The air in Bo Zhai School was thick with excitement. Word of Huo Leizi's awakening had already reached the corridors, whispered like wildfire. Fire and lightning—two elements, both feared and revered. For centuries, no one in this region had manifested such power.
Wang Chi, his glasses reflecting the glow of the awakening orb, pressed a hand against his temple. "Silence!" he barked at the chattering students. "Dual elements are not a gift—they are a burden. Control them poorly, and they will consume you."
The words cut through the laughter. But now, instead of mockery, voices turned to admiration—thinly veiled flattery.
"Ah, I always knew Huo was destined for greatness," one girl whispered.
"Yes, yes, his potential was obvious all along," another boy chimed in, his tone sickeningly sweet.
"Lightning and fire! He might even surpass the senior mages one day!"
Huo's lip curled. The same mouths that spat venom hours ago now dripped with honey.
Among them waddled a plump boy with round cheeks, beady eyes, and a faint watery aura about him—evidence of his recently awakened Water element. He pushed his way forward, grinning. "Boss Wi Bou, don't you think it's unfair? Trash like him awakening fire and lightning while you, the top student, only get ice? It doesn't make sense!"
Wi Bou's icy gaze flickered. He didn't respond, but the frost crawling along his fingertips said enough. The bootlicker continued, emboldened by silence. "Dual elements are rare, sure, but what good is lightning if you burn yourself with it? He'll destroy himself before he ever controls it."
Huo ignored them, though his grip tightened on his bracelet. The red stone pulsed faintly, almost like a heartbeat. If heaven gave me this chance, I'll prove them wrong—even if it kills me.
---
Meanwhile, across oceans in Varanasi, the chanting within the Institute's stone hall echoed like thunder. Aarav still stood on the altar, his breath uneven. Water and light. Both support. Both mocked. The teachers exchanged uneasy glances.
Vir, the earth-element instructor, broke the silence. "Impossible… Light shouldn't merge with Water in such intensity. Unless—" He cut himself off, his eyes darting to the triangular carvings beneath Aarav's feet.
Students whispered furiously.
"Support magic, hah! He's useless."
"Even Ravi can protect him forever?"
"Two elements wasted."
Ravi snapped, fire flickering dangerously at his fingertips. "Shut your mouths! Aarav doesn't need your approval." His fiery glare silenced them instantly.
Inside the altar, Aarav felt something more. For a heartbeat, he wasn't in the hall anymore. He stood by the endless Ganga, its waters furious, thrashing like a beast unleashed. A voice reverberated through the waves:
"You will carry my wrath… and my mercy."
The vision faded, leaving him trembling.
---
That evening, Aarav sat at the Ganga ghat. The river reflected the twilight sky, calm yet hiding its fierce depths. He dipped his fingers into the cool water, the ripples spreading outward.
"Water and Light," he murmured. "Support, they say. But rivers don't just support—they destroy too."
The current surged, as though the Ganga herself had answered.
Far away in China, Huo stared at his glowing bracelet. Both boys, oceans apart, heard the same voice in their hearts:
"Destiny has chosen you."
Chapter 2 :- END