8 years later…
In the years that followed, Azai adjusted to life in the grandeur of Veridian Castle, where he was warmly welcomed by the household staff and introduced to tutors who nurtured his intellect, powers, and swordsmanship
"Haa… Haa.." Azai voiced out of breathe stabbing his wooden sword in to the ground he fell to the ground unable to move.
"Hey, we're not done, get up Azai." Galen said with a wooden sword in his hand.
Azai caught his breathe standing back up grabbing his sword he charged at his dad shooting black lightning out his hands at him
*KRRKKK
Galen dodged the attack seeing the lightning hit the ground creating a big screen.
Azai used this to his advantage lunging at Galen from the back swinging his sword.
*TAKK
Galen easily blocked the attack from behind by putting his sword behind his back not even looking at Azai. He swiped his feet making Azai fall.
"Agh..!!" Azai exclaimed closing his eyes hitting the hard ground.
"And your dead." His dad said making Azai open his eyes to see His dad's wooden sword on his face.
"Ugh… we've sparred everyday for eight years and I still can't win." Azai said as he stayed on the ground.
"You've gotten really strong since then though. And of course not did you forget I am the third strongest member of the Guardians of Balance." Galen told him sitting down next to him smiling.
"Of course I didn't forget." Azai told him.
"Oh..! are you ready to go to Essence Academy in a couple days..?"
"I guess but why do I even have to go…" Azai asked
"Every talented fourteen year old with powers has to go Azai, you'll be there for five years." Galen told him
"I know, I know."
"I'll be sending letter almost everyday so make sure you write back for me and you'll always come for the holidays."
"I will." Azai told his dad.
"Will I become the lord of Veridian when I come back..?"
"You can only become lord unless something happens to me or you become of age and that's when you turn twenty one."
"Oh yeah." Azai said as he got up to get some water.
"Wanna go get some ice cream..?" Galen asked Azai as he started walking towards the kitchen
"Yea, wait up..!" He told his dad catching up with him.
————————-
Three Days Later
"Do you have everything..?" Galen asked.
"Yes dad." Azai looked up at his dad who was two times his height as he looked at his School Uniform to see his house crest on the left of his suit.
"Ok dad, I'm off-" Azai began to say before being brung into a big hug by his father.
"I love you, be safe." Galen said smiling holding back tears knowing his son that he raised is finally going to Essence Academy.
Azai nodded his head
"ok."
Waiting for his dad to let go he got in his carriage and waved good bye, as the carriage started to move he watched as the distance between him and his father went further and further.
——————-
Arriving at the entrance of Essence Academy, Azai got out the carriage seeing multiple people his age of various backgrounds entering the school, not paying much mind to everyone he looked at the many huge buildings the campus had.
Azai went to the Great Hall Building, where all the new students are supposed gather.
Azai walked in seeing the massive room adorned banners representing the different Essence categories.
Head Master Thorne an imposing figure in society walked up the stage gathering all the students attentions.
"Hey.. that's the Head Master..!!" Azai heard from the back of the crowd.
"Welcome, new students, to the Essence Academy. Here you will hone your skills and discover your true potential. But first you must prove yourselves through a series of trial. These tests will determine your teams for the rest of your five years— unless something happens— your dorm assignments, and the classes best suited for your abilities." Head Master Thorne spoke.
A murmur of excitement and anxiety filled through the crowd of students as they wondered what challenges later ahead.
Azai continued to listen quietly.
"everybody will look at the board at the back of the room and find their groups that have been based on your abilities and head to your tests lastly you will all come back to take a mini survey and intellect test." Head Master Thorne said before walking off.
Azai started to walk to the board finding his name under the elemental control, shadow manipulation and swordsmanship categorie.
Azai walked in to his first test area of elemental control, seeing many people in the open space practicing before the test started.
Azai began to look at his surroundings seeing various elemental terrains— raging fires, turbulent waters, rocky, outcrops, and swirling winds.
