The academy morning began with a sharp blare from the campus sirens. It wasn't loud, just enough to stir students from sleep and into gear. Today wasn't about books or lectures.
Today was about discovering our true power.
The training field, known as Terra Core Grounds, buzzed with anticipation. It was a wide open space — artificial sunlamps above, elemental zones on all sides. This was where the real training happened.
Students from all classes — Common, Noble, Royal — gathered. We, the Royal class, stood at the front. Behind us were students who had either scraped through or had raw potential but no real control.
A few smug faces from the Common class sneered from the back. One of them, a spiky-haired loudmouth, shouted, "Rank this! I'm still better than you stuck-up Royals!"
He and his little group were loud, but everyone knew they had zero potential. They'd bullied others yesterday, bragging about fake rankings and imaginary power. Bastards like them were everywhere. But today, they'd be exposed.
A tall, commanding woman stepped forward from the instructor ranks. She wore a reinforced combat suit and had glowing red eyes — intimidating, to say the least.
"I am Instructor Caldra, head aura trainer for the Elite Division," she announced. "Today, you will uncover your elemental affinity — the core of your aura."
She raised her hand and instantly summoned flames around her fist, which morphed into a serpent of fire before vanishing.
"This is aura — the elemental force awakened within you. Control it, and you evolve. Fail to control it, and you're a walking disaster."
Behind her were five glowing monoliths: crystal structures designed to reveal and resonate with a student's element.
"Step forward one by one," she commanded.
First up, Kiel. Calm and confident, he touched the monolith. It glowed deep orange, and flames burst around him.
"Inferno class. Fire element," Caldra noted. "Offensive powerhouse."
Kiel grinned and whispered, "Let's see anyone try to touch my snacks now."
Then came Jace. As he placed his hand on the crystal, vines sprouted from beneath it. Trees grew rapidly from the soil simulator behind him.
"Verdant Titan class. Plant affinity. Impressive versatility."
Jace smiled proudly. "Mother Nature's got my back."
Ren stepped up next. He seemed focused, quiet as always. When he made contact, the lights flickered. Shadows stretched unnaturally, and a chill filled the air. Purple mist coiled around his form.
"Phantom Veil. Shadow element. Rare and lethal."
Then it was my turn.
I walked forward slowly. Deep down, I already knew there was something strange inside me — something volatile.
I placed my palm on the crystal, expecting a reaction.
But what followed wasn't just a reaction — it was an eruption.
The sky darkened instantly. Thunder roared. Bolts of lightning rained down, striking the outer energy barrier. At the same time, a cyclone burst around me. Wind whipped across the training field, howling like a hurricane.
The monolith didn't glow. It shattered.
Everyone froze. Students ducked. Even Instructor Caldra stepped back cautiously.
"What… what the hell?" someone muttered.
A second monolith nearby activated on its own, glowing teal. Wind symbols spun wildly around it.
Caldra stepped forward slowly, her voice quiet but filled with awe. "Dual Elemental Affinity… Stormbringer-Class Lightning and Tempest-Class Wind. Unstable. Extremely rare."
Another instructor whispered, "Not even the global ranking students awakened two elements at once."
I stood silently, the air around me crackling and swirling.
The staff looked stunned. Some students looked jealous. Others — scared.
But those loudmouths from earlier? Silent. Pale. Shaking.
After the reveal, we were divided into elemental zones for training.
Kiel was in a lava pit area, hurling fireballs like a pro. His control was sharp — aggressive, fast, fiery.
Jace stood in a mini forest zone. Trees responded to him like extensions of his body. He made wooden spikes and walls grow instantly.
Ren trained in a dark dome filled with illusions. He mastered creating shadow clones and slipping into them to dodge hits.
I was placed in the Eye of the Storm, a circular arena where both wind and lightning could be tested.
I summoned lightning first — and it shattered three combat dummies instantly.
Then I called upon the wind. It followed me like an obedient spirit — swirling around my body, shielding me, lifting me effortlessly into motion.
And then — it happened.
My aura surged.
Electricity and air fused into my hands as two blades materialized out of pure energy — twin swords, glowing with lightning and wrapped in streams of cutting wind. The edges sparked and buzzed violently, like they were hungry to be unleashed.
One sword crackled with stormy blue lightning — raw, unstable power.
The other whispered like the wind — fast, sharp, and impossibly light.
Instructor Caldra stared, her voice low and sharp.
"Dual elemental swords… forged from pure aura?"
She exhaled.
"Not even among S-Class veterans have I seen that."
I gripped the swords and moved. My body felt weightless, every slash combining speed and destruction. Training dummies were cut cleanly, then exploded moments later from the surging energy inside the blades.
The staff didn't know what to say.
One of them whispered, "That's not just talent. That's legendary-tier potential."
From that moment, everyone on that field understood — I wasn't just another awakened student.
I was something else entirely.