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Pride surges through me.

Just yesterday, I couldn’t even imagine this level of control. This level of power.

“Better.” Rivlan’s voice is measured. Bored, even. But I don’t miss the smile that tilts the corners of his lips.

Exhilaration courses through my veins, my blood pumping hot and fast. With barely a thought, a wisp of an idea, I draw the water upward and outward, shaping the fluid with greater detail and precision.

A perfect replica of Tirene’s palace rises before us, rendered in water so clear it might be crystal. Every tower stands at the correct height. Every archway curves with architectural accuracy. I add the fire paddock, the wide walkways of the main halls, and even the balconies that serve as perches for the winged citizens.

The West Tower’s always been my favorite.

I add a tiny water figure to one of the balconies. Lark, with her wings outstretched. My chest aches with sudden longing. I’d give anything to have her here with me, sharing in this experience.

Rivlan’s expression shifts from approval to exasperation. “Are you planning to defeat Zeru’s champion with architectural models?” He waves a hand dismissively through my creation, causing ripples to distort the scene. “Focus, Knox! And stop showing off. This isn’t a game.” He pauses, eyeing the disturbed water. “Also…the West Tower was leaning a bit.”

I laugh and sweep up the tunic I discarded earlier, using the material to wipe my face. “Do you know who Zeru’s champion is?”

“The logical choice is the Guardian, though you shouldn’t necessarily expect Zeru to do what’s logical.” Rivlan considers me, his ocean-deep eyes unreadable. “It could be anyone. A powerful magic wielder, no doubt. You need to be ready for everything.”

That little piece of news prompts me to physically stagger back. Once I regain my balance, I drag my palm down my face. There’s a chance I might face off with the Guardian? If that’s the case, I’m fucked.

If Rivlan notices my shock, he ignores it. “Anyway, you’re progressing faster than I anticipated. Perhaps it’s time to introduce you to the others.”

Others?

He gestures toward the edges of the training ground, where several radiant beings materialize like condensation forming on a cold glass.

Gods from his faction?

Alarm tenses my muscles, and I ready for attack.

A feminine figure approaches first, her form cloaked in swirling air currents that twist her features into a shifting mask. She says nothing, not even her name.

With a sudden, sharp movement, a tornado spirals toward me without warning.

Battle instincts kick in. Whether this is a goddess or a likeness of one conjured by Rivlan, I’m not about to let her kick my ass.

I spin in a full circle, drawing water up around me. Instead of creating a shield, I shape the water into a funnel that meets the tornado head-on.

The collision vibrates up my arms. I hold steady, reshaping the combined energies into a massive waterspout that I redirect toward my assailant.

Clearly pleased by my counterattack, the divine creature laughs, the sound reminiscent of wind chimes in a storm. She disperses the waterspout with a flick of her wrist, absorbing her wind and allowing the water to fall without that added momentum. Her eyes, bright white like flashes of lightning, regard me with new respect.

Before I can react, the ground trembles.

An earthen figure crafted from packed soil and stone emerges to my right, its face humanoid. With a gesture that reminds me of a catapult release, this new opponent hurls shards of stone at me from all directions.

I drop to one knee, throwing both hands outward.

Water pours into a dome that catches each projectile mid-flight. The stones hang suspended in the liquid barrier and slowly soak up the water as the dome starts to collapse from the weight.

With a mere thought, I freeze the entire structure into a crystalline shield, imprisoning the projectiles in a steady sheet of ice.

“Not bad.” The creature’s voice rumbles like a raging river.

“Oh, you like that? I’m just getting started.” With a sharp gesture, the frozen shield explodes outward, shooting the stone shards, each now encased in a spike of ice, back with doubled force.

The earthen creature raises a wall of stone to block them, but a few still drive into his form. He nods with grudging approval.