The Hall of Initiation stretched endlessly before him, polished stone reflecting the vaulted ceilings and the faint glow of runes etched into every surface. Mirrors lined the walls, multiplying movement into infinite angles, forcing observation to become instinct. Every student's heartbeat, every shift in balance, every flicker of expression became a current to measure. Lucien stepped carefully, letting the pulse of the river beneath the Academy synchronize with his own. Step. Pivot. Slide. Bend.
Faculty members emerged from shadowed corners, their robes brushing the floors, embroidered with symbols that seemed to pulse faintly, alive with hidden energy. Their eyes swept over the students like predators assessing prey, and Lucien felt the weight of their scrutiny press against him, not oppressive, but sharp, like the river testing a stone's edge.
"New students," the head instructor intoned, voice echoing through the hall. "Before skill can be tested, awareness must be proven. You will choose the classes in which you wish to train. Each class carries its own challenge. Upon selection, an initiation test awaits to measure your adaptability, endurance, and flow. Only those who master the currents of these trials will navigate the true currents of the Academy."
Lucien's pulse quickened. Classes were more than lessons—they were channels of power. Sword mastery, elemental manipulation, tactical strategy, diplomacy, survival, ancient lore… each a river, each with hidden dangers and lessons. Choosing recklessly could leave gaps in knowledge, weaknesses others could exploit. Step. Pivot. Slide. Bend.
He scanned the other students. Lysander's heir, her white-and-black streaked hair catching the faint glow of the runes, moved toward elemental classes with deliberate confidence. Drayvane's red-haired heir strode toward combat and strategy, every movement a promise of aggression. Caelthorn's heiress moved silently toward tactical and survival courses, calculating every step. Around them, smaller currents swirled: students of varied skill and background, their ambitions and cunning hidden behind neutral expressions.
Step. Pivot. Slide. Bend.
Lucien considered carefully. Sword mastery was obvious. He had Aethercurrent, the Seravain family artifact, a conduit for flow itself. Elemental manipulation would expand his understanding of currents beyond physical motion, testing adaptability and harmony with unseen forces. Strategy would refine observation, timing, and control of rivals. Diplomacy would reveal subtle politics, alliances, and betrayals—currents of human interaction that could be as dangerous as combat. Survival and ancient lore would challenge him to endure in the unknown and discover hidden knowledge.
Step. Pivot. Slide. Bend.
Finally, he stepped forward, signaling his choices: Sword Mastery, Elemental Control, Tactical Strategy, Diplomacy, Ancient Lore, and Survival. Each chosen class was a river to navigate, each test a stone in the current to negotiate. The faculty inclined their heads subtly. "Then begin. Flow, adapt, endure. The river tests all who enter it."
Step. Pivot. Slide. Bend.
Sword Mastery: The First Current
The first training yard was open-air, walled on three sides, with wooden dummies, weapon racks, and the faint hum of runes carved into the ground. Lucien gripped Aethercurrent, feeling the sword pulse faintly in response to the currents in the stone beneath him.
Step. Pivot. Slide. Bend.
The initiation test was deceptively simple: a timed sequence of strikes, blocks, and redirections. Students who rushed too quickly faltered; those who hesitated lost the rhythm. Lucien moved fluidly, integrating Eddystrike and Torrentguard, every pivot and slide blending seamlessly, every motion an extension of the current beneath him.
He observed Lysander's heir in the adjacent yard. She executed elemental arcs alongside a wooden practice sword, graceful and precise, yet faltering when the rhythm shifted unexpectedly. Drayvane's heir moved with brute force, overcommitting to strikes, momentarily unbalancing himself in the flow of the river. Caelthorn's heir was meticulous, disciplined, but rigid, her strikes predictable when currents changed.
Step. Pivot. Slide. Bend.
Lucien's movements were not only physical but a conversation with Aethercurrent and the currents of the hall. Each parry redirected the unseen force, each strike flowed into the next, unbroken. By the end of the test, the faculty watched in silent approval, noting his fluid integration of flow, sword, and awareness.
Step. Pivot. Slide. Bend.
