One week later,
Ben was walking with Korin to the evaluation meeting. After a week of training, the Conclave, not the official board, but the individuals who funded the school's main projects, wanted to see if their money was being put to good use.
"I don't understand why I need to prove anything to anyone," Ben muttered angrily.
"Because you hospitalized a student in front of the entire school," Korin said flatly, delivering a light slap to the back of Ben's neck. "You should be saying thank you. Get up there and show them what you're capable of."
Korin and Ben stepped into a sleek, polished elevator. As the doors closed, Korin began pressing a sequence of buttons. Ben looked around, a feeling of unease settling in his gut. The elevator was too fancy, too quiet. Then he saw Korin press a section of the wall where there was no button. A hidden panel lit up from within.
"Where exactly are we going?" Ben asked, his mouth dry.
Korin shot him a look. "You can't tell anyone you've been here. Not even your friends. Understood?"
Ben's suspicion flared. Something about this meeting was deeply off. "Sure. I mean, yes. Never," he answered in a panic.
The elevator doors opened, revealing a gigantic, high-tech factory floor. The space hummed with activity. Metallic drones whirred past. Weapons prototypes hung in charging cradles. Bolts of raw electric energy crackled within containment fields. Dozens of people in lab coats worked at stations, each focused on a different piece of advanced tech. Ben felt like he'd stepped into a superhero's secret workshop.
Korin strode confidently toward a group of older individuals who were signaling him over. Ben followed, his eyes wide, trying to take in every impossible object they passed.
"Ben," Korin said, making sharp eye contact. "Come here. I want you to meet General Rourke. I used to clean up his messes in the Essence Association." A large, stern man with a close-cropped beard extended his hand for a shake.
"Nice to finally meet you, kid," General Rourke said, his grip firm. "I knew your parents. They were real heroes. I hope you'll follow in their footsteps."
Korin smoothly took back control of the conversation. "Ben, they're here to see your capability. We will monitor your essence use in this chamber. Whenever you're ready, we can begin." He couldn't let the General keep talking. If Ben found out they wanted to use him as a weapon, he'd never cooperate. Korin couldn't let that happen, but he also couldn't let the Conclave know he was protecting Ben. Not yet.
'I have to play along with both sides; this is for Ben's growth,' Korin thought.
Ben was reeling. The secret experimental complex beneath the school, these powerful people, the sterile testing chamber, it was overwhelming. He had to admit, he'd made more progress with Korin in one week than in his entire life. And Korin had saved him on his first day. He would do what needed to be done.
But he wouldn't reveal all his cards.
Ben took a deep breath and stepped into the chamber.
The chamber door sealed behind Ben with a soft hiss. The air was cool, sterile, and humming with a low-frequency vibration. On the other side of a thick, transparent wall sat the Conclave members at a curved console, their faces illuminated by scrolling data streams. Korin stood slightly apart, arms crossed, his expression unreadable.
A calm, synthetic voice filled the space. "Assessment Protocol: Foundational Metrics. Begin with Law One. Demonstrate controlled essence flow and reformation."
Ben took a slow breath, his mind clearing. 'Control'. He focused on his right arm, from the shoulder down. He didn't force the change. He simply allowed the command to flow, the essence within his own cells listening, agreeing. His arm lost its solidity in a smooth, fluid motion, becoming a suspended stream of clear water that shot toward the observation glass.
Then, focusing on the memory of cold, of structure, he shifted his intent. The flowing water hardened mid-air, crystallizing into a jagged, beautiful shard of ice that hovered for a moment before dropping to the chamber wall with a sharp clink.
Now was the hardest part, the part he'd been grinding on for days. He looked at the melting ice puddle. He didn't raise a hand or grit his teeth. He simply reached with his mind, with a feeling of pure recognition.
He was talking to the essence. The water quivered, then drew upwards in a reverse rainfall, flowing back to his shoulder and seamlessly reforming into his arm, whole and unmarked. He flexed his fingers. Perfect.
Through the glass, he saw General Rourke give a slow, approving nod. Professor Aris was taking rapid notes.
"He also used the second law in the same move; his talent is very promising," General Rourke said to Korin in an amazed tone.
