Somehow, Judas managed to sleep through the night despite of the emerging thoughts. The next morning, training resumed in the cozy cottage under Peter's guidance.
"Today, I'll teach you both the basics of elemental magic," Peter announced as he stood in front of them. "Diana already knows most of this, but it's new territory for you, Judas, right?"
Judas nodded, sitting beside Diana on a wooden stool, eyes fixed on Peter, who crouched to draw symbols on the dirt floor with a stick.
"Let me break it down," Peter said, writing as he spoke. "There are six basic elemental attributes. Each mage typically aligns with one—or, in rare cases, more."
Judas leaned in, absorbing every word. Peter continued.
"First, Fire magic attribute—Diana's specialty. I use it too. It allows you to control, create, and shape fire at will."
He stood up, extended his arm forward, and with a calm breath, ignited his forearm in a controlled blaze.
"Whoa!" Judas exclaimed, eyes sparkling. "Master, can I do that too?"
Peter chuckled. "That depends on your attribute."
"Please keep going, Master," Judas urged eagerly.
Peter raised an eyebrow. "What do you think I was doing before you interrupted?"
Diana smirked. Judas scratched his head sheepishly.
"Second, we have Water magic attribute, Like fire, it lets you manipulate the element to your will—flow, freeze, surge, you name it."
He drew another symbol.
"Third is Earth magic attribute. Less flashy, but a solid defense type. Earth mages can create barriers, armor, or even manipulate terrain. Offensively, it's weaker—but good luck breaking through it."
Judas nodded, trying to imagine using the ground to protect himself, covered in a rock armour with his eyes out and throwing punches on ground, splitting it.
"FOCUS!", Diana poked his head, "Ouch!", Judas continued listening to Peter.
Peter drew wind symbol on ground, "Fourth, Wind magic attribute, " He continued. "Now this one's a beast—both offense and defense. With enough skill, you can fly, summon tornadoes, or cut through steel. I use this one too—alongside fire."
Peter smirked with pride. Judas clapped in admiration.
Diana muttered under her breath, "Show-off..."
Peter pouted but ignored her. "Next is healing magic. Not great for direct combat, but invaluable in a team. You can close wounds, ease fatigue, and keep your allies alive. It's exhausting to use, though, and can't regenerate lost limbs."
Judas raised a hand. "But Master…"
"Yes judas?"
"I knew someone who could regenerate limbs."
He was thinking of Yori.
Peter scratched his chin. "Hm… There are always exceptions. Rare cases—everywhere. Could out of my feild of knowledge." He chuckled. "Even I don't know everything Judas."
"Oh… okay, Master."
"Finally, we have space magic," Peter said and continue his explanation without drawing anything this time. "It's rare and powerful. Users can bend space, teleport, mask their presence—even fly. But it burns through aura like wildfire."
He gave Judas a knowing look. "It's best suited for clever, strategic minds. Like mine."
Peter laughed. Judas smiled in admiration. Diana rolled her eyes, "Big Brother is so full of himself...."
Peter stopped laughing and narrowed his eyes at diana, then continue explaining, "Space magic can make you almost untouchable—but only if you master your aura first."
Judas was stunned by the possibilities. "So, how do I find out what my element is? And can I have more than one attributes?"
"There's a test," Peter replied. "And yes—some can wield multiple attributes, cuz I do. It's rare, though. You either need to be born with a special aura, or train like hell. Lucky for you, you have potential for both but its challenging."
Judas's eyes lit up. "I'm ready for that challange, Master!"
Peter nodded, motioning to Diana. She handed Judas a half-filled glass of muddy water ,"hold it". Judas took the glass from her.
Peter explained, "Hold the glass and release your aura into it. Six outcomes could occur:
If it boils, fire.
If the water rises, water.
If the mud settles at the bottom, earth.
If the glass breaks, wind.
If it becomes clear and clean, healing.
If the water vanishes... space."
Judas nodded, took a deep breath, and held the glass tightly. A red glow surrounded his hands.
The water vanished.
Peter's eyes widened slightly. "Space magic… as expected. That explains the aura surge from before."
Judas smiled proudly.
"You've got great potential," Peter said. "But don't get cocky. Space magic is hard to control, and aura mastery is only step one. Once you've got that down, you can train to unlock more elements."
He demonstrated by summoning a fireball in one hand and dispersing it with a gust from the other. Judas watched in awe.
"Train hard enough, and you could do the same," Peter added. "But first, you need control."
---
From that day forward, Judas and Diana trained relentlessly—honing their aura and practicing its control.
During one session, Judas focused too hard. His aura surged violently and exploded, sending smoke everywhere.
Cough! Cough!
Diana emerged from the smoke, hair ruffled and face covered in soot. "Judas! Can't you get it under control?!"
"Sorry…" Judas muttered, rubbing the back of his head. "I'll do better next time."
Diana rolled her eyes but showed him how to focus. Her aura flared around her—not perfect, flickering at high output—but more stable than before.
"Impressive!" Judas said. "How'd you do that?"
"Focus. Consistency. Something you clearly lack," she replied, pouting slightly as she turned away.
---
That night, Judas didn't return to the cottage.
"Diana, have you seen Judas?" Peter asked, glancing at the darkening sky.
She continued eating. "Probably still training. You know how he gets."
Peter sighed. "It's late… but let's not disturb him."
The night was full of explosive sounds.
---
The next morning, they found Judas by the river, standing on a rock—one leg raised in a perfect balance. His body was battered. Bruises on his knees, scratches on his arms, and a scar across his chest—an big, old wound of tiger claw scar on his chest, reopened and bleeding again.
Bright red aura enveloped him in a quiet storm. His eyes were shut, breath steady.
Peter stood frozen. "Unbelievable… He's already controlling that much aura? That takes weeks—even for seasoned mages."
Judas opened his eyes. Sunken, tired, and hollow—but still burning with determination.
"Master…" he said weakly, "I did it."
And then he collapsed on the ground and fell asleep instantly.
Diana rushed to his side. Without hesitation, she knelt, gently lifting him onto her back. She carried him home and treated his wounds with herbal paste, silent the whole time.
---
Later that afternoon, Judas rejoined them outside, a cloth bandaged around his chest.
"Master!" he called out.
Peter turned. "You're awake. How do you feel?"
Judas smiled through the soreness. "A little better. And I've got control over my aura—almost completely."
Peter raised an eyebrow. "Almost, huh? Good start. But that's still less than ten percent. Controlling it is step one. Next, you'll need to shape it, and then refine it into your elemental attribute."
He looked Judas dead in the eye. "This gets a lot harder from here. Still ready?"
Judas closed his eyes.
He saw flashes of his past—his parents, their bodies lifeless… and Lucas. That nightmare.
He opened his eyes, fists clenched tight.
"I'm ready, Master," he said. "I'll become stronger—and one day, I'll defeat Lucas."
---{end of chapter 5}