Chapter 1: Dangerous Situation!

Cough! Cough!

My body was thrown to the wall as I flung to the floor, gasping for breath. My face was bleeding as blood dripped down from my face to my eyes, but I still clearly saw a figure in front of me.

"Is this really all you've got?" the man sneered, looking down at me like I was the biggest waste of his time. "I thought you were something special, given the bounty on your head." He wasn't wrong—I wasn't as strong as I used to be.

I wiped at the blood in my eyes and winced sharply as I forced myself to my feet. I tried to shut out the screaming pain that threatened to turn my body to mush. "You gon' talk all day or are we finishing this?" I growled, trying to put some hardness in my voice, but deep down, honestly, I knew I was out of his league. It would be a miracle if I walked out alive.

The man grinned, the glint in his eyes twisted with amusement. "Good, good. Show me what you got, boy!" The laughter echoed in the ground, as I urgently searched the place, trying to look for my staff.

Boom!

A fireball shot from his hand and slammed into my stomach, sending me flying. I hit the ground hard; pain tore through me. "Nngh!" I gasped, clutching my stomach as I tried to breathe.

"Take it slowly, kid," he sneered, reveling in the situation. He was an Elementalists-and a very strong one at that-the sort who would raze whole cities with a snap of his finger. Before him, I was no more than an insect to be crushed.

But I still had one last shot—the power that made house in my body, a power so yet destructive yet also dangerous and the power I feared the most. Well, now, with death in my face, I didn't have much choice left.

"This place is perfect," I thought, looking around at the academy ground that was now nothing but a field of battle. "No one will see what I'm about to do."

A Few Hours Earlier

"Arthur, you're going to be late for class! hurry up son!" a voice came from downstairs. "Yes coming!" I hurried to reply. Whose voice can that be but my mum's? Why did I haste to reply so fast you may ask. Though she had a calm and composed face, everyone at home knows what it means if we do not answer quickly to her questions.

Even the elders in the family didn't want to get on the wrong side with my mom—I don't know what that would have been; her being mad?.

After I finished my breakfast, I left for the academy. I am Arthur Fein, a 19-year-old boy who study at an academy of elementalist called Kaisei Academy, it was one of the three top academies in the whole Heil region. The academy was also famous for the treatment towards other species. It was because it was the only academy in the Heil region that allowed non-humans to study there. Soon enough, I reached the classroom where the first lesson was going to be held.

Slide!

I slided the door to my classroom and went inside. "Arthur, did you hear? The academy is holding a tournament in order to select new House Presidents," said a boy seating himself next to me, his name was Izel Rig the only hier of one of the noble family that oversaw the Heil Region. "What class is going to be held first?" I asked Izel, paying no attention to his question. "Conjuring—hey, don't ignore my question," Izel said.

In this world, everyone is born with an affinity towards one of the elements of nature: fire, water, wind, or earth. Those that do are raised as Elementalists. Then there are the rare: people born with affinities that are different from the natural elements, a deviation. Of these natural elements such elements were Wood from Earth, Thunder from Fire, Ice from Water, and Sound from Wind.

Individuals with the ability to manipulate these extremely few yet strong elements are referred to as Elemental Adepts, for only the extremely sensitive to the natural elements may awaken them.

"Hey—Arthur, are you listening?" Izel shouted near my ear. "Yeah, but you wouldn't stand a chance since our seniors will also be participating," I said carelessly. "Ahh! Why so cold?" Izel replied dramatically. 

Talking fast, we finished as the teacher came into the class. As ours was the first class related to Conjuring, the teacher started to explain the subject. Conjuring is a process of bringing an element into existence and using it to attack.

"Now, may I ask another rhetorical question: what is the typical age for a person to awaken?" the teacher, Sir Michael, asked. "Sir Michael, it should be about 17, and they'll be able to practice their element around 18 or 19," a girl from the front row answered. "Correct,Clare. But what if a person awakens before the said age? What will happen?" Michael continued.

"But that's impossible, Sir. There are rumors of such people, but there's no proof of it," Clare replied.

"Proof, you say? Arthur, would you mind coming down?" Michael requested.

I got up and started going down the stairs to go where our teacher was standing.

"Ahem —Arthur here is someone who awakened at the age of 12 and has been practicing Martial Elementalist techniques under guidance of other Martial experts," Michael declared.

The whole class went silent, unsure of what to say. "I know most of you have questions, but that's for later time. Do me a favour and conjuror any element Arthur" Michael came foward ;

When he gave me his approval, I summoned a fireball. The fireball was a rich emerald in color, and beautiful in a sense. Michael then explained how a early awakening can influence the nature of an element like a normal fireball would be crimson red or lavish blue in special cases but mine was of emerald.

As Michael was explaining, several noises and screams came from outside the classroom. "Everyone, please remain seated while I check what's happening," Michael told everybody as he left the classroom.

"What is this feeling?" I thought to myself. Already I had been feeling so uneasy for quite a long time, and my gut feeling was that something dangerous was closing in.

Boom!

The door of the classroom burst open, and, flew in a body. It was our teacher, Micheal. "R-un," Micheal panted, as he lost his strength and fainted. "Teacher!" many students screamed in horror. They did know how strong Micheal was, but seeing him in that current state surprised them.

"Tsk. Tsk… what a lovely bunch, worrying about your teacher when you should be worrying about yourselves," the rugged voice said.

Tap, Tap, Tap.

Footsteps echoed. A man entered the class, "There you are" he said, looking straight into my eyes. I know through his eyes, he is here for my life

Zip Zap!

I was teleported to the academy stadium. I know what's going on and for what purpose, so I didn't let my guard go down.

"Oho, battle stance," said as the man paused to be seen no more, "but not good enough" s he continued as he appeared in front of me. I was thrown a couple of meters back hitting an invisible wall "Barrier," I muttered trying to stand.

Back to the Present

I fell to my feet, and my hand, shaking, rose towards the seal on my chest. The air itself seemed to crackle with energy as I prepared to break the seal. I knew this was my last chance.

The man's laughter died as he noticed the shift. "What are you—"

"Chronos Seal—Release," I muttered under my breath.

But before he could finish laughing, I ripped the seal away. Raw power burst through me, untrammeled and wild. The ground shook, and through the sky above us darkened, the unleashed energy began to twist everything around us."Now," I mumbled, hanging on by a thread to a vestige of coherence, "let's finish this."