Kestevere awoke the next day feeling more tired than usual. He had been terrified by whoever was at the training grounds, but he didn't think it would significantly affect him. He shook his head as if that would clear it, and he got out of bed and put on his uniform. It was time to get breakfast, and then he would have to be ready to face off against his next opponent.

Breakfast was filling enough to fuel him for the next few hours without being too much and making him sick. He sat down on one of the stadium seats and sighed. He was anxious, which was unusual for him. Kest knew what was expected, but so many powerful people were around him. He didn't have the same backing as Gerold, the same knack for the system and magic as Trysta, the same experience as Liadin, or the control that Ricard had exhibited. He was just himself, learning from everyone and taking pieces of what made them great to make himself good. It was a frustrating feeling not having anything original that he could claim. Surely, there was a way he could make himself stand out.

Trysta's third match began, but there was nothing that Kestevere could see that was unique this time. She was just a whirlwind of power, and Kestevere hadn't figured out how to become strong like that yet. He waited for her to get up to the seats before asking her how she got so strong.

"I've been awakened for seven years now. It took that long for me to develop properly into a decent person. I was found at the age of five in the slums of Bearstein after I slaughtered a group of men who were trying to harm me after they'd killed my mother. Since then, I've trained here as hard as possible and learned as much as I could. My mentor has been with me for seven years, so I've had someone to learn from for seven years. Not that I'd even tell her this, but she became family to me," Trysta said as she kept her glistening eyes on the matches. Kestevere didn't say anything for a moment, taking in the image of this girl with a forced smile who had experienced harsh realities at such a young age.

"I understand what you're saying. I didn't know, so I apologize. It was ignorant of me to assume that you were just special when you've been through so much," Kestevere said, disgust building within him.

"It's fine," she said, leaning back and looking at the sky. The school has used me for years to push new students, asking why they couldn't be like me and pointing out that I awakened at such a young age. I've become the bar by which everyone measures themselves, and I hate it," she finished with a whisper, glancing over at Kestevere.

"I'm guessing that most people don't know the struggles that you're experiencing, huh?" Kestevere asked.

"No, they don't. Even someone who's been here for a year, like Gerold, only knows I've been here for a while, not why. Maybe that means I've finally made a real friend, even if it is the last semester I'll be here," Trysta shrugged.

"It's a Good thing it'll be my first and final semester, then," Kestevere laughed softly before leaving his seat and going down to the arena. You aren't leaving me behind—not here. I'll be your friend and someone you can rely on."

Kestevere made his way down the stairs, nearly in a sprint. He was embarrassed to say what he did but was happy to be her friend and didn't want to disappoint her. With a deep breath, he collected himself and selected a different gear set this time. He grabbed what he needed and headed to the register to rent it. Kestevere then went out to the arena floor and walked onto the platform he was supposed to fight on. The student in front of him looked like the fast kind. She held two daggers and had a set of throwing daggers. Kestevere would have to take her out quickly, or he'd lose. He'd never used a magic staff, so this was a chance to get good quickly. The referee lowered his hand, and Kestevere raised the staff.

A beam of magic shot towards his opponent, and as Kestevere had predicted, she jumped through the air to close the distance. Kestevere gathered the air around them and lowered it upon her, sending her crashing to the ground. At this point, he raised the earth and water to hold her in place, and he hardened the clamps around her so that the trap was complete. The ten-count was completed, and Kestevere breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn't been good with magic or magical control, so she could release herself from the constraints. Kestevere had also latched onto all the elements around her, making it difficult to use. She was fighting an uphill battle as soon as she leaped into the air.

Kestevere made his way back up to the stadium seats as Trysta made her way down. The two high-fived as they passed one another, and Kest sat beside Liadin, who was waiting for his next fight.

"So what are you up here looking so gloomy for," Kestevere teased.

"I'm not getting my chance at fighting Ricard this tournament, and no one in my bracket will give me a chance unless we go past the fifth round. It's a waste of time," Liadin complained as he leaned back and rested his head against the seats behind them.

