Elena didn't know how long she sat after Aren left her room, but the echo of his touch still lingered on her cheek, the warmth of his forehead still pressed against hers. Her Core pulsed softly beneath her wrist—alive, new, unsettled.
The gentle hum of the Valley vibrated through the walls.
Then suddenly—
BOOM.
A distant explosion shook the room, just enough for Elena to jolt upright.
Her heart hammered. "What was that…?"
The System spoke calmly:
> [Training sequence initiated.]
[Commander Aren and his five generals beginning elemental drill.]
Training.
Elena exhaled shakily.
Curiosity tugged at her stronger than fear.
She walked toward the wide glass window overlooking the central arena.
The moment she looked down—
Her breath caught in her throat.
---
THE SIX WARRIORS GATHER
The arena floor glowed with swirling runes, each one pulsing like a living heartbeat. In the center stood six figures aligned in perfect formation.
Aren stood at the front—
broad shoulders, commanding presence, energy crackling around him like a tamed storm.
Behind him stood his five companions:
Lucy — frost swirling around her like blue petals floating in the air.
Marge — fire dancing across her fists, hair lit like burning embers.
Homer — water rising around his feet, swirling calmly like a guardian tide.
Martin — electricity snapping around his arms, golden sparks flying.
Luther — lightning arcs twisting around him, sharp and fast.
Elena pressed a hand to the glass.
"They… they're incredible…"
Each of them radiated pure elemental power—alive, tangible, breathtaking.
Aren lifted one hand.
"Prepare."
His voice echoed like thunder rolling over steel.
---
MIND-GEARS AWAKEN
The arena went silent.
Then—
WHOOSH—CLANK—CRACK!
Elena jumped.
Pieces of armor appeared in midair around each warrior.
Not falling.
Not assembled by machines.
Not carried by helpers.
They materialized
because the warriors willed them into existence.
Their armors were called by their minds.
Chest plates hovered before snapping onto their torsos.
Gauntlets clicked into place over their forearms.
Boots fused to their legs in streaks of elemental energy.
Helmets and visors formed from pure light.
Cores embedded in their chests pulsed with power.
Elena could hardly breathe.
"They summon armor with their thoughts… how—how advanced is this world?"
The System answered:
> [Gear Summon — a Level 100 elemental mastery.]
[This armor responds to the warrior's Core.]
Her eyes widened. "It's… alive."
The gears were not tools.
They were extensions of their souls.
---
THE ELEMENTAL STORM BEGINS
Aren lifted his palm sharply.
"Start."
The arena exploded into chaos.
Elena almost screamed—
not from fear, but from the sheer intensity of the power unleashed.
Marge leapt forward first—
a blazing comet, flames spiraling around her arms before launching toward Aren.
Homer's water surged upward—
forming a spiraling shield that moved like a serpent, redirecting Marge's flames with perfect precision.
Lucy danced to the side—
frost erupting in elegant arcs, freezing the steam in the air.
Martin followed—
electricity crackling in his palms before launching as a spear of lightning.
Luther blurred—
his body splitting into streaks of white light.
And Aren—
Aren didn't move.
He stood at the center like the eye of a hurricane—
Lightning wrapping around his left hand,
Fire gathering in his right,
Light swirling around his feet like golden wind.
Elena's voice trembled with awe.
"H-he's… he's using three elements at once…"
No human should have been able to do that.
No human had ever been able to do that.
Only Aren.
Only the Commander.
Only the man whose Core was tied to hers.
Her heart skipped a full beat.
---
THE POWER COMBINATION
Aren moved.
Finally.
With a single step, he pushed his hands forward—
and fire collided with water, electricity with frost, lightning with flame.
Their powers did not clash.
They combined.
Steam froze into sharp crystals.
Lightning traveled along water arcs.
Fire swirled with frost into molten glass.
Electricity amplified every strike the others launched.
It was not a fight.
It was choreography.
Deadly. Precise. Perfect.
Elena had never seen anything like it.
They weren't just warriors.
They were the Valley's Six Pillars.
---
Aren's Eyes Find Her
In the middle of battle, Aren suddenly stopped.
His head tilted slightly.
His gaze—sharp, golden, electric—lifted toward the tower window.
Directly at her.
Elena gasped and stepped back from the glass.
But Aren's lips curved—
a small, knowing, devastating smile.
As if he felt her watching.
As if he wanted her to see him.
As if part of his strength existed only because she was here.
Her Core pulsed violently in response.
Her cheeks heated.
Her heart stumbled.
"A-Aren…" she whispered, touching the glass as if reaching for him.
He raised one hand mid-battle—
a silent message:
I know you're watching.
And I will protect this world…
because you are in it.
Lightning erupted around him, and he launched forward with renewed ferocity.
Elena's breath caught.
She had never been so mesmerized
so terrified
so alive
in her entire life.
This world was dangerous.
Deadly.
Unforgiving.
But with Aren and his five warriors moving like gods below her—
Elena had never felt safer.