The team split had been clean. Jorin's voice had carried across the dry, dusty plain, ordering the students into groups before letting them fan out into the marked hunting zone. Kael followed Feyla, Kairen, Lira, and Daven, the five of them moving together at a steady pace.
The ground was cracked, dust rising with every step. The heat pressed down, dry and suffocating, yet the excitement in the others seemed to outweigh the discomfort. Kael, however, walked at the back, Nathan's voice whispering like a shadow at the edge of his thoughts.
"Don't forget to hold back. These creatures are weak, but you… you should be able to handle one on your own. Let them take this."
Ahead, a low growl rumbled. From behind a jagged rock, a squat beast emerged—about the size of a bull, hide layered in dark stone plates. Its tusks curved out like jagged blades, small eyes gleaming red. A low-ranked beast, the kind chosen for training.
Kairen reacted first, wind whipping up around his arms. Feyla stepped forward, hands already glowing with streams of water pulled from the air. Lira slammed a foot down, a line of stone jutting upward to block the beast's path. Daven grinned, fire licking around his fists.
They moved like children mimicking warriors, their attacks chaotic but driven. The beast bellowed, charging, stone tusks scraping sparks against Lira's barrier. Feyla's water lashed at its legs, slowing it down. Kairen's gusts shoved it sideways while Daven threw a fireball that burst harmlessly across its plated back.
Kael stayed where he was, fists clenched, resisting the urge to step in.
"Circle it! Don't let it get past!" Feyla shouted, surprising him with the authority in her voice.
Together, they hemmed the beast in. Lira's second wall cut off its retreat, and as the creature reared back, Feyla's water whipped high and slammed down across its head. It staggered, dazed. Kairen sent a sharp blast of wind that toppled it sideways. Daven rushed forward with a fiery strike, only to miss the killing blow.
Feyla seized the moment. She lunged, water spiraling into a spear in her hands, and drove it into the beast's throat. The monster shuddered once, then collapsed.
"Core's mine," Feyla said breathlessly, pulling free a faintly glowing stone from the beast's chest.
From the distance, Jorin had been watching. His sharp eyes missed nothing. He saw Feyla's determination, the others' rough teamwork—and Kael, silent in the background.
He's holding back again, Jorin thought. He could've ended that fight in half the time… but he didn't.