Unleashing the Storm

Lucian's POV:

The arena was alive with anticipation. The murmur of the crowd swelled to a roar as I stepped onto the field. The midday sun bore down, casting long shadows across the sandy floor, and I could feel the energy thrumming through the space. Every gaze was fixed on me, the supposed invincible prince who commanded five elements.

Charles, Owen, and Mira stood across from me, each exuding confidence, though their eyes betrayed a flicker of doubt. They knew my reputation, but they still dared to challenge me. A tactical move, likely orchestrated to prove their worth or discredit mine.

I cracked my knuckles, rolling my shoulders as I stepped into position. Time to teach them a lesson.

Master Orin's voice rang out over the arena. "Let the match begin!"

No sooner had the words left his lips than Charles struck first, channeling the power of earth within him. Massive pillars of stone erupted from the ground, jagged and sharp, racing toward me with terrifying speed. I didn't flinch. With a flick of my wrist, I summoned a wall of air, the gust spiraling around me like a protective vortex. The stone shattered harmlessly, sending shards flying in all directions.

"That all you've got?" I taunted, smirking as Charles' jaw tightened.

From the sidelines, Zane shouted, "Show them who's in charge, Lucian!"

Ryker added with a laugh, "They don't stand a chance!"

Owen didn't wait for a second invitation. He channeled the fire coursing through him, igniting the air between us in a wave of molten heat. The flames coiled around him like a serpent before lashing out in a fiery whip aimed directly at my chest.

I sidestepped, raising a hand to conjure water. The two elements collided in a furious hiss of steam, the explosion rocking the arena.

"Impressive teamwork," I called out, my tone dripping with mockery. "But you'll need more than that to land a hit."

Mira joined the fray next, commanding the water within her to weave elegant tendrils of liquid that she directed with precision. With a fluid motion, she directed the water toward me, freezing it into razor-sharp shards mid-flight.

For a moment, I was impressed. Clever move. But not clever enough.

I stepped back, shadow energy pooling at my feet. The shadow element surging through me, dark tendrils snaking upward to consume the incoming shards. The ice disintegrated into nothingness, swallowed by the abyss I commanded.

The crowd gasped. Even Mira faltered, her confident expression replaced with unease.

"Is that fear I see?" I asked, tilting my head. "You should've stayed on the sidelines, Mira. This isn't your fight."

Charles growled, slamming his hands into the ground. The earth beneath my feet trembled, splitting apart as jagged cracks raced toward me. At the same time, Owen unleashed another fire attack, this time a concentrated stream aimed to pin me in place.

I leaped into the air, a gust of wind propelling me higher than they anticipated. Suspended above the arena, I allowed myself a glance toward the crowd.

There she is.

Aria sat near the front, her eyes locked on me. Unlike the others, she wasn't cheering or gasping in awe. She watched me with a quiet intensity that made my chest tighten. She wasn't impressed by my display—she was studying me. Trying to figure me out.

What are you thinking, Aria? What do you see when you look at me?

My moment of distraction cost me. Charles' attack reached its peak, and a massive column of stone shot up toward me.

"Focus, Lucian," I muttered to myself, twisting midair. Fire erupted around me, a blazing shield that melted the stone before it could touch me. I landed gracefully, my feet skidding slightly on the arena floor as I absorbed the recoil.

"You're slowing down, Vortex," Owen sneered, his fire dragon circling him protectively.

"Or maybe I'm just toying with you," I shot back, a grin tugging at my lips.

Zane laughed from the sidelines. "That's our Lucian! Playing with his food!"

Without warning, I slammed my hands together, summoning all five elements in a chaotic dance. Fire, water, earth, air, and shadow swirled around me, forming an impenetrable storm. The sheer force of it sent Charles, Owen, and Mira stumbling backward, their defenses faltering.

"You wanted a fight?" I shouted over the roar of the elements. "Then fight me!"

Charles charged, summoning the full force of the earth within him. The ground beneath us heaved, and massive spikes erupted from all directions. I didn't even blink, using my air dragon to redirect the boulder mid-flight. It smashed into the arena wall, sending debris raining down.

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Owen tried to flank me, his fire dragon spitting flames. I countered with water, the collision sending a geyser of steam into the air. Mira attempted to trap me in a frozen prison, but my shadow dragon shattered the ice with ease, its dark tendrils lashing out and forcing her to retreat.

"You're out of your depth," I said coldly, stepping toward them. "This fight was over the moment it started."

I had had enough.

As the dust began to settle from the intense barrage of elements, I decided to end this. My gaze sharpened, my focus narrowing on the trio before me. They were skilled, but not enough to match what I was about to unleash.

Charles roared, slamming his fists into the ground. The earth rumbled violently as towering spikes shot up in rapid succession, aiming to box me in.

I smirked. Predictable. With a wave of my hand, I commanded the wind dragon within me. A powerful gale whipped through the arena, its force strong enough to rip the spikes apart before they could close around me. The shattered fragments flew harmlessly into the air, crumbling like dust.

