Chapter 5: First Combat Class

Nyx yawned as she walked alongside Ari, making her way to her first combat class. The academy grounds stretched wide, the training fields buzzing with students who were all eager to show off their magic.

"So," Nyx asked, tilting her head, "what's combat class like? Anything I should know before I go in and accidentally break one of these ridiculous human rules again?"

Ari snickered. "Well, considering you're probably the only elf here, expect a lot of stares. And maybe some skepticism."

Nyx grinned. "Oh, I love skepticism."

Ari shot her a look. "Not sure if that's a good thing."

Before Nyx could respond, they reached the training grounds—a vast open space lined with sand, sparring rings, and weapon racks. At the far end, a large stone platform stood as the main dueling area, glowing faintly with enchantment runes to keep the fights contained.

Students milled about, some stretching, others whispering excitedly.

Then, a voice rang through the field.

"Alright, first-years, line up!"

Nyx turned to see their instructor—a tall, muscular woman with scarred arms and piercing amber eyes. She radiated authority, and the moment she stepped forward, all the students snapped to attention.

Nyx, of course, did not.

The instructor's gaze landed on her immediately.

"You. Elf."

Nyx blinked. "Me?"

"No, the other elf behind you," the woman deadpanned. "Yes, you."

Nyx smirked. "What can I do for you, oh fearsome instructor?"

Some of the students gasped. Ari facepalmed.

The instructor raised an eyebrow but didn't seem angry—if anything, she looked amused. "You've got guts. I'm Instructor Kael. You're in my class now, which means you listen and you follow orders. Got it?"

Nyx grinned. "No promises."

Kael sighed, rubbing her temples. "This is going to be fun."

After going through the basic safety rules (which Nyx promptly ignored), Kael clapped her hands.

"Alright. Let's see what you're all made of. Pair up! First-years, you'll be assigned opponents for your first sparring match. This will determine your starting rank in combat class."

The students broke off into groups, each waiting for their turn. Nyx, however, was not given a choice.

"You." Kael pointed at her.

Nyx blinked. "Me again?"

"Yes, you again. Since you're our first elf student, I want to see what you can do. You'll be sparring against one of our best first-years."

The students murmured among themselves. Some looked excited, others doubtful.

"She's just an elf. They're all about nature magic, right? That's not gonna be useful in a fight."

"Yeah, I heard elves are better at healing and support magic. She's probably not a fighter."

Ari sighed beside her. "I knew this would happen."

Nyx rolled her shoulders, smirking. "Oh, this is gonna be fun."

Kael gestured to a boy stepping onto the dueling platform.

"This is Dane, a top-ranked elemental mage. He specializes in fire magic."

Dane smirked, cracking his knuckles. "Hope you're ready, elf. I don't plan on going easy on you just because you're new."

Nyx stepped onto the platform, stretching her arms. "Oh, please do. Otherwise, this'll be over too fast."

The students gasped.

Kael's eyes glinted with curiosity. "Alright, fighters ready?"

Dane took a stance, flames flickering around his hands.

Nyx yawned.

"Begin!"

Dane wasted no time. He launched a fireball straight at Nyx, the heat distorting the air.

Nyx lifted a single finger.

A stream of water surged from thin air, twisting like a serpent and snuffing out the fireball instantly. The crowd gasped.

Dane scowled and tried again, hurling a barrage of flames. Nyx didn't even move her feet—she flicked her wrist, and each flame was met with a perfectly controlled stream of water, dispersing them with zero effort.

"Is that all?" she called, grinning.

Dane growled. "Don't get cocky!"

This time, he engulfed his entire body in fire, sending a wave of searing heat across the platform. Students backed away, shielding their faces. The sand blackened under the intensity.

Nyx sighed. "Alright, my turn."

She lifted both hands, and suddenly—

The entire battlefield erupted in a surge of water.

Water appeared from nowhere, flooding the stone platform and coiling around Nyx like a storm. She barely moved, but the water responded to her every thought, rising into spirals and crashing waves.

Dane barely had time to react before a massive current slammed into him, knocking him off his feet and dousing his flames in an instant.

The students stared in complete shock.

Kael folded her arms, her expression unreadable.

Dane coughed and spluttered, struggling to stand. "H-How…?"

Nyx smirked, twirling a small stream of water around her finger. "Didn't anyone tell you?" She tilted her head, silver-blue hair dripping with magic.

"Water beats fire."

The match should have ended there.

But Nyx… got a little carried away.

She was having fun—and when she had fun, she let loose.

Instead of letting the water settle, she pushed it further, sending waves crashing over the dueling platform. The enchanted barriers struggled to contain it. Some students screamed as the water rushed toward them, stopping just before reaching the edge.

Kael's sharp whistle cut through the chaos.

"ENOUGH!"

Nyx blinked, snapping out of her excitement. With a wave of her hand, the water instantly receded, vanishing as if it had never existed.

Dane was left soaked and miserable, while the rest of the students stood in horrified silence.

Kael strode onto the platform, her boots splashing in the remaining puddles.

"That," she said, voice cold, "was reckless."

Nyx winced. "I mean… I technically won."

Kael's eyes narrowed. "And you technically almost drowned half the class."

Nyx opened her mouth—then closed it.

Ari facepalmed from the sidelines.

Kael sighed, rubbing her temples. "You're strong. No doubt about that. But you lack control. Power is useless if you don't know when to stop."

Nyx shifted, suddenly feeling less victorious.

Kael turned to the rest of the students. "Class dismissed." Then she looked at Nyx.

"You. Stay."

As the other students left, Kael folded her arms. "You don't get it yet, do you?"

Nyx frowned. "Get what?"

Kael gestured to the platform. "You didn't just win that fight. You humiliated him. If you had stopped earlier, you'd have impressed people. But instead, you just made them afraid of you."

Nyx hesitated. She hadn't thought about that.

Kael sighed. "Raw strength means nothing without wisdom. If you want to survive in this world, you'd better learn that fast."

Nyx swallowed.

For the first time since arriving at the academy… she realized that maybe, just maybe, she still had a lot to learn.