We moved deeper into the forest, following Narkul and Anastasia until we reached a clearing bathed in sunlight, the jagged mountains in the distance towering over us like silent guardians. The Sanzu River’s gentle murmur could still be heard in the background, its clear waters glistening like silver. The clearing had just enough space for us to practice without feeling too exposed, and the towering trees around us provided a natural barrier.

"This is where we'll begin your training," Narkul said, stopping in the center of the clearing. His voice was steady, calm, as if this were a routine task. "Today, we're going to test the full extent of your mana and abilities. Each of you will get a chance to see how far you can push your affinity and control your element. One at a time."

He pulled out a monocle and slipped it over his eye, its faint blue glow flickering in the sunlight. Then he handed a pair of high-tech goggles to Anastasia, who put them on without a word. "These will allow us to measure the flow of your mana. We'll see how much you can produce and how well you can control it."

The air was thick with anticipation as Narkul turned to Abel. "You’ll go first."

Abel stepped forward, an unexpected glint of excitement in his eyes. He wasn’t just calm—he was eager, almost vibrating with energy. He gave a quick nod before taking his place in the center of the clearing, the sunlight casting a warm glow on his figure.

"Focus on the energy inside of you," Narkul instructed. "Fire and water are your affinities. Feel their presence within you and summon one at a time. Start with fire."

Abel closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. For a few moments, nothing happened. Then, slowly, a small, bright red flame flickered to life in the palm of his hand. It was weak at first, but quickly grew in intensity, forming a ball of searing fire that floated just above his hand.

Narkul adjusted the monocle, nodding with clear approval. "Very impressive. Your production rate is strong for someone tapping into their powers for the first time."

Abel grinned, his face lighting up as the fireball danced in his hand. You could see it in his eyes—he was stoked. This wasn’t just tapping into something new, it was a rare gift, and he knew it.

"Now," Narkul continued, "let’s see if you can switch to water. Keep the same process, but change your focus. Summon your second affinity."

Abel’s brow furrowed as he concentrated, and the fire in his hand dimmed. The air around him cooled, and instead of water forming, his hands began to chill. As he touched the ground, ice spread from his fingertips, covering the leaves in a delicate frost, tendrils of ice creeping outward like a painter brushing the earth.

Narkul raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Interesting. You’re not summoning water, but ice. This is likely because of the natural range of your affinities. Fire and water are opposites, but here, you’ve turned water into ice. It’s a form of thermokinesis—the ability to manipulate temperature by controlling heat and cold."

Abel opened his eyes, looking down at the ice spreading around him. The fireball was gone, replaced by a chill in the air. Instead of frustration, there was a wild grin on his face. He was loving this.

"You can summon either fire or ice," Narkul explained, "but you won’t be able to use them at the same time—at least, not yet. Your natural range limits that. Fire heats, and water cools, so they cancel each other out. For now, focus on mastering each one individually."

Abel’s excitement didn’t fade as he stood up straighter, clenching and unclenching his fists as if testing the weight of his powers. He was clearly thrilled by the possibilities, despite the limitation.

Narkul smiled slightly. "And, Abel, I should mention—your ability is rare. Thermokinesis is not common, and your connection to both fire and ice will serve you well once you master it. Also, your mana capacity is slightly above average, which means you’ll be able to use your powers for longer than most."

Abel’s grin widened, his excitement barely contained. "Rare, huh? I’ll take that."

Narkul chuckled, impressed by Abel’s enthusiasm. "You’ve got a rare gift, indeed. With some hard work, you could become one of the strongest thermokinetics in this world."

"Sounds like a plan," Abel said, his excitement contagious.

"Good work," Narkul added, nodding approvingly. "Now that we know where you stand, we can work on honing those abilities further."

Abel stepped back, still smiling, clearly pleased with himself. "Not bad for a first try, right?" he said, his excitement palpable.

I couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride for Abel. Seeing him so thrilled with his powers, knowing he had something rare and powerful, made it all feel a little more real. His excitement was infectious, and I could feel my own anticipation building as I waited for my turn.

