Second Examination

The training grounds buzzed with energy as students gathered for the mock battles. The air was thick with anticipation, the kind that made your stomach twist and your palms sweat. Jamono stood at the edge of the arena, his arms crossed as he watched the first few matches. Angelo, as usual, looked completely unfazed, leaning against a barrel with his hands in his pockets. Still, calm, composed, like the typical Angelo he is.

The teacher called out the first pair: Angelo versus a wiry boy with a nervous twitch. The boy was a water affiliate, and he stepped into the arena with a determined look, clearly hoping to counter Angelo's fire. Jamono couldn't help but feel a twinge of curiosity. Water was supposed to be fire's natural counter, but Angelo didn't seem worried in the slightest.

The match began, and the water affiliate immediately summoned a torrent of water, aiming to douse Angelo's flames. But Angelo didn't even flinch. Instead, he reached into the barrel next to him and pulled out a lump of lard, tossing it onto the ground. With a snap of his fingers, he ignited it, creating a roaring grease fire. The water affiliate's attack hit the flames, but instead of extinguishing them, the water only spread the burning lard further, intensifying the blaze.

The crowd gasped as the fire surged, forcing the water affiliate to retreat. Angelo dashed through the wall of flames and landed a clean right hook on his opponent. Within moments, the match was over. He stood victorious, his smirk wider than ever. The teacher stepped in, raising a hand to signal the end of the battle. "Winner: Angelo," he announced, though he looked slightly annoyed at the unorthodox tactics. Angelo walked out of the arena, brushing past Jamono. "See? It's that simple." he said, his tone dripping with confidence. Jamono rolled his eyes. It was weird how he knew that the barrel of lard was just sitting there, but whatever now. Still, Jamono's own match was coming up, and he couldn't afford to get distracted.

After a few more matches, it was Jamono's turn. His opponent was Damius, the tall, lanky earth affiliate he'd seen during the affinity test. Damius stepped into the arena with a calm, almost bored expression, as if he already knew how this would go. Jamono, on the other hand, felt his heart racing. He still hadn't grasped his air affinity at all, given all he had used up to this point was water-control, which he was told not to use, and the thought of facing someone as composed as Damius was unnerving. The match began, and Damius wasted no time. With a stomp of his foot, the ground beneath Jamono cracked and shifted, throwing him off balance. Jamono stumbled, barely managing to avoid a chunk of rock that shot up from the ground. He scrambled to his feet, but Damius was already on the move, using his earth affinity to create barriers and uneven terrain. Jamono cursed under his breath. He couldn't get close enough to land a hit, and his attempts to summon his air affinity were shaky at best. The wind around him swirled weakly, but it wasn't enough to counter Damius's precise control. Desperation began to set in as Jamono dodged another attack, his movements growing more frantic. Then, an idea struck him. If he couldn't control the air perfectly, maybe he could use it in bursts. Focusing all his energy, Jamono channeled the wind beneath his feet, propelling himself into the air with a sudden double jump. He himself gasped as he soared over Damius's latest barrier, landing just within striking distance. Before Damius could react, Jamono unleashed a concentrated burst of air—a technique he'd barely thought of, let alone trained. With a single second to spare, he concentrated the air around a point at his fingertips, then released it with a burst of condensed air behind it. The bullet hit Damius square in the chest, sending him flying backward. He hit the ground hard and lost consciousness. The teacher stepped forward, raising a hand. "Winner: Jamono."

Jamono stood there, panting and wide-eyed. He'd done it. He'd actually won. But as he looked down at Damius, who was being helped to his feet by a few classmates, he couldn't shake the feeling that he'd gotten lucky. Still, the adrenaline coursing through him was undeniable, and for the first time, he felt a flicker of confidence in his abilities.

By the time the mock battles ended, the sun was beginning to set. The students were herded back to their rooms, their exhaustion evident in the way they dragged their feet. Jamono and Angelo returned to their shared room, where a tray of food had been left for them on the table. The smell of roasted meat and fresh bread filled the air, a welcome reward after the day's events. Jamono flopped onto his bed, staring at the ceiling. "I can't believe I actually won," he said, more to himself than to Angelo.

Angelo, already digging into the food, shrugged. "You got lucky. But hey, a win's a win."

Jamono sat up, glaring at him. "You're such an ass, you know that?"

Angelo smirked. "And yet, you're still talking to me."

Jamono groaned and grabbed a piece of bread, tearing into it with more force than necessary. As he ate, his mind wandered back to the battle—the way the air had felt beneath his feet, the rush of landing that final blow. Maybe, just maybe, he was starting to get the hang of this. But as he glanced at Angelo, who was already half-asleep with a piece of meat still in his hand, Jamono couldn't help but wonder what the tomorrow would bring. For now, though, he was content to rest. After all, he'd earned it.