The group sat scattered across the plains.
The river flowed quietly nearby while the afternoon wind moved slowly through the grass.
Professor Hale stood before them with his hands behind his back.
"For this exercise," he said, "you will gather atmospheric mana and condense it above your palm."
He raised one hand.
A small sphere of shimmering mana formed above it.
The energy rotated slowly, perfectly stable.
"This is basic control," Hale continued.
"Do not force it. Draw the mana toward you and guide it."
The sphere dissolved.
"Begin."
The students spread out slightly across the grass.
Shin went first.
Lightning sparks flickered between his fingers before gathering into a small crackling arc above his palm.
Cassian followed.
Dust and tiny grains of earth lifted from the ground and compressed into a dense floating clump.
Valen produced a steady flame.
Mira formed a small sphere of swirling water.
Elira's wind mana appeared as a faint spiral of moving air.
None of them were perfect.
But they worked.
Rei stared at his empty hand.
Then tried.
Nothing happened.
He frowned slightly and adjusted his stance.
Still nothing.
He tried again.
And again.
At one point he lifted both hands and rotated them slowly, as if guiding something invisible through the air.
Cassian snorted.
"What are you doing?"
Rei didn't answer.
He tried a different hand position.
Shin laughed.
"You look like you're conducting an orchestra."
Even Mira chuckled.
Elira tried to hide her smile.
For a brief moment even Professor Hale allowed himself a faint smile.
Trying to manipulate elemental mana without a Divine Mark was like trying to breathe underwater.
Rei ignored them.
He kept experimenting.
Different hand positions.
Different breathing.
Different attempts to concentrate.
Time passed.
Minutes turned into nearly half an hour.
Nothing worked.
Then—
Something changed.
Rei felt it.
A strange pressure inside his chest.
Not outside.
Inside.
His hand tightened slightly.
A small distortion appeared above his palm.
Not flame.
Not lightning.
Not wind.
Something darker.
A thin flicker of black energy twisted briefly in the air.
The moment lasted less than a second.
Then it vanished.
Rei blinked.
His vision suddenly blurred.
An overwhelming wave of exhaustion crashed through his body.
His knees nearly gave out.
He caught himself with one hand against the ground.
Shin noticed first.
"You alright?"
Rei didn't answer immediately.
His breathing had grown heavier.
Like he had just run another ten miles.
Professor Hale was already watching him closely.
Rei slowly stood again.
"…I'm fine."
Even as he said it, his body felt strangely drained.
Like something inside him had been pulled out for a moment.
Something he had never used before.
Professor Hale had noticed the flicker.
He didn't react immediately.
Instead he continued walking slowly across the field, observing the students as if nothing unusual had happened.
Shin struggled to stabilize another arc of lightning.
Cassian compressed another clump of earth.
Valen's flame flickered weakly.
Only when Hale passed behind Rei did he finally speak.
Without turning.
"Did you know what you were doing?"
Rei looked up slightly.
"…Not exactly."
Hale stopped walking.
The wind moved quietly through the tall grass.
"I wanted to try it," Rei continued.
"Everyone else was pulling something from the air."
"So I tried pulling… from somewhere else."
Hale turned his head slightly.
"From yourself."
Rei nodded.
Hale studied him for a moment.
Rei looked tired.
Far more tired than the others.
That confirmed it.
Atmospheric mana destabilized whenever it approached Rei.
Hale had already seen it happen several times during training.
There had only been one possible explanation.
Rei could not resonate with atmospheric mana at all.
Which meant the only mana available to him was his personal reserve.
Normally that would be disastrous.
Personal mana was tied directly to the body's vitality.
For most people, even attempting to draw on it would cause severe damage.
Yet Rei was still standing.
Exhausted, yes.
But unharmed.
Hale glanced briefly at Rei's posture.
His breathing.
The condition of his muscles after the previous exercises.
Rei's physical conditioning was unusually strong for a first-year initiate.
That strength likely stabilized the strain.
Just enough.
Still…
Hale finally spoke again.
Quietly.
"Do not attempt that again."
Rei looked slightly confused.
"Why?"
"Because," Hale replied calmly, "most people would die doing it."
Rei blinked once.
"…Oh."
Hale turned away again.
"Rest for a few minutes."
Rei nodded and sat back down in the grass.
Hale continued walking across the field, watching the other students.
But his thoughts remained elsewhere.
Rei Takeda.
An unmarked student.
