The sun was dipping low, casting golden light across the training field. It was another session of intense training. My body still buzzed with residual energy, my muscles sore from pushing earth through stone and soil alike. Beside me, Cassian wiped his brow, lightning crackling faintly across his fingers as his mana settled.
"That was… brutal," he muttered with a half-laugh, collapsing beside me on the grass. "If this is the beginner level, I'm terrified of what's next."
I managed a tired grin, stretching out my arms. "You did well. The lightning responded to you more than yesterday."
"Still couldn't keep up with you and your ridiculous boulders."
I glanced to my side—our third teammate, Lyra "Don't praise him too much," she said, her tone cool but not unkind. "He nearly tripped on his own surge three times."
Cassian groaned. "Come on, Lyra. At least lie for me."
Lyra raised a brow. "You want a light mage to lie? That's not happening."
Despite her sharp tone, there was a sense of camaraderie between the three of us now. We had bled, struggled, and grown together over these past weeks—and even as other students shifted into their own groups, something about our bond held strong. Maybe it was the mark. Maybe it was something more.
As we returned to the academy building, chatter filled the air. Students talked about tomorrow's combat assessment—the first official ranking match to determine positions within the Academy's tiered structure. I could already feel the anticipation burning in the corridors.
"I heard one of the senior students will be watching," someone whispered behind us.
"Not just watching," said another. "They'll be judging."
That made Cassian's steps falter slightly. "You think it's one of the elite classes?"
Lyra glanced at me. "It's possible. They sometimes evaluate the lower divisions to look for talent."
Cassian whistled. "So if we do well, we could be noticed?"
"Or crushed," Elira said flatly.
Still, I didn't mind the pressure. If anything, I welcomed it. The growing strength inside me—it wanted release. Not violence, exactly… but purpose. Something stirred under my skin each time I shaped stone, something ancient and unyielding.
When we reached the main hall, an announcement was posted near the crystal board:
> TOMORROW – Elemental Combat Trials. Group Matches. All students must report to the Southern Arena by dawn.
A low buzz filled the crowd.
"Guess that's our invitation," I murmured.
Cassian rubbed the back of his neck. "And here I was hoping for a day off."
"Hope is dangerous," Lyra muttered, though I caught the tiny smirk tugging at the corner of her lips.
Later that evening, in our shared dorm, I glanced at the mirror. Dirt still clung to my cheekbones, my dark, shoulder-length hair tangled from training. My eyes—silver-grey, like clouds over stone—met my own reflection. My skin, with the golden hue on it, became even more appealing, from sun and effort. On my collarbone, just beneath the surface of my tunic, the faint spiral mark of divine origin pulsed softly.
I touched it with reverence. The mark was mine. Aether—that name they gave me—was mine now, too.
Cassian stepped in, towel around his neck. "You ready for tomorrow?"
I nodded. "Are you?"
He paused. "Yeah. As long as we're fighting together, I think we've got a shot."
I smiled faintly. "Then let's make sure they remember our names."
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