(Opening Scene: The applicants are led to a new training area filled with various floating crystals, each radiating a soft, elemental glow – some with a warm, fiery hue, others with a cool, watery shimmer, some earthy brown, and others airy white. Instructors explain that this test will assess their ability to precisely manipulate these elemental crystals through a designated course without breaking them.)
Zane watched as other applicants took their turn. A young woman with fiery red hair gently guided a fire crystal through the air, leaving a trail of shimmering heat. A boy with water-blue eyes delicately spun a water crystal, its surface rippling with controlled currents. The precision on display was impressive.
It was Zane's turn. The instructor gestured to a set of five elemental crystals floating before him, each with a distinct glow. "Your task, young man, is to guide these crystals through the marked course without causing them to destabilize or break."
Zane focused, attempting the same delicate manipulation he had considered earlier. He extended a thin tendril of shadow towards the nearest crystal, a small, earth-toned one. The moment the shadowy tendril made contact with the crystal's surface, an unexpected reaction occurred.
The earthy brown glow flickered violently, then was abruptly extinguished, replaced by an absolute, consuming blackness that seemed to emanate from the point of contact. The crystal itself seemed to shrink and dissolve into nothingness, leaving only a wisp of dissipating shadow.
A collective gasp echoed through the testing area. The instructor stared, his expression shifting from neutral assessment to utter bewilderment. "What… what happened?"
Zane recoiled, his mind reeling. He hadn't intended that. He had only meant to touch it, to guide it. He extended another tendril towards a water crystal, a shimmering blue orb. The same thing happened. The blue light was instantly swallowed by darkness, and the crystal vanished without a trace.
Panic began to set in. His power wasn't just uncontrolled; it seemed to actively destroy the very elements they were meant to manipulate. He looked at the remaining crystals – one of fire, one of air – a sense of dread washing over him. This test wasn't about control for him; it was about unintentional annihilation.
The instructor approached cautiously, his eyes fixed on the space where the crystals had been. "Your… abilities… they do not seem compatible with the elemental matrices of these crystals."
The chapter ends with Zane standing before the remaining untouched crystals, the weight of his destructive power heavy in the air, the instructors exchanging worried glances, unsure how to proceed with his assessment.