Lucien sat silently, in the waiting room outside the head instructor's office. He had been there for almost an hour and still not been seen yet, his eyes started to grow heavy as he struggled to maintain staying awake.
"Come in." A deep voice said at last after what felt like an eternity.
Lucien walked inside the room, the office smelled like old ink and coffee, his eyes glossed over the large shelves lined up across the room and the self-portraits of past students put up on the wall. He shifted his posture naturally, keeping it straight and keeping his hands at his side.
He looked forward, at the tall man sitting behind the desk, his outfit proper and well maintained. Lucien glanced at the crest shining on the edge of the instructor's tie, he heard stories of the head instructor yet the stories didn't hold a candle to how imposing he felt in person.
"Are you here to register a team?" The instructor spoke, not looking up as he pulled out a file from his shelves.
"Yes," Lucien replied instantly.
The instructor paused for a moment, flipping through the file.
"Name?" The instructor asked.
"Lucien Nox. Captain of the team."
These words earned Lucien a glance of recognition, the instructor's eyes flickered briefly at his crest before returning to the file.
"House Nox…" The instructor whispered under his breath. "Who are the members?"
Lucien paused for a moment, trying to remember the surnames of everyone in his team. "Corin Zenon, Alya Wilson, Faye Laten."
The instructor put his quill down completely, his expression changed subtly but there was no indication on what he was thinking.
"Zenon?" The instructor raised an eyebrow, looking up at Lucien fully. "I didn't expect a member of a great house to serve under another's banner."
"That was his choice." Lucien said.
The instructor nodded once, writing everything down in the file. He paused again, looking at the remaining names.
"Two commoners as well?" The instructor asked, his gaze more serious.
Lucien responded immediately, not feeling intimidated. "Yes. They are capable."
A brief moment of silence followed, the instructor leaned back in his chair. He studied Lucien with interest for a second.
"You understand that once registered, no substitutions are permitted. Withdrawal will result in disqualification and penalties for your house." The instructor warned firmly.
Lucien nodded. "Yes I understand."
"Very well." The instructor stamped the file with a thud. "Your team is officially registered for the Caldris Academy's 99th tournament."
Lucien paused only long enough to let out a subtle nod before stepping back into the corridor and leaving.
The days that followed blurred together.
The group trained together after each class, exhaustion becoming a part of their routines as they struggled each day. The practice grounds grew familiar to them, becoming a second home almost. The grass and stone were impacted through repetitive use of their abilities, marking their progress more than words could describe.
Alya struggled the most throughout training, her status as a commoner made her practice even harder. She no longer wanted to feel overlooked due to her background, she decided she wanted to be respected.
In the beginning, her elemental control was weak and faltered under continuous strain. The large shields she formed cracked easily and the earth constructs collapsed when she pushed too far. Lucien watched carefully, analysing as she adjusted throughout her training.
Alya put her hands together, causing them to glow a soft green as she created a rock formed from the ground. She threw it toward Corin who blinked away just in time.
"What the hell! Watch where you're aiming" Corin shouted while laughing.
Faye giggled too, holding her hands together emitting a white glow as she healed a bruise Alya received earlier.
Lucien watched the scene intently, letting out a soft laugh to himself.
Eventually, Alya learned to stop trying to form large structures and instead she used smaller, faster barriers. This allowed her to create barriers on command without feeling the strain she would from a larger one.
Corin tested his limits relentlessly too, his actions a complete contrast to his previous casual, laid back behaviour.
Using his skill to blink too far left him gasping for breath. His vision blurred, and cramps shot through his body under the intense strain. He had to time his movements perfectly instead of relying on speed alone. He learned to appear exactly where he needed to be instead of trying to blink as far as possible, allowing the team to move more smoothly during practice.
During his spar with Alya, he managed to blink directly behind her and land a clean hit. The move shocked everyone, even himself.
"What the– I didn't even see your movements!" Alya shouted.
Faye clapped at Corin's quick improvements and control over his skill. "Well done Corin!"
Faye trained quietly, feeling more comfortable with the team now that she got to know them, her past worries faded almost completely.
When she started training, even subtle healing left her completely drained at first, she was unable to fully heal even minor injuries. She learned to pace herself, she began to hold back and only healed when it was necessary instead of immediately. Throughout the repeat training and use of her skill, her restoration became more potent, allowing injuries to heal faster than before.
Lucien remained the most retrained while the others trained. He was an observer, he observed the team train as they honed their skills. He adjusted their positioning during sparing and called for breaks before the fatigue became dangerous.
His ability lingered in the back of his mind, it was still unused and untested. As each day passed, it became harder to pretend he wouldn't need to eventually use it. He promised himself that he would never practice his ability on one of his team mates or friends ever, it was a line he would never cross.
By the end of the week, they moved like a well developed squad. Not perfect, not completely polished but their movements were smooth. As they left the training grounds on the final evening, bruised and exhausted, Lucien looked at them and felt something unfamiliar settle in his chest.
Confidence. Spending almost every hour with his new team members, they became something else completely. Friendship was something he didn't have much of growing up, as a declining noble it was hard for him to make true friends.
He let out a small smile as he walked back to his dorm, the tournament was close now.