# Chapter 5 — Training Storms, Gentle Waves
## Teacher Allocation Ceremony
The grand hall of the academy thrummed with digital banners, soft Puls-infused lights, and the anxious excitement of students fresh from the Polluted Fields trial. Rows of bruised, exhausted trainees stood at attention, each wrist-mounted HUD projecting their rank and elemental affinity. Elite instructors took the stage, their formidable presence marked by bespoke S-rank wristbands and scars of legendary Neutron battles.
"In response to the anomaly in the Polluted Fields," the Head Instructor began, his voice cutting through the murmurs, "every team will now receive direct mentorship to match rising threats. You are the world's defense and its legacy; train accordingly."
Most students would receive a single mentor, specialized in their element: wind, fire, water—each linked to their chosen Pulsarite and personal Fluxite bond. But for Jean's squad—Jean, Kira, Lyra, Taro, and Roy—the ceremony broke tradition.
Their names echoed across the scanners. Two mentors approached, each a living legend:
- **Instructor Zephyros Galehart**, the renowned *Tempest Fang*, master of Zephyros wind Pulsar techniques and aerial combat.
- **Instructor Umbra Selvaris**, called the *Silent Reckoner*, Umbryon Pulsar whose shadow-wielding stealth and psychic tactics had turned battles against even S-rank Neutrons.
The hall bristled at the dual allocation—unheard of, reserved only for unique cases. The Head Instructor continued:
"Kaelson demonstrates dual elemental affinity—Zephyros and Umbryon. Such duals are rare, demanding a distinct approach and the guidance of both Galehart and Selvaris."
Galehart's wind-heavy touch radiated with freedom and latent power. Selvaris' cold, steady grip sent a shiver—shadowed discipline, caution, and the promise of deeper mastery. Roy felt their Puls energy spark through his internal nanites and the quiet, responsive pulse of his bonded Fluxite. Jean's gaze flickered—proud, curious, aware of the new respect Roy's abilities kindled across the hall.
Kael, Roy's rival, scowled at the periphery, unspoken envy shadowing his face.
***
## First Week: Training Storms
Training intensified instantly. Galehart's windwork drills forced Roy to dash across simulated gales, learn to cloak movement, and manipulate air currents with his Zephyros Pulsarite and resonant Fluxite. Missteps were common—one tumble nearly cost him, but steady breathing and memory of his mother's lessons kept him centered.
Selvaris focused on shadow: guiding Roy to meld into darkness, sculpt intangible barriers, and leverage psychic tension. "Fear is a lantern," Selvaris whispered in drill after drill. "Don't banish it—bend it, make it illuminate every blind spot." Roy's Umbryon Puls pulses stuttered at first, but over days, his control sharpened. Shadow constructs, misdirection, and silence became extensions of will, shaped in tandem with the liquid adaptive nature of Fluxite.
Physical exhaustion pressed on him every evening—muscles aching, mind overloaded. Yet each sleepless hour brought his signature Fluxite into greater resonance: wind flickered at his fingertips, shadow swirled like living armor around his limbs, and his nanites stored precise combat data for later adaptation.
***
## A Week's End — Respite and Bonding
After seven relentless days, both mentors called the team to the shore, voices gentle yet heavy with authority.
"The storm must rest before the next gale," Galehart declared, wind rippling through every phrase.
"Darkness waits for its moment," Selvaris intoned, the words like velvet midnight.
Jean smiled with rare ease. "Enjoy the sun. You'll crave this quiet soon enough."
Roy and his squad emerged from the academy walls into brilliance: waves licking the sand, Pulsarite light sparkling across the coast, two full days unscripted. HUDs flickered to vacation mode; for once, rank and Luna were irrelevant.
Lyra grabbed Roy, pulling him into the surf for races and game challenges. Under the surface, Roy's instincts—Fluxite-enhanced—made him faster and sharper, though he kept those victories quiet. Jean watched from the beachline, a faint smile betraying her approval. Taro and Kira scavenged for Pulsarite shells, recounting war stories and hard-won wisdom.
***
## Beach Break — Gentle Waves
Their break was more than leisure—it was a lesson in subtle growth.
- **Beach games**: Roy's Zephyros wind pulses and Umbryon shadow slips let him dodge and weave better than anyone. Each dive and jump was powered by the invisible intelligence of Fluxite, drawing in stray Puls from the air, quietly increasing Roy's capacity.
- **Souvenir shopping**: The team wandered stalls flaunting Pulsarite trinkets, purchasing orbs charged with elemental energy. Roy's wristband absorbed minute fragments from every prize, building strength no one noticed—except perhaps Jean, whose watchful eyes rarely missed anything.
- **Mini Neutron challenge**: When a minor Neutron crawled ashore, Roy reacted on instinct—elements and Fluxite working together, his Dule Gun folding and morphing faster than ever. His dual affinity, strange and remarkable, left even Kael reluctantly impressed.
***
## Evening: Fire, Camaraderie, Reflection
Night fell; fireworks speckled the horizon. The friends circled a bonfire, sharing food and stories. Jean settled beside Roy, shoulders brushing, comfort and tension mingling palpably. Roy's wristband glowed softly in the darkness: Fluxite quietly adapting, storing power, and whispering of future storms and destinies untold.
Here—in this lull before the next trial—Roy felt every possibility, every bond, and the unspoken promise of what he might become. Laughter, warmth, and Fluxite's silent pulse marked the calm before whatever new storm the world would bring.
***