With only one day left of the five allotted days before the tournament began, the St. Patrick family tirelessly continued their training. Nicole and Chloé practiced in pairs, as did Clé and Benjamin, while Bertrand and Kyriel seemed to prefer training alone. Of all the children in the family, only Kyriel and Audrey had not yet awakened the element specific to their Art.
Nicole had mastered the Plant Art, Chloé the Art of Fire. Bertrand mastered the Art of Water, Clé commanded Lightning, Benjamin the Wind, Dylan Metal, and Sam Earth. Grégoire and Marie, for their part, mastered the Art of Seals and the Art of Gravity, respectively. It was thanks to his Art that Grégoire had been able to seal the powers of the sleeping Kyriel. But this act, though dictated by prudence and well-intentioned, was beginning to torment him.
He knew that any seal he placed remained active for a full month before it could be lifted. Now, his son now had to take the promotion exam to obtain the rank of swordsman student. How could he survive without the slightest shred of power? Gregory could only imagine the ordeal awaiting his son, who had undergone this same exam a few years earlier. It was, he knew, a path that bordered on death.
"Goodness gracious... what have I done? I should have waited longer before sealing his energy..."
Then, answering himself:
"But if I had waited, when he awoke, his power would undoubtedly have crushed us all... I chose the only reasonable option in the emergency." And yet, fate persists in thwarting me…
"What should I do now? I can't let him walk towards certain death…"
Gregory murmured these words, alone in the shadows of his workshop.
"I may have a solution, Father!" a voice suddenly called from the doorway.
These words made him jump: he hadn't imagined that one of his children could be standing behind him, listening to his confession. When he turned around, his astonishment was complete.
"Ber… Bertrand! What are you doing here?" he stammered. "What exactly did you hear?"
"I've already known about it for a few days," Bertrand replied gravely. "I unintentionally overheard your conversation when you were talking about the sealing of Kyriel's powers, alone in this workshop."
"But why didn't you tell me?... And does anyone else know?" Gregory asked worriedly, aware that his secret had just been revealed.
"No, no one else knows. But this is not the time for blame. We must find a way to restore Kyriel's powers, or he's heading straight for certain death."
"I'm at an impasse," Gregory confessed. "When I place a seal, it can only be lifted after a full month. However, tomorrow will mark the twenty-fourth day since Kyriel's seal was placed: I'll have to wait about seven more days before I can remove it."
"But why did you place such a seal on Kyriel?" Bertrand asked, taken aback. "You've never sealed any of our powers after our Arts awakened… Why him? Is his element that formidable?"
"Kyriel not only awakened the element of his Art," Gregory replied gravely. "He also attained enlightenment in the Art. You may not have perceived it when he was asleep, but I did. The aura he emanated was terrifying… Without my seal, we would all have been crushed by that energy before he even awakened."
"Awakening both the element and the illumination of the Art? It's… impossible!" stammered Bertrand, pale with fear.
"Oh, it's certainly possible," sighed Gregory. "Kyriel is an unusual case… The real problem is that he awakened his power far too early."
"Too early?" repeated Bertrand. "So you knew he possessed such power? How?…"
"Enough!" interrupted his father firmly. "I won't tell you any more. I already have my hands full trying to find a way to restore his powers before the tournament."
"But if you manage to restore his powers, what will prevent us from being crushed by his aura?"
"When I say restore his powers," Gregory clarified, "I'm only talking about a fraction, not the whole thing." "I understand better," murmured Bertrand.
A thick silence fell over the workshop for nearly three minutes, everyone lost in their own thoughts. Then, as if struck by a sudden idea, Bertrand broke the silence:
"Father... how exactly does the Art of Seals work? I mean... what is the precise process?"
"All bodies possess two forms of coexisting energy," Gregory explained. "One is physical, natural energy, and the other, the spiritual energy of the Art. These two forces circulate in parallel from birth, and as long as they remain separate, only the physical energy can be manipulated. Over time, however, they begin to intertwine, according to a rhythm specific to each individual. It is only when they fully unite that one awakens the element of one's Art. Thus, each person has two energies to manage in their daily lives…"
"The technique I used on Kyriel is called the Art of Seals – Separation," he continued. "With it, a seal is inserted at the junction of these two energies, reestablishing a parallel separation. This process prevents the use of the energy of the Art and disrupts, to a certain extent, the use of physical energy." But this seal remains temporary and can be lifted approximately one month after it is placed.
