Eldryn Academy Of Elementals

The third morning at the Academy dawned cool and steady, the air carrying the scent of rich soil and blooming wildflowers. Despite the calming atmosphere, Mira woke with a knot in her stomach. The fire trials had shaken her more than she wanted to admit. She hadn't expected to master fire overnight - but the way the flames had refused her touch left her feeling like she didn't belong.

"Today's a new start," Aria said, trying to sound optimistic as they walked to breakfast. But even she looked tense. Yesterday's surprise with fire had raised questions neither of them could answer.

The dining hall buzzed with anticipation for the earth assessments. Students speculated about the professor they'd meet and the nature of the trials.

"I heard the earth tests are brutal," Kai said through a mouthful of spiced fruit. "Something about moving boulders and surviving landslides."

"Great," Mira muttered, picking at her bread. She wasn't sure why she bothered - the fear of failing again made her appetite vanish.

Zara's voice carried from the next table. "The assessments aren't about technique - they're about your core connection to the elements," she said, with the kind of confidence that came from knowing exactly where you stood. "Either the element responds to you - or it doesn't."

Mira's stomach sank further. If that was true... what did it mean that fire had barely flickered at her touch?

---

The earth-affinity students gathered at the edge of the Stone Garden - an ancient, sprawling landscape where twisted trees grew from cracked cliffs and massive stones floated weightlessly above the ground. The air here felt heavier, the ground pulsing with slow, steady energy.

Their guide stood waiting - a short, broad-shouldered woman with deep brown skin and hair coiled in intricate braids. Despite her calm demeanor, there was a quiet intensity about her. The earth itself seemed to shift subtly around her feet.

"I am Professor Elowen Thornhart," she said, her voice rich and low. "Earth is patience. Strength. Resilience. It is the foundation beneath your feet and the force that shapes mountains. But it is also listening - understanding when to act and when to wait."

Her gaze swept over the students. "Today, we will see if earth recognizes you."

Their first task took them to a wide field of stones - some the size of pebbles, others towering like monoliths. "Reach for the stone," Thornhart instructed. "Feel its weight. Its shape. If you are meant for earth, the stone will answer you."

Zara went first, of course. With a flick of her hand, a boulder the size of a small house rose smoothly into the air, then settled back without so much as a sound. Even the other elemental-born students looked impressed.

Kai stepped up next - and while fire had clearly been his strength, he managed to shift a cluster of stones with surprising ease. "Guess I'm full of surprises," he said, grinning.

Aria's turn came, and Mira held her breath. The earth had already called to her through water and fire - what would it do here?

The ground rumbled as Aria reached out. A circle of stones rose around her, not in a simple lift but in perfect symmetry - moving as if they were an extension of her own body. Even Thornhart raised an eyebrow.

"That," the professor said quietly, "is rare."

Mira's heart pounded as she stepped forward. She knelt beside a smooth, gray stone and pressed her palm to its surface, willing it to move.

Nothing happened.

She pushed harder, her breath quickening, and felt... something. A distant echo of the calm, steady energy around her. But when she tried to pull on it, it slipped away. The stone remained still.

When she stepped back, heat rose to her face as she heard murmurs behind her.

"She couldn't call fire, either," someone whispered.

"Maybe she doesn't belong here."

Zara's voice cut through the crowd. "It's not about skill. It's about power. And if the elements aren't answering her now, they never will."

---

The rest of the day passed in a blur of frustration and disappointment. The other trials were no better. They shaped vines, raised stone walls, and called roots from the soil - and each time, Mira fell short. She could feel the elements - distant, like whispers - but they wouldn't listen.

By the time the assessments ended, she felt hollow. Even Riven's usual warmth couldn't lift her spirits.

As they walked back toward the Hall of Novices, Aria fell into step beside her. "Don't listen to them," she said quietly. "This is just the beginning. We haven't even finished all the assessments."

"But what if they're right?" Mira's voice cracked. "What if I don't belong here?"

Before Aria could answer, Riven joined them. "Zara thinks she knows everything," he said lightly. "But I wouldn't take her word as law. The elements don't always reveal themselves right away. Sometimes, they wait."

"Wait for what?" Mira asked bitterly.

"For you to be ready," Riven said. "Or for the right moment. My father didn't show his second affinity until he was nearly eighteen - and now he's one of the most powerful water and air elementals at the Academy."

Mira wanted to believe him - but doubt weighed heavy on her heart. Tomorrow would bring the final trial: air. And if that, too, slipped through her fingers... she wasn't sure what would be left.