The next morning, the academy stirred with an energy that pulsed through its stone bones like a heartbeat.
Even before the sun fully crested the eastern peaks, students were already gathering on the training fields, dressed in simple academy-issued combat robes—white trimmed with silver for new initiates. I adjusted mine, the fabric stiff and unfamiliar, and followed the stream of bodies toward the open grounds.
Cassian was already stretching like a spring about to snap. "Finally," he said, grinning, "we get to hit things."
Lyra stood beside him, her hair tied back, eyes scanning the field. "It's a fundamentals class. Don't expect real combat yet."
We passed under a tall iron arch as we stepped onto the main training ground, a circular stone arena flanked by rows of ascending seats and wooden stands. The stone floor was marked with runes—old, powerful ones—meant to suppress deadly energy surges. Practice dummies made of enchanted wood lined the outer ring, some already scorched, others cracked from elemental use.
A tall woman with a scar running from her temple to her jaw stood at the center of the field. Her cloak fluttered in the breeze, and a longsword rested against her shoulder like it weighed nothing.
"I am Instructor Kaelith, your practical instructor for today" she called out. Her voice cut through the chatter like a blade. "You will address me as such, and you will remember everything I teach you if you value your limbs."
Silence fell.
"Today, we separate theory from reality," she continued. "I don't care how much your families paid. Out here, blood and focus are worth more than your noble names."
She swept her gaze across us—and for a heartbeat, her eyes locked onto me. Not in recognition. Just… interest. Then it passed.
"You'll start with control. If you've awakened an element, step into the inner ring. If not, stay in the outer ring for basic body training. No shame in that."
Cassian stepped forward without hesitation, lightning already crackling faintly across his fingertips.
Lyra followed too, her hand glowing with a clean, focused light.
I walked after them, feeling the weight of every step. I still didn't know what I could do with Earth. Not really. But I had to try.
The inner ring was warm. Not from heat, but from the residue of power. Runes flickered beneath our feet, activated by our presence. Students began focusing—fire users flicked flames between their hands, wind users spun small currents, water benders condensed mist into shapes. Cassian grinned as a bolt snapped from his hand and struck a dummy in the distance, leaving a charred line.
"Instructor," a student near me called. "What if we accidentally overdo it?"
Kaelith smirked. "You'll learn from the pain."
I took a breath and knelt, placing my palm on the stone floor.
I pictured earth—not just dirt and rock, but the concept of it. Stability. Patience. Pressure.
It answered.
A small tremor pulsed beneath my hand. The stones shifted ever so slightly. I felt their weight, their resistance. And for a moment… it was like they listened.
I stood and focused on a target dummy.
Move, I thought.
The ground beneath the dummy trembled—and then, with a sound like cracking bones, a narrow spike of stone erupted beneath it, tipping it backward.
Not much. But enough to earn a curious look from Kaelith. And a flicker of surprise from Lyra.
Cassian whistled. "Okay, that was cool."
My legs felt like they'd run miles. I dropped into a crouch, catching my breath.
Kaelith called out again. "That's enough for now. Partners—pair up. I want basic sparring stances. No elements. Just movement."
Cassian nudged me. "Let's do it."
"Are you sure?" I asked. "I'm kind of tired."
"That's the best time to train," he grinned. "It's how real fights work."
We circled each other. His stance was loose but coiled. Mine was clumsy, still unsure of how to hold my weight.
He didn't attack first. He waited.
So I moved—and stumbled forward, nearly tripping.
He caught me before I hit the ground.
"Okay, maybe we start with footwork," he said, laughing.
Others sparred nearby—Lyra disarmed her partner with a single pivot. Alira from yesterday was moving with elegance, her motions like flowing water.
All around me, the academy was waking up.
Not just the place.
The people.
The future warriors.
And me.
I was part of it now, even if I didn't fully understand how.
When the training ended, and sweat clung to every part of me, I looked up at the distant mountains ringing the academy like guardians. The sky above was vast, impossibly blue.
And I knew, deep down, this was only the beginning.
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