The Academy's eastern spire loomed high above, its marble surface glowing in the morning light. Ashen Revyn Storme adjusted the strap of his satchel as he stepped into the courtyard, where new students swirled in clusters, whispering excitedly and comparing elemental manifestations. Despite the buzz, Ashen moved quietly, his silver-streaked hair catching the sunlight like threads of lightning. His posture was calm but composed—each step measured, every glance precise. He didn't need to say much to draw attention; something about him whispered power held in restraint.
Beside him walked Kaelin Aeris Valeira, her eyes wide with wonder. A soft breeze played with her long chestnut hair, and droplets shimmered like dew along the strands—an echo of her Water affinity. Her elemental aura exuded calmness and clarity. Dressed in a pale blue academy robe cinched at the waist with a vine-wrapped sash, Kaelin practically radiated freshness—like a breeze sweeping across a still lake.
"I still can't believe we're actually here," Kaelin whispered, voice trembling with excitement. "The real Elemental Academy. We made it, Ash."
Ashen gave a small, reserved smile. "Yeah. We did."
Kaelin nudged him playfully. "You could sound a little more thrilled. We're literally standing in the heart of elemental history. Do you think we'll get to see the Grand Atrium today? Or the Elemental Relic Vault?"
"I think we'll see a classroom," Ashen replied dryly.
Kaelin laughed, her laugh like the soft bubbling of a stream. "You're such a killjoy."
Their banter was cut short as a shift passed through the courtyard. The lively chatter of the students dimmed subtly, and a path opened almost unconsciously through the crowd. A figure walked through, tall and poised like he owned the space.
He was striking, with tousled dark auburn hair and sharp gray eyes—eyes that didn't wander or drift, but cut directly into whoever they landed on. His uniform was immaculate, pressed and polished, with a crimson and steel clasp emblazoned with the sigil of Fire and Earth. On his belt, a token of his family crest marked him as high-born.
Talon Draeve.
Ashen recognized him by reputation alone.
Top of the entrance trials. A prodigy from Volrikar, the militant southern region. Rumors said he had set a stone effigy ablaze using nothing but willpower and condensed flame. Fire and Earth—elements often found together, but rarely mastered together at his age.
Their eyes met.
Talon's stare was unblinking, full of practiced arrogance. He walked with the ease of someone used to being the best in the room.
"You," he said, his voice a low challenge. "You've got the look of someone who doesn't belong here."
Ashen raised an eyebrow. "You say that like you decide who does."
Kaelin stepped closer to Ashen's side, her brows knitting together. A bead of water danced on her fingertip.
Talon took another step forward, smirking. "Name?"
"Ashen Storme."
There was a pause. Something about the name caught Talon off guard. He didn't recognize it, but the way Ashen said it—calm, steady—suggested confidence, not bravado.
"Storme, huh?" Talon sneered. "Sounds like a name someone makes up when they want to sound impressive. Noble, even. But you don't carry yourself like a noble."
Ashen didn't flinch. "Maybe I carry myself like someone who doesn't need to prove anything."
The space between them grew thick with unspoken tension. Nearby students began to circle, sensing the start of something worth witnessing. Elemental auras flickered subtly—Talon's warmth flaring at the edges, Ashen's presence deep and unreadable like the eye of a storm.
Kaelin's voice cut through the air like a drop into still water. "Is this how you welcome your peers, or are you just trying to mark territory?"
Talon's eyes flicked to her. "And what are you? His water shield?"
Kaelin smiled sweetly. "More like the reason this doesn't turn into a flood."
Talon looked her over again, this time with a spark of interest. Then, as if dismissing them both, he stepped back.
"Enjoy your first day, Storme. Don't drown in it."
With a final smirk, he turned and walked away, cloak trailing like a serpent behind him.
The crowd slowly dispersed, murmuring as they moved.
Kaelin exhaled sharply. "Wow. That guy is a full basin of ego."
Ashen's eyes followed Talon until he disappeared behind one of the archways. "He's dangerous."
"Because of his fire?"
"No," Ashen replied. "Because he knows exactly what he is—and believes everyone else is less."
Kaelin nodded thoughtfully. "Then he's a rival, not an enemy. Yet."
Ashen glanced at her. "You're not wrong."
They continued walking toward the main building, where towering doors of polished elm and obsidian awaited. The Academy bell chimed again above them, deep and resonant.
Inside, the grand entrance hall opened like the mouth of a cathedral. Walls of carved stone shimmered with embedded crystals—each attuned to the elemental houses. Fire crackled faintly in sconces that didn't burn. Water flowed through narrow canals etched into the floor, dancing beneath students' feet. Breezes moved of their own accord, brushing cheeks and sleeves. A great root coiled upward through one pillar, pulsing with emerald light.
Kaelin took it all in with wide eyes. "It's more beautiful than I imagined."
Ashen, however, scanned everything with quiet calculation. Traps, conduits, hidden designs in the stonework. His eyes paused on a crest etched high above the atrium—a circle divided by five interlocking sigils: Fire, Water, Earth, Air, and Nature.
Only five.
He looked away.
Kaelin turned to him. "Hey… do you think we'll be okay here?"
Ashen gave her a faint smile, something soft in the corner of his eye.
"We'll be fine. Just… stay close."
She nodded. "Always."
Together, they passed through the gate into their first day—unaware of how deeply the tides of fate had already begun to stir.