"...and I’ll give your little sister to my men..." The words resonated in Alexander’s mind. The thought of Crescian men even laying a finger on Elle woke the devil in him. His nose flared as he supported his frame with his sword, his cold gaze settling on Griffin. A significant change in temperature followed making Griffin’s brows crease.

"Mentioning my sister was the worst mistake you committed, and you’re going to regret it," he said, stretching his sword that instantly got enveloped in flames. "You’ll die!"

Griffin looked at Alexander’s sword in disbelief. How could it be possible? He blinked thrice simultaneously to confirm what he was seeing was indeed true, and not his eyes playing tricks on him. But how? A Valorian, with powers! Could it be true, what Gareth was saying? He could feel the intimidating aura that leaked from Alex that moment. And before he could think even further, Alexander had already attacked him.

Griffin was caught off guard by Alexander’s attack but he was quick to dodge, the flaming sword merely missing his nose by a whisker. Alexander however didn’t give him the luxury to compose himself before he attacked relentlessly, instantly switching Griffin on the defensive side. His attacks were lethal, almost making Griffin lose grip of his sword. Each strike from Alexander sent him a few steps back, nearly losing his balance.

Griffin was quick to regain his balance but Alexander had already brought his sword down on him. He raised his sword to block the sudden attack but with the force exerted by Alex, Griffin stumbled backwards with Alexander’s blade still pressed on his. The damn prince was not giving him a chance to breath. The heat from the flames made him sweat as Alex pressed the sword closer to his face. He was clearly losing here. But not the Almighty king Griffin.

Ice balls burst from his sword sending Alexander a few feet away. He was now holding his chest as he coughed more blood.

"Ice and fire!" The Crescian knights exclaimed. These were two rare beings. Most of the Crescian soldiers could only perform simple spells that aided them in their swordsmanship. And even though they all had their inner power, it was regarded as a subsidiary to their swordsmanship. Only the royal family could major in full magic since theirs was at another level. Some even believed the Royal family members were direct descendants of the gods.

"So it is true?" Griffin asked, walking in the clearing in circles. "You might be powerful but you’ll never be the one," he said and threw another ice ball at Alexander which he cut into two.

"You cannot defeat me," he said, boasting to his knights who beat their shields in reply. Alexander just smirked at that. This guy was so arrogant yet he’d get defeated in the end. No one toys with his sister!

The chants died down before Griffin turned to face him," playtime is over boy. I’m not going easy on you this time, " and he meant it.

’It’s not like you were going easy on me earlier,’ Alexander rolled his eyes. But what he saw next made him forget he was even rolling his eyes. Griffin was flying mid air, a vortex of ice materializing behind him. It was growing bigger with each passing second making the whole area instantly turn snowy. Even the Crescian knights who were present couldn’t help but maintain a safe distance. No one wanted to die all in the name of cheering their king, who would eventually bring their demise.

Griffin was at his full potential. Never had he gathered such a huge vortex before. He was still suspended in mid air looking like the ice god he was. His eyes were now shining brightly in what looked like aqua color.

Alexander stared at the whole transfiguration in disbelief. How could he even defeat Griffin when he was so weak, or never knew the full extent of his powers. Just discovering he could create a flame alone was a big achievement in itself. What else could he do with this curse disguised as a blessing? He stared at his hands and he could feel his power flowing, but not to the extent he wanted. He could feel it, this was just but a piece of cake compared to what he could do.

"Be yourself son," the image of his father patting him on the shoulder flashed across his mind. Being himself? Maybe this was the answer he was looking for all this while. Maybe all it needed was for him to accept his fate and embrace this power. What if that was the answer to his questions, all this time, lying in the memories of his father? His eyes shone brightly and before he knew it, his whole body was engulfed in flames yet he didn’t get consumed.

This feeling! He felt as if his body and soul had turned into one, but still, there was this devoid in his heart that made him feel incomplete. What that was, he didn’t know. His feet felt lighter, a surprised look settling on his face when he got lifted a few feets above the ground. He looked at his flaming hands in disbelief. It was too good to be true. So the secret always lied within himself all this time. But he had an opponent to defeat first, a stronger one at that. His gaze narrowed at a surprised Griffin who was staring back at him as if he had seen an apparition. Disbelief was written all over his face, his flaming eyes momentarily dimming.

"This can’t be!" He whispered to himself more than to anyone else. Why was the truth being displayed in front of him yet he was finding it so hard to believe? Never! Even though Alexander was The One or whatever they called him, Griffin would not let him live another day. That was a sole promise he made. No one would be more powerful than him! Never!