Sleep had eluded Arin all night, Master Kairo's warning echoing through the sparse dormitory as dawn painted the floating academy in hues of gold and amber.
"By sunset tomorrow, we'll know whether you're truly meant to walk the path of cultivation—or if you'll be sent back down the mountain, memories of Elysion wiped clean."
The words had been delivered with Kairo's usual stoicism, but their weight had settled heavily on Arin's chest. The thought of losing everything—the medallion, the Nexus Shard, the memories of battles fought and bonds forged—was almost unbearable. He had sacrificed too much to reach this point. He couldn't fail now.
The dormitory was quiet except for the faint hum of energy that seemed to permeate every corner of the Floating Citadel. The walls shifted subtly, their crystalline surfaces refracting light into patterns that danced across the room. Even here, the Citadel felt alive, its presence a constant reminder that it was watching.
Pyx had tried to reassure him before leaving for her own quarters. "You've got this," she'd said, her freckles glowing faintly with encouragement. "You're not just some random initiate—you're the Catalyst. If anyone can pass this trial, it's you."
Her words had been meant to comfort, but they only added to the pressure. Arin wasn't sure what being "the Catalyst" truly meant anymore. The medallion and Nexus Shard pulsed faintly against his chest as if sensing his turmoil but offering no answers.
The trial began at dawn.
Arin stood in a circular chamber at the heart of the Citadel, its walls lined with glowing symbols that shifted and rearranged themselves like living calligraphy. At the center of the room sat an altar carved from translucent crystal, atop which rested a single stone—the Element Stone.
It was small and unassuming at first glance, but its surface shimmered with colors that seemed to shift depending on how one looked at it: red for fire, blue for water, green for earth, white for air, and black for void. Each hue pulsed faintly as if alive.
Master Elos stood beside the altar, his robes flowing like liquid starlight as he addressed Arin and the other initiates who had gathered to watch.
"The Trial of the Five Elements is not merely a test of skill," he explained, his voice calm but commanding. "It is a measure of balance—of your ability to harmonize with forces that shape reality itself."
He gestured toward the Element Stone. "Each initiate must place their hand upon the stone and channel their Qi into it. The stone will respond by revealing one color—the element most aligned with your soul."
Arin frowned slightly at this explanation. One color? That sounded straightforward enough—but he knew better than to trust appearances in Elysion.
Elos turned his piercing gaze toward him specifically. "For you," he said slowly, "the trial may reveal more than alignment. It may reveal destiny."
The other initiates murmured among themselves at this cryptic statement. Arin felt their eyes on him—some curious, others skeptical—and tightened his grip on the Eclipse Blade at his side.
"Step forward," Elos commanded.
Arin took a deep breath and approached the altar. The Element Stone pulsed faintly as he drew near, its colors shifting faster as if sensing his presence.
He placed his hand on its surface.
The moment his skin made contact with the stone, a surge of energy shot through him—raw and primal but not chaotic. It was controlled, purposeful, like a river flowing exactly where it needed to go.
The stone flared red first—fire—and images flashed through Arin's mind: flames consuming darkness; battles fought with passion and determination; moments where anger had fueled his strength but threatened to consume him.
Then it shifted to blue—water—and new images emerged: calm rivers; adaptability in moments of crisis; times when he had flowed around obstacles rather than confronting them head-on.
Next came green—earth—and he saw stability: bonds forged with those who had stood beside him; moments when he had been their anchor amid chaos.
White followed—air—and brought freedom: choices made despite fear; moments when he had risen above doubt to embrace possibility.
Finally came black—void—and with it came silence: sacrifices made; power wielded at great cost; moments when he had faced annihilation and emerged changed.
The room fell silent as each color cycled through the stone in turn—but then something impossible happened.
The Element Stone didn't stop cycling.
Its surface began shifting faster now—not settling on one color but blending them all together into a swirling mandala of light that defied comprehension.
Gasps echoed around the chamber as initiates stepped back in shock. Even Master Elos looked momentarily stunned before regaining his composure.
Blood dripped from Arin's palm where the crystal had cut deep—a small price demanded by its power—but it wasn't pain that caused the room to fall silent. It was the impossible sight of the Element Stone cycling through all five colors instead of just one—something no initiate had accomplished in living memory.
"It's… harmonizing," Liora whispered from where she stood among the spectators, her braids glowing brightly with awe. "All five elements are responding to him."
Master Kairo stepped forward then—his celestial mask shifting to patterns that conveyed both curiosity and caution—as he studied Arin closely.
"This is unprecedented," Elos said finally after several moments spent observing swirling mandala now forming above altar itself; "No initiate has ever achieved such balance…"
Arin felt weight behind those words settle heavily against chest already burdened by medallion pulsing faintly alongside Nexus Shard humming softly now within grip holding Eclipse Blade tightly…
"What does it mean?" Pyx asked nervously while stepping closer toward edge surrounding chamber floor glowing faintly beneath feet scattered across space now filled entirely by swirling lights emanating directly from center where Element Stone continued cycling endlessly between colors representing forces shaping reality itself…
"It means…" Kairo began slowly while turning toward Arin directly once more before pausing briefly alongside silence falling heavily across chamber filled entirely by tension hanging visibly now between figures surrounding space glowing brightly beneath swirling lights emanating directly from center…
"It means fate has chosen him…"