The needle left a small, precise hole in the center of the dummy, which now seemed almost like a mocking scar against the dark, weathered material. The other students watched in silence as Malik and William stepped down from the raised tform. A few scoffed quietly, unimpressed.


    "That''s it?" someone whispered. "Just a hole? I mean, that''s not really… much."


    Another student chimed in, "Yeah, I mean,e on. Some people knocked it clean over, and Eleanor and Billy turned theirs to dust!"


    The crowd murmured in agreement, ncing with something like disappointment at the duo. To them, Malik and William''s attack seemed simple, maybe even weak inparison to the shier demonstrations they''d already seen.


    But the teacher watched them with a different expression. His brows furrowed in thought as he considered the small hole left by their attack. "The dummies are crafted to withstand impacts that would shatter a Tier 1 beast," he murmured to himself, barely audible, his gaze intense. "If they left a hole in it, their attack has enough prating force to kill a Tier 1 beast… Deadly, focused… Perfect for eliminating a single target." He nodded slightly, as ifing to a silent conclusion. Not everything has to be shy to be deadly.


    As Malik and William joined the rest of the ss, Liam''s name was called, and a new wave of excitement stirred among the students. Whispers of anticipation filled the air as he and his partner walked up to the tform.


    "This''ll be good," one student muttered to his friend. "I mean, after what he did to Billy, he''s gotta be strong, right?"


    "Of course," another student replied confidently. "Liam''s fire ability alone could probably roast that dummy in seconds!"


    But when they saw the girl walking alongside Liam—a calm expression on her face, and hands slightly damp as if already preparing her ability—the students'' enthusiasm wavered.


    "Wait… that''s his partner?" a skeptical voice whispered.


    "She uses water?" another one added, incredulous. "How''s that gonna work? Fire and water... They don''t mix."


    A few students sighed in disappointment, some crossing their arms, seemingly ready to dismiss the demonstration as a letdown. It wasn''t that they thought the girl was weak; everyone knew her water control was solid. But water and fire? Thatbination seemed doomed from the start.


    However, what happened next left everyone stunned.


    The girl took a deep breath, focusing her energy, and raised her hands in a fluid motion. A twisting, swirling torrent of water appeared in mid-air, coiling itself like a living serpent before rushing toward Liam. The sound of rushing water filled the room as the stream closed the distance between them.


    In a split second, Liam raised his hand, his palm igniting in a controlled but intense ze. He released the fire toward the water, and with a hiss and a burst of steam, the water evaporated almost instantly, filling the air with a thick cloud of vapor. But then, something unexpected happened—the girl clenched her hands, and the steam began to move, swirling as if alive, directed by her will.


    The students leaned in, eyes wide with fascination. The girlmanded the steam like an extension of herself, guiding it back toward Liam''s me. As the steam touched the fire, the mes roared to life, bing even more intense. Heat washed over the spectators, making several of them step back.


    Liam took the intensified fireball and directed it at the dummy. The room fell silent, breath held as they watched. The mes struck the dummy dead center, and in an instant, it began to melt, the charred synthetic material dripping down in molten clumps.


    A stunned silence lingered. Then, whispers broke out.


    "Did they… justbine fire and water?" one girl said, her voice full of awe.


    "Unreal," another muttered, barely able to believe his eyes.


    William, standing to the side, stared at the melted dummy, scratching his head in utter confusion. He leaned toward Malik, his face twisted in bewilderment. "Uh… what just happened?"


    Malik chuckled softly, realizing his friend waspletely lost. "Science, my friend," he exined, patting William on the back. "Liam''s fire evaporated the water into steam, and then the steam added oxygen to the fire, making it burn hotter. That''s why the fire intensified."


    William''s face brightened with sudden understanding, though a hint of confusion remained. He squinted, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "Oh, I get it now. But… why doesn''t fire burn underwater if water has oxygen?"


    Malik shrugged with a small smirk. "Beats me. Nature''s… weird like that, I guess."


    > Author''s Note: Why doesn''t fire burn underwater if water has oxygen? Let me know your theories in thements!


    The teacher''s gaze lingered on Liam and his partner, nodding slightly, a spark of approval in his eyes. While Eleanor and Billy''s demonstration had been spectacr, Liam and the girl had achieved something just as remarkable, using elements that normally opposed each other to create an even stronger force.


