In the quiet chamber of Kael’s mind, the Council gathered once more. A pale mist drifted over the ethereal table they always returned to when it was time to make decisions that would shape their collective path. Six thrones, each carved in a style reflecting the essence of the personality it hosted, circled the room in perfect equilibrium. This was no ordinary meeting—this was the beginning of focused magical study, a division of power, responsibility, and growth.

  Kael leaned forward on his throne, a polished stone seat that glowed faintly with golden aura. His voice rang out in the mental realm, calm and firm.

  ‘We need to decide which attributes each of us will study. We don’t have time to waste. Two days until csses start—we must make these count.’

  Jax, his fme-like hair licking at the edges of his red-stained throne, crossed his arms and smirked. ‘Easy. I take Fire. That’s always been mine. You lot stay out of my furnace.’

  Finn, lounging sideways in his velvet seat of polished silver and carved lips, twirled a glowing sigil with his finger. ‘Then I take Voice. Charmer magic, after all. Illusion blends well with it too.’

  Tyran, hunched slightly in his iron-forged seat covered in alchemical glyphs, shot a gnce Finn’s way. ‘Then you’re studying Illusion as well. No skipping. Illusion amplifies Voice spells. You’ll be helpless without it.’

  Finn groaned but nodded. ‘Fine, fine. We’ll do both together. But I’m also grabbing Magic Enchantments and Potion-Making. You know, something that uses a bit of elegance and brains.’

  Kael arched a brow. ‘That leaves Wind, Soul, and Aura. Soren?’

  The silent one, cd in a cloak of wind-touched gray, nodded from his shadowed marble throne. His voice was barely more than a whisper. ‘Wind suits me. Swift. Quiet. Deadly.’

  Siddharth, sitting perfectly upright in a translucent sapphire seat, adjusted his robes. The faint shimmer of soul energy radiated from his form. ‘I will study Soul. Alongside Mental Fortitude and Resistance disciplines. We’ll need it when real battles begin.’

  Kael nodded with approval. ‘Then I’ll continue with Aura. My training with the axe is already halfway there. That path is mine to carve.’

  With the roles set, silence fell again. Then Tyran broke it.

  ‘Now that we’re done with distribution… how are we training exactly? We can’t all cram at once.’

  Kael nodded. ‘Yeah, that’s tricky. Suggestions?’

  Tyran grinned, tapping the table. ‘We take turns possessing the body. Two-hour shifts. While one of us trains, the others watch, record, refine the method. We repeat the steps again and again until the body memorizes every motion. Reflex over thought. Sweat over theory.’

  ‘That’s our life anyway,’ Kael said, with a dry chuckle. ‘Repetition and grit. I’ll train with an axe, of course. It’s what I know. I’ve used it for years cutting wood. My body already understands the rhythm.’

  ‘Sounds good,’ Siddharth agreed. ‘We start tomorrow morning. Full cycles, maximum focus. Let’s write a schedule and stick to it.’

  Kael reached for his notebook in the real world and scribbled down the pn:

  Training Rotation (Pre-Css Days)

  Morning: Kael – Dual Axe Aura Training (2 hrs)

  Post-css:

  Jax – Fire Magic (0th Circle) (2 hrs)

  Soren – Wind Magic (0th Circle) (2 hrs)

  Finn & Tyran – Illusion + Voice Study (3 hrs shared)

  Siddharth – Aura Awakening & Soul Theory with Kael (2 hrs)

  ‘Hey!’ Finn’s voice rang out again. ‘Tyran’s hogging my time. Three hours for the both of us is not equal if he dominates the lecture like some cssroom tyrant.’

  Tyran smirked. ‘Be grateful, charmer. You’re getting more screen time than you deserve.’

  ‘Yeah, yeah, whatever. I want solo time!’

  Kael rolled his eyes and shut it down with a loud, decisive: ‘I’m hungry. Let’s go eat. Chicken and rice again?’

  That shut everyone up.

  Kael walked into the cafeteria, the scent of roasted poultry and sizzling gravy welcoming him like an old friend. The great hall was alive with chatter and clinking ptes, but his eyes flicked briefly for Maya. No sign of her. He shrugged and made his way to the counter.

