Chapter Six: Trial by Fire

Elara steadied her breath, the heat of her flame blade radiating in her grip. Rael stood across from her, his ice-forged weapon glistening under the moonlight. The clearing between them crackled with tension, the air thick with residual magic.

"Again," Rael commanded.

Elara didn't hesitate. She lunged forward, fire trailing in her wake, her blade striking down toward him. But Rael was faster.

A gust of wind magic exploded from his palm, shifting his position as he sidestepped with unnatural speed. Before she could react, he countered—his ice blade arcing toward her unguarded side.

Elara instinctively summoned lightning to her feet, pushing off the ground in a sudden burst of speed. She barely dodged his strike, the frozen edge grazing the air where she had been standing just a moment ago.

She spun mid-air, flipping over him, and with a flick of her wrist, her flames surged outward. A fiery wave erupted, forcing Rael to jump back.

He landed effortlessly, his silver eyes gleaming with approval. "Better. But you're still relying on instinct."

Elara clenched her fists, frustration bubbling beneath her skin. "Then tell me what I'm missing."

Rael's smirk faded, replaced by something more serious. "Control."

He raised his hand, and before Elara could react, the earth beneath her feet shifted. A sharp pillar of rock shot up, knocking her off balance.

She hit the ground with a curse, rolling to avoid another sudden spike of earth.

Rael's voice remained steady. "Elements don't fight separately. They flow together. You're treating fire and lightning like two weapons—but they must become one."

Elara's breath was heavy as she rose to her feet, his words sinking in.

Flow together…

She closed her eyes for a brief second, feeling the fire within her, the electricity crackling in her veins. Instead of calling them separately, she willed them to merge—to weave into each other like twin currents of the same river.

When she opened her eyes, her flames crackled with arcs of lightning.

Rael arched a brow. "Show me."

Elara moved.

Her sword ignited in blinding golden fire, charged with raw electricity. As she swung, the blade extended—an arc of burning lightning slashing toward Rael with impossible speed.

Rael barely had time to react. He raised an ice barrier, but the impact sent cracks through the frozen wall, forcing him to jump away before it shattered completely.

For the first time, he looked genuinely surprised.

Elara smirked. "Better?"

Rael exhaled, shaking his head. "You really don't like losing, do you?"

Elara's flames flickered as she lowered her weapon. "Not in this life. Not anymore."

Rael studied her for a long moment before nodding. "Then we continue. You've taken the first step—but an Elementalist's true power is only just beginning."

Elara tightened her grip on her sword. The fire, the lightning, the power coursing through her veins—she could feel it now.

And she was ready for more.