    __________________________


    As the rest of the ss resumed their demonstrations, it quickly became clear that few could match the creativity or power disyed by Liam and his partner or Eleanor and Billy. Each pair tried their best, pushing their abilities, but their attacks eithercked the force or coordination that the previous duos had achieved. A sense of subdued anticipation hung over the students, like they knew they''d already seen the best of the day''s performances.


    Finally, when thest group had finished, the teacher stepped forward, pping his hands. "Excellent work, everyone. I''m proud to see the progress you''re making," he announced. "ss is dismissed for today. Next time, we''ll switch partners and try again. Think about what you learned from your partners—and from your ssmates."


    As the students gathered their things, Malik turned to William, shing him a grin. "Hey, guess we''ll get even better next time, huh?"


    William smiled, nodding. "Yeah… this was actually kinda fun. See you next ss?"


    "Definitely. Catch youter, William." Malik gave a friendly wave and walked off, disappearing into the crowd.


    William met up with Liam and Eleanor, and the three made their way to the cafeteria. The sound of chatter andughter filled the air as they settled down with their food. William, as usual, had managed to grab a te piled high, and Eleanor couldn''t help but chuckle.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "You look like you''re feeding an army," she teased.


    William grinned between bites. "Hey, gotta keep up my strength."


    After a quick lunch, William slipped away to the chasm and plunged into theke, feeling a sense of calm settle over him as he sat on the bed of theke. He closed his eyes, reaching out with his mind to draw in the soul essence from the water around him. The energy seeped into him, warm and quiet, filling his core. He could feel it now—a pulsing, growing crystal within him, a shadow crystal forming that seemed just out of reach.


    Almost there, he thought, determination solidifying in his heart. The shadow crystal was close—he could feel it. Soon… very soon, he wouldplete it.


    __________________________


    The cavernous hall of the Heretics'' base pulsed with energy. Every corner was filled with warriors, standing shoulder to shoulder, all eyes fixed forward with unwavering intensity. Each of them stood silent, armored and ready, breaths drawn tight as if anticipating some cataclysmic event. Flickering torches lined the walls, casting long shadows that danced across the rough stone, giving the entire scene an eerie, almost otherworldly glow.


    In the center of it all, the King of Heretics stood beside a massive stone throne. And seated atop that throne, purring quietly with an almost disdainful gaze, was a plump ck cat, its dark eyes gleaming with a strange, almost unnatural intelligence.


    The king''s chest heaved as he took a deep breath, his eyes scanning his assembled forces. When he spoke, his voice was a deep, booming rumble that filled every crevice of the cavern, reverberating off the stone walls. "My people… today is the day we''ve all been waiting for," he dered, each word a hammer blow in the silence. A ripple went through the crowd, silent but potent, a collective breath as they hung on his every word.


    "Those with the power," he continued, his voice rising, "those with the military might—they thought they could crush us. They thought they could cage us!" His tone grew sharp, slicing through the air, igniting a spark in every eye in the hall. "But today… today, we Heretics shall have our revenge!"


    The tension thickened. Warriors exchanged nces, gripping their weapons tighter, a dangerous glint in their eyes.


    "Today, we will do something never before attempted," he said, a sly grin forming beneath his beard. "But remember," he paused, his gaze sweeping the crowd with deadly seriousness, "our main purpose is not to destroy. No, our purpose is to infiltrate."


    The crowd grew still, the words settling over them, their posture shifting from anticipation to focused resolve.


    The king lifted a hand, his eyes glinting like sharpened steel in the dim light. "Tonight… we will infiltrate one of their precious military academies."


    The room was silent for a beat before a soft murmur of excitement rippled through the crowd. The cat on the throne meowed and stretched, arching its back with a haughty air, as if already savoring the chaos toe.


    __________________________


    Meanwhile, in a distant temple, two elderly men sat cross-legged across from each other, their focus on a worn traditional chessboard between them. One of them, an old monk with a thin, wrinkled face, squinted his eyes as he looked up from the board. "It appears they''re making their move," he murmured, his voice low and thoughtful.


    Hispanion, a man wearing a ck kimono, nodded slowly. "It was only a matter of time. I knew the Heretics would grow bolder once they got that cat." His voice was calm, almost as if he were amused, though his eyes held a knowing glint.


    The monk''s brows drew together. "Should we intervene?"


    The other man''s lips curled into a faint smile as he shook his head. "No," he said softly, his voice like a whisper of wind through old trees. "This will be a test for the younger generation… let''s see what they''re capable of."