AT TRAINING AREA
The training field behind First Ember Guild Academy was massive, twice the size of a football stadium, and bordered by stone walls with magic runes on them. In the middle of the arena, a training dummy waited to be destroyed.
The moment Jimmy stepped into the arena, his face turned red with embarrassment after going into the wrong bathroom. He regretted waking up for these days. He didn't want to train, but he needed to prove himself. Some students were already grouping up and showing off their powers. Jimmy slunk to the back of the group.
Selena waved him over ¨you made it¨
Sharika grinned ¨how was your bathroom visit
Jimmy groand ¨don't remand me¨
¨hey¨ she teased ¨look at the bright side. You became a legend in the girls' dorm.¨
before jimmy cude respond, a commanding voice echod trow the field.
¨line up!, no slackers, no talking, and if you faint, do it after I'm done yelling¨
the studens scrambel into rows as a tall man entered. The tall man was whering black coat, hes armes hade gloving red tatoos and his eyes glittered like molten metal.
¨thats instruckter Grimm combat master and pyromancer¨ Selena wisperd ¨don't piss him of¨
instruckter grimm stept forword to class. ¨welcome to you firest training session. I don't care who you parans are were you came from, or how many followers you have on magicnet¨ he barked ¨the only thing that matters.¨
He pointed at the nearest rack with training weapons.¨ is what you do with these¨
everyon turnd to see the weapon rack. it hade wood swords, staffs, spears, and daggers. glimming faintly with encentmants. basic tools, low magick, and safe mostly. Jimmy swallowed.
¨ You each well step forward.¨ Grimm said ¨chose a wapon hit the dummy, we watch, we judge.¨
Jimmy's hands start sweating. But one by one the students moved, some swung like pros, outhers summond weak water and fire spells. And some made the dummy explode spectacularly. Then it was jimmys turn. then jimmy stept forword dosen of eyes watching him.
the studens where wispering
¨ Is that him?¨
¨the dorm boy?¨
¨bet he can't even hold a sword¨
Jimmy tried to tune them out. ignoring the outher studens wispering about him, he looked over at the weapon rack. And one weapon was calling out to him. It was A wood long sword. it didnet glow or pouls it felt plain. jimmy reach out for it. The moment he touched the sword around the hilt, it blast to flames.
The sword was burning. everyone gaspt. Jimmy stared in horror; the fire wasn't hurting him. It felt neutral. But his heart spik his vision blured and a voice echoed in his mind.
¨Ember... Heart...¨
¨drop it¨ Grimm snapt
Jimmy let go and fired Vanist. The sword clat the ground perfect normal again. just burned from fire. First, it was silence, then murmurs.
Grimm narrowed his eyes ¨what your name¨
¨J...Jimmy Saito¨ he said shacking.
Grimm steard ¨interasting¨
Then Grimm walkt of.
Sharika clappt jimmy on the back ¨show off¨
Jimmy collapses on the ground painting. he dident now what just happened, but he knew the fire wasn't normal. Something in him was awakening.
The training field is bursting with murmur from studens after Grimm walkt away . But Jimmy Saito sat in the middle kneels drawn to chest, he dident now what happened or why the sword went to blaze. he remeber the voice in his head.
¨Ember...Heart...¨
He didn't understand it,
ALEXANDRA POV
But Unannounced to him, someone else was looking at him. wanting to understand what happened. It was Alexandra. She stood not far from Jimmy, her purple eyes narrowing at him, arms folded. She hadn't taken her turn yet. But instructors already know who she was, so she didn't need to. She couldn't look away from Jimmy.
She wasn't here to waste time. She was there to observe Jimmy Saito, the shy, red-faced boy everyone whispered about—the mistake, the boy in the girls' dorm, the one who fidgeted under stress and wilted under pressure.
But something didn't add up. She had seen something in his eyes at breakfast: something burning, not quite confidence, something deep within, like a volcano hiding beneath a mountain. When his name, Jimmy Saito, was called, she watched Jimmy closely, focused on which weapon he would choose. he wqalkt like he was afraid of his own feet, head down, shoulder hunched like he hated attention. He reached the rack and chose a plain wooden long sword.
¨good chose not to flashy¨ she tout to herself
But then it happend hes sword turned to flames. gasps echod trow the field girls stept back and even Grimm raised an eyebrow. Alexandra breathes hitched just for a second. Butshe dident show it, her heart startd ponding her chest.
The fire it wasent just encentmant it was raw mana. not just any raw mana, she didn't know if it was corrupt or ancient mana. she noticst jimmy dident scream dident burn, he just stood there as the fire belonged to him.
Then she heard Grimm tell jimmy drop it. And Jimmy did, and the fire stopped. Alexandra stared at jimmy mind racing. It wasent beganing magic, it wasn't even training level, it was instinct, pure instinct, uncontrolled, unstabel and awakening.
She narrowed her eyes and thought to herself.¨good instructor Grimm is watching him now¨
then wispers pickt up around her
¨what was that fire? ¨
¨ Did you see his eyes? ¨
¨I think the sword glows first? ¨
Alexandra turned around and walked away. she dident need gossip, she needed the truth. she whent to the archives tower.¨
AT ARCHIVE TOWER
Alexandra arrived at the Arcive Towers, and she entered the tower. the arcive tower was where advenct studens studide and monitord hige mana mana function on campus.
Alexandra approached a man at the desk ¨show me today's mana reading¨ she ordered the man at the desk.
he tapt the tablet and emage shows that a mana outburest happend 10 minutes ago. The reading showeddens pulsing fire energy. with a twist and a layer fused with something else.
¨that not normal fire¨ the man wisperd
Alexandra's eyes narrowed.
¨No¨ she said ¨its somting old somting forbiden¨
She thought to herself ¨Jimmy Saito... who are you really?. and more importantly, what is inside you that shouldn't exist? ¨
JIMMY POV'
CAFETERIA
Jimmy saito wallkt to the cafeteria after training. It was lunchtime and jimmys nerves where complatly fried. He sat under a tree needling on a rice ball from his tray. The courtyard where bursing with laughter. Studens laughing, telling stories, playing games, or sparring. and some showed battle scars from training. Selena sat beside him, eating a salad, and Sharika lay on the grass, eating her second sandwich.
¨ You lit the training sword on fire¨ Sharika said casually
¨I...I didn't mean...to do it¨ Jimmy mumbled ¨it just happened
Selena tilted her head ¨it wasent oradnary fire, was it?¨
jimmy shockt his head slowly. but befor he could answer, he felt someone behind him, and a shadow loomed over him. it was alexandra.
She held the tray and then sat down. ¨you not in control of it¨ she said bluntly stearing at Jimmy.
Jimmy blinked ¨w...wh...what¨
¨ The fire reacted to you, not responded. You're not traind but it's not wild magic either her violate eyes narrowed ¨you somting in between¨
jimmy dident now what to say.
Alexandra leaned closer slightly jimmys face turned red alexandra eyes intens and she said ¨figur it out befor somon elles dose¨
Then she stood up and walkt of. jimmy blinkt
¨... okay ¨ jimmy wisperd frozen.
Sharika took a bite of her sandwich ¨she toatally whants you¨
Selena smiled gently ¨maybe... or she scared of him¨¨
Jimmy's face red burid her face on the tray lunce was not relaxing