat that resonated with the land itself.

Lira moved barefoot through the rows, her robe brushing against the dew-laced grass.

Renkai and Thalanir worked nearby, tending the roots, using earth magic to strengthen soil. Fluffy darted between them, chasing luminous dragonflies that had begun nesting around the trees.

"They’re growing well," Thalanir said, straightening, his hands still glowing faintly with green energy. "The roots have reached deep — the land itself likes them."

"It does," Lira agreed softly. "I can feel it. The balance they bring seeps into everything."

The Giant Tree’s deep laughter rolled from the distance.

"Indeed it does, little one. You’re nurturing more than plants now — you’re nurturing the future balance of all who will wield magic here."

Lira smiled faintly, brushing her hand along a trunk. "Then I hope they grow strong. The next generation will need them."

It was early morning when the first apples appeared.

She noticed them while checking her potions — tiny orbs glowing faintly among the branches. They were pale at first, like moonlight condensed into fruit, and as she approached, their color deepened into soft, warm gold. A hum of grounding magic pulsed from within, slow and stable.

"The first ones..." Lira whispered, her heart swelling with quiet pride.

The Giant Tree rumbled approvingly.

"Ding ding, mission complete," it teased in its booming tone, echoing through the grove. "You’ve done well again, Lira. These apples hold the essence of grounding — they will steady even the most unstable element wielder. But remember, only one apple per soul. More would anchor them too deeply."

Lira bowed her head respectfully. "Understood."

She picked a few of the glowing fruits carefully, wrapping them in soft cloth infused with gentle preserving magic.

That same afternoon, as classes began, she noticed two students struggling again — both gifted but erratic multielement users.

The first, a young boy named Kael, struggled with unstable fire and wind; his flames flared too high, fanned by the wind he couldn’t yet control. The second, a girl named Arlen, fought to keep water and earth from overwhelming her — every time she stabilized one, the other overpowered her rhythm.

Sparks flashed and water splashed chaotically around them. The air in the hall shimmered with disorder.

"Stop for a moment," Lira called, her calm voice cutting through the noise.

Both froze, breathing hard, faces streaked with sweat and frustration.

Lira approached quietly, setting the wrapped apples on a small wooden table. She unwrapped one, revealing the golden glow pulsing gently within.

"These," she said softly, "are Apples of Grounding. Grown from seeds gifted by the Giant Tree. Their essence calms unstable magic — not by taking it away, but by helping you feel the earth beneath your soul again."

She handed one to Kael and one to Arlen.

"Take only a single bite. Then close your eyes and listen."

They hesitated, then obeyed.

As their teeth broke the skin of the fruit, golden light spread from within the apple — gentle, warm, wrapping around them in shimmering waves. The chaotic wind around Kael slowed instantly, settling into steady motion. His fire no longer roared uncontrolled; it flickered, calm and focused. His breathing slowed, his stance corrected itself as if instinctively finding balance.

Arlen gasped softly as the ground beneath her steadied, the excess water gently sinking into the earth instead of swirling uncontrollably. Her power flowed downward rather than outward — contained, connected.

"Do you feel that?" Lira asked, her tone soft but steady. "That’s grounding. The earth welcoming you back. Every element you wield wants to connect — not scatter. Remember this feeling when you channel."

The students nodded, eyes wide in wonder. The magic that had once overwhelmed them now pulsed in harmony with their heartbeats.

Lira smiled faintly, a warmth filling her chest. "Good. Now, try again."

This time, Kael lifted his hand, summoning fire. The flame came easily, small and controlled, dancing along his palm. When he called on wind, it lifted the flame smoothly, guiding it like a living ribbon. Arlen followed suit — her water spiraled softly above her hand, glimmering as the earth beneath her stabilized the motion.

Their energies no longer fought — they flowed, intertwining with grace and precision.

The other students watched in awe as the chaotic pair achieved balance for the first time.

"Excellent," Lira said. "The Apples will not solve all your struggles — but they remind your spirit of connection. Grounded magic listens. Chaotic magic resists. Learn to listen, and you’ll find your strength."

Later that evening, when the class ended, Lira carried the few remaining apples back to the grove. The orchard glowed softly in the twilight, the leaves rustling like whispers of gratitude.

She stood beneath the largest tree, gazing at rows upon rows of shimmering fruit growing steadily in the golden light.

"They worked," she murmured to herself, resting her palm against the trunk. "You were right — they truly ground the soul."

The Giant Tree’s deep chuckle rippled through the air.

"Of course they do. You’ve begun a cycle, little witch. The trees will grow stronger with every student they help, their roots reaching deeper into the academy’s lands. Balance spreads — just as chaos does."

