They have gathered at the training ground, located northwest of the entry point. The area is expansive and well-equipped, designed to meet every training need.
Wooden swords rest neatly on racks, ready for sparring. A practice range for archery stretches out to one side, complete with targets at varying distances. Separate fields are marked out for one-on-one duels, each offering enough space for combatants to move freely.
Other sections of the ground feature dummies for precision strikes, obstacle courses to hone agility, and shaded benches for brief moments of rest.
Seren stands with her arms crossed in front of Lumen, her icy blue eyes practically piercing through him.
The other recruits have gathered in a semicircle around them, some curious, others tense. A few whisper quietly among themselves, but Seren and Lumen just ignore them.
"Do I really have to do this?" Lumen asks, sounding quite reluctant.
"Yes, you do," Seren replies sharply.
"I don't trust you. You act arrogant. Someone like you needs to learn early so you don't disrupt the group dynamics or kill someone later."
"Honestly, I'm just curious about his Stigma. Maybe I just got the wrong impression of him" she thinks.
Lumen mutters, "I wasn't even talking to you" and lets out a deep sigh.
He pushes himself away from the wall and steps into the center of the semicircle. He stretches out his right hand, his posture still half-hearted. But as he closes his eyes, the atmosphere in the room changes abruptly.
The air grows heavier, almost oppressive. An eerie shimmer spreads from Lumen's hand, golden and pure, as if the world itself were responding to his touch.
The ground beneath the recruits' feet seems to tremble slightly, and a divine light begins to flow from his Stigma – his eyes glowing gold.
The recruits instinctively hold their breath. Some take an involuntary step back, while Seren remains motionless, her eyes wide, unsure of what to expect.
"He actually looks pretty cool," she thinks, immediately scolding herself for even letting the thought cross her mind.
Ravyn's gaze is fixed on Lumen's hand, which glows unnaturally bright.
The golden rays of light fill the area, reflecting off nearby buildings and giving Lumen an almost holy aura.
He slowly opens his eyes. They shine with an intense gold that seems to pierce into the souls of everyone gathered.
"Ready?" he asks with a hint of irony in his voice, before moving his hand slowly.
The light grows more focused... brighter... more intense... and – it's a flashlight.
A single, narrow beam of light emerges from his palm, just like the beam from an ordinary flashlight.
The previously intense aura fades almost instantly, leaving only a modest light shining on the ground before him.
A long, awkward silence follows. The recruits stare at him in disbelief. Seren blinks twice, as though she can't believe what she's seeing.
Ravyn's eyes display a hint of confusion.
Lumen looks at the light in his hand and shrugs.
"Well, that's it" he says. "Not bad, right?"
~~~
A few hours later, Lumen and Ravyn face each other on the training ground.
Officer Samir instructed everyone to practice using only close combat techniques. The atmosphere between them is tense but not hostile. It's a silent contest of strength, an unspoken test.
Around them, the labored breaths of other recruits and the dull thuds of blows fill the air, but neither pays it any attention. Their focus is solely on each other.
Ravyn finally makes the first move.
He moves quickly, a straight punch with his right hand aimed directly at Lumen's chin.
Lumen dodges with minimal movement, his head barely turning, and the punch misses its mark.
Ravyn immediately follows up, his left hand flying toward Lumen's ribs. Lumen raises his forearm and blocks the strike, the impact reverberating dully through his body.
Ravyn surges forward, a swift front kick aimed at Lumen's chest. But Lumen raises his knee, deflecting the attack.
Using the momentum, Ravyn spins and attempts an elbow strike – but Lumen ducks under the attack.
Suddenly, Ravyn changes tactics. He drops into a crouch, grabbing at Lumen's front leg to pull him off balance.
But Lumen jumps just in time, twisting in the air and landing in a safe distance.
Ravyn seizes the opportunity to rush forward, attempting a hook, but Lumen catches his wrist and pushes it aside.
Next he suddenly pulls Lumen toward him, attempting to ram his shoulder into Lumen's chest. Lumen stumbles back, but he doesn't fall.
Instead, he counters with a quick hip throw, sending Ravyn crashing to the ground.
The other recruits pause for a moment as the sound of Ravyn's impact echoes across the training ground.
But Ravyn doesn't stay down. In one fluid motion, he rolls to his feet and immediately goes back on the offensive, this time even more aggressively.
A swift, precise kick targets Lumen's knee, but Lumen leaps back. Ravyn uses the moment to swing another strike, narrowly missing Lumen's cheek.
It's a dance of movement, dodges, and counters – Lumen is passive, but every time Ravyn finds an opening, he suddenly seems too slow to capitalize on it.
Then, a loud, shrill whistle cuts through the tense atmosphere on the training ground. All the recruits freeze, their movements halting.
"That's enough for today!" Samir's voice rings out, sharp and clear.
"As I see it, this quarter's recruits have plenty of potential. But potential alone won't save you. Learn from your defeats, use your mistakes – or you won't survive when it matters."
The recruits exchange furtive glances, some lowering their heads, others exhaling in relief.
Lumen stretches his arms lazily over his head, his breath steady and unhurried. Without a word, he extends a hand toward Ravyn.
Ravyn hesitates, clearly puzzled, before awkwardly taking the offered hand. He doesn't shake it, just holds it briefly, unsure of what to do.
Their thoughts, however, couldn't be more at odds.
"Strange guy, but I have to admit, he fights well" Lumen muses.
"This settles it. I'll have to kill him" Ravyn thinks, his resolve hardening.