"Maybe you could help your opponents then?" Kest suggested.

"Yeah? How? Tell them how awful they are?" Liadin grumbled.

"Simple. Give them pointers as you fight. You could do that easily from the sound of it, and maybe that student will come around to give you a bit of a challenge next month. It's not a terrible idea if I say so myself," Kestevere laughed.

"Yeah, whatever. Maybe it'll help me lighten up a bit, and it would be a good idea to have our future allies stronger," Liadin mumbled. The two of them watched as Trysta finished her match. She quickly took down her opponents, but it was a different tactic every time. She tried something new each time, but it seemed as if she'd practiced a thousand times. That's why people thought she was a shining talent instead of a damaged child who had to grow up too quickly. Kestevere felt the disgust at himself growing again before excusing himself away from Liadin and descending the stairs. He walked over to a quiet area where he could meditate, hoping that he'd clear his mind and be able to fight his next match without anything weighing upon his mind.

As Kestevere looked within himself, he felt a calm wash over him. The elements around him seemed to wrap him into a cocoon of safety, and he felt truly at home. They were all welcoming presences, but each was unique. Like a gentle stream, the water washed over him and carried him along. The flames kept him warm, and it burned softly within his stomach like a fresh meal had been eaten. The air carried spring fragrances, and it wasn't too hot or cold but perfect, like a relaxing day beneath a tree. The earth held him within its embrace, protecting and shielding him from whatever harshness was outside. Kestevere opened his eyes to realize that he had only been meditating for a few moments in his head. Still, time had passed quickly outside of his mind. His match was next, and he felt more ready than before.

Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

Kestevere walked onto the platform and waited for his opponent to appear. A hand tapped him lightly on the shoulder, and Kestevere turned to find no one. He turned again and saw his opponent chuckling lightly across the arena, and chills spread over Kestevere. This was someone who wasn't to be underestimated. The referee announced Kestevere, and then he announced Kestevere's opponent, Mikhael. Kestevere prepared himself as the referee's hand lowered, and the match began. Kestevere sent a wave of rolling earth towards Mikhael, but instead of avoiding it, he simply walked over the earth that moved beneath him. Kestevere watched the display of inhuman balance and felt the danger emanate from the other student. Kestevere raised a shield of magic to protect himself from the violent aura that was bursting from the other student.

"Oh, and here I thought it would be an easy match like the others. Looks like you learn after what Ricard did yesterday," the boy said with a dark chuckle. Kestevere didn't answer him and wrapped himself within the earth. He could feel Mikhael move towards him faster than he'd expected, but he could still lay traps around him. Holes were drilled into the arena around him, and Kestevere felt Mikhael move through the air to break his earthen shell. Dropping through the floor, he made a path to the outside of the shell and came out as Mikhael broke through. Kestevere focused his staff and forced air into the shell. He moved out of the hole he'd escaped through and funneled water from below into the hole. Mikhael was shot out of the earth's shell, crushed between the air and water. Kestevere was gasping when Mikhael dropped to the ground due to having to push the elements faster with mana. His mana wasn't low, but he'd used a lot. The referee counted to ten, and the match was over. Kestevere walked off of the platform, barely believing he'd won. He didn't feel like he had, and it seemed like Mikhael had a lot more in him. He didn't have time to think about that as Gerold came over and congratulated him. Kestevere nodded his appreciation, and the two went to get food before the fifth round began.

The final round for this tournament would begin in two hours, giving everyone enough time to regain their strength. Kestevere spent his time either eating or meditating, and he didn't allow himself to stop even when Trysta and Liadin's matches were happening. He glanced at the clock closest to him and saw it was time for his match with Gerold. It was challenging to overcome the feeling of defeat before fighting, but Kestevere wasn't going to count himself out yet. He'd fight so long as he could stand.

