The following morning arrived with colder air and clearer skies.

  A thin layer of mist drifted across the academy plateau as students gathered once again in the training arena. The early light from the rising sun painted the stone platforms in pale gold while instructors prepared the day’s exercises.

  Elias noticed the difference immediately.

  The Gate training circle had been cleared.

  Instead of the small group of spatial users practicing quietly inside the carved platform, the entire first-year class had been gathered around the arena’s central field.

  Something new was happening.

  Students whispered among themselves while instructors arranged reinforced targets and observation markers across the ground. A few assistant instructors carried small metallic devices that Elias hadn’t seen before, placing them carefully around the perimeter of the arena.

  Marcus stood near the front of the group with the other Forge students. His posture remained relaxed, but his eyes followed the instructors’ movements closely.

  Lena joined Elias near the edge of the gathering students.

  “Looks like a test,” she said quietly.

  Elias studied the field.

  The reinforced pillars from the previous day had been replaced with smaller metallic targets mounted on flexible bases. Several circular lines had also been drawn across the arena floor, dividing the space into clear zones.

  “A pressure test,” Elias guessed.

  Lena nodded.

  “That would make sense. The instructors want to see how stable everyone’s control is after awakening.”

  Elias glanced down briefly at the fractured mark on his arm.

  Stability wasn’t exactly his specialty.

  The lead instructor stepped forward once the last of the equipment had been placed. His voice carried easily across the quiet arena.

  “Today’s exercise will measure control under pressure.”

  The murmurs among the students faded quickly.

  Each instructor moved toward a different group, guiding students into their assigned positions across the field.

  Elias found himself standing within one of the marked zones near the center of the arena. The metal targets in front of him were spaced several meters apart, each mounted on a flexible stand that swayed slightly with the wind.

  The goal seemed obvious.

  Hit the targets.

  But the challenge would be doing it while maintaining control over their awakened Path.

  Forge users stepped forward first.

  Marcus moved with them.

  The Forge students lined up along the first set of markers while the instructor signaled for them to begin.

  The metallic glow of reinforcement spread across their arms almost simultaneously.

  One by one, they struck the targets.

  Each impact rang sharply through the arena.

  Marcus stepped forward last.

  His fist glowed with a dense layer of Forge energy as he delivered a clean, precise strike. The reinforced target bent sharply under the force before snapping back into position.

  The instructor marked something down on a small tablet.

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  Marcus stepped back without celebration.

  His control had clearly impressed the observing instructors.

  Next came the Thread students.

  Thin, nearly invisible strands of Axiom energy extended from their hands as they attempted to pull the flexible targets toward them without touching them directly.

  Some managed it easily.

  Others struggled to maintain tension in their Axiom threads, causing the targets to swing unpredictably.

  The exercise continued across the arena as each Path group demonstrated their control.

  Eventually, the Gate users were called forward.

  Elias stepped into position with the others.

  The instructor pointed toward the metal targets placed across the marked zone.

  “Displacement control,” he said. “Move the target from its position to the center marker.”

  The instructions were simple.

  But Elias understood the difficulty immediately.

  Displacing an object without disturbing the surrounding space required extremely precise control. Even a small miscalculation could send the object far beyond the intended location.

  The first student stepped forward.

  The air rippled briefly.

  The metal target vanished and reappeared near the center marker.

  A clean shift.

  The instructor nodded.

  The next student attempted the same displacement but overshot slightly, causing the target to reappear nearly a meter past the marker.

  The process continued.

  When Elias’s turn arrived, he stepped forward slowly.

  The fractured mark flickered faintly beneath his sleeve.

  He could already feel the spatial pressure forming as he focused on the target.

  The air around the object felt different from the sphere he had practiced with the previous day. Larger objects created stronger distortions when displaced.

  Which meant more pressure.

  Elias inhaled slowly and guided the current through his arm.

  The space around the target rippled.

  For a moment, the displacement began smoothly.

  Then the fractured mark pulsed.

  A second current surged beneath the Gate flow.

  Forge.

  The pressure spiked instantly.

  The air twisted violently as the spatial ripple expanded far beyond the intended target.

  Elias felt the instability before the object even moved.

  He tried to pull the current back.

  Too late.

  The metal target vanished.

  A sharp metallic crash echoed from the far side of the arena as the object reappeared nearly eight meters away.

  Several students turned in surprise.

  Elias exhaled slowly.

  “That wasn’t the center marker.”

  The instructor didn’t look surprised.

  Instead, he nodded slightly as if confirming something he had expected.

  “The Convergence triggered again.”

  Elias rubbed his arm where the fractured mark still glowed faintly.

  “The pressure was stronger this time.”

  “Yes.”

  The instructor gestured toward the distant target.

  “Gate displacement under stress is one of the most common triggers.”

  Elias retrieved the target and returned it to its original position.

  This time, when he stepped back into place, he felt the spatial pressure forming earlier than before.

  That was new.

  He could sense it building beneath the fractured mark like tension inside a tightening spring.

  If he allowed the pressure to grow too strong, the Forge current would force its way through again.

  That meant he had to act sooner.

  Elias focused again.

  The spatial current formed.

  The air rippled.

  Before the pressure could spike, Elias guided the displacement quickly.

  The target vanished.

  It reappeared directly on the center marker.

  A clean shift.

  The instructor allowed a faint smile.

  “Better.”

  Elias felt the difference immediately.

  The key wasn’t fighting the pressure.

  It was moving before the Convergence could form.

  Across the arena, Marcus had been watching the exercise carefully.

  Their eyes met briefly as Elias stepped back from the marker.

  Marcus gave a small nod.

  Not approval.

  Recognition.

  Marcus understood exactly what Elias had just done.

  He had adjusted his timing.

  That was something Marcus respected.

  The rest of the Gate students completed their turns without major incident. Once the exercise ended, the instructors gathered the class together again near the center of the arena.

  The lead instructor looked across the group of students.

  “Control under pressure is the foundation of combat.”

  His gaze paused briefly on Elias.

  “Some of you will face more pressure than others.”

  Elias suspected he knew exactly who that comment was directed toward.

  The instructor continued.

  “Tomorrow we begin sparring drills.”

  The announcement immediately stirred excitement among the students.

  Combat training.

  That was the moment most of them had been waiting for since arriving at the academy.

  Marcus looked particularly interested.

  Elias, on the other hand, felt a quiet tension settle in his chest.

  Sparring meant unpredictability.

  Unpredictability meant pressure.

  And pressure meant the fractured mark might react again.

  He looked down at the symbol beneath his sleeve.

  The faint glow had faded once more.

  But the pattern was becoming clearer.

  Gate pressure opened the path.

  Forge amplified it.

  If the two currents collided during combat—

  The result could become far more dangerous than a displaced training target.

  The instructor dismissed the class shortly afterward.

  Students began leaving the arena in small groups, discussing the upcoming sparring exercises.

  Lena walked beside Elias as they crossed the stone path leading toward the dormitory buildings.

  “You handled that better than yesterday.”

  “Barely.”

  “But you adjusted.”

  Elias nodded slightly.

  “That’s the only way this works.”

  He glanced down briefly at the fractured mark.

  “If I wait too long, the Convergence happens.”

  Lena considered that quietly.

  “So you move first.”

  “Exactly.”

  Ahead of them, Marcus walked with the Forge students, his posture relaxed but his attention still sharp.

  Elias suspected tomorrow’s sparring drills would bring another confrontation.

  And this time, the fractured mark might not stay quiet.