"Today's class will test your control," Professor Sylen said, his voice booming across the open-air combat arena. "You'll pair off. No barriers. No suppressors. Just raw Aether."
Kael and Liora shared a glance.
"Control, huh?" Kael murmured. "That's rich coming from someone who nearly burned the west wing last week."
Liora elbowed him lightly, but her nerves were real. Ever since the bond awakened, her magic had become… unpredictable. Like it wanted to reach for him every time they were close.
"Kael Veyrin. Liora Emarin. Step forward."
Of course.
The rest of the class made space immediately—everyone had noticed their strange connection lately. Some whispered, others watched with wary eyes.
"On my count," Professor Sylen said, backing away, "engage."
As soon as his hand dropped, Kael summoned a wall of flame. Liora responded instantly with a sweeping gust of wind, pushing the fire back before it could singe the sand at her feet. Their movements were fluid, precise. Magic danced between them like a living thing.
Then… the bond reacted.
It started as a spark—blue lightning crackling between their fingertips. Then a pulse, like the air itself had been sucked from the arena.
Kael's flame morphed into a spiraling dragon of molten gold, while Liora's wind crystallized into shards of glowing air.
The students gasped.
"Stop the match!" Professor Sylen shouted.
Too late.
The dragon lunged forward, not at Liora—but around her. It protected her, encircling her in flames that didn't burn.
At the same time, the shards of wind shattered in midair, forming a dome that held back every other student's aura. Aether buzzed madly through the ground, charging the air until even the sky above began to shimmer.
Professor Sylen's eyes widened. "This isn't normal magic…"
The flames and wind faded just as quickly as they had surged, leaving Kael and Liora standing in the center—breathless, glowing faintly, and very much bonded.
"Detention," Sylen snapped, though his voice shook. "And a magical exam with Headmistress Vrael. Immediately."
As Kael took Liora's hand, a grin tugged at his lips. "Well. At least we made an impression."
Liora rolled her eyes, but she was still trembling. "We're losing control."
Kael looked at her, serious now. "Then we learn to control it. Together."
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