The first light of morning filtered through the tall stained-glass windows of the training arena, painting the polished marble floors in a kaleidoscope of crimson, amber, and sapphire. Samir Veyra stood at the edge of the arena, watching his classmates warm up. The air smelled of ozone, polished stone, and faint traces of magic. Today was the first training session after the Ceremony, the Trial of Awakening—where students tested their newly revealed skills and classes under the watchful eyes of the instructors.
Rajin Dharva, already dressed in his black-and-gold tunic, was at the center, stretching with the ease of someone who believed the world owed him victory. His flames pulsed faintly along his arms, a subtle display of his Scion of Flames abilities, drawing admiring glances from other students. "Showtime," he muttered, smirking at Samir across the arena.
Samir's hand itched to connect with his glitched [System]. The fragments he had glimpsed last night swirled in his mind like sparks ready to ignite. This was the moment to see if he could control even a fraction of the power he had discovered.
Anaya Korin appeared beside him, her eyes scanning the arena, sharp and assessing. "Ready for a public debut, Fate-less?" she asked lightly.
"I have to be," Samir replied, jaw tight. "I can't let him—Rajin—define me."
She nodded, a faint smile playing at her lips. "Then keep your head. Eyes open. And trust what you saw."
The instructor, Guru Devran, a tall man with silver-streaked hair and eyes like polished obsidian, raised his staff. "Students, today we begin the Trial of Awakening. Display your class, your abilities, and most importantly, your control. Show us your potential. Begin."
Immediately, the arena came alive. Arjun Malvek surged forward, muscles coiling with precision. His Warrior class skills rippled through the air, shield flashing, sword arcs slicing imaginary opponents. Priya Tanreth followed, delicate yet precise, her Healer aura radiating a soft green glow as she practiced protective sigils. Each movement displayed the refinement and control that years of noble training had built.
Samir stepped forward, heart pounding. He could feel the glitched [System] pulsing beneath his skin, chaotic yet responsive. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, focusing. Symbols swirled in the air around him—fragments of the future, raw and unstable—but he reached for one, just one he could control.
His palm pressed outward. A faint distortion appeared in front of him, bending light slightly. It was small, unstable—a ripple in reality itself—but it held, shimmering like a thin veil. Gasps ran through the nearby students.
Rajin's smirk faltered slightly. "What… is he doing?" he muttered. His flames flickered higher along his arms instinctively, as if sensing a potential threat.
Anaya's eyes widened. "He's actually… controlling it."
Samir forced the ripple to stabilize, forcing his focus through the chaos. Each heartbeat synchronized with the flickering images from last night—the glimpses of battles, betrayals, and strategies he had memorized. He twisted the ripple slightly, pushing it toward a nearby training dummy. The dummy shuddered as the distortion collided with it, creating a brief, disorienting ripple that sent its limbs flailing unnaturally.
A murmur spread through the arena. "Did you see that?"
"Reality… bending?"
"That's impossible…"
Rajin's eyes narrowed. He moved forward, flames licking along his arms. "Interesting," he said under his breath. "The Fate-less kid… might not be useless after all."
Samir kept his gaze calm, steady, outwardly neutral, but every fiber of his body was alert. The ripple dissolved after a few seconds, but the effect lingered in the air—a faint distortion of light, almost imperceptible. He could see it, only because of the glitch's fragments still etched in his mind.
Another student, Ravi Senra, raised his bow, smirking. "Let's see if he can handle something real." He let fly an arrow, bright with kinetic energy. Samir reacted instinctively, summoning a small ripple to deflect it. The arrow veered off course, narrowly missing a fellow student. Whispers of awe and shock ran through the arena.
Rajin stepped closer, flames now dancing more aggressively. "Not bad," he said softly, voice dripping with challenge. "But let's see if you can survive against me."
Samir clenched his fists. The fragments of the future whispered hints, small details—how Rajin moved, the subtle cues in his stance, the pattern of his flames. He couldn't predict everything, but he could anticipate enough.
The two circled each other, the tension between them tangible. Sparks of residual magic from the Pillar still clung to the arena air, and Samir could feel it amplifying his glitch just enough to make his moves unpredictable.
He focused, preparing a small distortion along the edge of Rajin's path—a subtle ripple meant to throw off balance. Rajin laughed, a sharp, confident sound, flames flickering higher. The arena held its breath.
Samir moved. The ripple surged as Rajin lunged, and for a heartbeat, it seemed as though the world itself hesitated. Rajin's step faltered, just slightly, enough for Samir to recognize the opening.
Rajin's step faltered, just enough for Samir to glimpse an opening. He focused, letting the chaotic fragments from the glitch guide him. A subtle distortion shimmered along Rajin's flank, bending light and space just enough to force him slightly off balance. Flames danced erratically along Rajin's arm, and for a heartbeat, a flicker of surprise crossed his face.
The arena erupted in gasps. Students whispered rapidly, some pointing, others holding their breath. Arjun Malvek shifted, hand on his sword hilt, eyes narrowed. Ravi Senra's bow twitched nervously. Even Priya Tanreth stepped back instinctively, her green aura flickering as though sensing the raw, unpredictable energy Samir was wielding.
Rajin's smirk returned quickly, sharper than before. "Clever," he said, voice low and smooth. "But not enough." Flames surged along his arms, licking outward, creating a wave of heat that rippled through the arena. The light distorted, warping the air in shimmering arcs. Samir's ripple wavered under the heat, but he held it, feeling the glitch pulse like a heartbeat against his palm.