Unable to use atmospheric mana.
Yet somehow capable of drawing power directly from his own life force.
That should have been impossible.
And yet—
Hale had seen it.
Nearly another half hour passed before Hale finally raised his hand.
"That's enough."
The students immediately stopped.
Shin's lightning flickered out.
Valen let his small flame collapse.
Cassian dropped the compressed earth clump back onto the ground.
Mira's water sphere splashed harmlessly into the grass.
Even Elira's wind spiral faded away.
They were all breathing heavily now. Drawing atmospheric mana continuously had drained their concentration.
One by one they sat down on the grass.
Then Mira noticed something.
"…Wait."
Shin followed her gaze.
Rei was sitting a few steps away.
Head slightly lowered.
Breathing slower than usual.
Actually tired.
Shin blinked.
"Did someone bite him?"
Mira leaned forward, squinting.
"Check for poison."
Cassian frowned.
"No, this is worse."
Valen, still recovering beside the riverbank, muttered,
"I thought he ran on sunlight."
Even Elira looked confused.
Rei glanced at them.
"…I'm just tired."
Shin pointed dramatically.
"See? He admitted it."
Professor Hale stepped closer.
"That would be because he used mana."
The group went quiet.
Shin frowned.
"We all used mana."
"Yes," Hale said.
"You drew atmospheric mana."
He glanced briefly at the fading traces of their exercises.
"Lightning, fire, water, wind, earth. Each of you pulled mana from the environment and converted it through your Divine Marks."
Mira pointed at Rei.
"But he doesn't have a mark."
"Correct."
Cassian frowned.
"Then how did he make that… thing?"
Hale paused briefly.
"That is what I am considering."
The students leaned in slightly.
"He did not convert atmospheric mana into an element," Hale continued.
"Without a mark, that should be impossible."
Shin crossed his arms.
"Then what did he do?"
Hale looked toward Rei.
"He may have drawn from his personal mana."
Elira tilted her head.
"The body's mana?"
"Yes."
"The energy produced naturally within the human body."
Cassian's expression tightened immediately.
"Isn't that dangerous?"
"It is," Hale said calmly.
"Personal mana is tied directly to a person's life force. Most people would suffer severe damage attempting to use it."
Mira blinked.
"Damage like… collapse?"
"Damage like death."
The group slowly turned toward Rei.
Rei looked back at them.
"…That seems excessive."
Shin rubbed his forehead.
"You nearly killed yourself again."
Valen exhaled slowly.
"Considering it was Rei, I'm not surprised he survived."
Hale nodded slightly.
"His physical conditioning likely helped."
The others looked confused.
"Physical conditioning strengthens the body's internal stability," Hale explained.
"For most people, exposure to uncontrolled mana would tear through the body."
His gaze moved briefly over Rei.
"But Rei's endurance is unusually high. That may have allowed him to withstand the strain."
Cassian was still staring at Rei.
"What element was it then?"
Hale folded his arms.
"It wasn't an element."
The students blinked.
Cassian frowned deeper.
"Then what did he release?"
Hale's expression remained thoughtful.
"Something dark."
He looked toward Rei again.
"And unlike any elemental phase I have ever seen."
The wind moved quietly through the plains.
No one spoke for a moment.
Finally Shin leaned back in the grass.
"…Great."
He pointed at Rei.
"The one guy without magic just invented a new one."
Rei looked mildly confused.
"I was trying hand positions."
Cassian was still staring at Rei.
"Can you do it again?"
Rei opened his mouth.
"No."
Professor Hale cut in before he could answer.
Cassian looked at him.
Hale shook his head.
"Absolutely not."
The tone left no room for argument.
"Rei has already strained himself more than he should have," Hale continued.
"Attempting that again today could cause real damage."
Cassian frowned but didn't press further.
Rei looked mildly relieved.
Shin stretched his arms and leaned back in the grass.
"Well," he muttered, "that was weird."
For a moment the group sat quietly.
Then Hale looked at them.
"You should eat."
That got their attention.
The students exchanged a few looks.
Hale asked calmly,
"What will you eat?"
No one answered.
Instead, all five of them slowly stood up at the same time.
Shoulders slumped.
Heads lowered.
The movement looked almost synchronized.
Shin and Cassian turned toward the distant tree line and began walking toward the forest again.
Mira sighed and nudged Elira.
"River?"
Elira nodded.
The two of them started toward the water.
Valen remained where he was.
He sat down beside Rei.
