"This is going to be intense. Dorian versus Lucas—four elements against gravity itself? I'm ready for this."
Instructor Isaac's voice cut through the electric tension hanging in the air, "Take your positions. The match begins now!" And with that, the arena practically exploded into action.
Dorian, the resident four-element wonder boy, wasn't wasting any time. He darted forward, flames at the ready. Sure, he wasn't a magic swordsman, but who needs a sword when you can command fire?
Across the way, Lucas, the gravity guru, stood calm, calculating. His power might not be as flashy, but wielding gravity had its perks. The bigger his spell's radius, the weaker the punch. But if he concentrated it... well, let's just say things would start falling apart—literally.
Dorian launched a fireball faster than I could blink. Lucas barely flinched, throwing up a gravity shield to block. Ah, but Dorian, crafty as ever, had another trick up his sleeve—water. Water to snuff out Lucas's defenses, right?
Wrong. Lucas reacted almost immediately, deflecting the water with the sheer force of gravity. I'll be honest, even I didn't expect him to be that quick on the draw.
The crowd, naturally, lost it. Every student in the arena was glued to this match—half of them cheering, the other half probably wondering if they should just drop out of the academy now and save themselves the embarrassment.
But Dorian wasn't backing down. Nope. Momentum was his best friend today. He unleashed a gust of wind aimed straight at Lucas's feet, hoping to throw him off balance. Smart move. Gravity might be Lucas's thing, but if he's flying through the air like a ragdoll, well... it's hard to cast spells mid-somersault.
Lucas, however, wasn't about to be caught off guard. He immediately grounded himself—literally—with his gravity magic, planting his feet like they weighed a ton. Dorian might've managed to ruffle his hair, but that's about it.
Dorian grinned, and I knew that look. It was time for the big guns. Lightning. He charged up, ready to fry Lucas with enough voltage to power a city. But Lucas wasn't having any of it. Before Dorian could finish his spell, Lucas slammed the ground with his gravity magic, and boom—shockwaves everywhere.
The sheer force knocked the lightning spell off course, sending it into the dirt. I couldn't help but grin. This fight wasn't even in the game and the novel. I had no idea what was going to happen, but I was living for it.
Meanwhile, my Librarian's Tome was practically overflowing with all the new information I was cramming into it. This fight wasn't just exciting—it was educational. Who knew witnessing a magic duel could double as a study session?
Still, as much as I enjoyed Lucas showing off his gravity chops, I was secretly hoping Dorian would pull off the win. After all, the more I learn from his fights, the better prepared I'll be when I inevitably have to face one of these monsters myself.
Lucas had clearly decided that brute force wasn't going to cut it, so he switched gears. Smart. He started reshaping the battlefield with gravity, twisting the terrain to throw Dorian off balance. Suddenly, there were invisible walls and shifting ground everywhere. It was like the arena itself had turned into Lucas's personal obstacle course.
He didn't stop there either. A few feints, a couple of small gravity strikes—just enough to keep Dorian dancing defensively. And let me tell you, that's how you win a fight. Keep your opponent busy reacting, and they won't have time to launch an attack. I'll admit, I probably wouldn't have come up with that tactic in the heat of battle.
But Lucas? He had this fight locked down. Or so it seemed.
Just when I thought Dorian was about to wrap this whole thing up in a neat little elemental bow, he pulled out a wild move. Fire and water, of all things, combining to create a cloud of thick, obscuring steam. Classic. Blind your opponent, buy some time, and strike while they're fumbling around like someone trying to find their glasses.
But Lucas wasn't your average fighter. The guy literally manipulated gravity for a living. He might not be able to see Dorian, but he could feel the shift in air pressure, sensing his opponent's movements without needing his eyes. I mean, who needs vision when you've got gravity on your side?
He dodged Dorian's sneak attack with the precision of a surgeon and retaliated with a gravity wave that sent Dorian stumbling back. It was enough to knock the wind (and probably some pride) out of Dorian, leaving him wide open for a counterattack.
