Elemental Bonds

The morning light filtered through the infirmary windows, casting gentle warmth across Radji's bed. He had been awake for hours, methodically cataloging the changes in his body since the Soul Drainer attack. His skin still felt colder than normal, particularly his fingertips and toes where they tingled with phantom chill. Occasionally, a shadow of memory would pass through his mind—the sensation of something alien pulling at his very essence, draining him from within.

His bed was surrounded by evidence of his parents' concern: fresh flowers from his mother, books from home that his father had brought, even his favorite pens and notebook arranged precisely on the bedside table. They had reluctantly departed late the previous evening, after extracting multiple promises from the Academy staff about his care and safety.

The infirmary door opened, and Radji looked up to see Osa and Saguna entering. Their faces brightened upon seeing him sitting up, though he didn't miss the shadows under their eyes that matched his own..

"You look better," Saguna observed, taking the chair beside the bed.

"Considerably improved from yesterday's condition," Radji agreed with clinical precision. Yet despite his attempt at detachment, he couldn't help but feel a wave of warmth at their presence. Something had changed between them—a connection that goes beyond their brief acquaintance.

Osa slumped into the chair opposite Saguna, immediately stretching his long legs out and crossing them at the ankles. "Sink me if you don't look a thousand times better," he said, his casual tone belied by the intensity in his eyes. "That shadow thing really did a number on you." He added "So, do we talk about it? The shadow thing, the marks, Professor Nyala's ritual..."

"The Soul Drainer," Radji corrected automatically. "According to historical texts, that's what the entity is called. I've been researching." He gestured to several books on his lap that Professor Nyala had provided.

"Of course you have," Osa said with a crooked smile, though his eyes remained serious. "Books and organization, even after nearly getting your soul sucked out." He leaned forward, elbows on knees. "But tell us what it actually felt like. The books won't have that."

Radji's hands tightened slightly on the blanket. "Like being pulled apart from the inside. Cold, but beyond physical cold—a coldness that reached into places I didn't know existed within me." He paused, struggling to articulate the experience. "It was... consuming my essence, piece by piece."

Osa shuddered visibly. "When I touched it, I felt that too. Like it was drinking me down, starting with all the warm parts."

Saguna nodded grimly. "Master Damian told me about the Sorrow Well while we were rushing back to help you. It's a weak point in the Veil, a scar from an old battle three centuries ago. The Academy was actually built around it—to contain it."

"Which is completely tilted if you ask me," Osa interjected, waving a hand expressively. "Who builds a school on top of a spirit portal? That's like setting up a nursery over a tiger pit."

"Strategic placement," came a voice from the doorway. Professor Nyala entered, followed by Master Damian. "The Imperial Academy was established precisely because this location has natural properties that strengthen the Veil—except around the well itself."

"Like building a fortress around a single weak point in otherwise solid defenses," Radji suggested, his analytical mind immediately grasping the concept.

Master Damian nodded approvingly. "Precisely, Mr. Loma. And for centuries, that strategy worked. Until recently."

"Until the Veil began thinning," Saguna concluded, his hand unconsciously moving to the marks on his neck.

"Yes." Professor Nyala's gaze moved between the three of them. "Which brings us to the matter at hand—your training. If you're feeling well enough, Mr. Loma, I believe we should begin today."

"I'm ready," Radji replied, sitting straighter.

"Then follow me. There's a private chamber where we won't be disturbed."

***

The chamber Professor Nyala led them to was located in the oldest section of the Academy, accessible only through a narrow stairway that spiraled down beneath the Department of Historical Practices. Unlike the grand architecture above, this room was simple—circular walls of fitted stone, a floor inlaid with a triangular pattern, and a domed ceiling painted with constellations similar to those in the Veil Archives.

"This chamber was built for the first Triumvirate," Professor Nyala explained as they entered. "Every generation since has trained here, including my ancestor."

Master Damian closed the heavy wooden door behind them. "What you must understand," he said, "is that the abilities you're developing aren't simply mental exercises or spiritual connections—they require physical conditioning as well."

"Like muscle training?" Osa asked, bouncing slightly on his toes as if already eager to begin.

