Morning mist drifted through the academy's elemental training grounds, a rare quiet settling over the vast expanse of open space that was divided into six distinct zones—each designed to train and test mastery over a fundamental force.
Fire. Water. Wind. Earth. Lightning. Void.
Most students trained in two, sometimes three. Kael? He hadn't trained in any.
Yet here he was, standing on the cracked, scorched stones of the Fire Trial Grounds, blinking sleep from his eyes.
Lyra handed him a canteen. "Don't get burned."
Kael sipped. "Noted. Any tips?"
She nodded. "Don't stand still. And don't stand on anything glowing red."
Kael glanced down. The stone beneath him pulsed a soft red.
"Right," he said, stepping aside casually as it exploded.
---
Trial Phase Two – Elemental Proficiency Check
Instructor Veil floated above the crowd on a wind platform. "This is not a test of magic. This is a test of survival. Use instinct. Use your head. Or don't. We'll heal you either way."
Kael looked at his trial scroll.
> Task: Navigate through five hazard zones.
Survive. Reach the end. Optional: Impress the judges.
Bonus: Don't die.
He sighed. "Always with the dying bonus."
---
Zone 1: Fire
Flames burst from the walls. Platforms flickered in and out. Magma boiled below.
Kael watched three students ahead of him panic and leap to their failures.
He stepped forward… slowly.
Crack.
The first platform shuddered. He yawned.
A blast of fire shot toward him. He ducked—because he dropped his canteen.
The flame whizzed overhead.
The audience gasped.
"Did you see that dodge?"
"He must've predicted the pattern!"
Kael muttered, "I predicted thirst."
---
Zone 2: Water
It looked peaceful. A long bridge. Crystal water below.
Halfway across, Kael heard a splash. A serpent of liquid rose, coiling around him.
He blinked. "No."
It lunged.
He stepped back.
The bridge collapsed, serpent falling with it.
Kael stood alone on a floating piece of wood.
"…Okay."
From the spectator stands, Hema scribbled furiously.
> "Adaptability rating: extreme. Reaction time: unmeasurable."
Professor Mylen leaned over. "Is he even awake?"
Hema replied, "I don't think he's ever fully conscious. That might be his power."
---
Zone 3: Wind
Tornadoes. Updrafts. Blades of air.
Kael stepped in and immediately got flung into a gust.
"Kael!" Lyra shouted from the sidelines.
He spun once. Twice. Landed on a wind platform… perfectly balanced.
Students gawked.
"He's dancing with the air!"
"He's a wind user, right?!"
"No, he's a nap user!"
Kael sneezed. "Ugh. Allergic to effort."
He stepped off the platform—onto the exit pad.
---
Zone 4: Earth
The path was a maze of shifting boulders, sinkholes, and golems.
Kael stared.
Then he simply walked alongside the path.
The golems looked at him.
He stared back.
"…Not today," he muttered.
They let him pass.
---
Zone 5: Lightning
Sparks lit the sky. Arcs of energy snapped from pillar to pillar.
This zone looked serious.
A timer clicked to life.
> "You have 60 seconds."
Kael groaned. "Of course."
He dashed. Lightning exploded near him.
A bolt struck.
It missed because Kael slipped and fell on his back.
The audience screamed.
"HE FAKED DEATH TO AVOID LIGHTNING!"
"WHAT KIND OF GENIUS—?!"
Kael rolled over, muttering. "I think my soul just left."
But he reached the end pad just before the timer hit zero.
---
End of the Trial Grounds
Kael collapsed near the observation tent.
Lyra handed him a towel. "You did great."
"I almost died."
"You always do."
"Why do people think I'm doing this on purpose?"
Lyra shrugged. "Because no one survives that trial without training."
Kael nodded, eyes closing. "Guess I'm just too lazy to die."
Lyra chuckled quietly.
---
Elsewhere…
In the upper tower of the Academy, a communication orb flickered.
A robed figure whispered, "Phase Two complete. He survived… again."
The response came from deep within the Shadow Society.
"Let him walk the path."
"But he's not trying."
"Exactly."
---
Back in the Dorms – That Night
Kael rubbed his shoulder.
"I got electrocuted. Fought a snake made of water. Nearly inhaled a tornado."
He lay back on his bed.
"…And people still think I'm doing it on purpose."
Lyra appeared in the doorway. "Because you're calm. Because you don't flinch."
"I flinch inwardly," he replied.
She stepped in. "You scare people, Kael. Not because you're dangerous…"
He looked up. "But?"
She smirked. "Because you make danger look bored."
---
End of Chapter 38