And this... this was the part where things got really intense.
"Wow, this is a real fight," I thought, watching in awe. These guys are battling like seasoned pros, while I'm still trying to figure out if my glimmerband even fits properly. Sure, a part of me was jealous—I mean, who wouldn't be?—but deep down, I knew I had something even stronger waiting to be unleashed. One day, I'd be right there with them. But for now, I was just the audience to this gravity-fueled spectacle.
Lucas had the momentum, and it looked like Dorian was running on fumes. Was he really about to lose?
Lucas's gravitational wave had opened the perfect window. Both mages were at their breaking point, pouring everything they had into their magic.
Dorian, clearly desperate, unleashed the ultimate chaos spell—a storm of elements, fire, water, wind, and lightning all crashing toward Lucas like some kind of magical apocalypse. It was impressive, to say the least. But Lucas wasn't about to go toe-to-toe with raw elemental power. He played it smart, using gravity to distort the storm's trajectory, weakening each element before it could even reach him.
And then, in one last, brilliant gamble, Lucas funneled every ounce of energy into a concentrated gravitational wave. The force cut through Dorian's elemental barrage like a hot knife through butter, scattering it into nothingness. Dorian hit the ground hard, glimmerband shattered, completely drained. And no amount of magic was going to help him stand back up against the crushing weight of Lucas's gravity.
"The match is over! Lucas Hazemark wins!" Instructor Isaac's voice boomed across the arena, as Dorian lay there, completely spent.
Damn. This wasn't supposed to happen. Not like this.
I mean, Dorian losing? That's not in the script—or at least not in my script. What now? Do I go over there? Say something motivational? Maybe give him one of those pep talks you see in every sports anime ever? I could already see it in his eyes—this loss might hit him harder than a falling meteor. And if Dorian Ashford, our golden-boy hero, breaks down right now, what happens to the story? Or worse... to me?
I didn't waste time overthinking (though I kinda was), and before I knew it, I was already making my way over to the arena. Fiona was there too, looking about as worried as I felt. Maybe she was also questioning reality because, let's be honest, this definitely wasn't in the original plot. We both knew it.
Dorian stumbled off the platform, looking like he'd just gone twelve rounds with a dragon. Bruised, battered—but still standing. Before I could get a word out, Fiona swooped in like some concerned NPC with a side quest.
"Are you okay?" she asked, her face doing that whole concerned furrowed-brow thing.
Dorian chuckled, but it was more 'I'm-totally-fine' than 'I'm-actually-fine.' "Haha… yeah, I'm good. I knew there'd be a lot of talent here. Just means I've gotta train harder. Get stronger."
Wait, what? Where's the angst? The brooding? I was fully expecting a mini existential crisis or, at the very least, some dramatic reflection time. But nope—this dude was giving off some serious main-character-who-lost-the-battle-but-not-the-war energy. Cue the slow-motion montage with heroic background music. I swear, if a camera had panned across right now, he'd be walking off into the sunset with a smirk on his face and determination in his eyes.
Meanwhile, here I was, having mentally spiraled for no reason, convinced Dorian was about to hit rock bottom. What was I even worrying about? I'm literally inside a novel where Dorian Ashford is the star, and yet I'm over here acting like an overprotective sidekick. Classic me.
Watching him like this hit different, though. He wasn't just some character in a story anymore. He was... more. And I should've known better. This guy doesn't break, he just levels up.
And then there was Lucas. The dude had just won a battle for the ages, and what does he do? Stands there, face like a stone wall, as if winning was just another Tuesday for him. Not even a flicker of emotion. Is there a handbook somewhere on how to be that stoic?
Still, credit where it's due—Lucas handled that fight like a seasoned pro. And in his own quiet, emotionally-repressed way, he probably deserved the win.
But Dorian? Yeah, he's not staying down for long.
Meanwhile, I'd been furiously dumping data into the Librarian's Tome—a magical lifesaver, because let's face it, I'd forget half of this epic day if it weren't for that handy little artifact doing all the heavy lifting.