"You alright?"
Rei nodded slightly.
"Just tired."
Valen studied him for a moment.
"Need help with anything?"
Rei shook his head.
"I'll manage."
Across the clearing, Professor Hale watched the other students disappearing toward the forest and river.
A faint smile crossed his face.
"Well," he said quietly,
"At least they've learned something."
Rei glanced at him.
Hale gestured toward the others.
"They finally understand that preparation matters."
Rei looked toward the distant figures gathering food.
"…Took them long enough."
The group gathered around the campfire once the food was ready.
Mira and Elira had claimed the warmest spot immediately.
Both of them sat so close to the flames that the fire looked like it belonged to them alone.
They were still shivering slightly from the river.
"Move a little," Shin complained.
"There's no space."
Mira didn't even look at him.
"No."
Elira nodded in agreement.
The two girls remained firmly planted in front of the fire.
Valen stood several steps away, holding his hand out to keep the flame stable.
He had no intention of trying to squeeze between them.
"I will maintain the fire," he said calmly.
"From here."
Shin and Cassian had attempted to argue earlier.
That effort had ended quickly.
Now they simply sat nearby eating in silence.
Rei leaned against his travel bag as usual, watching the flames while finishing his food.
Professor Hale sat on a large stone near the riverbank.
Once everyone had eaten enough to stop complaining, he finally spoke.
"There is one final part of today's training."
Six tired heads lifted slowly.
Shin groaned.
"You cannot be serious."
Cassian leaned back in the grass.
"We nearly drowned thirty minutes ago."
Mira pointed at the river.
"I am still freezing."
Elira nodded weakly beside her.
Valen rubbed his shoulder.
"My spine requires diplomatic negotiations before further combat."
Rei said nothing.
He just watched Hale.
Hale ignored every complaint.
"The final exercise," he said calmly, "is a sparring match."
The students looked at him.
"All six of you will fight me."
Silence followed.
Then Shin lay flat on the grass.
"I refuse."
Cassian shook his head.
"Impossible."
Mira waved both hands.
"I am injured. Emotionally."
Valen closed his eyes.
"I am deceased."
Hale let them finish.
Then he added one more sentence.
"The student who lands the final strike wins the sleeping bag tonight."
The reaction was immediate.
Six heads turned.
Six thumbs rose into the air in perfect unison.
Shin stood up first.
"Excellent training plan, professor."
Cassian cracked his knuckles.
"I approve."
Mira pointed at the bag.
"That is mine."
Valen straightened slightly.
"My spine has recovered."
Even Elira nodded with surprising determination.
Rei glanced at the soaked sleeping bag lying beside his pack.
"…That used to belong to me....."
After the tasteless fish had been eaten, Professor Hale stepped forward.
He stood on the open grass with his hands behind his back.
Six tired students faced him.
Stage One initiates against a Stage Four mage.
The difference was… significant.
Hale looked at them calmly.
"You may begin."
Valen and Cassian moved first.
Both rushed forward at the same time, each trying to reach Hale before the other.
Their attacks never reached him.
A gust of wind exploded beneath Hale's feet.
He lifted effortlessly into the air, rising above them.
Valen's flame and Cassian's earth strike passed harmlessly below.
Hale landed lightly behind them.
Shin reacted immediately.
Lightning crackled along his arm as he dashed forward.
Hale stepped aside with almost lazy precision.
The lightning strike missed.
Wind shifted again.
Hale moved like the air itself carried him.
Mira launched a burst of water toward him.
Elira followed with a narrow wind blade.
Both attacks curved away before reaching their target, deflected by Hale's control over the surrounding air.
The students kept trying.
Lightning.
Fire.
Earth.
Water.
Wind.
Every attack was blocked, redirected, or avoided.
Hale barely moved.
Within minutes the group was breathing heavily again.
They regrouped, frustrated.
Only one person had not moved at all.
Rei.
He was still standing several steps away, watching quietly.
Cassian turned toward him.
"Are you planning to participate?"
Rei answered calmly.
"I am."
Valen frowned.
"You haven't moved."
"I've been observing."
Shin wiped sweat from his forehead.
"Observing what?"
Rei gestured toward Hale.
"His movement patterns."
The others looked skeptical.
Rei stepped closer.
"Come here."
Valen and Shin approached immediately.
Mira and Elira followed.
Cassian hesitated for a moment before reluctantly stepping closer as well.
Rei spoke quietly.
