The morning air in Silverstone carried the familiar scent of salt and mist as Itsuki Naoya stepped out of his family's stone cottage. His white hair caught the early sunlight, shimmering with its natural silver streaks as he stretched and yawned.
"You're up early," came his mother's gentle voice from behind him.
Itsuki turned to see Nina approaching with a steaming cup in her hands, her pure white hair braided neatly down her back. The crescent-shaped birthmark behind her right ear was visible as she smiled at him.
"Couldn't sleep," Itsuki admitted, accepting the cup. The warm liquid inside smelled like herbs and honey. "Today's the day."
"The trial." Nina's silver eyes studied her son's face. "Are you nervous?"
"Maybe a little." Itsuki sipped the drink, feeling warmth spread through his chest. "What if I'm not good enough? What if my ability isn't strong enough?"
Before Nina could answer, heavy footsteps approached from inside the house. Kaito Naoya emerged, his tall frame filling the doorway. Despite the early hour, he was already dressed in his usual dark clothing, the obsidian pendant hanging around his neck.
"Good morning, son." Kaito's deep brown eyes were warm but serious. "Ready for today?"
"I think so." Itsuki looked between his parents. "You both seem so calm about this."
Nina and Kaito exchanged a glance that Itsuki had seen many times—the kind of silent communication that came from years of marriage and shared understanding.
"We have faith in you," Nina said softly. "But more importantly, you need to have faith in yourself."
"Your ability is remarkable, Itsuki," Kaito added, placing a firm hand on his son's shoulder. "Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. The way you can change things in small ways—we still don't fully understand what you're doing, but it's clearly something special."
Itsuki nodded, though doubt still flickered in his ice-blue eyes. "I know, but the other guys... Takumi can create small flames. Kairo can disappear for a few seconds. Even Shion can make little illusions of things he's seen. My ability is just... weird. I touch things and they change, but not in any way that makes sense."
"Weird doesn't mean weak," Kaito said firmly. "Yesterday, you made that heavy training sword feel lighter somehow. We don't know exactly how or why, but the result was real. Trust in your potential."
"I guess." Itsuki finished his drink and handed the cup back to his mother. "I should go meet the others."
"Eat something first," Nina insisted, pressing a small wrapped bundle into his hands. "Miss Etta's cinnamon rolls. She insisted when she heard about your trial today."
Itsuki smiled for the first time that morning. "Tell her I said thanks."
As he walked toward the door, Kaito called out, "Itsuki."
The young man turned back.
"Remember what I taught you about stillness," his father said. "In the heat of battle, when everything is chaos, find your center. That's when your true strength emerges."
"I will, Dad."
"And son?" Kaito's expression softened. "Whatever happens today, we're proud of you."
The cobblestone paths of Silverstone were already busy with early morning activity as Itsuki made his way toward the village center. Merchants were setting up stalls, and the sound of hammer on anvil rang from the blacksmith's workshop. Several people called out good wishes as he passed.
"Good luck today, Itsuki!"
"Show them what Silverstone is made of!"
He waved back, feeling a mix of pressure and warmth from the community support. The familiar sights of his hometown helped calm his nerves—the crystal-clear streams that ran between buildings, the morning mist rolling off the nearby mountains, the sound of essence-powered wind chimes creating gentle melodies in the breeze.
He found his three friends waiting at their usual meeting spot near the old fountain in the town square. Kairo Huisji was leaning against the stone edge, his ember-orange hair spiked as always, while Takumi Leo paced back and forth with barely contained energy. Shion Enther sat on the fountain's rim, sketching in his ever-present notebook.
"There he is!" Takumi called out, his golden eyes bright with excitement. "I thought you might have chickened out."
"Very funny," Itsuki replied, but he was smiling. "How long have you guys been waiting?"
"About ten minutes," Kairo said, straightening up. His amber eyes had that calm intensity they always carried. "I got here first, obviously."
