Jace the Elemental

As the final duel completed, the room buzzed with casual conversation. Students clustered in small groups, discussing the highlights of the matches they had watched. Jace leaned against a wall, his arms crossed as he listened to Ethan recount his favorite moments with exaggerated gestures. Selene rolled her eyes but couldn't hide a small smile, while Aurora stood nearby, her expression as calm and unreadable as ever.

"Alright, everyone, pay attention." Lord Severian's voice cut through the chatter, his hands clapping sharply to gather the room's focus. The conversations died down as all eyes turned to him. "Now that everyone has seen what everyone is capable of…at least most people," he added, not so subtly glancing at Cassian, who scowled and looked away. "Allow me to explain the format for how this year is going to work."

He settled back into his wooden chair, the legs scraping against the stone floor. Behind him, glowing purple writing materialized in the air, outlining the details of his announcement. "You are all going to form teams of ten," he began, his voice carrying the weight of authority. "Twice a week, you will engage in different combat scenarios. The format will be a best of three rounds, with the number of participants in each round announced a few days prior to the duels."

 Murmurs rippled throughout the crowd as the students processed the information. Jace and Ethan exchanged a look. Ethan raised his eyebrows. "Teams of ten," he muttered. "This should be interesting."

Selene frowned, crossing her arms. "Interesting, or a straight disaster."

Lord Severian let them murmur for a moment before continuing. "Your team will remain the same for the entire year, no exceptions, so choose wisely." His gaze swept over the crowd, sharp and measuring. "Matches will be between teams of any rank, and should a higher-ranked team lose to those significantly beneath them…" His voice dropped slightly, growing colder as he let the weight of his words sink in. "There will be consequences."

The students exchanged uncertain looks. Cassian's scowl deepened, his fists clenched at his sides, while Aurora remained as still as a statue, her golden eyes fixed on Lord Severian. The vagueness of the consequences was unsettling, and Jace couldn't help but wonder what they might entail. Demotions? Extra training? Or something worse?

"Lord Severian?" one of the students spoke up, a nervous edge to their voice. "Can you explain more about the rounds?"

With a flick of his hand, the glowing script shifted, listing out possibilities. "For example. Round One: three participants, duel. Round Two: two participants, point defense. Round Three: two participants, duel." The purple magic pulsed as the words solidified. "Adaptability is just as important as strength," Lord Severian continued. "A skilled fighter is useless if they don't understand the battle they're in. And you also might have noticed that not every person in your ten man team will participate during each contest. So picking who competes and when will matter."

Jace's mind raced as he scanned the glowing text. Teams of ten… best of three rounds… This was going to be a challenge, but also an opportunity. He glanced at Aurora, who was already studying the details with her usual intensity. If anyone could lead a team to victory, it was her. But first, they had to figure out who to trust, and who to avoid.

Lord Severian settled comfortably into his chair after explaining. "Choose wisely. You'll be with these teammates for the entire year whether you succeed or fail together." His words caused a mass of commotion as students scrambled to find their teams.

"You'll join me, right Jace?" Aurora asked, turning to face him, a hint of uncertainty sneaking into her voice.

Jace considered for a moment before answering. "You know, my strategy outside of combat isn't the greatest," he said, looking at her. "But you, you've been strategizing this whole time, so yeah. I'm in." Giving her a confident grin.

Aurora seemed to let out a breath of relief, before looking at Ethan. "Can I assume that that means you'll be joining me as well then?"

Ethan took a step forward, not quite over her saying she could beat him. "Just to be clear, I'm here for Jace," he said pointing at him. " If he's decided to team up with you, I guess that means I'm in."

"That's good enough for me," Aurora nodded. "How about you Selene? I could use a stable partner for Ethan, and from what I've seen you are the best option."

"What do you mean partner?" Selene questioned.

"From what Jace told me and from what I've seen, Ethan fights with pure offense," she explained. "In two on two duels, he'll need a defensive partner, someone to guard him so he can unleash his power without holding back."

"Selene grinned. "Alright, I'm in too." Aurora hadn't chosen her out of pity or obligation, she picked her because she was useful."

"I'm glad." Aurora said, letting out another breath. "The four of us will make a solid foundation." For the first time, a genuine smile broke through Aurora's usual composure.