Narkul turned back to the rest of us, adjusting his monocle. "Who's next?"

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

Jiho shot up before anyone else could say a word, his eagerness practically radiating off of him as he stepped forward. I could see the fire in his eyes—he was ready for this. Narkul nodded, motioning for him to take the center of the clearing, just like Abel had.

“Let’s start with your primary affinity—Dark,” Narkul said, guiding Jiho with the same calm authority he had with Abel. "Dark and Light are always more complex because of their many variations, but don’t be discouraged. Let’s see what you can do."

Jiho closed his eyes, his hands flexing at his sides as he concentrated. I could tell from the way he was standing that he was hoping for Spacial magic. He had mentioned it before, imagining how cool it would be to warp space or manipulate gravity. But as the shadows around him began to stir, it became clear that wasn’t what he’d gotten.

Instead, his own shadow stretched and shifted, moving along the ground as if it had a mind of its own. Jiho opened his eyes, watching as his shadow twisted and reshaped, stretching toward the trees around us.

He blinked, clearly disappointed. "Shadow manipulation… really?"

Before his mood could sink any further, Narkul stepped in. "Don’t dismiss it too quickly, Jiho. Shadow magic is powerful in its own right. With enough training, you can strengthen your shadow and even make it take a physical form. Imagine casting your shadow onto an object or person and making it move, fight, or protect you. There’s great potential here."

Jiho looked at Narkul, processing the explanation. I could see the gears turning in his head, but I knew him well enough to tell he was still bummed out. He’d been hoping for something flashier, something more dramatic. But he gave a small nod, accepting the information.

“Alright, alright. Guess I’ll have to work with what I got,” Jiho muttered, though it was clear he wasn’t completely sold on the idea yet.

“Now,” Narkul continued, “let’s try your Earth affinity.”

This time, Jiho knelt down, pressing his hand to the ground. At first, nothing happened. I could see the frustration building in his eyes as he tried to will something into existence, but Narkul was patient.

"Don’t force it. Just focus on the connection between you and the earth," Narkul instructed.

Jiho took a deep breath, his hand still on the ground. Slowly, the earth beneath his palm began to shift, softening as if it was turning into clay. The ground under his fingers became malleable, pliable, like wet sand that he could mold.

“Interesting,” Narkul observed. "It seems you have the ability to alter the state of the earth’s hardness and composition. You can control whether it’s as hard as stone or as soft as clay. With enough practice, you could reshape the battlefield entirely."

But Jiho’s face told a different story. He wasn’t impressed. Compared to Abel’s display of fire and ice, manipulating the state of dirt wasn’t exactly thrilling to him. I could see it in his eyes—he had been hoping for something bigger, more combat-focused.

Before any of us could try to cheer him up, Anastasia stepped forward, her voice calm and measured. “Not all abilities are about direct combat, Jiho. Sometimes, the subtler powers are the ones that turn the tide of a battle. You may find that your magic will give you an edge in ways others wouldn’t expect.”

Her words seemed to lift Jiho’s spirits, though only slightly. He forced a smile and gave a small nod. “Yeah, maybe. Guess I’ll just have to wait and see.”

He stood up, brushing the dirt from his hands before asking, “What about my mana capacity?”

Narkul adjusted his monocle, checking the readings before answering. "Your mana capacity is similar to Abel’s—slightly above average. You’ll have more endurance in battle than most, but you’ll still need to train to maximize your potential."

Jiho gave a half-hearted shrug, accepting it for now. He made his way back to where we were standing, clearly disappointed, though trying not to let it show too much. I could tell he wasn’t satisfied, but knowing Jiho, he’d bounce back. He always did. He wasn’t the type to stay down for long, even if this wasn’t the flashy result he had hoped for.

As Jiho rejoined us, I gave him a pat on the back. “You’ll figure it out, man. It’s just day one.”

He flashed me a weak grin. “Yeah. I’ll get there.” But I could still hear the doubt in his voice.

Next up was Isak, and of course, he couldn’t just walk to the center without making things awkward. “Hey Anastasia,” he said with a smirk, “watch closely. I’m about to blow you away.”

