The classroom buzzed with nervous chatter even before the bell rang.
"Did you hear? Monsters have been sighted near the riverbank again," one boy whispered, his voice tight with fear.
"My uncle swore he saw something tearing into cattle last night," another added, lowering his voice. "Not feral beasts… something stronger."
"They say the city's patrol barely managed to kill it. If these things keep coming closer…"
The words hung in the air. For the first time, laughter and arrogance were missing from the students' conversations.
The doors creaked open. Teacher Vir strode inside, his robes brushing the stone floor. His sharp gaze silenced the room.
"Enough rumors," he said firmly. "You will face monsters soon enough. But first, you must prove yourselves against something far older."
Confusion rippled through the class as Vir led them out of the hall. After a long walk, they reached a wide clearing. At its center stood a colossal tree—its gnarled roots coiled like serpents, and its trunk stretched so high the crown disappeared into the sky.
A hushed awe fell over the students.
"This," Vir said reverently, "is the Bodhi Tree. Ten thousand years it has stood. Even a Legend-tier mage could barely scratch it. Today, you will test your strength against a fragment of its fallen trunk."
He bowed before the tree, whispering words no one understood. A chunk of the ancient wood, already cut and prepared, hovered into the air, landing with a dull thud in front of the class.
"This wood," Vir explained, "can withstand Echo-tier spells. If you cannot leave a mark, you are still far from true battle."
The first volunteers—two eager students—stepped forward. Spells flared, but their strikes fizzled harmlessly against the trunk. Nervous laughter followed as they retreated.
Vir's eyes shifted. "Mira. Show us what ice can do."
Mira stepped onto the platform, her face calm but her eyes sharp. Cold air swirled as she whispered:
"Shatter Blossom!"
She flung a handful of glittering shards. Midair, they bloomed like crystalline flowers, exploding into a thousand razor edges that pelted the trunk. The wood groaned as cracks appeared across its surface, frost biting deep.
Gasps filled the air.
"Echo-tier!" someone whispered.
Mira flicked her hair back, returning to the group without a word, her expression unreadable.
Next, Vir called, "Arjun."
Arjun strode forward, his presence calm as stone. He slammed his palm into the ground.
"Earthbreaker Wall!"
A massive wall of jagged rock surged upward, then slammed forward into the trunk with crushing force. Wood splintered, fragments scattering, though the core still held.
"Low Echo, but reinforced," Vir said, nodding.
"Impressive."
"As expected from Arjun," students murmured.
But Arjun's eyes slid past the trunk and landed on Aarav. His lips curled in faint disappointment, as if to say: You could never reach me. Then he turned and left the platform.
Ravi clenched his fists. "Arjun underestimates you. Prove him wrong," he whispered to Aarav.
Aarav only smiled faintly. "I will. Just watch."
Vir raised his hand. "Ravi. Your turn."
Ravi didn't wait. Flames roared to life around him, swirling into the form of a giant bird. His voice rang across the field:
"Scorched Falcon!"
The fiery raptor screeched, wings unfurling wide, before diving at the trunk. The moment it struck, an explosion erupted, heat washing over the students. The trunk shattered into blackened fragments, smoke rising into the air.
"Peak Echo-tier," Vir declared, his tone betraying even his surprise.
"Impossible…" a student gasped.
"He surpassed both Mira and Arjun!" another stammered.
Mira's eyes widened. Arjun's jaw tightened.
Ravi walked back proudly, pausing beside Aarav. He clapped his friend's shoulder. "You're up. Show them you're more than their whispers."
Aarav nodded, stepping forward amid jeers.
"The wasted dual-element."
"He'll barely scratch it."
"Why even bother?"
Mira folded her arms. "Make this quick."
Arjun muttered, "This is beneath us."
Aarav ignored them. His heart pounded, but resolve blazed in his chest. He drew on water and light together, the two streams flowing in harmony.
"River Mirage—Jal Maya!"
A surge of water jets shot forward, refracting beams of light into dozens of identical copies. The air shimmered with illusions, a deadly storm of false and real strikes.
The trunk screamed under the onslaught—splintering, cracking—until it exploded into fragments. Some jets pierced beyond, striking the protective barrier with such force that students stumbled back in shock.
"Peak Echo-tier…" Vir muttered, his eyes wide. "And dangerously close to Resonance."
Silence. Utter silence.
Then chaos erupted.
"How—how is that possible?"
"The weakest… destroyed it completely?"
"Was that really support magic?"
Ravi grinned proudly. "That's my rival!"
But Mira's face paled. Arjun's fists clenched.
"This isn't real," Mira hissed. "The trunk must've weakened."
"Or the barrier faltered," Arjun added quickly.
Aarav's gaze snapped to them, fury burning in his eyes. "Excuses." His voice shook the field. "If you think it's a trick—then fight me."
Gasps spread. Two against one?
Ravi stepped forward. "That's unfair—"
Aarav cut him off. "Stay out of it, Ravi. This is mine."
Vir hesitated, then nodded once. "So be it. But remember—this is a test, not war."
Mira struck first. "Shatter Blossom!" Ice blossoms erupted around Aarav, shards flying. Arjun followed instantly: "Cage of Stone!" Earthen bars snapped upward, boxing Aarav in.
The crowd cheered. "It's over!"
But inside the cage, Aarav's light magic flared, his body blurring. In an instant, he vanished—reappearing behind Mira.
"Water Prism."
A sphere of liquid enveloped her, each droplet reflecting her panicked face. Then: "River Mirage!"
Dozens of jets tore through Arjun's cage, shattering it and hurling him backward with bleeding cuts. Mira collapsed, gasping inside the collapsing prison of water.
Silence descended again. No cheers, no jeers. Just stunned disbelief.
Aarav stood over them, chest heaving. "Do you see me now?"
Vir swept forward, releasing the spells before they caused lasting damage. Mira and Arjun staggered back, their pride utterly broken.
Ravi's eyes shone with pride. "That's the Aarav I know."
---
That evening, as the sun sank over Varanasi, Mira and Arjun found Aarav sitting alone by the ghats of the Ganga.
For a long time, no one spoke. Finally, Mira lowered her head. "I was wrong. I let arrogance blind me. You… proved me wrong today."
Arjun exhaled, tension heavy in his voice. "You've forced me to see what I didn't want to. You're not weak. You're dangerous. And I—" He clenched his jaw. "I underestimated you."
Aarav studied them, his voice low. "It's easy to look down on someone. Harder to admit when you've lost. I'll forgive you—but remember this feeling. Because next time, I won't stop until you break completely."
The weight of his words pressed into them. For the first time, Mira and Arjun bowed their heads, not in arrogance, but in respect.
---
In the Shadows
Far from the city, in a candlelit cavern, black-robed figures gathered.
"The boy in China grows sharper. Fire and lightning in perfect stride."
"And in India…" another whispered. "Water and light. Today, he destroyed pride itself."
A low chuckle followed. "Do not forget the other one—his friend. The fire mage. A falcon that scorches everything in its path. That one burns too brightly."
"Two sparks in one city. How… delightful."
The leader's voice cut through the chamber, cold and absolute. "Prepare the city. Let us see how these children dance when the flames rise."
Laughter echoed, promising ruin.
Chapter 7:- The End
What do you think that shaddy organisation is going to do??