"Laws One and Two validated. Proceed to Law Three. Channel maximum, sustainable output. Do not breach burnout threshold."
This was the endurance test. Ben planted his feet, closed his eyes, and reached into his core. He didn't just open the tap. He focused on the feeling of his essence, not as a blinding light, but as a vibrating current. He let it build, a rising tide of power flooding his veins, making the air around him shimmer with heat haze. He pushed it to the very edge of what he knew he could hold, the point where his muscles began to ache and his vision sparked at the edges. He held it there, a contained storm, for a ten-count. The chamber sensors whirred, graphs on the console spiking.
But Ben did one thing Korin hadn't taught him, born from a week of feeling like a lab rat. As he released the torrent, he didn't just let it fade. He shaped its frequency. Remembering the frustrating resonance drills, he subtly scrambled the energy's "readable" signature into a formless burst of static. The power was real, the output was massive, but the data would be messy, inconclusive.
After all, he didn't trust any of the adults watching, and he didn't want to expose the full limit of his powers. Not yet.
But Ben didn't know how strong the essence users watching him were. He didn't realize he couldn't truly hide his strength from those who were far more powerful.
A sharp, delighted laugh cut through the quiet hum of machinery.
On the other side of the glass, Madam Noir, the chief patron, leaned forward, her eyes gleaming not with anger, but with sharp amusement. She tapped a manicured nail on the console. "Look at this," she said, not to Ben, but to the others. "The boy has spirit. He gives us the show, but still keeps his cards hidden. I rather like him. It shows a mind that understands value." She looked directly at Ben through the glass and gave a slow, conspiratorial wink.
"Laws Three and Four validated. Proceed to final metric: Law Five. You will demonstrate a complex, high-concept manipulation of an object without direct perception of said object."
Suddenly, an opaque wall rose from the center of the ring, splitting it in half. Ben was on one side, and a lamb soaking wet entered the other.
Korin's voice reached Ben via a speaker in the chamber. "Ben, please dry the lamb."
Ben closed his eyes and focused on what he could perceive on the other side. He could feel the water molecules soaked into a small, warm presence. He opened his eyes, his perception shifting. He could see a life force, a pulse of blood flowing in an animal's shape. He could dry the lamb in one move, but he wanted to do more. He wanted to show he would be the legacy his parents deserved. Now his ego was playing a part.
In one sweeping motion, he lifted the lamb into the air, holding it suspended. Everyone went quiet. Ben extracted the water from the lamb mid-air and formed an ice dagger. Then he drew a thin stream of blood from inside the lamb, shocking everyone. He lowered the lamb gently, still holding two wavering blue and red daggers, all while staring at the Conclave.
"Unconventional essence power detected. Law of Origin has been validated. No more available protocols. System crash."
The whole facility was silent until Korin broke it with a sharp tone. "Thank you, Ben. Shall we discuss this privately, gentlemen?" he said, gesturing to the onlookers. Ben exited the chamber, putting on a fresh t-shirt while Korin dealt with the others.
The cool metal of the wall pressed against Ben's back as the hum of power faded from his veins. The silent horror of the Conclave was a weight in the room.
"That was... technically impressive. And kind of gross."
He turned. The voice belonged to a researcher, but she looked nothing like the others in their sterile jumpsuits. She wore a tailored, charcoal-grey lab coat over dark, fitted clothes, left open. Her hair was a cascade of bronze waves that looked deliberately untamed. Her eyes, a startling shade of green, held a look of clinical appraisal mixed with clear distaste. Her nameplate read: Sloana Barn.
"Gross is subjective," Ben replied, his guard up. "They wanted a demonstration of high-concept manipulation. I gave them one."
"I can't believe you would do that to such a cute lamb," she said, shaking her head with a slight, disapproving motion. "I've read it could relate to psychopathic behavior. And now I'm the one who has to clean it up."
A thought of irritation cut through Ben's mind. But she was too hot,"I got carried away. Do you need help cleaning? I can do it really quick," Ben said, waving his hands as his essence flickered to life.
"No, I don't need your help. I'm more than capable," Sloana said, her tone demanding respect.
