Theo's POV
The last day.
That's what everyone was calling it.
The final day before the gate.
The academy felt different.
Not quieter—
Just heavier.
More focused.
No one was wasting time anymore.
Because this wasn't training.
This wasn't a test.
This was real.
I arrived early.
Earlier than yesterday.
The training room was empty.
Good.
I raised my hand.
Water gathered instantly.
Smoother than before.
I didn't rush.
Didn't force it.
I guided it.
The flow tightened.
More controlled.
Less waste.
I tried forming the circle again.
Not perfectly.
Not fully.
But closer.
It held for a moment—
Then cracked.
Water fell apart.
I exhaled slowly.
"…Still not enough."
"You're early."
I turned.
Sera stood at the entrance.
Of course.
"…So are you."
She stepped in, her eyes briefly scanning the damp floor.
"You've been improving."
"…Trying to."
"That's not trying."
She didn't say more.
But she didn't need to.
One by one, the others arrived.
Dain.
Bran.
Luna.
No one joked today.
No one complained.
We all felt it.
"Positions," Sera said.
We moved immediately.
Bran took the front.
Dain just behind him.
Luna in the rear.
I stayed central.
Sera moved between all of us.
"Final run," she said.
"No holding back."
We nodded.
"Begin."
Bran moved first.
Solid.
Unshaken.
Dain followed.
Fast.
Precise.
Luna adjusted quickly.
No hesitation.
Sera shifted constantly.
Watching everything.
I raised my hand.
Water formed instantly.
This time—
I didn't spread it wide.
I refined it.
The flow moved tighter.
Cleaner.
Bran stepped forward.
His footing held firm.
No slipping.
No imbalance.
Dain moved next—
Faster than before.
Each strike more direct.
Luna supported smoothly.
No delay.
Sera flowed through us.
Seamless.
I focused harder.
Pushing just a little more.
Something began to form within the flow.
Not complete.
Not stable.
But—
Closer.
For a brief moment—
Everything aligned.
Then—
It broke.
The water lost shape and scattered.
I steadied my breathing.
"…Still not enough."
"Stop."
Sera raised her hand.
We all paused.
Breathing slightly heavier.
Dain looked at the ground.
"…That felt different."
Bran nodded.
"…Better control."
Luna looked at me.
"…It was easier to move."
Sera walked toward me.
Slow. Focused.
"…Can you use that inside the gate?"
I paused.
"…Not perfectly."
"Can you use it at all?"
I raised my hand again.
Water formed.
Stable.
"…Yes."
That was enough.
Sera nodded once.
"…Then we'll use it."
No hesitation.
No doubt.
Just trust.
"Good," she said.
"We're ready."
Ready.
I wasn't sure if that was true.
But it didn't matter.
Because there was no more time.
A voice echoed through the academy.
Professor Drayke.
"All teams."
"Report to the gate hall."
It was time.
We walked together.
Team Five.
No one spoke.
The halls felt longer than usual.
Heavier.
Then—
We entered.
The gate hall.
Students from every class were there.
Class D.
Class C.
Even Class B.
And at the center—
It stood.
The gate.
Dark.
Distorted.
Unstable.
Energy pulsed from within it.
Slow.
Heavy.
I stared at it.
So this is it.
Beside me, Sera spoke quietly.
"Stay sharp."
Dain smirked slightly.
"Always."
Bran nodded.
Luna took a small breath.
I looked at my hand one last time.
Water formed.
Stable.
Then faded.
This time…
It has to work.
Because once we step inside—
There's no going back.