Jace the Elemental

Passing through the previously hidden door, they stepped onto another portal. The shimmering light of the spell rose around them, engulfing them in its familiar, blinding glow. When the light faded, they found themselves back outside the gauntlet.

"Congratulations on completing the magic gauntlet, captain."

Jace was standing there waiting, a wide grin plastered across his face as he held out his fist.

Aurora hesitated for a brief moment before returning the fist bump. She had never actually done it before, but after watching Jace and Ethan, she at least knew the basics.

"Does that mean we won?" she asked, noting his expression.

Jace's grin widened. "They're still stuck on the giant spider," he explained, jerking his thumb toward the other team's run. "Apparently, skipping that thing was a good call, it's absolutely wrecking them." He shook his head as they watched Lila's team struggle against the beast. 

"Think they'll pull them out?" Jace asked.

Aurora considered it for a moment before shaking her head. "Not a chance. They wouldn't take away an

opportunity for us to grow."

"Makes sense." Jace nodded.

"Are you two lovebirds going to acknowledge the rest of us?" Ethan's voice cut in from the side, a smirk on his face and an eyebrow raised.

Aurora tilted her head. "Lovebirds?" she echoed, genuinely confused.

Jace rolled his eyes. "Just ignore him, he gets jealous when I talk to other people," he said, elbowing Ethan with a smirk of his own.

Aurora turned to face the others from the gauntlet, "it looks like we were successful in winning everyone." One of her rare smiles broke through her calm demeanor. "We got our first point." The group let out a massive roaring cheer, allowing themselves a moment of celebration.

Ethan and Selene, however, didn't join in the celebration. Their duel was up next, and they were focused on keeping the momentum going. Ethan was confident that Jace would win his match, so now it was up to them to secure the final point.

Before they could dwell on it for too long, a sharp chime rang out across the field. The voice of the announcer echoed through the air.

"Attention! Those participating in the two on two duel, please head to the arena for final preparations."

Ethan took a deep breath, stretching his arm across his body. "Guess it's our turn."

Selene smiled, adjusting her gloves. "Let's make it two points."

The whole group headed toward the arena, this would be the first two on two that they'd get to watch, and they were all looking forward to it.

Aurora gave them both a nod, her expression returning to its usual calm. "Fight smart. Fight well."

Ethan smirked. "Wouldn't have it any other way."

As the group approached the arena, they noticed that the other students who had already completed their duels were seated in the audience, eager to watch. Every duel was a chance to learn different techniques, and there weren't many people in the academy who were stupid enough to miss that type of opportunity.

Having prepared as much as they could, Ethan and Selene entered the arena, which was designed to resemble a small town. From the stands, Jace observed their opponents.

The man looked like a tank, his build reminded Jace of Cassian. He was big and powerful, with black hair and piercing eyes. Every movement was precise and controlled, as if he thought through each step before taking it.

The woman was smaller in comparison, though still quite tall. But something about her posture told Jace she was fast. Her fiery red hair immediately drew attention. At first glance, they seemed like a power-based team, but something about them felt... off.

Jace hadn't realized that there would be other types of arenas beyond the grasslands, and he could tell that Ethan and Selene hadn't either, as they were discussing how they wanted to proceed.

He was also thinking about his own duel coming up next. The changes to the arena could affect how he would need to approach it. He thought he had most things covered, but his opponent could gain an advantage depending on what kind of arena it was.

But that could wait, for now he wanted to focus on Ethan and Selene's fight. It looked like it was going to be an interesting one.