At the same time, Owen lunged, his fire dragon blazing hotter than ever. Flames coiled within him, surging forward as he hurled a massive fireball my way, its heat warping the air as it tore across the arena.

I raised my palm, summoning the water dragon's energy within me. A towering wave surged forth, swallowing the fireball whole and dousing it in a hiss of steam. Before Owen could recover, I shifted tactics, using the remaining water to slick the ground beneath him.

His footing faltered as the slick surface betrayed him. I seized the opportunity, sending a gust of air his way. The force knocked him off his feet, his dragon's energy retreating into him as he hit the ground hard.

"Stay down," I ordered coldly, already turning my attention to Mira.

Mira, however, was prepared. The energy of her water dragon surged within her, forming a swirling, liquid cyclone that danced with a sharp edge of ice. She launched it with precision, the cyclone spiraling toward me, its icy edges gleaming with deadly intent.

Clever. But not clever enough.

I summoned the shadow dragon within, its dark tendrils weaving through me and surging forward to intercept her attack. The shadows absorbed the energy of her cyclone, dissipating it into nothingness. Mira's eyes widened in disbelief as the icy shards fell harmlessly to the ground.

"You should've known better," I said, my tone low and unyielding.

Charles roared again, charging at me head-on. The energy of his earth dragon erupted through him, forming a massive, stone-covered arm that swung toward me with crushing force.

This time, I combined dragons. Air and fire swirled within me, blending into a blazing vortex that erupted forward to meet his attack head-on. The collision sent shockwaves rippling through the arena, the force enough to stagger even Charles.

But I didn't stop there. I called upon the strength of my earth dragon, causing the ground beneath him to quake violently. His balance wavered, and I used the moment to strike. Fire erupted from my hands, forming a fiery arc that swept toward him. Charles raised a wall of stone in defense, but my flames were too intense, melting through his barrier and forcing him to retreat.

He fell to one knee, the energy of his dragon retreating as well, its strength spent.

With Charles and Owen down, I turned to Mira. She was already summoning the last of her strength, the energy of her water dragon forming a massive sphere of liquid above her.

"Don't do it," I warned, stepping forward.

But she didn't listen. The sphere surged toward me, its force enough to knock most opponents off their feet.

I sighed, raising both hands. Fire and shadow surged through me in tandem, intertwining in a devastating display. The fire evaporated the water instantly, while the shadow tendrils coiled around Mira, pinning her in place.

Her dragon's energy let out a defeated cry before fading, completely depleted.

I stood in the center of the arena, the energies of my dragons retreating into me as I surveyed the aftermath. Charles, Owen, and Mira were all down, their bodies and spirits drained.

"Is that it?" I said, my voice echoing across the silent arena. "I expected more."

The crowd erupted into stunned silence, then thunderous applause.

Zane grinned and slapped Ryker on the back. "Told you Lucian would make it look easy!"

Ryker just shook his head, chuckling. "They never stood a chance."

Without waiting for Master Orin's declaration, I turned and walked toward the edge of the arena, my cape billowing behind me. They weren't worth my full power, but at least they served as practice.

As I strode toward Zane and Ryker, the echoes of my cape brushing against the marble floor trailed behind me. The sound of Master Orin's voice broke through the roar of the crowd.

"Lucian is the winner," Orin declared, his voice cutting through the chaos.

I barely acknowledged the words, my eyes scanning the crowd, searching. Then I saw her again.

Aria.

She was seated toward the back, her gaze locked onto the center of the arena where the dust from my battle still lingered. Her expression was unreadable, but there was something in the way she stared—a focus so intense it seemed to pull her away from everything else around her.

What is she thinking?

For a moment, I felt the tug of curiosity, an urge to follow the threads of her thoughts and unravel them. But before I could dwell on it, Master Orin's voice rang out again, louder this time.

"The next match will be between Reed, the fire elemental, and Aria, the air elemental."

I froze mid-step, the words slicing through me. Reed? Aria?

Then Orin continued, "But only if Aria accepts Reed's challenge."

My head snapped back toward the arena, shock rippling through me. My gaze darted first to Reed, his expression smug, his arms crossed over his chest as if he had already won. Then to Aria.

She blinked, momentarily startled by Orin's announcement, but she quickly schooled her expression into one of calm composure. The way she carried herself in that moment struck me—confident, yes, but she was also just a first-year student, barely beginning to grasp the full extent of her powers.

This is madness. Reed was a final-year student, an experienced fire elemental with years of training behind him. His flames were known for their ferocity, his precision unmatched. And now he was challenging Aria, a first-year air elemental? The thought made my jaw tighten.

Why? The answer came quickly. Because of this morning in the mess hall. I could still hear the echoes of laughter, the sharp clatter of trays, the murmurs of gossip. Whatever had transpired between them, it was clear Reed wasn't over it. He didn't want a match—he wanted revenge.

My hands curled into fists at my sides. Aria doesn't know what she'd be walking into. Reed would destroy her without hesitation, all for some petty grudge. I found myself hoping—no, silently willing—her to refuse the challenge.

Don't accept it, I thought, my gaze locked on her. This isn't worth proving anything to anyone.