The training grounds of Blackthorne Academy were not built for comfort.
They were built for exposure.
Open skies. Hardened stone floors. Marked zones that pulsed faintly with controlled energy.
Elara stood at the entrance, feeling it immediately—
Eyes.
Dozens of them.
Watching her.
Whispers moved through the air like smoke.
"Is that her?"
"The new one?"
"She doesn't even look trained…"
"But why are all the boys staring?"
A group of three girls stood near the edge of the field.
One of them tilted her head, her lips curling slightly.
"She's stealing attention already," she muttered. "What is she even supposed to be?"
Another girl scoffed.
"Relax. She's a newcomer. They all look interesting at first."
"But they break easily."
They laughed softly.
Elara heard every word.
But she did not react.
Not because she was unaffected—
But because she was learning.
Watching.
A whistle cut through the air.
"Rookies to formation!"
A boy stepped forward.
He looked nothing like the others.
Not stiff. Not arrogant.
He was relaxed—hands in pockets, posture casual like he didn't belong to the seriousness of the academy.
He smiled when he saw her.
"You must be Elara."
She nodded slightly.
"I'm Kai Mercer," he said brightly. "Your assigned training guide. Don't worry—I'm not scary. At least not yet."
A few students nearby chuckled.
Elara studied him carefully.
"…You talk too much," she said.
Kai gasped dramatically.
"Ouch. First insult of the day. I'm honoured."
He led her forward.
As they walked, Elara noticed something strange.
The stares were not just curiosity.
They were… intensity.
Especially from the boys.
Like something about her unsettled them.
Kai noticed her glance.
"Yeah," he said lightly. "That happens a lot with new arrivals."
"Why?"
He shrugged.
"Blackthorne doesn't pick ordinary people."
A pause.
Then he added softly,
"And you definitely don't look ordinary."
They stopped near a marked training zone.
Kai turned slightly toward her.
"Alright. Standard introduction time."
He grinned.
"I'll go first so you don't feel pressured."
He lifted his hand slightly.
A faint ripple of energy formed in the air.
A soft glowing barrier.
"Force Field generation," he said casually. "Not very flashy, but it saves my life a lot."
Elara blinked slightly.
"That's your power?"
"Yep."
He scratched the back of his head.
"And before you ask—I didn't exactly choose this life."
His smile faded a little.
Just slightly.
"I didn't grow up lucky."
Elara said nothing.
Kai continued walking slowly as they spoke.
"My father… I never really knew him. He died before I could remember anything about him."
"He was the one with the ability in the family. My mum said I probably inherited it from him."
He gave a small laugh.
"But she was more interested in what he had than who he was."
Elara watched him quietly.
Kai's voice stayed light—but there was something underneath it.
"My mum remarried later."
"Let's just say… I became extra furniture in the house."
A pause.
"I was… not exactly treated well."
He didn't go into details.
And he didn't need to.
Elara understood enough.
His tone shifted slightly.
"Things got worse after she passed away during childbirth."
"The baby too."
Silence.
He exhaled slowly.
"After that, I thought maybe things would change."
"But they didn't."
They stopped walking.
Kai looked up at the sky briefly.
"My stepfamily… they weren't exactly kind."
Elara noticed his hands tighten slightly.
"I ran away once."
"I didn't even know I was running toward anything."
His voice lowered slightly.
"I was cornered one night."
A pause.
"And then… something inside me reacted."
A faint flicker of energy appeared again.
"This barrier saved me."
Elara glanced at it.
Kai continued quietly.
"But it also exposed me."
"Next thing I knew, a black van pulled up."
"I thought I was being taken somewhere worse."
He gave a small shrug.
"But instead…"
His eyes softened slightly.
"I woke up here."
"Blackthorne Academy."
He turned back to her, smiling again—but gentler now.
"They told me I was selected because my ability was unstable and needed control."
"So… here I am."
"Still learning."
Elara studied him for a long moment.
Then quietly said:
"You talk a lot for someone who has been through that."
Kai blinked.
Then laughed.
"Yeah, well… if I stop talking, I might start thinking."
A pause.
"That's usually dangerous."
A whistle blew again.
"Begin training assessment!"
Kai stepped back slightly.
"Alright," he said. "Let's see what you've got, Elara Veyne."
A faint grin.
"No pressure."
Elara stepped forward.
The ground beneath her feet felt different now.
Like it was waiting.
Watching.
Reacting.
And somewhere deep inside her—
Something answered.
Softly.
Like a locked door beginning to remember its key.