She didn’t even blink. Just gave him a flat stare and brushed his comment off like he was a piece of lint on her perfectly pressed uniform. Classic. Meanwhile, I tried not to cringe myself into another dimension.

Narkul, thankfully, ignored the flirty nonsense and motioned for Isak to get started. “You’re likely on the natural range between Light and Dark,” he explained, adjusting his monocle. “Let’s start with Light.”

Isak, ever the showman, closed his eyes and took a deep breath, looking like he was about to unleash something impressive. He raised his hands, and at first, nothing seemed to happen. I was just about to make a snide comment when the forest around us was suddenly bathed in a flash of brilliant, golden light. And I’m not talking about a little glow—this was a full-on, blinding, almost divine light that engulfed everything in sight.

I had to shield my eyes, and through the brightness, I could feel something weird happening. It wasn’t just blinding—it was energizing. My body felt lighter, my mood brighter, and honestly? I felt like I could take on the world. And from the looks on my brothers’ faces, they were feeling it too.

“Well… that’s one way to start,” I muttered to myself, still squinting through the light.

Narkul, though impressed, looked a little less thrilled about being blinded. “Alright, that’s enough!” he called out, guiding Isak to stop before we all started glowing like we’d been hit by radioactive sunshine.

The light began to fade, but just as we thought we could relax, the opposite happened. Narkul gestured for Isak to try his Dark affinity next, and boy, did things take a turn.

The light was immediately replaced by an overwhelming darkness, swallowing up everything the light had touched. It wasn’t just dark—it was oppressive, like a blanket of pure night. And worse, it drained every bit of that energy we had just gotten. My limbs felt heavier, my chest tighter, and honestly, the whole thing was downright spooky. I could barely see my hand in front of my face, and to top it off, my senses were going haywire.

I called out, “Okay, enough with the haunted house! Turn it off!” but my voice sounded distant, like it was being sucked into the void. Panic started to creep in, my energy draining with every second, and I couldn’t tell if anyone else was near me.

For a moment, I thought I was just going to collapse, but then—just as suddenly as it began—it stopped. The darkness receded like a bad dream, and I was left standing there, gasping, with my legs shaking under me. From the looks of it, the rest of my brothers weren’t doing much better.

Of course, Isak? He was grinning ear to ear like he had just pulled off the most epic trick of his life. "Pretty cool, huh?" he said, practically bouncing with excitement.

Narkul, on the other hand, looked like he’d just seen a ghost. His usually calm demeanor cracked as he struggled to process what had just happened. Even Anastasia, who never seemed ruffled by anything, was visibly shaken. Her hair, usually in perfect place, now had a frazzled look to it.

After a long pause, Narkul finally spoke. “Your Light affinity is extraordinary. It seems to boost the physical and mental capabilities of those within its range, a form of empowerment or buffing. And your Dark affinity... well, it’s a debuff. It drains energy, weakens the senses, and suppresses the mana of those it touches.”

Isak, still riding high from his little display, let out a laugh. “So, I’m basically a support character? That’s hilarious!”

Narkul, clearly trying to keep his composure, shook his head. “No, you’re much more than that. You might be one of the most powerful raw Light and Dark mana users I’ve seen. Your potential is... immense. Your mana pool is elite level, even without training. But you need to learn control. Without focus, you could just as easily harm those you’re trying to help.”

Isak took that in stride, puffing out his chest. “Main character energy, am I right?” He shot a glance at Abel, a smug grin on his face. “Told you not to doubt me. Guess who's gonna be the strongest?”

Abel just rolled his eyes, though I could tell even he was a little impressed. Isak, of course, didn’t stop there. He raised a fist in the air dramatically, as if declaring victory over some invisible enemy. “And now,” he muttered to himself, “I’m one step closer to building my harem.”

I couldn’t help but groan inwardly. There he goes again.

He swaggered back to the group, grinning like he had just won the lottery. And honestly? As much as I wanted to roll my eyes at him, I couldn’t deny it. That display was... impressive.

But still, we’d all be dealing with Isak's inflated ego for the rest of the day, and I wasn’t looking forward to that.