By the end of the week, the Aether class had changed.
The students were no longer simply learning to feel their energy. Now they were expected to use it.
Some had improved quickly.
Others still struggled.
And some, according to the teacher, had already revealed their "limits."
That afternoon the class gathered inside the practice hall. The wooden floor had been cleared, and several students stood along the walls watching.
The teacher stepped forward.
"Today we will conduct your first combat evaluation."
The room filled with whispers.
"Each of you will face another student," the teacher continued. "This is not meant to harm your opponent. It is meant to reveal your understanding of Aether."
His gaze moved across the room before settling on three specific students.
"Kael. Lucien. Alaric."
Lucien sighed quietly.
"Well, this should be fun."
Kael stood calmly.
Alaric looked slightly nervous but followed them forward.
The teacher pointed toward three other students waiting on the opposite side of the practice floor.
"These will be your opponents."
Kael examined them immediately.
The first boy was tall for his age and carried himself with confidence. His stance was stable—defensive.
Lucien's opponent stood a few steps behind him, red sparks already flickering around his fingers.
Fire.
Alaric's opponent looked nervous before the fight had even begun.
The teacher raised his hand.
"These will be individual matches."
He paused briefly.
"And remember… this is a lesson."
His eyes briefly moved toward Alaric.
"Begin."
Kael was up
Kael stepped forward first.
His opponent watched him carefully.
"I heard about your weird Aether," the boy said. "The teacher says it's useless."
Kael ignored the comment.
Instead, he raised his hand.
Tiny fragments of Aether began forming in the air around him.
Ten.
Twenty.
Thirty.
The fragments floated like shards of invisible glass.
The boy frowned.
"What is that supposed to—"
Kael moved his fingers.
The fragments shot forward.
But the attack was sloppy.
The shards scattered unevenly, some flying wide, others striking weakly.
His opponent reacted quickly, forming a simple Aether barrier that deflected most of the fragments.
Then the boy rushed forward.
Kael tried to redirect the remaining shards, but his control wasn't fast enough yet.
His opponent struck him in the shoulder, knocking him off balance.
Kael stumbled back, barely avoiding a second hit.
The fragments around him collapsed.
The teacher's voice echoed across the hall.
"Enough."
Kael stood still.
He had lost.
But he had lasted longer than the teacher expected.
And his mind was already analyzing every mistake.
Too many fragments.
Control too slow.
Attack patterns inefficient.
His grey eyes sharpened slightly.
I understand now.
Lucien's was next
Lucien stepped forward next.
His opponent grinned.
"Let's see how you handle this."
Flames burst from the boy's hands.
Several students gasped.
Lucien's smirk faded slightly.
"Well… that's annoying."
The fire user attacked immediately.
A stream of flames shot across the floor.
Lucien dashed sideways and formed two sharp Aether blades along his arms.
He moved fast.
Too fast for most students.
But he couldn't get close.
Every time he tried, the flames forced him back.
Lucien lunged forward once more, pushing through the heat.
For a moment it looked like he would reach his opponent—
Then the boy released a sudden burst of fire.
Lucien reacted too late.
The flames struck his chest.
He was thrown backward, landing hard on the wooden floor.
The smell of burned cloth filled the room.
The teacher raised his hand.
"Stop."
Lucien slowly sat up.
His shirt had burned open across the chest.
A red burn scar stretched across his skin.
He looked down at it, then laughed quietly.
"…Alright. That one hurt."
But his eyes were sharp.
Next time… I'll reach you.
Alaric stepped forward last.
His opponent already looked unsure.
The teacher crossed his arms.
"Begin."
Alaric raised his hand gently.
The air around him shifted.
Wind gathered instantly.
His opponent rushed forward with a simple Aether strike.
Alaric moved calmly.
The wind pushed the attack aside.
Then a sharp current swept across the floor, knocking the boy off balance.
Before his opponent could recover, another gust lifted him slightly off the ground and pushed him backward.
The match ended in seconds.
The boy fell onto the floor.
The wind faded.
Silence filled the hall.
The teacher nodded slowly.
"Enough."
The three boys returned to stand together.
Kael calm.
Lucien adjusting the burned cloth over his chest.
Alaric slightly uncomfortable.
The teacher stepped forward.
"This," he said loudly, "is exactly why I advised Alaric to leave this group."
He gestured toward Kael and Lucien.
"One lacks control."
He gestured toward Kael.
"The other lacks the ability to overcome stronger Aether."
His eyes moved to Lucien.
Lucien smirked but said nothing.
Then the teacher looked at Alaric.
"You, however, possess true potential. Wind affinity. Balance in combat. Natural control."
He paused.
"You should not limit your growth by staying with them."
The room went quiet.
Alaric looked at Kael.
Then Lucien.
Neither of them said a word.
Finally, Alaric shook his head.
"I'm staying."
The teacher frowned.
"You are making a mistake."
Alaric answered calmly.
"Maybe."
Then he glanced toward his two teammates.
"But it's my mistake to make."
Lucien laughed quietly.
Kael said nothing.
But inside his mind, one thought repeated itself.
Good.
Very good.
Because failure… was simply another form of information.
And now he understood exactly how much stronger they needed to become