Ben was thrown, but he didn't let it bother him. He turned to leave, only to hear her voice from behind him again. "So, you're just going to walk away even though it's your mess?" Sloana muttered under her breath in a tone that sounded oddly like a lady in distress.
Ben was now even more confused. 'But she just said she didnt want help. How can I guess if she won't say it? He thought.
He was still trying to figure out his next move when Korin rescued him. "Come here, boy. That was very good. Even too good. We've received more... attention than I wanted. I promise you, I will see that you get your share. But right now, I need you to come with me. Hurry, and don't look back."
"What? Korin, what happened?" Ben jumped from one confusion to another as the atmosphere changed.
Korin's eyes were locked on the side elevator, the VIP-only elevator. A figure had appeared, and Korin's entire body had gone still, like a hound catching a dangerous scent. A tall, blond, and impossibly handsome man stepped out. He wore a suit of deep indigo that seemed to drink the light, and on his chest was a simple, elegant sigil: the Roman numeral IV.
"He happened," Korin growled, his voice low. "The Fourth Hero. Caius Sterling. He's been trying to open his own school. He collects prodigies like trophies. And he just saw your show."
Before Ben could process this, the man, Caius, was there. He moved without seeming to hurry, a smile on his face that was both dazzling and utterly vacant.
"Benjamin," Caius said. His voice was like honey and velvet, smooth and strangely resonant. It seemed to vibrate in Ben's bones. "That was a real show. sansational."
He stood between Ben and Korin, his presence somehow making the corridor feel smaller. His pale blue eyes held Ben's, and Ben found it oddly difficult to look away. "Such raw, instinctual power. And such an interesting way of using it. The Conclave will teach you to leash it. To be a good dog." He tilted his head, his smile widening a fraction. "I can teach you to hunt."
"He's not going anywhere with you, Sterling," Korin said, his voice rough. "He's under my tutelage and the Conclave's jurisdiction."
"Tutelage?" Caius chuckled, the sound warm and patronizing. "Korin, you're a brilliant fixer, but you're not a sculptor of greatness. You file down the rough edges until things fit in boxes." He turned his gaze fully back to Ben, ignoring Korin completely. "Benjamin, look at this place. It's a laboratory. A kennel. You are not a specimen. You are a potential sovereign of essence. With me, you wouldn't be a student. You'd be a protégé. An heir. I have resources, techniques, freedoms the Conclave would never permit. Why polish a gem only to lock it in a vault? What do you say?"
Ben felt a pull. The words were seductive, weaving a picture of power and respect that was intoxicating after being treated like a lab rat. But beneath the honeyed tone, he felt something else, a cold, possessive hunger. This man didn't see a person; he saw a rare artifact to add to his shelf.
"I'm sorry, my mom told me to never go with strangers," Ben said, forcing the words out, fighting the strange lassitude the man's voice induced.
"Well, she is not with us anymore. Maybe you can set your own ideals, little boy," Caius purred, taking a half-step closer. "And I am the only one who truly knows what you are. What you did in there? They call it 'gross.' I call it efficient. You saw a problem and solved it in the most powerful way possible. No dogma. Just pure, applied will. That is the heart of true power. Come with me. In a year, you wouldn't just dry a lamb. You could unmake a mountain."
The Fourth Hero, Caius Sterling, gave the speech of a lifetime. His words could move mountains, flirting with Ben.
Ben felt like he was hitting on him, passionately, encouraging desire, but he was stronger than that; none of it reached him. It all cut off, becoming a humming sound in the background after that slick comment about his mother.
Korin already knew how Ben's mind worked, and he knew the combination of Caius Sterling's big, unfiltered mouth would not go well with the impatient and hot-tempered Ben Frost.
Caius extended a hand. It was a graceful, open gesture. The sigil on his chest seemed to pulse softly. Ben's own essence stirred. Ben had a 'do, then think' personality. His mind swirled with past events as his essence invaded Caius's body.
"What did you say about my mother?"
Caius's hand began to redden and swell, as if it would explode at any moment.
Ben didn't control his actions, but he was aware of the situation, and everyone around instantly understood the meaning of the red arm. Korin was about to step in when Caius looked at his arm with an amused expression, and it returned to its original color and size.