  He piled his pte with fluffy white rice, a generous helping of spicy chicken, and a waterfall of rich brown gravy. The first spoonful melted in his mouth, earthy and warm, and he sat alone, but not lonely—not with the lively banter in his head.

  ‘You know,’ Jax mused, ‘this rice… not bad. Could use more fire though.’

  Finn chuckled. ‘Everything with you needs to be on fire.’

  Siddharth added thoughtfully, ‘This level of cuisine… We should replicate it. Magic-driven kitchens, enchanted spices. Easy sustenance for communities in need.’

  Kael smiled to himself as he ate, comforted by the conversation of his Council.

  The next morning began with dew still on the grass and shadows long and cool across the stone floors of the Academy. Kael made his way to the training hall—a rge open space bordered by rack upon rack of wooden weapons. Though basic, they were shaped with care. Functional. Reliable.

  He walked straight to the two-handed axes. A few test swings told him what he needed: one banced with a slight forward weight, mimicking the real thing. He picked it up, tested its grip, then stepped into the center of the hall.

  His stance was natural. Legs spread, body loose. His first strike whistled through the air, solid and steady. Again. Then again. His breath followed the rhythm. Inhale—step—swing. Exhale—recover—reset. Not for battle, but for control.

  As he moved, the Council watched from within.

  ‘Focus on your core,’ Siddharth instructed. ‘Aura emerges from intention. Let it bloom outward from the heart.’

  Kael slowed, breath steadying. He imagined a small light within his chest. Warm. Radiant. He struck again—and felt a faint pulse ripple through his limbs.

  Jax leaned forward. ‘That’s it. Feed it fire. Feed it momentum. Swing like your soul is a furnace.’

  Kael obeyed. The strikes came harder, sharper, but his grip never wavered. He pushed the rhythm, kept the beat alive, every step pounding a memory into his muscle.

  Two hours passed in sweat and silence. By the time he lowered the axe, his arms ached, but a faint glow shimmered across his chest—his Aura flickering to life.

  ‘That’s enough for now,’ Siddharth said. ‘Let’s rest. The real training begins after css.’

  Afternoon brought lectures on academy policy, an introduction to spell safety, and a dull overview of school etiquette. Kael stayed low-key, barely speaking unless spoken to, jotting notes only when necessary. He was another face in the crowd, a quiet boy with a sharp stare.

  When csses ended, he returned to the mind chamber and handed the reins to Jax.

  Jax’s possession was fiery. He moved with impatience, walking with a brisk, heavy gait straight to the library’s private practice chambers. There, he opened a basic tome on Fire Circle Theory. The 0th Circle spell was Ember Spark—a focused ignition spell used to start fires or light nterns.

  He read the spell three times, memorizing the rune’s flow, and began the incantation. Heat pooled at his fingertips. A flicker. Then a spark. It fizzled out.

  ‘Again!’ he barked—and repeated it. Again. Again. His temper fred, but he didn’t stop. Two hours passed in explosive muttering and faint glowing embers.

  Soren was next. His takeover was silent. The wind responded more gently. He practiced Wind Push, the simplest 0th Circle spell. The air curled around his wrist like a ribbon.

  ‘Efficiency, not power,’ he whispered to himself. ‘Strike only when needed.’

  Then came Finn and Tyran. The illusion chamber shimmered with false lights and echoing voices. Tyran crafted a shimmering copy of himself, while Finn practiced altering his voice pitch and projection to enhance it. Laughter, whispered secrets, mimicry—they danced between reality and fantasy.

  ‘Tyran’s stealing my stage again,’ Finn grumbled mid-session.

  ‘You mean I’m teaching you,’ Tyran shot back.

  Their bickering filled the hour, broken only by occasional results: an illusory dog barking, a mirror doubling Finn’s image, a voice from the ceiling.

  Siddharth ended the day with Kael again, walking him through aura breathing and emotional control. The body was exhausted, but the mind pressed on.

  That night, Kael colpsed into bed, the sounds of the Council soft and content in his head.

  ‘We’re making progress,’ said Siddharth.

  ‘Yeah,’ Kael whispered aloud, to no one and everyone. ‘We are.’

  And tomorrow, they'd do it all again.