Kian opened his eyes. He was back in his bed, the elder sitting beside him. Slowly, he pushed himself up, still weak but awake.
The elder asked, "So, Kian… how was the shatter?"
Kian stuttered, "It… it was beautiful. It felt good… but… a big shard fell in front of me and… and I was in flame. Surrounded by it. I don't know… it was strange."
The elder nodded. "Beautiful, hmm. And you even saw a large shard before it shattered. That means your awakening will be stronger than most."
Just then, the door opened. Four friends rushed in—Haruto, Ren, Daichi, and Aisha. Their faces showed worry.
"Kian! Are you feeling good now?" Aisha asked quickly.
Kian smiled faintly. "I'm fine now."
Excited, they showed their marks. Haruto's mark was on his shoulder, Ren's on his neck, Daichi's on his hand. Aisha lifted her left palm, where her mark glowed softly.
Kian raised his own hand. His mark shone on the back of it, brighter than theirs.
Aisha looked at the elder. "Why is Kian's mark glowing more than ours?"
The elder replied in a calm voice, "Kian was chosen by a much larger shard than any of you. It is said that the larger the shard, the stronger the awakening it brings. That is why his mark outshines yours—it shows greater power."
The room grew quiet. All of them looked at their own marks, then at Kian's hand, glowing like fire.
The elder stood up, looking at Kian.
"Go now, play with your friends. You need rest, but joy will heal you faster."
Kian nodded. He got out of bed and walked with Haruto, Ren, Daichi, and Aisha. Their laughter filled the hall as they went outside together.
The elder watched them leave, then turned and made his way to the guard station. Captain Gerald was waiting, arms crossed.
The elder bowed slightly. "Captain Gerald, the boy Kian was lucky. He received a large shard. I ask you to train him."
Gerald raised an eyebrow, then chuckled. "Oh… so the boy unlocked fire."
He paused, his eyes narrowing slightly. "And I… I feel water flowing in me now. A second affinity, after my flame."
He grinned, amused. "It will be fun to teach while also learning. Very well, I accept. I'll train him."
Kian was playing with Haruto, Ren, Daichi, and Aisha when he noticed the elder speaking with Captain Gerald nearby. Curious, he walked over, and his friends followed.
The elder looked at him. "Kian, from tomorrow you will begin training with Captain Gerald." Kian blinked. "Training… with him?"
Aisha quickly asked, "Can we train too?" Haruto, Ren, and Daichi nodded eagerly. Gerald smiled. "Yes, if you all wish to learn, I'll train you together."
The elder nodded. "Then it is decided. Tomorrow, your training begins."
Morning came fast. Kian and his friends gathered outside, waiting nervously. Captain Gerald was already there, watching them.
He called them forward and handed each a wooden sword.
"You all have powers awakened inside you now. But these powers need to be channeled through a weapon. Anything can be a weapon—a stick, a rock. As you learn to channel your powers, you may be able to do it without a weapon… but only a few, maybe three or four, have ever managed that. For now, try to channel your powers into these wooden swords. This will be your first step to becoming stronger."
The friends gripped their swords, but no matter how hard they tried, nothing happened.
Kian clenched his jaw, staring at the wooden blade. Why isn't it working? I can feel something inside me… heat, like fire waiting to burst out. But how do I push it into this sword? He tried again, but the blade stayed dull.
Finally, Aisha stepped forward. "Captain Gerald… how do we channel our powers?"
Gerald called her ahead. He bent down slightly, holding her hand against the sword. A faint spark flickered as he guided her energy through.
Aisha's eyes widened. So this is the feeling… it's like light flowing from my chest into my hand. Warm, but gentle. I just have to follow that path. She tried again on her own, and this time, the sword glowed faintly.
Gerald nodded. "Good. Once you know the feeling, it becomes easier."
One by one, he helped Haruto, Ren, and Daichi. Each boy succeeded after Gerald guided their hands.
At last, he turned to Kian. Gerald placed his hand over Kian's, guiding the energy. The sword flared brighter than the others.
Kian's eyes widened. So this is it… the fire inside me, flowing out. It's strong, almost too strong… but it feels right.
Gerald's eyes narrowed with interest. "So… fire answers you quickly, Kian."
Gerald then stepped back, watching the children's swords glow faintly with their new powers. His voice carried clearly as he announced:
"Your affinities have awakened. Remember them well."
[Haruto] – Affinity: Wind
[Ren] – Affinity: Earth
[Daichi] – Affinity: Water
[Aisha] – Affinity: Light
[Kian] – Affinity: Fire
The children stared at their glowing swords, amazed. Each affinity shimmered faintly in its own way—wind swirling, earth steady, water flowing, light shining, and fire blazing.
Gerald crossed his arms with a grin. "Now you know your paths. This is only the beginning."
The children lowered their swords, their faces glowing with excitement. Gerald dismissed them with a nod, and they ran off together, laughter echoing in the training yard.
Left alone, Gerald glanced at his hand, remembering the moment he guided Daichi.
So this is how water feels… my second affinity. I couldn't figure it out until now. I guess helping Daichi helped me too.
He smiled quietly in satisfaction. So I guessed right… teaching them will be fun.