The two stood across from one another in the arena, and the referee introduced the two. Gerold smiled, and Kestevere couldn't help but do the same. It was the feeling of finding a worthy rival, and the two were eager to face one another. Kestevere felt the wind whipping around him, and he could almost hear a voice telling him to have fun. The hand lowered, and Gerold began gathering the lightning. Kestevere could see everything as it happened this close and started trying to dispel the lightning. It was as if he was feeding into the power instead, and the energy pool only grew. Kestevere cursed and raised a wall of earth, but it wasn't enough to stop the streak of pure energy, and Kestevere's arm was caught in the immediate area. He cried out, but he wasn't out of the fight. He could see that Gerold's lightning magic was terrifying because he had the control to let it spread while also controlling the discharge. Kestevere tried to think of what he could do, but the only thing that came to mind was to use water. He hoped that it could be used against the lighting. A crevasse appeared in the middle of the arena, and a wall of water appeared before a shocked Gerold. He launched a massive spear of lightning towards Kestevere, but it could not fully pierce the wall of water. Kestevere laughed at his luck, but he knew there was a time limit. Gerold was brilliant, and he would create a way around this. Kestevere could already see mana being pushed either over or around the wall.

Kestevere began wrapping the water in air, and soon, he had a veil of circling water around him. It twisted so that not only was the lightning being absorbed and then diffused, but it was also being deflected. Kestevere began feeling hopeful until he saw that Gerold's smile had grown.

"This is why I like finding stronger people. I knew you'd get strong, Kestevere, and that's one of the reasons I was so excited to meet you. You really know how to get a guy fired up," Gerold shouted, and all of the static mana gathered around him. One instant, he was across the arena, and the next, he'd moved through the water veil and sent a plated fist into Kestevere's stomach. Kestevere was launched into the air, but he couldn't stop his descent because the air was forced from his lungs. He was so preoccupied with the lightning magic that Gerold had that he hadn't been using magical reinforcement. He failed to plan for what would happen next. He gathered his magic to prepare for the impact, but the next thing he knew, he was waking up in the medical area. He saw a doctor standing over him, and tears began to well up in Kestevere's eyes. He'd failed, and he didn't have any excuse besides poor planning.

The doctor allowed him time to clean up his tears and accept what happened before explaining what occurred at the end of the match. He said that as Kestevere fell from the sky, Gerold had sent all the charged mana he could above him and launched a volley of lightning. By the time he was done, the leather armor that Kestevere had chosen for its lightweight had been incinerated, and Kestevere had severe burns across his body. The doctor explained that if not for gathering his magic in those last moments of consciousness, Kestevere could have lost his life.

Those words stuck with him as he went to the training area after being released. He created the training room and turned on the privacy setting. His frustration had built over the past few hours, but he realized that there was nothing that he could do now. All he could do was try to calm himself, and he began meditating to find a balance and peace. The elements were there to help him as if they had feelings. The concern of the air, the fury of fire, the sadness of water, and the stubbornness of earth. The elements were there with him, and he grew closer to these feelings. As his own negative feelings began to fade, so did the negative emotions he felt the elements had been gathering. Kestevere opened his eyes to find that Sven was standing before him.

"Taking the loss that hard, kid?" Sven asked, and Kestevered sighed before answering.

"Maybe a little. I had hope there until he launched me into the air. I figured out how to solve the issue with his lightning, but I didn't think ahead," Kestevere spat.

"Sure, you didn't win. I mean, it wasn't even close, if we're being honest. The good news is that you learned from your mistakes. You know where you messed up and can do better next time. This is the time for making mistakes, and it's better to make them here where the chances of dying aren't as likely as on a battlefield," Sven said. Kestevere shot him a look of frustration.

"Kestevere, you're not going to be perfect. Get over that idea and set a new goal. Let's start with impressing your new mentor. How about that? Tomorrow, you won't be attending class. You'll come with me to meet your new mentor, and we're going to test you," Sven concluded cheerily. Kestevere was taken aback, but he agreed with the decision. He would place this failure behind him and overcome it, fighting failure with a vengeance.