"Remember the elemental compatibility lesson."
That got their attention.
"Different elements strengthen each other in specific ways."
He pointed at Shin and Valen.
"You two attack."
Then at Elira.
"Reduce air resistance."
Elira blinked.
"…I can do that."
"Mira, accelerate them with water flow."
Mira nodded slowly.
Cassian crossed his arms.
"And me?"
"Terrain control," Rei said.
"Limit his movement."
Cassian smirked slightly.
"That I can do."
They moved.
This time the attack came together.
Shin and Valen rushed forward.
Elira's wind magic reduced the resistance around them.
Mira's water currents pushed their momentum forward.
They accelerated faster than before.
From behind, Cassian raised stone barriers and jagged earth to cut off Hale's escape routes.
For the first time, Hale looked genuinely interested.
"Good," he said quietly.
Valen released a wall of fire.
The flames rose high, blocking Hale's view.
Shin vanished into the smoke.
Lightning gathered.
The attack came from behind.
But Hale was already turning.
Wind surged around him.
Then—
Something touched his back.
Hale stopped.
A hand rested lightly between his shoulder blades.
Rei stood behind him.
His voice was calm.
"Does that count?"
The field went silent.
Shin froze mid-attack.
Valen lowered his flames.
Mira blinked.
Elira stared.
Cassian frowned.
"…When did he move?"
Hale glanced over his shoulder.
Rei had slipped through the distraction created by the others.
No spell.
No flashy movement.
Just timing.
Hale nodded once.
"Yes."
The exercise ended.
Night had fallen by the time the group returned to the campfire.
Cold wind moved across the plains again.
The students sat around the fire eating another batch of unfortunate fish.
Most of them were still shivering.
Across the fire, Rei was comfortably inside his sleeping bag.
Waiting patiently for the food to finish cooking.
Mission accomplished.
Shin pointed at him.
"You stole that."
Rei shrugged from inside the bag.
"You all agreed to the rules."
Professor Hale watched the group quietly.
A small smile appeared on his face.
"Well done," he said.
The students looked up.
"Your coordination improved significantly."
His gaze moved toward Rei.
"And the strategy."
Rei remained quiet.
Hale continued.
"Using elemental compatibility to manipulate speed and pressure was an excellent application of the theory lesson."
Cassian leaned back in the grass.
"So the unmarked one wins."
Shin sighed.
"I hate this team."
Rei pulled the sleeping bag slightly tighter around himself.
"You'll survive."
The fire had burned low by the time the group finally finished eating.
The cold wind had returned to the plains.
Shin rubbed his arms.
"We are not sleeping outside again."
Mira immediately pointed at Rei.
"Set up the tent."
Rei looked at her.
Then at the tent rolled beside his bag.
He picked it up.
For a moment it looked like he might set it up.
Instead, he tossed it toward them.
It landed in the grass between Shin and Cassian.
Rei leaned back into his sleeping bag and zipped it up to his shoulders.
Warm.
Comfortable.
Slightly smug.
Shin stared at him.
"…You're kidding."
Rei shook his head once.
"You wanted the tent."
Cassian sighed.
"Unbelievable."
Mira grabbed the bundle.
"Fine. We'll do it ourselves."
Setting it up took longer than anyone expected.
The tent wobbled.
Collapsed once.
Valen had to hold one of the poles while Shin tried to fix the angle.
Cassian argued about the stakes.
Mira threatened violence.
Elira quietly helped where she could.
Eventually the tiny tent stood again.
Then came the harder problem.
Fitting inside it.
Arguments began immediately.
"You're taking too much space."
"My knee does not bend like that."
"Move your elbow!"
"Why is your foot there?!"
"I cannot feel my leg!"
The complaints went on for several minutes.
Across the campfire, Rei shifted slightly inside his sleeping bag.
Then he spoke without opening his eyes.
"Don't even think about throwing me into the river again."
The tent went quiet for a second.
Then Shin's voice came from inside.
"No promises."
Mira added,
"Depends how smug you look tomorrow."
Cassian muttered,
"You deserve it."
Rei pulled the sleeping bag a little tighter around himself.
"…Noted."
Eventually the movements slowed.
The arguments faded.
One by one the voices disappeared.
The exhausted students finally fell asleep.
Nearby, Professor Hale sat on the same stone by the riverbank, quietly listening as the noise inside the tent faded into silence.
The wind moved softly through the plains.
Hale allowed himself a faint smile.