Team Seven had emerged from the crowd – five students, their faces revealing nothing. They stood a few steps from the grey entrance, looking at Ryan's team with cold eyes, assessing, calculating.
Ryan was looking at them too.
He didn't know any of them. They were strangers, but something about their stance was unsettling. They were organized, quiet, as if communicating in a language only they understood.
Professor Darius's voice echoed through the room.
"Team Seven goes first."
He raised his staff and struck the ground with it.
A gray light swallowed them up, and they vanished.
"What was that?"
Ryan was surprised.
Then the teacher turned to Ryan's team.
"Team One, get ready."
Ryan and his team advanced toward the entrance. They stood in a circle above the doorway, just as the team before them had done. Caian was on his right, Celine on his left, Lynn in front of him, and Mara behind him.
Professor Darius raised his staff and looked at them for a moment.
"One hour. Remember: fighting is not for killing. It is for learning."
He struck the ground with the staff.
The grey light swallowed them.
The darkness was cold. It had weight, as if pressing against the chest. The air was thinner, drier. Then the light was blinding – grey, spread everywhere, without a source. Then there was nothing.
No body. No soul. No awareness.
Only emptiness.
Then he was somewhere else.
Ryan opened his eyes.
The air was cold, damp. It smelled of earth, as if rain had fallen moments ago. He was surrounded by tall trees, their trunks dark, their leaves so thick they blocked the sky. The light was faint, seeping through the branches like silver threads.
It was a forest.
He looked around. His team was with him – Kayan, Lin, Celine, Mara. They were all nearby, looking at the forest with different expressions. Kayan smiled disdainfully, as if the forest wasn't worth his time. Lin moved slowly, touching the trees, feeling the moisture. Celine was smiling . Mara stood silently, showing nothing.
But Ryan was surprised by the ability to transport people to a false dimension like this.
'But are there rules for activating this ability?'
'Let's think about that another time first....'
He looked around.He didn't see Team Seven. They were somewhere in this forest, waiting, planning, or moving toward him.
Ryan reminded himself.
'One hour,Will it be enough? What if the two teams don't find each other?'
Before he could think about the next step, he heard a voice.
Kayan was the first to speak.
he said, looking at the group with clear disdain.
"Alright,We're a team now. I don't know you, and I don't care to know you. But if we want to win, we need to know what each of us can do."
He looked at Lin, then at Celine, then at Mara, then at Ryan. He paused at Ryan longer than at the others, as if trying to read something.
he said.
"I'll start,I'm Kayan. My element is fire. I can launch fireballs, create short-range fire walls, and use fire as a temporary shield. My attack range is medium, but I'm strong in close combat if necessary."
He didn't mention his flaw.
Everyone waited. Then Lin spoke.
Her voice was quiet, slow, like someone who didn't want to waste words.
"Lin. My element is water. I can fire water arrows, form simple weapons from water. My attack range is long, but I'm weak in close combat."
She didn't mention her flaw too.
Celine smiled. She looked comfortable in the forest, as if she were at home.
"I'm Celine. My element is plants. I can grow roots underfoot, fire sharp thorns, and create temporary plant walls. My attack range is medium, but I prefer support."
Everyone looked at Mara. She was silent. She looked at them with her sharp green eyes, then spoke.
"Mara, my element is earth. I can build earth walls and create cracks in the earth."
Then came Ryan's turn.
Everyone was looking at him. Kayan with challenge, Lin with curiosity, Celine with a smile, and Mara without expression.
'It seems that no one wants to share their flaws.'
he said.
"Ryan,My element is ice. I can fire ice shards, freeze surfaces, and create small ice shields. My attack range is medium, but I can fight at any distance."
******
After learning each other's elements, Kayan began dividing the tasks.
He wasn't democratic. He was commanding.
"Lin, you'll stay in the back. You'll cover us from a distance. If you see an opportunity, fire."
Lin nodded.
"Celine, you're in the middle. Use your plants to slow down the enemy's movement, and protect Lin if anyone gets close."
Celine smiled.
"Mara, you're in the front with me. You'll be the shield. If they attack, you defend."
Mara nodded.
Then he looked at Ryan.
He paused. He was thinking.
"And you...You'll stay with Mara in the front. But you'll move freely. If you see an opportunity, take it."
Ryan nodded.
Kayan ordered.
"Move out"
They began moving through the forest. Kayan was at the front, walking confidently, as if he knew the way. Mara was beside him, like a wall. Celine was in the middle, her fingers moving, touching the trees, planting seeds in the soil without anyone noticing. Lin was at the back, her blue eyes moving slowly, searching for any movement.
And Ryan was between Mara and Celine. He moved silently, his eyes scanning the forest.
The air was still damp. The smell of earth and moss filled the place. The light was still faint.
They didn't know where Team Seven was. But they knew they were close.
And Ryan knew something else: this fight would be different from anything he had experienced before.
He wasn't fighting alone. He was fighting in a team.
And he had to trust them.
Or at least pretend to.