Fated by Water

Water's Academy

3

Lily swallowed hard as she followed Ethan into the academy, she knew Ethan now because he was the one that was assigned to accompany her to the academy where she had been placed by the sorter.
She was declared a multi water user (whatever that meant) and she was assigned to go attend the ALoE academy which was part of the ALoE institute as well.
Apparently, only royalty, nobles and the rich-enough-to-afford-it attended the academy here, they and those that had been declared powerful elementals or multi users such as she is, something she is yet to know the meaning of.
Ethan explained as much as he could on their way coming, but she could only understand so little, so many terms were foreign to her.
One other thing he did mention and was bothering her was that she would take a test to determine which level she would start from, and usually the test is taken by kids way younger than she is because they are brought here once their elemental side is exposed and sorted to the academy.
If she did well enough, she could actually be in the same level with kids her age, but if not, she would be cohorts with kids the size of Camella.
She braced herself, preparing for the best but expecting the worst, a motto she has to keep herself from being disappointed when things don't work out as she'd hoped.
Ethan said some words of reassurance to her as he urged her to join a group of about four other kids waiting in front of a stern looking woman with gray hair that seems to be suspended in the air.
Lily mumbled her thanks to Ethan and overheard his discussion with someone that seemed they were friends or at least acquainted, "even fewer this time around..." Was the last thing she heard from Ethan before his voice trailed off.
"Welcome to ALoE academy!" The woman standing in front of them urged, her voice sounded as if it was coming from multiple places at once all around them, probably a form of amplification Lily surmised.
"Here now, you will be tested to know which level you're to start your training and lectures from, that will depend on your current element output level, that means just how much of your element you can release and control, from levels one to ten, zero means that somehow the sight and sorter were wrong and you don't have any element affinity, which is not possible once you're at this point." The woman said with an amused chuckle.
Urging them forward one by one, each of them held the pole that was attached to a big orb that had numbers inscribed on it from one at the bottom to ten on top.
The first two kids got to the second level, the third got to level four and that sent surprised gasps around those present; some other kids who were most probably students already, some instructors from the way they look and are dressed and some others like Ethan.
The fourth kid got to level three and finally it was Lily's turn.
Her heart started racing as she took each step forward, the gray woman urged her to hold the pole and release her elements core, she just needed to open up herself, the pole will do the rest.
Lily followed orders and held the pole, for what seemed an eternity to Lily nothing happened but it was just under three seconds after which the orb hummed to life and the swirl of elements within soared to the fifth level.
Lily didn't hear the surprised gasps and murmuring that ensued at that, her ears were ringing since she touched her core, it seemed she was being overwhelmed by the sheer pressure of her own core, she could still open up some more so she did and the orb elements soared to level seven.
Lily dropped the pole and disengaged from her core with a slight whimper followed by hard breathing.
There was silence all around the hall, the ringing in Lily's ears finally stopped and at first she actually thought she had gone deaf, but it was just silence, everyone in the hall had gone mute with shock and surprise.
"Er erm" the gray woman cleared her throat as she gathered herself, then everyone seemed to get themselves as well and a loud murmuring started but it was quickly quelled by the amplified voice of the gray woman.
"Dear dear, head instructors for levels two, three, four and seven, please step forward to take your charges and get them settled in their appropriate dorms, good luck to everyone" the gray woman managed to say despite being so flustered.
Lily was under pressure, she felt the gazes following her about, seven?! How had she managed that? Lily kept thinking, but she didn't get the chance to dwell on it for long before a looming presence stood before her.
A tall man who could only be a fire user stood before her with a monocle covering one of his eyes, the chain linking the monocle and the rim of the monocle seemed to be made of black steel, a steel known for its high tolerance to heat.
"A child prodigy uhn, should I say it's a lucky year or what?" The man said rhetorically "I'm Liu, call me master or master L or master Liu" he said to her and even from his stern expression Lily could see kindness in his eyes.
"Yes master L, I'm Lily" she said and bowed.
"I see, the bowing is not necessary, not unless you choose me as your personal instructor if you need one that is, although I don't see how that will work out, seeing as we are of different elements, now hurry along child, we still have to fit you for uniforms and other wears" he said simply and turned around without waiting for her response.

***

Later that night, Lily snuck out of her dorm and boycotted the guards till she got to the level placing hall, there was something nagging at her that she wanted to figure out.
She was barefooted and walking on the cool marble floor sent chills up her body as she walked towards the orb.
She swallowed as she faced the orb and then reached out to hold the pole, she opened up and touched her core holding if firmly this time around.
It was a mental action but that was how it felt, the first time she did this it was as if she was trying to hold a slippery inflated balloon filled halfway with water using one hand, but now she had gotten the hang of it.
Mentally, both her hands are firmly gripping her core, physically one of her hand was holding the pole while the other hand was placed on her chest.
She glanced at the orb and the elements in it were swirling steadily at level ten.
'What does this mean?' she asked herself thoughtfully, she swallowed hard again and dropped the pole after which the elements in the orb settled.
Lily got alerted by a sound from outside the hall, and so for fear of being discovered she ran back to her dorm, taking the boycotting route she took to get to the hall in the first place.
Out of the shadows on a gallery in the hall, white hair glinted and slight sparks flitted off of it as it moved in the light draft of wind, blue eyes glinted in the dark, eyes that had seen everything that just happened.

Suspenseful yet? Well come along, it's heading to be a blockbuster, c ya next chapter. K