The moment hung suspended as if the air itself held its breath. Elias and Syn stood across from each other, flames coiling and crackling around them. The heat radiating from their bodies distorted the space between them, creating a mirage-like shimmer that cast dancing reflections across the arena.
Syn’s flames, already spiraling upward in a dark tempest, seemed to draw the very air toward them, feeding their oppressive weight. They weren’t just fire; they were a force, deliberate and calculated, ready to strike with devastating precision. The heat radiating from her was different, less wild but far more intense, like a smoldering ember waiting to ignite into an inferno.
Syn tilted her head, her smirk teasing. “Let’s see what that fire of yours can do, Firestarter.” She took a single step forward, her flames flaring outward like a living shadow.
Elias responded immediately, his excitement spilling over into his magic. A burst of vibrant red and orange fire erupted from his wand, surging toward Syn in an unrelenting wave. The intensity was undeniable, but the attack lacked precision—a raw display of power, more forceful than strategic.
Syn raised her hand, and her darker, smoldering flames shifted to meet Elias’s. Where his fire surged with untamed energy, hers swirled like a controlled tempest, absorbing and dissipating his attack. The collision created a cascade of colors that spiraled into the air, casting an ethereal glow over the arena.
From the sidelines, Lenara crossed her arms, her expression unreadable. But her eyes lingered on the interplay of flames, their beauty undeniable despite the combat.
From his perch above, Caelus watched, a faint smile touching his lips. The swirling display of flames reflected in his eyes. “Raw potential,” he murmured to himself. “But potential without direction can burn itself out.”
Elias hurled another attack, this time shaping his fire into a spiraling drill. The sheer heat and rapid coiling of flames caused the ground to glow faintly beneath its trajectory. Syn didn’t dodge. Instead, she raised her arms, her flames coalescing into a dense shield that met the spiraling inferno head-on. Sparks flew as the drill struck, but ultimately disintegrated against her defense, the sound of the clash reverberating through the arena.
“Is that all you’ve got?” Syn taunted, her voice carrying over the roar of the flames. “Don’t tell me you’re just going to throw fireballs until one lands.”
Elias gritted his teeth, the heat around him intensifying. He thrust his wand forward, conjuring a burst of multicolored flames that twisted together like a helix. The attack surged toward Syn with incredible speed, but she raised both hands, forming a barrier of flame that absorbed the hit. The collision sent ripples of light cascading across the arena, illuminating the watching crowd.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.
The two hopefuls glanced at Lenara before turning back to the fight. One of them whispered, “Did you see how their flames combined? It’s like they’re… dancing together.”
Syn launched forward, closing the distance between them in a heartbeat. Her flames lashed out in rapid bursts, forcing Elias to retreat. He responded instinctively, conjuring defensive walls of fire to block her strikes. Each clash of their flames sent shimmering sparks into the air.
Elias’s movements were growing more erratic, his attacks wild and uncoordinated. He swung his wand in sweeping arcs, creating waves of fire that surged toward Syn. She weaved through them effortlessly, her control evident in every step.
“You’re wasting energy,” she said, her voice cutting through the chaos. “Contrary to what you might think, fire magic isn’t just about burning things. It’s true potential lies in your control.”
Elias’s frustration flared, both figuratively and literally. His flames grew brighter, hotter, their colors shifting to whites and blues as he poured more power into his attacks. Ignoring the feeling of his well drying, he hurled a massive fireball toward Syn, the heat of it causing the air to shimmer like a mirage.
Syn didn’t dodge. Instead, she again raised her arms, her flames coalescing into yet another shield that absorbed the fireball. The resulting explosion was deafening, a burst of light and heat that sent shockwaves through the arena. When the smoke cleared, Syn stood unscathed, her grin dropping.
“You''re not lacking in power, that''s for sure,” she admitted. “But you’re still just throwing everything you’ve got without thinking.”
Syn extended her hand, her flames swirling into a focused spear. “Let me show you how it’s done,” she said, launching the spear toward Elias with terrifying speed.
Elias barely had time to react. He swung his wand upward, creating a wall of fire to intercept the attack, but the flaming spear pierced through it, its momentum slowed but not stopped. It grazed past him, leaving a singed line across his robes. He stumbled back, his breathing ragged and his resolve slightly shaken.
The hopeful''s murmurs grew louder, a mixture of awe and tension filling the air. The interplay of flames had created an ever-shifting light show, their colors blending and separating in mesmerizing patterns. Even as the fight raged, the beauty of their magic was impossible to ignore.
Elias steadied himself, his grip on his wand tightening. He wasn’t done yet. Far from it. Drawing a deep breath, he pushed his frustration aside and focused on the fire within his well. This wasn’t just a fight—it was a lesson, and if he wanted to pass. he''d have to be determined to learn.
Noticing the change in his stance, Syn''s grin returned, softer than before, into something more approving. “That’s it,” she said, her flames swirling around her in anticipation. “Now, let’s turn up the heat.”
The warm-up phase of their battle was over, but the fire between them burned brighter than ever. The arena thrummed with energy—heat and light merging in an electrifying dance where raw power collided with calculated precision and chaos was being tempered by control.