"In a manner of speaking," Professor Nyala replied. "In ancient texts, the life force that flows through all living things is called 'qi.' Your physical body is the vessel for this energy. The stronger the vessel, the more energy it can channel without breaking."

"Hence the Soul Drainer's effect on me," Radji said thoughtfully. "It wasn't just draining my life force—it was damaging the vessel itself."

"Precisely." Master Damian moved to the center of the room. "Each of you has begun to form a connection with your elemental affinity, but those connections are tenuous at best. To strengthen them, you must strengthen yourselves—body, mind, and spirit in harmony."

Professor Nyala gestured for them to sit on three cushions arranged in a triangle on the floor. "We'll begin with the breath—the foundation of all Veil Arts. Your experience in the Tranquility Garden was just a glimpse of what's possible when consciousness expands beyond ordinary awareness."

As they settled into the breathing practice, Radji found it harder than expected. His body still felt weak from the attack, his lungs unable to draw full breaths without discomfort. Beside him, Saguna seemed to be struggling as well, his rhythm uneven, his expression tense.

But Osa fell into the pattern almost immediately, his breathing deep and steady. After several minutes, something remarkable began to happen—the mark over his heart started to glow faintly through his uniform, visible as a soft blue luminescence.

Master Damian noticed it first. "Remarkable," he murmured, moving closer to observe. "Mr. Hann, your mark is evolving."

Osa's eyes flew open, his hand automatically going to his chest. "What the—is that normal?" he asked, peering down at himself in alarm.

"It means your connection to water is strengthening," Professor Nyala explained. "The Trifold Seal begins as three points—dots that form a triangle. As your abilities develop, those points begin to connect, forming lines of power."

Cautiously, Osa unbuttoned the top of his uniform shirt. The mark had indeed changed—where there had been three distinct dots over his heart, now two of the points were connected by a glowing blue line, forming one side of a triangle.

"Sink me," Osa breathed, staring down at his chest.

"This is extraordinary progress for one at such an early stage," Master Damian said, studying the mark with undisguised fascination. "Your affinity for water must be exceptionally strong."

"Is that... good?" Osa asked uncertainly.

"More than good," Master Damian replied. "It's exceedingly rare. Water is the most difficult element to form a connection with—it requires a perfect balance of yielding and strength, adaptability and purpose. Most who attempt it never progress beyond the most basic manipulations."

"Yet you managed to command it instinctively during the Soul Drainer attack," Professor Nyala added. "Without training, without guidance.

Osa looked uncomfortable with their intense focus. "I didn't really command it. It just... responded when I needed it most."

"That's precisely what makes it remarkable," Master Damian said. "The water chose to aid you. The spirits recognized something in you worth responding to."

Saguna and Radji exchanged glances, a mixture of admiration and something like envy passing between them.

"Don't worry," Professor Nyala said, noting their expressions. "Each of you has your own path of development. Earth requires patience and steadiness, fire requires passion and control. Your marks will evolve as you master the necessary aspects of your nature."

The remainder of the session focused on basic exercises—controlling their breathing while visualizing their respective elements, feeling the subtle energies flowing through their bodies, learning to direct those energies toward their marks.

By the end, all three were exhausted in a way that transcended physical fatigue. It was as if they had been using muscles they never knew existed.

"For your physical training," Master Damian said as they prepared to leave, "I recommend specific regimens for each of you. You will also be guided by Master Tanaga, who will teach you martial arts."

As they climbed the spiral staircase back to the main level of the Academy, Osa found himself repeatedly touching his chest where the mark had changed. The idea that water spirits had chosen him specifically felt both exhilarating and terrifying.

They walked in silence across the Academy grounds, each absorbed in their own thoughts. The normality of the scene around them—students studying on benches, professors lecturing in outdoor settings—felt surreal compared to what they now knew existed just beyond the Veil.

None of them noticed the figure watching from a distance—Kiran Emberil, his eyes narrowed suspiciously as he observed their serious conversation and the deferential way Professor Nyala had treated them earlier.

Nor did they see the subtle distortion in the air near the Academy walls—a shimmering like heat rising from stone, except the day was cool. Within that distortion, a pair of hollow eyes watched, patient and calculating.