And guess what? It's not just storing random facts; it's spitting out full-blown character sheets.
[Character Window]
Name: Lucas Hazemark
Age: 17
Element: Gravity
Combat Style: Adaptive
Strengths: Quick reflexes, defensive strategies, terrain manipulation
Weaknesses: Not the best at long-range combat
Whoa. I literally watched one fight and now I've got a character profile for Lucas, like I'm in some RPG. If I keep this up, I'm gonna be an unstoppable info hoarder. Well, that's the plan, anyway. Gotta use my brain powers since I can't punch gravity.
But there's more to come. The next batch of fights is about to kick off, and honestly? I'm just hoping we can wrap this up soon. After three hours of nonstop magical slugfests, I'm more exhausted from watching than I ever was fighting.
Some of the most intense battles? Claire vs. Selene was a solid headliner—those two did not hold back. Then there was Leon vs. Zephyr, which had so much flair you'd think they were trying to prove something to the gods. And let's not forget Kain vs. Aldric. Even though Aldric lost, the spectacle of those two throwing around insane spells was next-level. It was like watching fireworks, but the kind that could actually kill you.
Luckily, most of these fights played out like they did in the novel, which was a relief. At least the story's not going completely off the rails. Not yet, anyway.
Finally, after what felt like forever, Instructor Isaac's voice boomed across the arena.
"Class is over. You may now return to your rooms."
The sun was setting, and my stomach was growling like an angry beast that had been ignored for way too long. I hadn't eaten all day, and now I was starving. Enter the Academy cafeteria—my saving grace. And get this: all the food is free. Jackpot. Time to feast like a king.
I headed in, and... whoa. I had to blink a few times to process what I was seeing. This wasn't a cafeteria; this was a freaking banquet hall. Chandeliers, sleek decor, fancy tables—the whole shebang. I half-expected to see butlers serving royalty.
The food? Endless. It was like someone had opened the gates to food heaven and I was their chosen champion. I loaded up my plate with everything I could get my hands on. No way was I playing it cool with "polite portions" today. Nope. Today, I was going all out.
"This is my moment," I thought, grinning like a madman as I piled food higher than the Tower of Babel. "I won't stop until I either pass out or explode."
With my plate towering dangerously and no shame in my game, I found an empty table and dove in like a starved beast.
"T-This... this is incredible!" I mumbled between bites, eyes wide as each flavor sent me to a higher plane of existence. I was so focused on my food that I didn't even notice the looming presence behind me until—
A shadow fell over the table.
I looked up mid-bite and—of course—there they were. The elite squad: Claire, Dorian, Fiona, Selene, and Kain, all with trays in hand. Before I could even question the why of it all, they sat down. Right next to me. Surrounding me, even.
What did I do to deserve this? Out of all the tables in this grand cafeteria, they pick mine? Now everyone's staring. Whispers everywhere. Great. I just wanted a peaceful food coma in blissful silence. But now? Now, I have to act like I'm not mid-food orgy while sitting with the academy's A-listers.
But you know what? Not even that was gonna stop me. I kept my head down and continued feasting like a man on a mission. Food first, social awkwardness later.
Finally, after what felt like conquering Mount Everest in meal form, I finished. My stomach was stretched to its absolute limit. I nodded awkwardly at the group, gave a half-hearted salute, and made my escape. I'd won my personal battle against hunger, though I'm still not sure why my peaceful dinner had to turn into a public spectacle.
Today was exhausting. But fun, I guess. It's not every day you get to witness a real-life magic tournament while stuffing your face. Plus, I've still got some time before things go completely off the rails. The big plot twist is a ways off, so I can take a breather... for now.
The Librarian's Tome? Yeah, that thing's a game-changer. It's gonna be my secret weapon when the real chaos hits. I'll need every bit of info it can gather if I want to survive this story. But I can't just rely on the Tome forever. I've got skills of my own—I just need to sharpen them.
Chapter One may be coming to a close, but the real story? Oh, it's just getting started.