Jace the Elemental

Everyone went silent as little wisps of smoke curled upward from Cassian's body, the acrid scent of burnt fabric and singed flesh filling the air. His once proud stance was now reduced to a crumpled heap on the ground.

"All that talk for this?" Selene sneered, her lips twitching as she fought back a laugh. "Pathetic."

"And after I explicitly warned you about arrogance," Lord Severian said, his voice like ice. "You've no one to blame but yourself."

Cassian's hands trembled as he pushed himself up, his once pristine robes now charred and torn. Blood trickled from a cut above his eyebrow, and his breath came in ragged gasps. "This… this can't be happening," he whispered, his voice barely audible over the ringing in his ears. "I trained for years. I was supposed to be unstoppable."

"Is that supposed to mean something?" Ethan scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Newsflash, genius, every single person here has been training for years. You're not special. Hell, you're not even close."

"SHUT UP!" Cassian roared, his voice cracking as he staggered to his feet. His fists clenched, sparks of magic flickering weakly at his fingertips. "I'M BETTER THAN YOU. I HAVE TO BE."

"Son, you lost." Lord Severian's tone softened, but his words remained firm. "If you cast that spell your life is over" he stated matter of factly.

Cassian clenched and released his hands, the magical energy slowly dissipating. Finally, he exhaled sharply and walked towards a bench, sinking down with his head in his hands. His failure settled over him, heavy and suffocating. A few students averted their eyes, unsure how to treat him after that outburst. Whispers started up, hushed but unmistakable. Cassian clenched his jaw, his anger simmering below the surface. His actions had isolated himself, no one stepped forward to help or comfort him.

Ethan came up to the others, a look of confusion still on his face. "What the hell was his deal?" he asked, gesturing toward Cassian with a raised eyebrow. "Dude acts like he's the main character in some tragic play."

"Some people can't handle losing." Aurora shrugged, dismissing his outburst. "But Jace was right about you though, your casting time there was impressive, and the actual power level of the spell was quite high." Not hiding the fact she was pretty much auditing everyone.

Ethan laughed and gave a wink. "Does that mean I've made your list?" 

"Yes it does." She said as if it was obvious. "With you I'm only missing a couple people, at least if my guess of how many people we are going to need is correct."

"And just what makes you think we are all going to join this little team of yours." Ethan was never really one to mix words.

Aurora turned to face Ethan fully, her gaze unwavering. "Because it seems that I'm the only one who has already started planning their team," she said, her voice steady. "And beyond that," she added, stepping closer "you should join people who are strong. And I can beat you."

Ethan's eyes narrowed, a flicker of irritation crossing his face. "You sound pretty confident for someone who has only seen me cast a single spell," he shot back, his tone sharp. "When I asked Jace if you were strong, did you know what he said?" Aurora asked, and when Ethan gave a puzzled look, she continued. "He said your speed and power are A+. But do you know what he didn't say? He didn't say that you were stronger than him. And from what I've seen, I'm pretty confident that I can at least fight him to a draw."

The four of them were quiet, no one wanting to be the one to say something. "Aurora Dusk, Lyra Calderis you're up next" Lord Severian's voice cut through the silence.

"I guess it's time for you to prove it." Ethan said, giving a smile that didn't quite meet his eyes.

"Then if you'll excuse me" Aurora quickly went to the dueling ring.

"Wait," Selene murmured as Aurora left. Her eyes widened as the realization hit her. "Did Lord Severian just say that Aurora's last name was Dusk? Does that mean they're related?" Her question hung in the air, making Ethan and Cassian exchange uneasy glances.

"I mean it kinda makes sense right?" Jace said thinking about it. "She seems really on top of what's going on around here."

Considering his age Lord Severian would have to be her grandfather or something. "Just how powerful would the granddaughter of a war hero be." Jace thought to himself, feeling the sense of excitement as the possibility.

In the ring Aurora looked at her opponent, her platinum blonde hair loosely tied up with strands falling into her face. Her almost unnatural deep blue eyes were locked onto Aurora. "She looks fast." Aurora thought to herself. "I'll have to be wary of her speed."

A ripple of whispers spread through the students as Lyra removed her uniform jacket, revealing the deep, jagged scars covering her arms. A few students recoiled, while others stared in uneasy silence. Just how many battles had she fought to earn those scars?