The two circled each other, each movement a careful dance. Samir's eyes flicked to the fragments etched in his mind: patterns of Rajin's movements, subtle cues in his stance, the trajectory of his flames. He couldn't predict everything, but he could anticipate just enough.
Rajin lunged, a wave of fire slashing toward Samir. Samir countered, sending a pulse of distortion outward. The fire twisted unnaturally as it passed through the ripple, diverted slightly. Sparks flew across the arena floor. Some students gasped, others murmured incredulously.
"You're… not normal," Rajin said, gritting his teeth. His eyes narrowed, calculating, as he adjusted his stance. "But anomalies like you are dangerous."
Samir's heart pounded. He didn't respond. His hands moved almost instinctively, shaping the glitch into a subtle defensive pattern while probing for weaknesses. Every pulse of energy, every flicker of distortion was analyzed in his mind, connected to the fragments he'd seen the night before.
Another wave of flame surged toward him, larger, faster, more precise. Samir's eyes flickered with the [System] fragments, mapping Rajin's intent. He twisted a ripple outward, creating a thin distortion that bent the path of the attack. The flames collided with the ripple, exploding into harmless sparks midair.
Gasps and whispers echoed through the arena. Some students exchanged wide-eyed looks; others murmured theories about the "Fate-less" boy who could bend reality. Anaya Korin watched from the sidelines, her expression unreadable but her eyes shining with interest.
Rajin gritted his teeth, fury flashing across his face. "Impressive," he growled, flames surging hotter, brighter. His movements became faster, more aggressive. "But every anomaly has a limit."
Samir's mind raced. I need to push it further. Test the boundaries of this glitch. He focused on the distortion, letting the fragments of the future guide him. The ripple expanded slightly, bending not just light, but air, the very perception of space around him. Rajin's next strike faltered, his footstep slipping just enough for Samir to notice.
The crowd gasped again. Even the instructors leaned forward, whispering under their breath. The energy in the arena pulsed with tension, each heartbeat synchronizing with the unpredictable dance between the two boys.
Rajin's flames surged again, faster, more violent. He laughed, sharp and cutting. "Not bad… Fate-less. But don't think this can last."
Samir's hands moved in tandem with his mind, shaping multiple ripples. Each one bent space and light slightly differently, a chaotic weave of distortions. He didn't understand the full mechanics, but the glitch obeyed instinctively, responding to the fragments of the future he had glimpsed.
A sudden movement—a feint from Rajin—tested Samir's reflexes. His ripple shifted instantly, redirecting the attack, deflecting it harmlessly toward the arena's edge. Rajin's foot caught on the slick marble, and for a fleeting moment, the Scion of Flames lost his perfect balance.
Samir's lips curved into a faint smile. This was the first real test, and he was beginning to understand how the glitch responded. He could't control it completely yet, but he could predict enough to turn attacks into opportunities.
The arena erupted into murmurs. Students whispered excitedly, some pointing fingers, others shielding their eyes from residual sparks. Anaya stepped closer, her eyes fixed on Samir. "You're… learning faster than I expected," she said softly.
Samir didn't answer. He kept his gaze on Rajin, each pulse of flame, each subtle movement, being analyzed, memorized. He didn't know exactly how far the glitch could reach, but he could sense it stretching, bending reality in small, fragile arcs.
Rajin's expression shifted from arrogance to focus. He surged forward with renewed intensity, flames coiling around his arms like living serpents. "Enough games," he said. "Show me what you're really capable of."
Samir braced himself. The air shimmered as he extended the ripple outward, merging several distortions into one. The very space between him and Rajin seemed to quiver unnaturally. Flames collided with the distortion and splintered, creating a shower of sparks that danced across the arena floor.
For the first time, Rajin's eyes widened in genuine surprise. "What… what are you doing?" he whispered, almost to himself.
Samir's heartbeat synchronized with the chaotic rhythm of the glitch. He twisted the distortion slightly, enough to create a subtle imbalance in Rajin's attack, yet not enough to harm him seriously. The crowd gasped again, whispers echoing:
"Reality… bending?"
"The Fate-less… he's controlling it!"
"That's impossible…"
Rajin's hand shot up, flames flaring, but his eyes betrayed caution. He stepped back slightly, reassessing, for the first time acknowledging that Samir was more than just a "joke."
Samir lowered the distortions slowly, letting them dissipate. He breathed deeply, aware of the energy thrumming beneath his skin. The glitch had responded, unstable yet malleable, a fragment of power no one else could access.
The instructor, Guru Devran, finally spoke, his voice echoing across the arena. "Enough for today. Students, reflect on what you've learned. The Trial of Awakening has begun, and not all victories are immediately visible."
The students dispersed, murmuring excitedly, some still staring at Samir in awe. Rajin lingered, eyes fixed on him, flames slowly dying down, a frown etched deep across his face.
Samir stepped back, heart still pounding, mind racing. He had survived the first test, controlled the glitch, and seen the first real indication of how powerful it could be. But he knew this was only the beginning.
Anaya approached him quietly. "You did well," she said, eyes sharp and calculating. "But this… this will make enemies faster than allies. Be ready."
Samir nodded. His lips curved into a faint, confident smile. Let them come. I've only just begun to understand this power. And soon… the game will be mine to control.