Elemental Control: Harmony of Currents
Next, the elemental yard presented a complex challenge: manipulating water, fire, wind, and earth currents to navigate a shifting obstacle course. Fountains erupted unexpectedly, wind tunnels howled through stone arches, and fire conduits sparked unpredictably.
Lucien closed his eyes briefly, sensing the pulse beneath the stones. Step. Pivot. Slide. Bend. Each motion anticipated the change, guiding the elemental currents with his body and mind in harmony. Torrentguard principles applied beyond metal and wood; he redirected fire like it were water, deflected wind with subtle arcs, and shaped stone as if it were part of the river beneath him.
Beside him, Lysander's heiress struggled when multiple elements clashed, her precise control faltering under the pressure. Drayvane's heir relied on raw energy, smashing through obstacles but wasting currents and leaving gaps. Caelthorn's heiress maintained rigid control but failed to adapt fluidly when currents shifted unexpectedly.
Step. Pivot. Slide. Bend.
Lucien moved like a flowing river, each strike, pivot, and slide a negotiation with the elements. By the end of the test, small ripples on the stone indicated faculty approval, impressed by his integration of multiple currents into a singular, harmonious flow.
Step. Pivot. Slide. Bend.
Tactical Strategy: The Silent Current
The tactical arena was indoors, dimly lit, with shifting walls and moving platforms. Students were required to navigate unseen traps, anticipate rival maneuvers, and outmaneuver multiple opponents simultaneously.
Lucien observed the movements around him, mapping each potential current. Step. Pivot. Slide. Bend. Every footfall and gesture of the other students became data, a current to analyze. He adjusted positions subtly, misdirecting a few opponents, and moved fluidly between safe zones, his sword ready only to augment his flow, not dominate.
Lysander's heir attempted clever flanking maneuvers but overthought and hesitated at key moments. Drayvane's heir's aggression made him predictable, and Caelthorn's heiress stuck rigidly to a plan, unable to adapt mid-flow.
Step. Pivot. Slide. Bend.
Lucien passed the test without striking a blow unnecessarily, demonstrating mastery of patience, awareness, and flow over brute force.
Diplomacy: The River Between Currents
In a grand hall with flowing tapestries and multiple faculty observers, students were paired for negotiation exercises. The goal: extract information, form alliances, and manipulate subtle social currents without exposing weakness.
Lucien observed, listening to tone, cadence, and subtle body language. Step. Pivot. Slide. Bend. He guided conversations like he guided a river, allowing currents to move around him, redirecting aggressive questioning and deflecting deceit with calm precision.
Some students were easily swayed; others attempted subtle traps. Lysander's heir tried veiled threats; Drayvane's heir overplayed bluster; Caelthorn's heiress maintained cold logic. Lucien adapted, countering each with calm observation and strategic phrasing.
Step. Pivot. Slide. Bend.
By the end, faculty noted his unusual composure, even for someone trained in the Seravain techniques: flow, observation, and redirection applied to social currents.
Ancient Lore and Survival: Hidden Currents
Tests in ancient lore required deciphering puzzles, recognizing runes, and interpreting historical flow patterns. Survival tests placed students in controlled wilderness areas, facing unpredictable hazards. Lucien approached both with the same mindset: observation, anticipation, and flow. Step. Pivot. Slide. Bend.
In lore, he recognized subtle patterns others missed, tracing hidden currents of knowledge embedded in texts. In survival, he adapted to sudden traps, hidden currents of energy, and environmental changes, always integrating the pulse beneath his feet.
Step. Pivot. Slide. Bend.
By the day's end, Lucien had completed every test. Exhausted but unbroken, he had impressed the faculty, unnerved some peers, and attracted quiet attention from the heirs of other families. Shadows whispered in corners; currents of observation had begun to converge on him.
Step. Pivot. Slide. Bend.
As he exited the Hall of Initiation, the river beneath the Academy pulsed stronger, alive with currents of politics, rivalry, and ambition. The Academy was not a school; it was a living, breathing test, and he had passed the first day. But the currents were only growing stronger.
Step. Pivot. Slide. Bend.
The river moves. I move with it. And nothing else can bend me.