The grand arena hummed with mana, an invisible pressure settling over the gathered students as they prepared for their trial. Towering stone pillars lined the arena's perimeter, their surfaces inscribed with runes designed to absorb excess elemental energy. Above, the sky was clear, the sun casting sharp shadows across the massive platform where the elementalism students would face their final test.
For years, they had studied, trained, and endured grueling exercises to master the fusion of their bodies with their element. Today, they would prove whether they had succeeded—or whether their efforts had been in vain.
One by one, the students stepped forward, each attempting their elemental body transformation. Some met success, merging with their element with a degree of control that satisfied the faculty. Others failed spectacularly—one student attempting to transform into mist lost his physical cohesion too quickly, collapsing into a gas before he could reform, forcing the instructors to intervene and pull his scattered form back together. Another, trying to become stone, miscalculated the density, rendering himself unable to move until assistance arrived.
The most successful among them showcased fluid transformations. A dark-skinned girl with deep blue tattoos along her arms stepped forward, her body liquefying seamlessly into a flowing current of water. She held her form for several seconds before reforming with barely a tremor. A male student with jagged scars along his arms turned his entire form into a living cyclone, holding his gaseous shape steady for nearly a minute before returning to solid form.
The arena buzzed with murmurs as the top-performing students emerged. But as the exam continued, a different tension loomed.
Someone was watching.
Rumors had already spread throughout the academy—an external group had taken an interest in the exams, their representatives hidden among the spectators. No one knew their exact purpose, but speculation ran wild. Were they seeking recruits? Conducting research? Testing new subjects?
Those who stood out today might be chosen for something beyond the academy's walls.
And now, it was Nara's turn.
She strode onto the platform, her heavy footfalls echoing in the silent arena. The orc stood tall, her broad shoulders squared, her red war braids pulled back tightly. Unlike some of the more refined mages, she wore no elaborate robes—only a reinforced sleeveless tunic and thick combat wraps along her forearms. Her tusks gleamed as she cracked her knuckles, the scent of smoke already rising from her skin.
She took a slow breath, inhaling deeply. Feel it. Call it. Ignite.
Her fist caught fire first.
A deep, roaring crimson flame curled over her knuckles, spreading along her arm in a slow, deliberate crawl. She focused, letting the heat seep into her bones, guiding it rather than forcing it. The flames danced across her thick skin, unharmed by their own fury.
Then, her hair ignited.
Her deep black locks burned a fiery red, shifting and flickering like strands of molten lava. The transformation reached her shoulders, creeping down her back.
The instructors watched closely.
Not enough. Keep going.
Nara took another breath—and let everything burn.
A wave of heat exploded outward as her entire body was engulfed in flame. For a brief moment, she stood there, a living inferno, her silhouette flickering like a figure carved from molten rock. The heat was immense, causing the air around her to distort. The nearest students shielded their eyes from the brightness.
She had done it.
But something was wrong.
The fire surged—too much, too fast. She felt the loss of control an instant before it happened. The flames licked at the stone platform beneath her, and suddenly, the runes flared to life. The protective wards activated in an instant, dampening the fire before it could spiral out of control.
Nara growled under her breath, clenching her fists. She had overextended.
Slowly, she willed the fire to die down, retracting the flames back into herself. When it was over, smoke curled from her skin, heat still radiating from her body. She exhaled sharply, her chest rising and falling with the effort.
The head instructor narrowed his eyes.
"Your control is inconsistent," he said, voice even. "Had the platform not been warded, you might have set half the arena ablaze."
Nara ground her teeth. "I can do better."
A pause. Then, another instructor spoke, her voice softer. "However, you did achieve full-body transformation. That alone qualifies you."
A heavy silence followed. Then—a pass.
Relief and frustration warred inside her. She had barely made it. She stepped down from the platform, flexing her fingers as residual heat still pulsed beneath her skin.
She wasn't satisfied. She knew she could push further. She would refine it—hone it—until her transformation was flawless.
The trial continued. More students stepped forward, showcasing varying levels of success. Some barely scraped by, while others faltered under the immense strain.
And then, one student stole the entire show.
A lean, dark-haired boy stepped forward, moving with effortless confidence. Unlike the others, he made no dramatic display of preparation. He simply raised his hands—and shifted.
Lightning crackled over his skin.
His body blurred into pure electricity, his form flickering in and out of existence like a mirage of light. His movements were seamless—controlled, refined, perfect. Unlike the others, there was no strain, no sign of struggle. He held his elemental form with effortless stability before reconstituting himself back into flesh.
The silence was deafening.
The instructors took note.
The students murmured.
"That wasn't normal."
"Did you see how smooth that was? No resistance at all."
"You think he's been scouted already?"
The whispers spread like wildfire.
Was this the student the mysterious sponsor had come to watch? Had he already been chosen? If so, what did that mean for the rest of them?
Finally, the trial concluded. The students who had successfully performed their transformations were called forward to receive their elemental crystals—small, polished stones infused with condensed elemental energy.
Officially, they were rewards—a means to further refine their skills.
Unofficially?
There were rumors.
Some whispered that the crystals weren't just tools for enhancement—they were tests. That their real purpose was to push the transformation beyond human limits.
To make the process permanent.
No one spoke of it openly, but the unease lingered.
As Nara held the warm, pulsing crystal in her palm, she couldn't shake the feeling that this was more than just a prize.
This wasn't the end of her journey.
It was just the beginning.