"If I understand correctly, it's like erecting a dam between two rivers: one becomes unusable while the other, although still usable, loses its effectiveness?" Bertrand asked doubtfully.
"Exactly," Grégoire confirmed. "And this dam eventually erodes over time."
"In that case, would it be possible to create a new junction using another seal, at a specific point?" Bertrand continued. "A bit like if two parallel lines, (AB) and (BC), met at point D to form a new set of parallel, but now intersecting, lines?"
"Theoretically, yes," Grégoire admitted. "But this new seal would have to be placed very far from the first, to avoid any overlap that could cause interference." However, at such a distance, the mixed energies would be minimal, so Kyriel would only be able to use ten percent of his abilities.
"Ten percent is still better than zero," Bertrand replied with conviction, earning a small smile from his father.
"You'd think I was hearing your mother..." murmured Grégoire. "But there's another problem: applying a seal causes mild pain. Even asleep, Kyriel would wake up and understand that something had happened. And I don't want him to be aware of his true abilities. Last time, I was only able to apply the seal because he was in a deep coma."
"So, he'd have to be unconscious again?"
"Apparently, yes, but..."
"Say no more," Bertrand interrupted before leaving the workshop.
After this conversation, Bertrand knew what he had to do. He went to where Kyriel was continuing his relentless, desperate training.
"Come on, Kyriel. You're going to train with me... and that's an order," Bertrand declared firmly.
"Uh... yes, why not!" Kyriel replied, cheerful and far from imagining his brother's true intentions.
"Get ready," Bertrand added gravely. "I'm going to give it my all... so be ready to take it."
"Uh… wait, what do you mean, 'give it your all'?" Kyriel exclaimed, frightened. "You're supposed to train me, not kill me!"
"Shut up! Water Creation Art: Surging Tide!" Bertrand snapped firmly.
He formed a circle with both hands, and immediately, a ring of blue energy appeared in the air. A mass of water spurted out with devastating pressure, crashing straight toward Kyriel.
"Ugh!"
The wave engulfed him and threw him violently backward. His head struck a rock with a crash, and a trickle of blood began to run down his forehead. The next moment, he lost consciousness.
Bertrand ran over, picked up his unconscious brother, and carried him to their father's workshop. Grégoire, stunned, saw his eldest son cross the threshold, Kyriel unconscious in his arms. He immediately laid him down on a table.
"It's fine, Father," Bertrand said confidently. "I've knocked him out properly."
"You didn't need to be so brutal... A simple sleeping pill would have been enough," Grégoire replied, torn between reproach and resignation, as he approached Kyriel.
He placed his right hand on the boy's forehead. A mysterious seal appeared for a moment, glowing on the surface of his skin, before fading. At that precise moment, a dazzling light burst from Kyriel's body and flooded the entire room. Grégoire and Bertrand were forced to shield their eyes from this almost divine brightness. Then the light went out, leaving a tense silence.
"This energy... it's incredible," Bertrand murmured, amazed. He only has ten percent of his power, and yet I feel like he's already as strong as me... maybe even stronger.
"He won't wake up until the big day," declared Grégoire. "Bertrand, I'm counting on you to watch over your brother."
"Yes, Father!"
Grégoire left the room, leaving his two sons alone. Bertrand looked at Kyriel, his heart heavy.
"I'm sorry I didn't believe you the first time..." he thought, gently wiping the blood from his brother's forehead.
The last day finally arrived. The six brothers were ready for the dreaded exam. In the St. Patrick's courtyard, the whole family had gathered. In the center, a magical device had just appeared: a luminous portal, an emanation of the Art Council, ready to transport the candidates to the test site. As always, this fleeting passage only appeared at the decisive moment.
"Listen to me, everyone!" thundered Gregory. "The title of student swordsman is precious, but your lives are even more so. If the test becomes too dangerous, if death threatens, you must give up without hesitation. Stay alive, whatever the cost!"
"Good luck, my children... May the gods watch over you," added Marie, even more worried.
"Well, when you have to go... you have to go!" said Clé before crossing the gate.
"Wait for me!" cried Benjamin, following close behind him.
"Okay... it's our turn now," said Chloe before disappearing in turn.
"Don't worry, Mother! I'll watch over them," assured Nicole as she crossed the luminous threshold.
"Come on, Kyriel." Let's go, said Bertrand, glancing at his brother, then disappeared into the portal.
"Father, Mother, don't worry! I, Kyriel, will become a Master Swordsman!" said the young boy, smiling, his hands on his hips.
Then he too stepped through the portal, which immediately closed with a burst of light.