Lira exhaled softly, her eyes lifting toward the fading sunset.

"Then may balance spread far, before the next storm arrives."

Fluffy jumped up onto a low branch, purring contentedly as fireflies began to blink around them. Renkai and Thalanir rested nearby, watching the orchard with quiet satisfaction. Above them, Serelyth perched again on a high branch in her humanoid form, her dragon eyes glinting gold in the dusk.

The grove hummed — alive, peaceful, and strong.

For now, it was calm.

But Lira knew that calm was never permanent.

Still, she smiled. She was ready — grounded, prepared, and surrounded by the life she had nurtured.

The grove was calm that morning. Mist clung to the ground like soft silk, and golden light shimmered between the leaves of the Apple Orchard. Dewdrops glittered on petals, catching sunrise hues of rose and amber.

Lira walked among the rows barefoot, her long robe brushing against the grass. She felt peace in the rhythm of life here — the soft pulse of the Giant Tree, the whisper of the wind through the orchard, the quiet chirping of Fluffy somewhere under the herbs.

But then, a deep vibration rolled through the grove. The Giant Tree Spirit was stirring.

Its bark shimmered with faint runes as the great face formed in the trunk — ancient, patient, yet now carrying a strange urgency.

"Lira..." the Tree’s voice rumbled, slow and resonant, shaking the very air. "You’ve done well with your last mission. The orchard thrives, and balance flows through this land again. But balance is never still. It needs another root to hold it in place."

Lira looked up, curious. "What do you mean, old one?"

The ground trembled slightly as the Tree’s massive roots shifted beneath her feet.

"There is a plant — the Virelle Bloom. Once, it grew beside every spring of magic in this world. Its essence stabilizes power flows, and its scent can calm even raging mana storms. But..."

The voice grew heavier, echoing deep within the grove.

"It is gone. Extinct, burned out by the wars of the old ages. None grow in this era — not one seed, not one sprout remains."

Lira frowned. "Extinct? Then how could I possibly obtain it?"

A low chuckle rolled through the branches, shaking leaves free like falling rain.

"You have something others do not — the mirror. It connects your time to others, your lives to your past selves. If you wish to find the Virelle Bloom, you must go through the mirror — to the past where it still grew. Seek it before the wars destroyed it."

Lira felt her heart quicken. She turned toward the ancient mirror embedded in the tree’s roots — its silver surface calm, but humming faintly. "And if I take it from the past..." she hesitated, "won’t it change something?"

The Tree’s glowing eyes softened, the bark creaking like laughter.

"It may. Or it may not. That depends on what you take and why. You are not to change events — only to borrow what once was, so its essence may live again. The future is hungry for roots, Lira. Bring them back."

Renkai, who had been trimming vines nearby, looked up sharply.

"Going through the mirror again?" he asked, a mix of excitement and worry in his tone.

Thalanir folded his arms, glancing toward the shimmering surface. "The past isn’t always kind. What if something follows her back?"

Serelyth, perched high above in her humanoid form, tilted her head, golden hair catching the light. "If the Tree asks, it’s important. But she should not go alone."

Lira smiled faintly. "I won’t be alone. You’ll all be with me — even if you stay here, the grove itself connects us."

The Giant Tree’s roots pulsed once, glowing faintly as if approving.

"Prepare yourself, little witch. The past you’ll walk into is older than memory — a time when magic was wild and untempered. The Virelle Bloom grew near the Wellspring of Kareth, where element storms raged freely. Find it, and bring back its essence. You will know it by its glow — pale blue with veins of gold."

Lira nodded, determination rising within her. She moved toward her table beneath the tree, gathering her tools — small vials, enchanted satchels, a knife of moonsteel, and a charm woven from apple blossom stems for protection.

Fluffy climbed up onto her shoulder, mewing softly as if sensing the gravity of the task.

"All right," she whispered, glancing at the mirror. "One more journey."

The mirror’s surface began to swirl, light shifting into shades of blue and gold — the colors the Tree had described. The air smelled faintly of spring rain and something ancient, something untouched by centuries.

The Giant Tree’s voice echoed once more, fading into a deep hum.

"Go, and find the Virelle Bloom. Bring balance where time has forgotten it. But beware — the past may not welcome your presence. Watch, listen, and take only what you must."

With a deep breath, Lira stepped toward the mirror, her reflection stretching and blurring into light. The grove shimmered around her — and then she vanished, swallowed by the glow.

Only a faint ripple remained on the mirror’s surface.

Renkai placed his hand against the bark of the Giant Tree.

"You sent her far this time."

The Tree sighed, its voice a deep whisper among leaves.

"Yes. But her roots reach farther than she knows."