Rain began falling in the training area, splashing the wet ground and soaking the Novices' black tunics.
Cold drops hit Charles's face, mingling with sweat and blood dripping from his bandaged hands.
He'd defeated three more opponents after Vek, each with an explosion of his lightning disguised as fire.
The Novices watched him with a mix of fear and awe.
His hands, now bleeding so much that pink flesh showed through shredded bandages, trembled, but Charles stood tall, breathing heavily, a defiant smile on his face.
The four remaining Novices, the group's best, exchanged nervous glances.
'How's he still fighting?' a girl thought, clenching her fists.
'He's… a monster!' a boy thought, avoiding Charles's gaze.
The instructor, a Custodian named Isuke, watched Charles with an expression torn between fascination and concern.
'Isn't he scared of losing his hands?' he thought, frowning.
Charles's determination was unsettling. Each explosion hurt him more, yet he didn't stop.
The Novices whispered among themselves, voices low but filled with disbelief.
"He's insane," one boy murmured.
"Nobody fights like that," another said, shaking his head.
Even the four remaining opponents hesitated.
'He's gotta be wiped out,' one thought, trying to convince himself. 'No way he's got that much energy after using so much power.'
Isuke's mind drifted to a memory.
Years ago, as an ambitious Warrior, he'd trained in a smaller field surrounded by rocks and dry trees.
The sun scorched, dust clinging to his skin as he practiced with a Grand Master, a man in a fully blue tunic with eyes that seemed to see through everything.
Exhausted after a brutal drill, Isuke had dared to ask, "Grand Master, what's the secret to rising in the clan? How do I climb higher?"
The Grand Master, sitting on a rock, let out a deep laugh.
"You're overthinking it, Isuke," he said, wiping sweat from his brow. "Many think it's about impressing a superior, inventing fancy training, or finding shortcuts. But it's simpler."
Isuke, confused, stepped closer.
"Simpler? Please, explain," he said, almost desperate.
The Grand Master looked at him, his smile more serious than amused.
"It's the spirit of winning at all costs," he said. "Even if it means dying."
Isuke blinked, not getting it.
"Dying?" he repeated. "But if I die, I can't enjoy the promotion. What's the point?"
The Grand Master laughed again, louder.
"That's irrelevant," he said, standing. "The clan doesn't seek those who want to enjoy. It seeks those willing to give everything, no matter the cost. That spirit is what makes you rise."
The memory faded, and Isuke snapped back to the present, rain falling on his red-striped black tunic.
He looked at Charles, whose eyes burned with resolve despite the pain.
"Next!" Charles shouted, voice hoarse but steady.
Isuke hesitated.
It was clear Charles could beat all the Novices, but the cost was too high.
'Is it worth it?' he thought.
Part of him wanted to stop the duels, declare Charles fit for Warrior—or even Custodian—based on his indomitable spirit.
But another part, recalling the Grand Master's words, wanted to see how far he'd go.
'This kid's got that spirit,' Isuke thought, a knot in his stomach.
He swallowed and pointed to the next opponent.
"Leon, fire element, fourth in the ranking! Go!" he shouted as the rain intensified, drenching the field.
Leon, a short-haired, lean boy, stepped forward.
His eyes showed a mix of confidence and nerves.
"I'll show you real fire, Cole," he said, with a strained smile.
He ignited his hands, orange flames flaring, forming a fiery aura around him.
The heat made the air shimmer, and raindrops hissed on contact with his power.
"Come at me if you dare!" Leon yelled, arms outstretched.
To everyone's surprise, Charles didn't move. He kept his arms up, on guard, watching Leon from a distance.
The Novices murmured, confused.
"Why's he not attacking?" a girl whispered.
"Must be wiped out," another replied, smirking.
Leon laughed, taking Charles's caution as weakness.
"Wow, looks like you're out of gas, Cole!" he shouted, charging with hands wreathed in flames.
Charles backpedaled, dodging Leon's fiery punches.
The rain fell harder, soaking his tunic and cooling the burns on his face.
The Novices and instructor watched, engrossed, ignoring the water streaming down their faces.
Charles dodged another strike, moving with an agility that seemed to defy his physical state.
Leon growled, frustrated.
"Stop running!" he yelled, throwing a harder punch.
Charles, for the first time, blocked the attack with his left forearm. Leon's fire seared his skin, and Charles gritted his teeth, feeling the burn.
"You're done!" Leon shouted, readying another strike.
But before he could react…
Charles, with his right hand, caught rainwater in his palm and flung it at Leon's face.
The boy blinked, confused.
"What the hell…?" he muttered.
Before he could react…
CRACK!
No explosion this time, but a sizzling jolt of electricity surged through Leon's body.
Zzzzzts!
The water on his face amplified the lightning, and he convulsed, collapsing unconscious.
His muscles twitched, the fire on his hands snuffed out.
The Novices fell silent, eyes wide.
"What was that?" a boy whispered.
"That didn't look like fire," another said, frowning.
Isuke, the instructor, stared at the ground, baffled.
"Get up, Leon!" he shouted, but the boy didn't respond.
He was out cold, tunic soaked, face pale.
Isuke raised a hand.
"Rian Cole wins!" he shouted, his tone mixing surprise and doubt.
He pointed to the next Novice, third in the ranking.
"Tren, earth element! Go!"
Tren, a tall boy with hair in a ponytail, stepped forward, but his face was pure terror.
He looked at Charles, then at Isuke, and shook his head.
"No, I'm not fighting…" he said, voice trembling.
The Novices gasped, and Isuke's brow furrowed.
"What'd you say?" he roared, stepping toward him.
Tren backed away, hands raised.
"I'll take any punishment, but I'm not fighting him," he said, pointing at Charles. "I don't wanna end up like the others!"
Without waiting for a reply, Tren turned and sprinted off, vanishing into the trees under the rain.
The Novices stared, stunned.
"Coward!" one shouted.
"Haha, seriously? The third-best in the class just ran?" another mocked loudly.
Isuke, furious, pointed at the seated Novices.
"Catch him!" he ordered. "I'll deal with him later…"
Several Novices chased Tren, while others lifted Leon off the ground.
Isuke stood still, staring at Charles.
'What's with this kid?' he thought, confused.
The idea that Leon fell to something as simple as water baffled him.
'Did he eat something bad? Or was it Rian's power?'
Isuke had no answers, but Charles's resolve unnerved him.
"You sure you wanna keep going?" he asked, tone more serious.
Charles, drenched and hands bleeding, nodded without hesitation.
"I'm in," he said, voice steady.
Isuke swallowed, pointing to the second-best in the group.
"Sarn, wind element! Go!" he shouted.
Sarn, a muscular boy with short hair, stood slowly.
He eyed Charles, noting his exhausted face and wrecked hands.
'He's done,' Sarn thought, trying to convince himself. 'One hit, and this is over.'
He stepped forward, confidence masking his nerves.
"I'll end you quick, Cole," he said, with a forced smile.
Charles smiled, despite the pain.
'We'll see,' he thought, settling into a fighting stance.