The sun had barely risen, yet the courtyard buzzed like a coliseum before bloodshed.
Servants whispered. Young mages lined the sides, and even nobles showed up early—drawn by the promise of a rare duel between two rising stars of House Smith.
Logan stood on the field, face calm, arms folded behind his back. He wore a simple tunic, dark trousers, and his signature crimson cloak, fluttering slightly in the morning breeze.
Across from him, Darius stretched, flames licking off his forearms. His eyes burned with competitive fire. Six months of brutal training under Kael Thorne had molded him into a different beast—a weapon forged by will and hate.
He wanted to repay all the debts today. The humiliation he felt till now. Being overthrown by his younger stepbrother. Being looked down on even after awakening three elemental affinities. Even after being a prodigy amongst his peers, he was overshadowed. He couldn't tolerate this. His pride couldn't digest it anymore. He yearned to reclaim his pride again.
Kael walked between them, raising a hand to silence the murmurs.
"This is a controlled duel. No deadly strikes. First to surrender or collapse loses."
He looked at Logan, a subtle smirk on his face.
"Logan, raw talent doesn't always beat hard work," Kael thought to himself. I will make sure both you and Ardyn are eating dirt today.
Logan said nothing. His gaze flicked over to Alice in the crowd. She gave a nervous smile.
Rudeous leaned in from behind her and muttered, "Darius will win. Logan's talented, but he doesn't push himself," Rudeous expressed his thoughts while seated with other family elders and the court mage Abraham.
But Ardyn didn't feel the same way. He knew what his old rival was scheming. But he was sure of one thing. Darius will beat Logan? That's impossible. He also knew that Logan was training less. But his intuition—his adaptation—it was overcharged. And he didn't know why, but he always had a nagging feeling.
That Logan was always holding back.
And…
An incredible amount at that…
Mirena, watching from above, said nothing, but her expression was neutral—guarded.
Kael stepped back and raised his hand.
"Begin!"
Darius moved first—like a thunderclap.
With a stomp, he summoned a ring of fire around Logan, then followed it up with a wind-infused leap, spinning mid-air as flames shot toward Logan's chest.
Logan ducked low, sliding under the strike like liquid shadow.
A flash of light—then a thin, horizontal wind blade erupted from his palm, catching Darius mid-spin.
Crack!
Darius landed hard, rolling. But he recovered fast, slamming his palm into the ground. A sudden gravitational pull yanked Logan toward him.
"Smart," Kael murmured, arms crossed. "Using gravity to control distance."
But Logan didn't resist. He let the pull take him in—and then, at the last moment, launched himself forward with a burst of air magic.
Boom!
His elbow collided with Darius's forearm, sending him reeling.
Logan spun. A fireball swirled into existence—small but dense—and launched it toward Darius's side.
Fwoosh!
Darius roared, igniting both fists and punching the fireball apart. Then he swept his leg, sending a compressed gust toward Logan's legs.
Logan jumped. Mid-air, he twisted, then slashed his hand like a sword and a wind blade strode toward Darius's shoulder like a wild wave in an ocean.
Darius barely dodged—but not fast enough. The air blade sliced his sleeve, drawing a thin line of red.
The crowd gasped.
Kael's brows twitched. He couldn't even believe his own eyes. Six months of hardcore training. And still Darius was losing. And it wasn't just that Darius was losing. What shocked him even more was that…
He leaned toward Mirena.
"He's using only three elements…"
Mirena's eyes narrowed. "And those are?"
"Air. Fire. Gravity… same as Darius."
Kael clenched his jaw. "He's holding back."
Logan didn't slow.
He moved like a storm: fireballs merged with gusts of wind, and accelerated with gravity. Like an attack from a lethal weapon.
Darius blocked, countered, and lunged—matching Logan attack for attack. But his moves were gritted, forced, built on endurance.
Logan's were effortless. Calculated. Calm.
Alice stood, hands over her heart. "He's not even breathing hard…"
Ardyn chuckled. "Now you're seeing it too, huh?"
"What do you mean?"
"He's playing with Darius."
Darius growled, launching a flurry of flame-tipped strikes. "Stop holding back!"
Logan tilted his head. "Make me if you can."
"USE EVERYTHING!"
"No," Logan said simply. "You only have three elements. So I'll use three."
Rudeous's eyes twitched. Was he hallucinating? The conditions of other family members were the same as well. They knew that Logan was talented. But what's happening—how was it possible? Was Logan really only 11 years old? Or was he really a human? No words could express their shock.
Mirena's eyes widened.
So it was true. What Kael speculated. Logan was truly holding back.
The crowd fell silent.
The next moment shattered everything.
Logan lifted his hand, pulling a strand of fire from thin air—it turned blue—then blasted it forward with a gust of wind while igniting the air itself behind the attack to create a shockwave.
The air detonated.
BOOM!
Darius was thrown back like a doll, skidding across the ground.
He tried to stand, but gravity suddenly pressed him into the dirt.
Everyone turned to Kael—but his hands weren't raised.
"His control…" Kael whispered. "His combinations… they're perfect."
Darius struggled to get up, but Logan appeared beside him in a flash, a fireball held casually in one palm.
It hovered, humming with deadly intent.
Logan looked down at him. "Yield."
Darius clenched his jaw. "I…"
Logan raised the fireball an inch higher.
"I… yield."
The crowd erupted.
Some in awe. Some in disbelief.
Alice wiped a tear from her cheek.
Kael stared at Logan as if seeing him for the first time.
"He… wasn't slacking," he muttered. "He was training another way. Something else entirely."
Rudeous descended from the stage with other elders.
"Logan."
He turned toward them, wiping sweat from his brow.
"Yes, Father?"
"You may now access the family's magic library. You've earned it."
He bowed slightly. "Thank you."
Alice came running and hugged Logan, caressing his hair with affection. She was over the moon. The prowess Logan displayed—it could be described with only one word:
Wow!
Ardyn's mind was dancing with joy as well.
Not only Alice and Ardyn—many congratulated Logan. Like Ronan, Logan's uncle. His wife Judith. Logan's cousin Amelia. Other elders like Rowan, Logan's grand-uncle. Guards. Servants as well. They all were amazed by Logan's fight.
But not all were happy. Of course, they weren't. When Darius lost to Logan when he was only six, it could be considered a fluke. Or Logan's good luck. Darius' misfortune.
But today. Today changed everything. Mirena left with hurried footsteps. Kael carried Darius outside of the courtyard and took him for medical attention.
And like this, the duel… came to an end.
That night, Logan entered the magic library for the first time.
Rows upon rows of ancient books lined the walls. Dust danced in the candlelight.
He took his time, skimming titles until one caught his eye:
"Essence of the Body: Bridging the Gap Between Flesh and Magic"
He pulled it down, flipping pages. It wasn't advanced in language, but the theory was radical for this world.
"Most mages forget the body, relying too much on external mana. But a trained body sharpens the mind. Strengthens the soul. And refines the flow of magic itself."
Logan's eyes narrowed.
"Try training magic in resistance zones. Increase gravity gradually to build endurance, control, and speed. Magic cast under pressure becomes explosive when unleashed in normal conditions."
He smiled.
"This… this is it."
The next morning, before sunrise, he stood alone in the training grounds.
"Let's try this…"
He raised his hand and whispered, "Gravity domain… 10x."
The world crashed down. Before he could react—
BAM!
To Be Continued.