Gray clouds loomed over the mage academy’s open training yard. The air was tense, charged with anticipation. Kagami stood in the center of the sparring ring, his small figure defiant, feet pnted firmly on the ground.

  Master Rivel raised a brow, arms crossed. “You’ve got strange energy, kid. Let’s see if you can back it up.”

  ---

  Trial by Stone

  Without warning, the ground under Kagami's feet cracked. Sharp pilrs of stone burst upward, aiming to trap and overwhelm him. He dodged with difficulty, his movements precise but sluggish—his body still a child’s, not yet honed for combat.

  A low spike caught his leg and tripped him. Kagami hit the ground with a grunt.

  Mikay winced from the sidelines. “She’s really going hard.”

  Zack nodded, arms crossed. “Rivel doesn’t pull punches. She wants to see what he can do.”

  As Kagami rose slowly, dirt smeared across his face, he narrowed his eyes. “She’s faster than I thought. Her earth magic is strong, but…”

  He clenched his fists. “I can’t use mana like them—not yet. But I still have chakra. I’ll show them.”

  ---

  The Spark That Shocks

  More spikes surged from the earth. Kagami’s fingers blurred into hand seals—quicker than they had any right to be.

  “Raiton: Shiden!!”

  A whip of vibrant purple lightning crackled to life in his hand, shing out with a sharp crack as it collided with the incoming stone—and shattered it in a burst of rock and light.

  Everyone froze.

  Zack’s jaw dropped. “That… wasn’t mana.”

  Mikay stepped back, shielding her eyes. “It’s not like any elemental chant I’ve ever seen.”

  Master Rivel’s eyes flicked to the scorched trail the purple lightning left behind.

  “That’s not magic,” she muttered. “That’s something else entirely.”

  Kagami stood, panting, electricity flickering faintly around his small body. His knees trembled, but his eyes were bright with focus.

  “I still have chakra,” he whispered. “And it listens to me.”

  ---

  Shadows and Whispers

  Later, after the storm passed and Kagami sat resting under the awning, Mikay gently applied ointment to the scrapes on his arms.

  “You’re too reckless,” she sighed, brushing back his hair. “Even if it was amazing.”

  Kagami didn’t answer. He only stared at his hands, still faintly tingling with leftover energy.

  Nearby, Zack leaned against a pilr beside Rivel.

  “Purple lightning,” he said softly. “Have you ever seen anything like that?”

  “Not once,” Rivel said, eyes narrowed. “Water and fire before… now lightning. And not even mana-based.”

  Zack frowned. “You think he’s dangerous?”

  “I think he’s exceptional. I’ve never seen anyone manipute multiple elements like this without a catalyst or training glyphs. The boy’s only three.”

  Rivel's smirk returned. “And I get the feeling… this is only the beginning.”

  ---

  Kagami’s Silent Oath

  That night, Kagami sat at the windowsill of their shared apartment, watching as distant lightning danced in the mountains.

  He closed his eyes.

  “That move… it wasn’t as powerful as before. But I could feel it—chakra and something else. It almost reacted to the mana around me.”

  He opened his eyes slowly.

  “If I want to survive in this world... if I want to protect Mikay, Zack, and Iren... then I have to learn it all. Chakra. Mana. Everything.”

  Outside, a faint pulse of purple flickered in his hand, fading quickly—but not without leaving a spark of determination behind.

  ---