The training grounds of Mystic Academy buzzed with anticipation. Word had spread fast—too fast—for something that was supposed to be just an after-school exercise. Students lined the edges of the field, whispering, placing bets, and craning their necks for a better view.
At the center stood the four combatants.
On one side, Zann and Leonel—two Familiars who had fought together before, yet now barely shared a glance. Their posture was stiff, their auras flaring with silent rivalry. Flames licked faintly at Zann's fingertips, while a sheen of water shimmered around Leonel's arms.
Across from them stood the twins: Aerin, smiling cheekily with her silver-white hair glowing faintly under the afternoon sun, and Auron, her darker mirror, his posture relaxed, hands in his pockets as if this were just another day. Yet even in his nonchalance, the swirling shadows curling at his feet betrayed a quiet intensity.
