The Great Training Exercise had arrived.
The Academy organized a massive battle simulation for all students at the age of 16.
Each student would be paired with another, tasked with testing their abilities against one another in a simulated battlefield.
Arin, naturally, was paired with Kai.
The tension in the air was palpable.
They stood across from each other, the crowd murmuring.
The students were eager to watch, knowing the legends of the golden child and the outcast would clash.
Arin's powers flared to life —
golden light swirled around her as she called forth her abilities,
a flash of brilliance that left the crowd in awe.
But Kai's powers?
His sigil pulsed,
darkness spreading around him like smoke.
For a moment, the two stood still —
facing one another, the battlefield silent.
"Ready?"
Arin's voice was steady,
but inside, her heart raced.
Her duty clashed with something deeper.
Kai nodded, his eyes burning with intensity.
He knew this fight meant more than just training.
The battle began.
Arin's golden light was quick and deadly.
Kai's shadowy abilities were unpredictable, his strength unmatched.
But as they clashed,
Arin began to feel something.
A deep connection to Kai.
Her heart whispered a name,
but she shook it away.
She would not falter.
Not now.