In the halls of the Storm Clan, rumors about Rian Cole spread like an invisible current.
Servants, who'd spent years scrubbing floors and serving meals, had always seen Rian as a nobody, a kid who'd lucked into the prestigious Cole surname.
To many, he was a lazy slacker with no talent.
Rian was a shadow of the name he bore, someone unworthy of the respect the Cole surname commanded.
But recent events had shattered that image like glass.
First, the scuffle near the dining hall, where Rian had effortlessly dodged an Aspirant's punches, humiliating the kid in front of everyone.
Sure, some argued it was easy given the age gap, but then there was the rumor he'd beaten Vask's sons, Mentor-rank fighters—a feat that seemed impossible for a powerless servant.
And now, news that he'd skipped work that morning, coupled with his promotion to Novice after causing an explosion everyone attributed to fire, kept tongues wagging about who Rian was now.
"Is it the same Rian?" a servant whispered, lugging a bucket.
"They say he beat a Custodian in public and became an official fighter," another said, incredulous.
For some, Rian was still a talentless fluke, but others were starting to wonder.
"What if the Cole blood awakened in him?" a girl said, sweeping a hallway.
"He's a Cole, after all."
The idea that the kid they'd ignored for years might be more than he seemed sparked a mix of envy, curiosity, and distrust.
◇◆◇
In the training field, Kain Cole pounded a sandbag with his fists, sweating under the afternoon sun.
His black tunic, with blue edges marking his status, was soaked.
As he trained, his ears caught snippets of a nearby conversation.
Two Aspirants in black tunics, sitting on a bench, spoke in hushed tones.
"They say Rian Cole awakened fire," one said, voice tinged with envy.
"And that Lira's helping him," the other added, scratching his head.
Kain stopped, fists clenched.
'Rian? That loser?' he thought, blood boiling.
He'd met Rian in passing—a clumsy kid who could barely carry a bucket without tripping.
The idea that he was progressing, and worse, that Lira, his adoptive sister, was supporting him, infuriated him.
'That idiot's been hiding his power this whole time?' he thought, teeth gritted.
Without hesitation, Kain decided he needed to confront Lira and get answers.
He stormed over to the whispering boys.
"Hey!" he growled, his tone making them leap to their feet. "What are you doing spouting nonsense instead of training?"
The boys paled, stammering excuses.
Kain stepped closer, eyes narrowed.
"If I catch you talking about Rian or any other garbage again, I'll end you. Got it?"
The boys nodded, trembling, and bolted, leaving their canteens behind.
Kain stood alone, breathing heavily.
'Lira helping Rian…' he thought, with a bitter laugh. 'No way. That moron doesn't deserve her attention.'
But part of him couldn't dismiss the rumors.
If Rian had truly awakened a power, and if Lira was involved, something was up.
'I'll get to the bottom of this,' he thought, adjusting his tunic and heading toward the main building, where he knew he'd find Lira.
◇◆◇
Meanwhile, Charles walked the clan's paths, guided by the system toward the forest where he often found Nora.
It was night, and the sky was blanketed with gray clouds promising rain.
The air smelled of damp earth, and leaves crunched under his boots.
Charles had decided to use the time to practice his power, especially after the explosion fiasco.
'If I'm gonna pretend I control fire, I need to figure out how to do it without blowing my hands off,' he thought, sighing.
He reached the clearing ringed by tall trees, the nearby river murmuring in the dark.
As expected, Nora wasn't there.
Charles stopped, scanning the area.
'Guess those run-ins with her were just luck,' he thought, shrugging.
He'd hoped to see her, maybe talk or train together, but the place was empty.
'Well… this has its perks,' he thought, then glanced at the clouds. 'Don't tell me it's gonna rain again…'
Charles decided to start practicing. He recalled the explosion at the training field, when he'd tried focusing energy between his palms.
'It was a mess, but it worked,' he thought. 'If I can control it, maybe I can make it look like fire without hurting myself.'
He got into position, pressing his hands together as before, and closed his eyes. He visualized electricity flowing from his core, a river of sparks pooling in his palms.
'Slow…' he thought, trying to keep control.
BOOM!
A smaller explosion than before, but still strong, burst from his hands.
Charles staggered back, yelping in pain. His palms burned again, and a blue flash lit the clearing for a second.
Nearby trees were scorched, burnt leaves drifting to the ground. Charles dropped to his knees, panting.
"Damn it!" he growled, staring at his hands.
The bandages from the medical area were torn, and the burns looked worse.
"This isn't working," he muttered, frustrated.
But something caught his eye. Despite the explosion, his black tunic was nearly unscathed, just dusted with dirt and a slightly singed edge.
Charles frowned, touching the fabric.
'What the hell's this thing made of?' he thought, surprised.
He'd expected it to be shredded, but it held up better than his skin.
"System," he muttered, "tell me what this tunic's made of."
A blue panel appeared:
[The fighters' tunic is made of reinforced fibers crafted with clan techniques, designed to resist physical and elemental damage. It's not indestructible but offers decent protection.]
Charles raised an eyebrow.
"Well, that explains it," he said, with a tired laugh.
But a voice cut him off.
"I see you've gotten noisier, Rian."
Charles whipped his head around, heart racing slightly.
Nora was walking toward him, emerging from the forest's darkness. She wore her usual black tunic with white edges, but something was off: her right forearm was bandaged, and she walked with a slight limp.
Charles blinked, surprised.
"Nora?" he said, standing. "What're you doing here?"
She stopped a few meters away, crossing her arms.
"I could ask you the same," she said, smirking. "Blowing up the forest isn't exactly subtle."
Charles scratched his neck, grinning nervously.
"Uh… just practicing," he said, glancing at his injured hands. "Didn't go as planned." He pointed at her bandaged arm. "What's that? You okay?"
Nora glanced at her forearm, frowning.
"Consequences of a duel in the arena…" she said, annoyed.
"Wait… you fight too?" Charles asked, surprised, momentarily forgetting she was Master rank.
Having seen her napping so often, he'd pegged her as lazy in his mind, but recalling the brutal Aspirant training…
'Did she really go through that too?' he thought.
Nora sat on the ground, saying:
"If you're gonna ask dumb questions, I won't let you train here."