Psi Elemental

Psi Elemental was taught by identical twins—short, slim, and sharp-eyed. With matching black hair and mirrored movements, Drake and Chanzi spoke in sync, often finishing each other's sentences. No one knew if it was their twin bond or a psi-link. The only obvious difference was gender—Chanzi had subtle curves but was often mistaken for a boy.

Cane was the first to arrive.

"Greetings, Professors."

They exchanged a look. Of course, they knew who he was—but they didn't understand why he was here.

Chanzi stepped forward with a polite bow. "Psi Elemental for Beginners is designed for students with active psi-talent. It's not a general education course."

Cane smiled and raised a hand. Starlight burst above him, catching both professors off guard. Drawing on the power of the white and blue stars, the dark star pulsed and he pushed the air forward gently.

Both twins staggered a step back, eyes wide.

Drake's focus snapped to the stars above, while Chanzi stared directly at Cane.

"You have no measurable psi-talent," she said carefully. "How did you do that?"

"Unexpectedly," Cane replied, "I'm able to access psi-mana. The stars act as a focal—they lend power to the process."

"Amazing," Drake murmured, eyes fixed on the black star now drifting into view. "You've convinced me. Welcome to Psi Elemental."

Chanzi offered her hand. "Yes, welcome, Cane."

He took it.

Her eyes widened. She recoiled like she'd been burned.

Cane clicked his tongue. "Trying to read me on day one? Is that allowed?"

Chanzi's pale face turned red. Drake shot her a warning look.

"She's sorry," he muttered, embarrassed.

(Psi-Link: Drake): Are you crazy? You can't do that to students—especially Cane Ironheart.

(Psi-Link: Chanzi): I know… I don't know what came over me.

Chanzi gave a small bow. "Forgive me. That was unprofessional."

Cane nodded and found a seat. He turned his attention to the classroom—a wide circular space with three rows of padded seats, each with a fold-down desk. The center housed three vertical fountains, two workbenches, and dusty crates filled with who-knows-what.

Each fountain shot a narrow stream of water straight up, two meters high. Every drop fell precisely back into its source, forming perfect vertical columns in constant motion.

Students began filing in. Cane quickly realized he didn't recognize any of them. And psi-students… were odd.

"Please line up in front of the fountains," Chanzi instructed. "This is the entrance test—if you can't push the stream, you can't continue the course."

Cane stood but was waved off by Drake. "We've already tested you, Cane. Welcome again."

He sat back down, watching as the others approached the fountains. Of the two dozen who tried, six failed outright.

Chanzi pulled them aside, coached them quietly, and let them try again. Two passed. The other four didn't.

As they turned to leave, Drake raised his voice. "Don't be discouraged. This happens more often than you think. Do any of you know Siya, third-year Psi-user? He's our strongest Psi student now. Siya failed this test his first year."

"My brother's point is," Chanzi added smoothly, "try again next year. Psi-talent is strange. It develops in waves."

Cane sat quietly, reminded once again that if it weren't for his psi-attunement ring—and the black star—he'd be walking out that door too.

They paired off for skills focused on improving control and elemental touch. A small ball was placed between each pair of seated students. At first, they simply rolled it back and forth with their minds. Then, a short tube was added, and the goal became guiding the ball cleanly through it.

"Do those stars always show up?" Cane's partner was a broad-shouldered second-year named Blythe, who confessed he'd failed the entrance test the year before.

Cane nodded. "So far. They act as a focal. I'm hoping to grow past needing them."

"It's okay if I call you Cane?"

Cane laughed. "Yeah. That is my name."

"Just call me Bly. Only my parents use Blythe."

"You got it, Bly."

Cane missed the tube again. His control was off—sloppy.

Midway through, the class paused for announcements. A familiar voice filled the room.

"Good morning, everyone! This is Sophie Sweetwater with today's announcements..."

"On the war front, two new battle zones have opened in the western and southern regions. Gryphon Company has been pulled back from the front lines for a much-needed rest after a string of decisive victories. Since it's made up entirely of last year's Academy graduates, we'll be honoring them with a tribute mid-month."

"At sea, the Zuni Empire continues to avoid direct naval engagement. With over thirty enemy ships sunk, the Defiant now leads our fleet and has been assigned to coastal patrols."

"The Starsong, a miracle of student-led engineering, completed its maiden voyage over second cycle break. Mission Control is preparing sea-faring tasks for qualified cadet teams. Currently, the top three ranked teams are captained by Yuta, Siya, and Cane."

Sophie moved on to local announcements, birthdays, and a reminder about the Fall Harvest Festival.

"This is Sophie Sweetwater, reminding you—if you see someone without a smile today, give them yours. Until this afternoon, have a sunny day!"

Bly was blushing. "Sorry... She has the sweetest voice. I heard she used to work in the kitchens?"

"She did," Cane said.

"Ever seen her? She just seems like a really nice person. My type."

"Mine too," Cane deadpanned.

"Hey, dum-dum."

A new voice interrupted. The speaker was a slim girl with a shaved head inked in layered tattoos. Her eyes were dark, nearly black, and Cane noticed she was manipulating two other balls while still guiding her own through the tube with perfect precision.

"Which of us are you talking to?" Cane asked.

"That guy," she pointed a thumb at Bly. "Everyone knows Sophie and your partner are a thing."

Bly's face turned crimson. "What?"

Cane fought a grin. "Relax. Maybe she's looking to trade up. I'll put in a good word for you."

"Really?"

"No."

The bald girl laughed—hard—and didn't lose control of a single ball. "I'm Zen. Come to me if you have any questions."

"Sure," Cane replied, amused.

Class ended early, and the students filtered out. Cane stayed back with Bly, who recovered from his embarrassment quickly.

"Sorry about that, Cane. My mouth just runs off sometimes."

Cane clapped him on the back. "Got the same problem myself."

He was halfway to Tower Seven when he felt it—someone following. He paused, turning.

"Something up?"

Zen gave a shrug. "Not really. I wanted to talk to you."

"About?"

"The Starsong," she said. "I've got a team, but we lack experience. I hear yours is trained by that elf—Elohan?"

Cane nodded. "That's true. You want tips?"

Zen grinned, and the transformation softened her sharp features. "Please."

He walked her through their first few weeks with Elohan, the punishing morning training, the emphasis on coordination under fatigue. "Even for a Psi user, you'll want physical prep. Some missions run long—hours on the move, combat without rest."

Zen frowned. "We haven't done any physical stuff. Just practicing our elements and some basic fieldwork."

"What's your team makeup?"

"Me—Psi. A wood-element healer, an earth-element melee fighter, and an air elemental working on crowd control."

"Give your CC a weapon. Crowd control's great, but if the target survives too long, things go sideways fast. Ours carries a prototype blunderbuss."

"I heard that. And you've got Firekiss Fergis. With that kind of firepower..."

Cane smiled. "Sometimes. Fergis isn't one-note. We fought a creature immune to fire once. His rune work saved us."

Zen nodded slowly. "So—develop other strengths. Got it." She gave

Cane a sidelong glance. "You're the frontline?"

"Yep."

She stopped outside a first-year dorm and pointed to it. "This is me. Thanks for the advice, Cane."

She handed him a slip of parchment with her room's psi rune.

"Oh, sure. Take mine too." Cane pulled a thin metal card from his satchel and passed it to her. The rune was etched cleanly into the surface.

Zen flipped it over, eyebrows raised. "Fancy."

"Easy—if you're a metallurgist."

"Cya, Cane."

"Later, Zen."