Chapter 7: "The Cracks Begin to Show"
The wind howled outside the cabin, rattling the rusted hinges of the wooden door. Inside, the air was thick with tension, the kind that even a fire couldn't warm. James sat on the floor, his back pressed against the cold wall, soaked in sweat and steam still rising from his arms.
His shirt lay in tatters beside him, blue aura flickering faintly around his fingertips like quiet electricity on the edge of water. Alicia knelt by the fireplace, tossing dry wood into it and striking a match.
"You should rest," she said gently, her voice soft, but not uncertain.
James didn't look at her. His gaze was locked on his hand-the one that had unleashed the tidal blast, the same hand that now trembled as though it remembered something his mind hadn't yet caught up with.
"I couldn't control it," he finally muttered. "I felt like I was sinking... and something else was swimming up to take my place."
Alicia turned, eyes flickering with concern. "But you did control it. At the last second, you pulled it back. You protected me."
James met her eyes, and for a moment, the storm outside felt distant.
"...They knew me, Alicia. They came for me. What if this has something to do with-"
"Your parents?" she finished quietly.
He nodded slowly.
There was a long pause before Alicia rose, wrapping a blanket around his shoulders. "Then it's time we stop running from your past and start looking for answers."
James leaned back, letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Then we go to the source."
Alicia raised an eyebrow. "The Hero's School?"
James smirked faintly. "Exactly."
---
Three Days Later
The boat rocked violently against the ocean's wrath. Alicia gripped the rail, squinting into the wind. "You sure this thing is going to make it?"
"Old man Ryko swore it would," James said, tightening the straps on his bag. "And he was only slightly drunk when he said it, so I trust him."
Alicia gave him a sideways look. "You're lucky I'm used to your chaos."
James chuckled. "You're lucky I'm cute."
"Debatable."
"Rude."
As they bantered, the outline of a massive structure emerged from the fog-a towering spire piercing the sky, surrounded by an enormous archipelago of floating platforms. Massive metallic orbs hovered around it, crackling with energy. Giant banners fluttered in the wind, each bearing the symbol of a different aura color.
The Hero's School.
James stared at it with awe. "This... this is the place where legends are made."
Alicia's jaw dropped. "It looks like something out of a sci-fi fantasy hybrid."
As they docked, a group of uniformed students-each with a glowing emblem on their chests-approached the pier.
A boy stepped forward, tall and lean, his silver hair swept back like lightning. His eyes sparkled with a yellow gleam.
"You're late," he said with a half-smile. "And underdressed."
James blinked. "Sorry, I didn't know we were supposed to impress the gods."
"I'm Raiku. Welcome to the Initiation Sector," the boy said, ignoring the sarcasm. "You've made it just in time for the orientation battle."
James blinked. "Orientation what now?"
Before he could protest, a girl with crimson hair and a blazing red aura swirling around her appeared beside Raiku. "Newbies fight on day one. Survive, and you're in. Lose, and... well, you'll probably be sent home with singed eyebrows."
James exchanged a look with Alicia. She shrugged.
"Sounds about right," she muttered.
---
Initiation Grounds
The stadium was vast-an open arena surrounded by floating platforms and holographic screens showing the names and aura types of each participant.
James stepped into the center, his heart pounding. The ground beneath him shimmered with light, creating a boundary of glowing lines.
From the opposite side, a student emerged-tall, muscular, with deep purple hair and eyes like sharpened obsidian. His name appeared on the screen above:
"KAEZEL - DARK AURA (BLACK)"
Alicia gasped from the stands. "That's one of the rarest... and most unstable!"
James narrowed his eyes. "Perfect."
Kaezel didn't speak. He raised a single hand, and the air grew heavy-like guilt settling in the chest.
The announcer's voice echoed. "Initiation Match: James (Blue Aura) vs. Kaezel (Black Aura). Commencing in 3... 2... 1..."
Kaezel struck first. A wave of shadows exploded from his palm, screaming through the air like tortured spirits. James rolled to the side, countering with a burst of water that curved mid-air and collided with the dark wave, canceling both out in a steamy explosion.
He could feel the pull of Kaezel's aura-its suffocating sadness, its raw pain. Black aura wasn't just dark. It fed off buried emotions, pulling fears to the surface.
Kaezel smirked. "Let's see what you're hiding."
A pulse of black energy surged, and suddenly, James's vision blurred. Memories-ones he thought he'd buried-flashed through his mind. His parents, the fire, the screams...
"No," James growled, shaking his head. "Not today."
His aura flared-blue like a crashing tsunami. Water spiraled around him, shielding him from the mental onslaught. He stepped forward, striking with a liquid fist that shaped itself mid-air.
Kaezel blocked, but staggered back.
"Interesting," Kaezel said, wiping blood from his lip. "You're not as broken as I hoped."
"Sorry to disappoint."
James charged forward, aura expanding with every step. He launched himself into the air, channeling all his emotion, all his rage, all his confusion-into a single blast.
"Tidebreaker!"
The wave exploded like a crashing star, slamming into Kaezel and engulfing the arena in mist. Silence followed.
When it cleared, Kaezel was on one knee, panting.
The crowd erupted.
"WINNER: JAMES - BLUE AURA INITIATE."
James fell to his knees, catching his breath. Alicia raced to him, grinning.
"You really are chaos in a hoodie," she laughed.
He looked up at her, a smile breaking through his exhaustion. "But I made it."
And from the shadows of the school, a figure watched from a distance-cloaked, unseen, and whispering into a device.
"He's here. The boy with the Echo Aura has arrived."