The Child of Three Paths

The walk down the corridor felt like entering a different world altogether. Lined with floating lanterns and quiet humming magic from the walls, the hallway was built of smooth grey stone, but the enchantments pulsing through them made the entire place feel alive.

Theo walked with his assigned group of 35, accompanied by their instructor—a stern-looking woman with golden-rimmed glasses and an air of zero tolerance.

"Each of you will be placed in dorm rooms of five. Girls on the left wing. Boys on the right. You will be spending a long time together, so try not to make enemies on your first night," she said without looking back. "Lights out by nine. Breakfast at six. First evaluation tomorrow morning—your elemental affinity assessment."

Theo's heart skipped a beat.

Elemental affinity... It was the first major step. The first glimpse of what path he would walk. Fire? Water? Earth? Or something else entirely?

"Rest easy tonight," the instructor added as they reached a large oak door marked with glowing numbers. "This hall is Form 2B. Make yourselves at home."

The door creaked open to reveal a surprisingly cozy stone chamber. Five neatly arranged beds, each with a small trunk and desk beside it. Enchanted candles lit the space warmly, and a circular window gave a view of the moonlit academy grounds.

Theo stepped in as the second person, only to pause—because the first was him.

The boy in the rich blue robes. The one with the golden aura. The noble.

He glanced up from unpacking his polished leather bag and gave Theo a once-over. "Hmph. Figures."

Theo blinked. "What?"

The noble rolled his eyes. "They really are pairing us with anyone these days."

Theo said nothing. He walked to the empty bed near the window and quietly began placing his few belongings—mostly clothes and a few books—into the trunk. The noble scoffed again.

A few minutes passed in silence before the third boy entered.

He was dark-skinned, sharp-jawed, and silent. His most striking feature: deep green eyes that shimmered with an unnatural gleam. He didn't say a word as he entered—he simply scanned the room, picked the corner bed, and began unpacking with smooth, practiced movements.

The noble raised a brow. "Another mute. Fantastic."

Still, no reaction.

Then came the fourth.

"Uh… h-hi," Arven stammered, peeking in nervously. "Is… is this Form 2B?"

Theo smiled. "Yeah, it is. Come in."

"Oh, thank the stars. I thought I got lost again," Arven mumbled, stumbling in, dragging a heavy bag. "This place is massive…"

He took the bed beside Theo and began pulling out what looked like sweets, parchment rolls, and three pairs of identical socks.

The noble stared at him in horror. "You're not serious…"

"About what?" Arven asked, blinking.

The noble looked away in disgust.

Finally, the fifth arrived.

He was the tallest of them—broad-shouldered, confident stride, a commanding presence far beyond his age. His clothes weren't flashy, but everything about him said strength.

"Yo," he said, entering with a smile. "Room full, huh?"

He waved to everyone with casual ease and placed his bag on the last empty bed. "Nice to meet you boys."

Theo watched the noble shift uncomfortably as the tall boy passed him. For the first time, the arrogance flickered.

With everyone in, the tall boy clapped his hands together. "I say we get introductions out of the way. We're gonna be stuck together for a while, right?"

The noble stood up abruptly. "I'll go first then, since it's only fitting."

He stepped into the center of the room like it was a stage.

"I am Renly Vaelthorn, heir of House Vaelthorn—direct descendants of the Flame Monarch himself. Our name commands respect. I trust you'll conduct yourselves appropriately."

He looked at the others expectantly.

Silence.

Then the tall boy shrugged. "Cool. I'm Darian Krax. Son of the General of the Eastern Fleet. I've trained under the sword since I was five. Also got top marks in my local academy. Let's have a good time, yeah?"

Arven waved shyly. "U-uhm… I'm Arven Lute. My parents run a bookshop in Northton. I really like reading about magical beasts and… um, sweet things."

Theo smiled at him and added, "I'm Theo Elwin. From Okharia Village. My father's a guard. I awakened recently. Still figuring things out."

Renly looked like he'd smelled something foul.

All eyes turned to the dark-skinned boy.

He looked up, locking eyes with each of them one by one.

"…Name's Zayn," he said finally. "From Marrowridge."

No last name. No family mention. Just that.

Theo leaned forward. "What's Marrowridge like?"