"Ha! Listen, kid, you've got guts. Big ones," the Fourth Hero of Essence said, taking a step into Ben's personal space. "But you are nowhere close to hurting me. If you join me, I will make sure you can come close."
"I don't need your help. I will get stronger by myself, until I am the last person you see before I make your head explode." Ben looked at his surroundings as if a demon had possessed him. He had one rule, and everybody knew it was his trigger word: don't talk about his mother.
Caius's face turned from amusement to seriousness. He, too, couldn't take such offense, especially from a child.
He looked at Ben and said loudly, "I can see now that you had no father figure in your life, and you never got a good, well-deserved whipping."
Caius lifted his hand, pointing at Ben's forehead. Ben started to feel his mind getting dizzy, but before the full force of Caius's power was unleashed, Korin stepped in.
Everyone in the vicinity froze, as if time had stopped. The only thing still active was their mind, processing the events. He took a step toward Caius. "You should know your place, Sterling," he said calmly and put his hand flat on Caius's chest.
Korin's hand pressed against Caius Sterling's chest. There was no flash of light, no roar of power. Just a touch.
Then, time snapped back into place.
The Fourth Hero of Essence was simply no longer in front of them. A shriek of tortured metal echoed through the laboratory as Caius's body cratered the reinforced wall twenty feet away, the impact sending a web of fractures through the polished surface. He hung there for a second, embedded, before peeling away and landing neatly on his feet. A few specks of dust drifted from his perfect blond hair. His indigo suit was unrumpled. Only the faint, person-shaped dent in the wall proved anything had happened at all.
The silence in the lab was absolute, broken only by the persistent hum of machinery.
Caius straightened his cuffs. He didn't look at Korin. His pale blue eyes, colder now, found Ben. A smile touched his lips—not the dazzling, vacant one from before, but something sharper, more genuine, and infinitely more dangerous.
"You've made your guardian very protective," Caius said, his honeyed voice cutting cleanly through the quiet. "I'll be seeing you, Benjamin."
He took a slow step forward, not toward Ben, but toward the exit, his gaze never leaving the boy. "Sooner than you think."
Then he was gone, the heavy security door sighing shut behind him.
The spell broke. A technician dropped a tablet. The sharp clatter seemed to wake everyone. Madam Noir let out a slow, appreciative breath. General Rourke's face was granite. Professor Aris looked as if she was trying to calculate the force required to do that to the wall of steel.
Korin's hand was back on Ben's shoulder, the grip like iron. "Move. Now. We need to talk."
Ben didn't resist. He let himself be steered away from the staring Conclave, past the frozen researchers, back into the sleek elevator. The doors closed, sealing them in a tomb of polished silence.
Only when they were ascending did Korin speak, his voice a low rumble in the quiet.
"We just made an enemy, Ben. A permanent one. You shouldn't worry; he will not approach you as long as you are with me. But we should start the next phase of your training. That was Caius Sterling. The Fourth Hero. He will find a way to reach out, and we need to get you prepared."
Ben swallowed, his throat dry. The ghost of that dizzying mental push still lingered. "His Origin Power… you said it was like mine?"
"Similar in rarity. Different in execution," Korin corrected, his eyes fixed on the elevator numbers. "He is a 'Ferrum Lord.' His authority is over the element Iron. Not just metal. The element itself. The iron in the soil, in the steel of a skyscraper… and the iron in the hemoglobin of your blood."
A cold knot tightened in Ben's gut. The memory of Caius's hand returning to normal flashed in his mind. Caius hadn't just stopped it. He had commanded the very component Ben was trying to manipulate. He beat him at his own game. He had spoken a stronger language with his essence.
"He doesn't collect students, Ben. He collects rarities," Korin intoned. "Tools to build a new kingdom, and he believes a power like yours belongs on his mantle. When he said 'sooner than you think,' he meant it. He is not a man who makes idle threats."
Korin let that hang, the weight of it pressing down in the small space. He finally glanced at Ben, seeing the fear and defiance fade from his face. Then, deliberately, his tone shifted. It became focused, almost businesslike.
"Let him come. I will need someone to test my powers on, he must get crushed for me to protect my parents' name and our family title: hero."