Chapter 29 - 29: Elements Unbound [2]

The training ground fell dead silent. Aurelia stared at the ice crusted over her sleeve, her expression unreadable. The frost spread in delicate fractals, glinting under the early morning light. Kyle's stomach twisted. He hadn't meant to slip—hadn't meant to reveal anything. But the moment her counterattack came instinct had taken over him. Ice. Not just lightning. Aurelia flicked her wrist and the ice shattered into glittering dust. Her voice was dangerously calm. "...Kyle." He swallowed. "Yeah?" "Since when," she said slowly, "do you have ice affinity?" Kyle's mind raced. He could lie. But one look at Aurelia's sharpened gaze told him she'd dissect any half-truth. So he exhaled and dropped the act. "Since the ruins." "You hid this from me." It wasn't a question. Kyle winced. "I hid it from everyone." Aurelia crossed her arms. "I'm not everyone." The words stung. He hadn't expected that—the quiet edge in her voice, the way her shoulders stiffened just slightly. She wasn't just angry. She was betrayed. Kyle took a deep breath. Then, before he could second-guess himself, he said. "Because it's not just ice." A flicker of confusion crossed her face. "What do you mean, not just ice?" Kyle wiped sweat from his brow steeling himself. "Four elements" "Lightning was first. Then wind. Then water. Then ice." He met her gaze. Silence. Aurelia didn't move. Didn't breathe. The air between them thickened, charged like the moment before a storm. Then— "You idiot." She grabbed him by the collar, yanking him forward until their noses nearly touched. Her voice was a razor-sharp whisper. "Do you have any idea how dangerous that is? Four affinities? There isn't a single recorded case in Aevorath's history!" Kyle didn't flinch. "I know." "Then why the hell didn't you tell me?" Her grip tightened. "If the wrong people found out—" "That's why I didn't say anything!" Kyle snapped back. "You think I wanted a target on my back? The Academy's already crawling with nobles who'd sell their souls for half my potential. And that's before the demons start paying attention." Aurelia's glare could have melted steel. But after a tense beat she released him with a shove. "You still should have told me." The hurt in her voice was faint but unmistakable. Kyle winced. "I wanted to" he admitted. "But the more people who know, the riskier it gets. Even you." Aurelia turned away, running a hand through her hair. "Damn it, Kyle..." He waited, letting her process. The truth was, he had considered telling her sooner. Finally, Aurelia exhaled sharply. "You're right." Kyle blinked. "I am?" "About keeping it hidden." She crossed her arms. "But not about keeping me in the dark. I could have helped you control it. Do you have any idea how dangerous it is to conceal an affinity? Mana deviation, elemental backlash—if you lost control— everyone would have found out." Kyle grimaced. Yeah, that would've been bad. Aurelia studied him, her anger cooling into something more calculating. "When exactly did this happen?" "The ruins," Kyle repeated. "After I woke up there... something was different. The elements just... clicked." It wasn't entirely a lie. He had awakened them in the ruins—just not the way he implied. Aurelia's brow furrowed. "No ritual? No catalyst?" "Nothing. I just... felt them." S~eaʀᴄh the nôvelFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. For a long moment, she just stared at him, as if trying to peel back his skull and see the truth inside. Then, grudgingly, she muttered. "I'll have to research this. Four affinities... it shouldn't be possible." Kyle seized the opening. "Can you teach me? Properly? Not just sparring—real mana circulation techniques." Aurelia gave him a flat look. "I did teach you." Shit. Right. Original Kyle would have known this. "I mean again," he backpedaled. "After the awakening, everything feels... different. Like my pathways changed." Not entirely untrue. His entire body was different—literally transmigrated. Aurelia sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Fine. But we are doing this my way. No shortcuts. No reckless experiments. And especially no showing off in class." Kyle grinned. "Wouldn't dream of it." "Liar." She flicked his forehead. "Sit. Now." Kyle dropped cross-legged onto the training ground floor. Aurelia knelt behind him, placing a hand over his back. "Close your eyes. Focus on your mana core." He obeyed, reaching inward. Mana hummed beneath his skin, a restless current waiting to be shaped. "Good," Aurelia murmured. "Now, picture lightning first. Your primary affinity." Kyle visualized it—crackling energy, raw and wild. It responded instantly, surging through his veins. Aurelia's fingers pressed harder. "Don't let it spread. 'Contain it'. Like water in a dam." He tried, gritting his teeth as the energy fought against him. But slowly, the chaotic sparks condensed into a single, controlled stream. "Better," Aurelia said. "Now, wind." Kyle called it forth—the whisper of a breeze, then a howling gale. It tangled with the lightning, threatening to spiral out of control— "Balance them" Aurelia ordered. "Neither dominates. They flow together." Sweat trickled down Kyle's temples. It was like juggling live wires while riding a tornado. But inch by inch, the elements aligned, merging into a single, harmonious current. Aurelia's voice softened. "Now... water." This one came easier—a river's steady pulse, cool and relentless. It wove between lightning and wind, smoothing their edges. Then— "Ice." The newest element rose sluggishly, like a frozen lake thawing at dawn. Kyle coaxed it gently, letting it seep into the others. For a heartbeat, everything held. Then— "CRACK". A jagged spike of ice shot from Kyle's palm. "Again." Kyle groaned but obeyed. By the time the academy bells chimed for first class, Kyle's combat suit were soaked through, his muscles trembling. But for the first time, he had held all four elements in equilibrium for a full minute. Aurelia stood, brushing dirt from her knees. "You are still terrible at this." "Geez, thanks." "But" she conceded, "for someone who just discovered four affinities two weeks ago? You are not completely hopeless." Kyle wiped sweat from his brow. "Well, it should be obvious that my brother would be at least half as talented as his genius sister." Aurelia snorted, the closest she ever came to laughing. High praise, coming from her. Kyle pushed himself up with a smirk. "So... does this mean I get more private lessons?" Aurelia rolled her eyes. "It means you need them. Meet me here every morning. And Kyle—" Her gaze turned deadly serious. "No one finds out about this. Not your friends. Not your instructors. Until you are strong enough to protect yourself, this stays between us." "I won't always be there to watch your back." Kyle nodded. The last thing he needed was the some power-hungry researcher dissecting him like a lab rat. As they walked toward the academy housings, Aurelia suddenly flicked his ear. "Ow! What was that for?" "For being an idiot," she said, but the edge in her voice had dulled. "Next time you hide something this big, I'm throwing you off the training tower." Kyle rubbed his ear, grinning. "Noted." 'He still had more secrets about his blessing, the truth about his transmigration. But for now, this was enough.'