"Because you teleported," Takumi accused. "That's cheating."
"It's not cheating if it's my ability," Kairo shrugged. "Besides, a few seconds of void-stepping beats walking the whole way."
Shion looked up from his sketch, his teal eyes meeting Itsuki's. "How are you feeling?"
"Nervous," Itsuki admitted. "You?"
"Terrified," Shion said with a weak smile. "I keep seeing flashes of possible futures in my drawings, and half of them end badly."
"That's just anxiety talking," Takumi said, though his voice was gentler than usual. "Your ability to show echoes of things you've seen is really useful, Shion. Even if they're just small illusions right now."
"Useful, maybe. But not flashy like your fire sparks or Kairo's short-range disappearing." Shion closed his notebook. "Sometimes I wonder if I even belong with you guys."
"Hey." Itsuki sat down next to his friend. "We're a team, remember? We've been training together for two years. We're going to stick together no matter what."
Kairo nodded. "Besides, your strategic mind has gotten us out of more training scenarios than anyone else. Combat isn't just about raw power."
"Tell that to the judges," Shion muttered.
Takumi stopped pacing and faced the group, his expression unusually serious. "Look, I know we're all nervous. But we've been preparing for this our whole lives. Every training session, every spar, every technique we've practiced—it's all led to this moment."
"Easy for you to say," Kairo smirked. "Your power makes little flames dance around your hands. Very intimidating."
"And you can vanish for a few seconds," Takumi shot back. "That's not intimidating at all."
"Will you two quit it?" Itsuki laughed despite his nerves. "We should be supporting each other, not arguing about whose ability is more impressive."
"Sorry," both Kairo and Takumi said simultaneously, then glared at each other for speaking in unison.
Shion actually smiled at that. "See? This is why we work as a team. You two are too busy competing to be properly nervous."
"I'm plenty nervous," Takumi admitted. "What if I lose control and my flames get too big? What if I can't make them do what I want under pressure?"
"What if I try to void-step and just... don't reappear somewhere?" Kairo added. "What if I get stuck between spaces?"
"What if I touch something and change it in a way I can't fix?" Itsuki chimed in.
They all looked at Shion expectantly.
"What if my echoes show something embarrassing from one of the judges' pasts?" Shion offered, which made them all laugh.
"Okay, we're all officially overthinking this," Takumi declared. "We're good fighters. We've trained hard. We know our abilities. Today, we prove it."
Itsuki stood up, feeling some of his confidence return. "Together?"
"Together," Kairo agreed.
"All for one," Shion added quietly.
"And one for all," Takumi finished with a grin. "Even if that's a terrible motto for individual trials."
As they began walking toward the dojo district, Itsuki felt the familiar comfort of friendship. Whatever happened in the trials, he knew these three would always have his back. The morning sun climbed higher, burning away the mist and revealing a clear, bright day.
Perfect weather for changing their lives forever.
"So," Kairo said as they walked, "anyone know exactly what the trials involve?"
"Combat demonstrations, definitely," Takumi replied. "Probably one-on-one matches to show technique and control."
"Essence capacity testing," Shion added. "They'll want to measure our raw power levels and tier potential."
"And interviews," Itsuki said. "Sensei Laen mentioned they'd want to assess our character and motivations."
"Great," Kairo muttered. "I hope 'I want to get stronger so I can find my missing mother' is the right kind of motivation."
"It is," Itsuki said firmly. "That's exactly the kind of determination they're looking for."
As they approached the Silverstone Dojo, they could see other candidates gathering outside. Some looked confident, others nervous, but all carried the same mixture of hope and uncertainty that comes with chasing a dream.
"This is it," Takumi said, small flames already starting to flicker around his fingertips from excitement.
"Ready or not," Shion whispered.
Itsuki took a deep breath, thinking of his parents' words, of the community's support, and of the bond between his friends. Whatever challenges lay ahead, he would face them with everything he had.
The trial was about to begin.