Aethelos: The Bastard of Light

The training arena of Solaris Academy was a wide, circular open space surrounded by Light containment barriers. The smooth stone floor reflected the morning sun as the first-year students entered in formation. · Silence fell the moment Professor Kael appeared. He was a man of a certain age, short gray hair, rigid posture, and a severe gaze. His old blacksmith's clothes was impeccable. He didn’t need to raise his voice to command respect. · “Today you will learn a basic but essential defensive technique,” he said in a deep, controlled voice. “It is called Repulse.” · He made a gesture and a luminous projection appeared in the air, showing the movement. · “Repulse creates a wave of aura that pushes the opponent away. It is not a destructive attack. It is space control. The greater the distance you force on your opponent, the more visible the difference in aura level becomes between you and them. Use this to evaluate the enemy… and yourselves.” · Kael stepped forward. With no apparent effort, he extended his hand. A discreet wave of Light expanded and a training dummy several meters away was pushed backward with controlled force, sliding across the floor. · “Control. Precision. No wasted energy.” · The students were divided for practice. · Yana was one of the first to try. Her Earth-linked wave pushed the target with stability, leaving a visible greenish trail. A solid result, but nothing extraordinary. · Eli focused and released his Repulse. The wave of Light came out clean, yet the distance was only average. The difference in aura was clearly exposed — his was still weaker and less dense than several of his classmates. · Then it was Lygar’s turn. · He did not hesitate. His dark aura expanded, dense and aggressive. The target was repelled with controlled violence, sliding almost to the opposite barrier of the arena. The difference in power was glaring. The air around him still vibrated with residual Shadow. · An absurd silence fell over the arena. · Students stopped what they were doing. Eyes turned toward Lygar. Even Professor Kael took half a second longer to observe. · Before the silence could break, another student stepped forward. · Layonel. · A dark-skinned human with a relaxed posture, hands in his uniform pockets until the last moment. He carried an almost lazy air, as if the class were just another pastime. When he extended his hand, however, the fire answered immediately. · His Repulse wave came wrapped in controlled flames. The target was pushed with the same devastating force as Lygar’s, perhaps even a little farther. The difference in aura was equally clear — raw power refined at the same time. · The silence returned, even heavier. · This time the gazes split between the two of them. · Lygar felt the challenge immediately. It wasn’t just respect. It was comparison. In that moment, it was obvious to the entire arena: the two prodigies of that class were him and Layonel. · Lygar clenched his jaw, eyes locked on the other student. Layonel simply gave a small sideways smile, relaxed, and shrugged as if he hadn’t done anything special. · Professor Kael broke the moment with his dry voice: · “Acceptable control in both cases. Now return to training. The rest of you are still far from that level.” · The arena started moving again, but the atmosphere had changed. Several students continued casting discreet glances in the direction of Lygar and Layonel. · Eli watched the exchange in silence, feeling the weight of the difference. Yana also said nothing, but her eyes moved from one to the other with attention. · At the end of the class, when Kael ordered them to stop, Group Seven was sweaty and quiet. · Lygar, however, still had his gaze fixed on Layonel, who was already walking away with his hands back in his pockets, as if the challenge had been nothing more than a warm-up. · The rivalry had been born there, under the sun of the arena, without a single word being exchanged between them.