*creakkk
Azai heard as he watched the door open looking to see an older woman walk in to the front of the group.
"Ok everyone..!!" She exclaimed catching all the students attention.
"I am your Instructor Nyssa, In this trial, you must navigate by yourself through the arena and retrieve a set of essence crystals that are all hidden in the rough terrains." Instructor Nyssa finished.
"Excuse me..!!" A boy raised his hand.
"Yes..?" She asked looking at him.
"What do these crystals look like..?" He asked.
"Ah of course, They are blue crystals shaped in diamonds that varied in size and have a glow to them." She responded.
"Anymore questions.?" Nyssa asked, seeing as the group went silent.
"well you only have twenty minutes, go..!!" She exclaimed.
*WOOSHH
Azai created a gust of wind as he ran passed all the students hurrying to find an Essence crystal.
"woah..!!"
"He's fast..!!"
some students said in awe as other started running in order to not get left behind.
Azai quickly ran towards the terrain he felt most familiar with which is fire.
'Where could it even be..??' He asked himself running around through the flames not getting hurt as he had a bit of resistance against heat.
In the corner of his eye he saw something glowing blue behind a tree
*GRRR
stomping his feet on the ground to quickly stop he went towards the tree grabbing his first Essence Crystal.
"I'll get as much as I can before the time runs out." He told himself putting his first Essence crystal in the bag on his hip across from his sword everyone got as they entered the trial room.
*DOOM
Azai exploded off the ground running picking up every Essence Crystal he found in a blink of an eye.
He felt that he should check a different terrain not finding anymore crystals In the fire.
'I've gotta hurry.' Azai thought as he ran towards the rocky outcrops.
Azai arrives on top of a rocky hill looking around.
*BRRBB
A huge boulder launches at Azai, forcing him to extend his left hand activating his lightning ability
"Black Lightning Bolt..!!!"
*KRRRKKKK
Azai exclaimed as black lightning shot from his hands destroying the boulder, however he couldn't stop the small rock pieces from hitting him.
"Ugh…" Azai exclaimed getting bruised up a little.
Azai looked around to see a girl creating another huge boulder with her earth abilities.
Azai rushed towards her without giving her anytime to react Azai quickly took out his sword hitting her neck with the handle of his sword.
"Ughh..!" she voiced out as she fell to the ground unconscious.
"So you can fight each other huh.." Azai thought out loud looking at her before going through her bag to take her Essence Crystals.
'If you can fight I'm pretty sure you can take.' Azai thought as he took all of her crystals before going back to searching for more.
finding as many as he could in the rocky terrain he heard a huge alarm indicating the end of the trial.
"Tch.." He voiced in annoyance not being able to search all four terrains.
he looked down at the ground to see a teleportation spell under his feet.
"Waa.!" Azai exclaimed as he arrived at the very spot he came in with all the other students. even the one he got knocked out or injured since Insturctor Nyssa casted a healing spell on them.
"Good job everyone..!! I'll now use a magic weight to count up all the essence crystal you got.. Everyone step forward one at a time." Instructor Nyssa told the students.
All the students went up one by one putting this crystals in a bowl as the magic weight calculator counted up their crystals.
*twenty one crystals.*
*ten crystals*
*thirteen crystals*
*eight crystals*
*one crystal*
Azai watched as the students all went up, finally his turn he walked up to the weight calculator putting all of his crystals on the platform.
*sixety one crystals*
The machine announced.
"What..!!"
"Woah..!"
"How…"
"That's amazing..!!!"
The students all exclaimed in surprise looking at his score.
"Hey… that's the heir to Veridian look it's their family emblem.. the Black Panther..!" One of the boys yelled out making everyone even more surprised.
"Ok..!! That's the end of this trial you all will go to your next trial that has been assigned to you." Instructor Nyssa told the group.
Azai walked out to go to his next test.