Zayn didn't answer. He just pulled out a thin cloth and began wiping his short dagger methodically.

"…You ever been to the capital?" Theo tried again.

Still silence.

Renly snorted. "Tch. Figures. Mudbloods and mystery brats. Wonderful."

Darian gave him a sharp glance. "Watch it."

Renly raised an eyebrow. "I'm just saying what we're all thinking."

"You're thinking it," Theo said quietly. "Not all of us."

Renly opened his mouth, then rolled his eyes. "Not worth the breath."

Zayn's green eyes flicked toward Theo for the briefest moment—maybe surprised someone was trying to talk to him. Then he looked away again.

Theo leaned back on his bed.

This wasn't going to be easy.

But he was used to that.

The next morning arrived with anticipation buzzing in the air. The children, still recovering from yesterday's whirlwind of events, were led in orderly lines toward a grand stone hall for the day's assessments. Three trials awaited them: a mana affinity test, a written examination, and a basic sword aptitude check.

An instructor stood tall at the center stage. "Today will determine your elemental affinity and your current level of academic and physical training. According to your results, you will be assigned ranks. High-rank students will receive better resources and opportunities."

A child raised his hand timidly. "That's not fair... 

The instructor's eyes narrowed. "The world isn't fair, kid. This system exists to reward talent and hard work. Ranks change every three months, so use that as your motivation. This is how we respect those destined for greatness."

Murmurs broke out across the hall, but were quickly silenced as instructors began organizing the children into lines. Over three hundred students had gathered. The hall buzzed with excitement, nerves, and speculation.

A tall, rune-etched stone slab stood at the far end—pulsing faintly with magical energy. One by one, students stepped forward and placed their hands upon it.

The instructor announced the rules. "Focus your mana into the slab. The element you are naturally attuned to will respond. The stronger the surge, the higher your elemental stage. Most awaken one element. Rarely, someone awakens two. And only one person in recorded history, the legendary Elaris, awakened three."

Eyes widened at the mention of Elaris. A legend.

The first few children stepped forward. Most got common results—water, earth, fire, or wind—with modest stage strength. Then came the arrogant noble from Theo's room.

He stepped confidently, almost arrogantly, placing his hand on the slab. A moment passed before the slab pulsed with intense red-orange light. Fire. High stage.

He turned around with a smug smirk, scanning the crowd as if expecting applause.

Next came Zayn, the quiet dark-skinned boy. His hands hovered over the stone, and a dark mana swirled briefly before fading. Shadow. Low stage. It seemed modest, but the way he channeled it showed precise control.

Then Darian, the strong-bodied boy. Thunder crackled around him in bright arcs as he touched the slab. High stage. He smiled confidently and nodded at the instructors.

Arven followed, hands trembling slightly. As he touched the stone, a surge of earth-based mana erupted, surprisingly thick and dense. But oddly, it quickly faded. The instructors whispered among themselves.

"Possible error in flow... record as medium stage," one muttered.

Now it was Theo's turn.

He walked forward slowly, feeling the eyes of dozens on him. His hands were slightly sweaty. What if nothing happens?

Kael's voice echoed in his mind. Don't hesitate. Let it out. You're about to shut them all up.

Theo exhaled and pressed his hands to the stone.

A moment of silence.

Then—

Crystalline blue light surged outward.

"FrostFire," said one instructor, surprised. "Mid to strong stage... impressive."

As the instructor was about to motion Theo to move, another one stepped forward, eyes wide. "Wait."

A second pulse.

Green wind energy flared around Theo's body, swirling gracefully before merging with the lingering FrostFire.

The hall erupted in gasps.

"Two affinities..." someone muttered. "That's already..."

The instructors froze again as a third surge exploded.

Thunder. Bright. Crackling. Raw.

A third element. Three distinct affinities.

The hall fell into stunned silence.

Kael chuckled, As expected...

What had just happened, but feeling a powerful hum in his body. The instructors looked at each other, whispering with astonished expressions. Notes were being scribbled furiously.

The once-smug noble had his mouth slightly ajar. Even Darian and Zayn looked over with newfound interest. Arven clapped gently before stopping as he noticed no one else did.

Theo was guided to a side room while the instructors discussed. He was now the center of attention.

Three elements. Something no one had seen in generations.

And Soon, this news was about to turn the world upside down.