The morning air outside the Elder's Hall was crisp with dew, sunlight spilling gently over the stone steps.
The hall still smelled faintly of incense and old parchment. In its center stood a large stone pedestal.
Arin sat next to a stocky boy with a wide grin and messy brown hair that looked like it had fought a windstorm and lost.
"I'm Kael," the boy whispered. "You're Lyra's kid, right? The one with the silver hair?"
"Uh, yeah," Arin murmured. "I'm Arin."
Kael gave him a friendly nudge. "Sit straight! He's gonna bring out the crystal!"
Elder Marn turned to face them.
"You may have awakened," he began, his voice firm but kind, "but awakening is only the beginning. Before you begin your formal lessons, we will test your affinities."
Elder Marn turned and unwrapped a thick cloth from the stone pedestal before him, revealing a smooth, egg-sized crystal. At first glance it seemed clear—but then light caught the interior, and subtle swirls of color shimmered like a ripple beneath still water.
"This," said Marn, "is an Affinity Crystal. When a child's Soul Mark awakens, they may test their elemental resonance. The crystal reveals the element— or elements— they share a bond with."
He paced the circle slowly. "Most show one. A few, two. And once every few generations… something else. But let us not dream too far ahead."
He turned back to the crystal. "Today, we welcome a new soul to the circle."
All heads turned toward Arin.
He swallowed hard and rose. "I—I'm Arin Vale."
"Come," Marn said, beckoning with a nod. "Place your palm. Do not force it. Breathe. Let your mark listen."
Arin stepped forward, heart pounding. The dull warmth of his Soul Mark—still fresh from yesterday—throbbed lightly beneath his shirt. He placed his palm on the crystal.
For a moment—nothing.
Then, light.
A brilliant silver-gold glow burst to life inside the crystal, radiant and clear. Several children gasped. Kael gave a low whistle.
But then—just faintly—something stirred beneath the brilliance. A second aura, deeper, cooler. A muted violet-blue, swirling quietly at the crystal's edge like a shadow cast by starlight.
Marn leaned in, frowning. "Light Affinity. Rare indeed. But this second resonance…"
He fell quiet, studying it.
"Curious. It could be a mixed echo. Earth and water? Or perhaps something sleeping. Time will tell."
Arin stepped back, cheeks flushed. Kael grinned and patted his back. "Two? That's wild!"
Marn continued. "Let the others now show their sparks."
One by one, the children stepped forward:
Kael Thorn, bold and eager, placed his hand and the crystal swirled with rich brown, steady and deep. "Earth," Marn said with a nod. "Sturdy. Reliable."
Mirelle Anwen, graceful and quiet, held the crystal with a poised calm. A pale green glow danced inside. "Wind," Marn murmured. "Quick and clever."
Daren Voss, with a nervous grin, barely touched it before the crystal flared with fiery orange—and a puff of smoke rose from his sleeve. "Fire," Marn coughed. "Reckless. Be careful, boy."
Silen Veir, youngest of them all, stepped silently forward. The crystal bloomed with a cool blue, rippling like water in moonlight. "Water," Marn whispered. "Balanced. Centered."
---
Once the final child had been tested, Marn led them through a side corridor to a smaller building nestled near the Elder Hall. It looked like a schoolhouse — old wooden beams and open windows where other children, older apprentices, practiced with wooden staves or chanted minor spells under the supervision of a gray-robed teacher.
"This," Marn said, gesturing to the courtyard, "is Mistgrove's school for the awakened. Some of you may already know the basics — perhaps your parents or guardians explained them last night. But here, you will go deeper. You will learn what mana truly is, how your Soul Mark connects you to the world, and how affinity shapes everything."
He paused, looking at the group.
"Every person has an affinity," he continued. "It's a reflection of your soul — your natural resonance with a part of the world. Fire, water, wind, earth, light, shadow, lightning... and rarer ones too."
A girl raised her hand. "But can't we all use all kinds of magic?"
Marn smiled. "Yes. But affinity determines strength and efficiency. A fire affinity caster will wield flames like an extension of their body, but struggle to maintain even a basic water spell. Higher-tier spells? Nearly impossible without the right affinity."
There were nods, but also furrowed brows — children absorbing the weight of what they'd just been told.
"For now, you will learn the basics of mana absorption and control. We call it cultivation, though some prefer 'channeling' or 'refining'. It's the process of drawing in ambient mana from the world, storing it in your Soul Mark, and strengthening it. The more refined your control, the stronger your mark becomes — and the more powerful your spells will be."
He stepped into the center of the stone training ring.
"Sit. Close your eyes. Breathe."
The children obeyed, shuffling to their places, some whispering to one another. Arin sat beside Kael, the cool stone grounding beneath him.
"You've already connected to the world through your Soul Mark," Marn said. "Now, you must deepen that connection. Begin with your breath — steady, full. Let your focus narrow. Let mana come to you. Don't force it. Let it enter your mark. From there, let it move through your body. Feel it. Accept it."
Silence fell over the circle, broken only by breath and the occasional shift of cloth or pebble.
"Let it mix with you," Marn continued. "Only when mana becomes part of your flow can you feel the world truly. Not just see it — feel it."
A boy near the front peeked one eye open. "I felt a tingle in my fingers," he whispered.
Even Arin, though unsure, felt something — like mist gathering inside him. Faint, but real. He didn't know what it meant yet. But it was there.
"Is that mana?" a girl asked, wide-eyed.
Kael grinned. "That's how it starts."
Silen exhaled, trembling with excitement. "I can feel it! Like cool threads crawling into me!"
Kael peeked one eye open. "I think mine's stuck."
Laughter rippled. Marn smirked. "It will take time. And effort. But in the coming days, you will learn to cultivate your mark—to increase its strength and your mana capacity."
"Are there special ways elder Marn?" Kael asked.
Marn nodded. "Yes. Each affinity has techniques. You will learn them as you become more familiar with your element. But first, you must become aware—of yourself, and of all the elements."
Excitement rippled through the group. The lesson had only begun.
---
That Night...
Arin lay under his blanket, staring at the wooden ceiling beams. The scent of drying herbs filled the room. His mother sat nearby, mending a cloak.
He turned. "Mama… do you think Dad would've liked it?"
She looked up, eyes soft. After a pause, she leaned in and kissed his forehead.
"I think," she whispered, "he would've been more than proud."
---
Two weeks later...
Practice began outside beneath the shade of whispering trees. The children paired off with old wooden staves and woven bracelets meant to help channel their first sparks of mana.
Daren sneezed soot again. Mirelle's breeze knocked over her partner. Kael cracked the ground and fell backwards laughing.
Silen calmly froze a dewdrop midair.
When Arin's turn came, Marn watched closely.
"Feel your mark," he said again. "Don't search outward. Bloom inward."
Arin closed his eyes. He pictured the crystal's light. The warmth of his mark. The gentle flicker of his mother's lantern at night.
A soft shimmer gathered above his palm—a golden orb, small and perfect, glowing like dawn caught in glass.
Marn's brows lifted. "Hmph. Promising."
Kael whooped. "You're gonna set the academy on fire!"
"I don't have fire affinity," Arin mumbled.
Kael winked. "Doesn't mean you can't try!"