The Bright Dark

The air was charged with anticipation as Kantara's team stepped onto the training grounds. The morning sun bathed the area in a golden hue, but its warmth did little to ease the tension radiating from the group. Atenyos walked at the back, his sharp eyes scanning the unfamiliar faces gathered ahead.

At the center of the field stood the guild team from Lland, their presence commanding attention. However, what stole the breath from Kantara's team was the man standing among them—the emperor himself, Lutens. Known as one of the most powerful rulers, his mastery of magnetism and electricity was unmatched, his name carrying the weight of legend.

Lutens stepped forward, his regal yet approachable demeanor striking a balance of authority and charisma. His sharp, silver eyes swept over the team before landing on Atenyos. He extended his hand with a grin.

"Nice to see you again, I've been hearing a lot about you," Lutens said, his grip firm as he shook Atenyos's hand. A faint jolt tingled Atenyos's palm, whether from Lutens's power or the sheer intensity of the moment, he couldn't tell. "I'm eager to see what you're capable of, young man."

Atenyos nodded, unsure how to respond. But confident in his abilities, although the words felt heavy in his throat as the emperor turned to Kantara, he didn't want to cause another scene with an emperor and he felt a certain responsibility since he has been welcomed wholeheartedly into his guild.

"Take over from here," Lutens instructed, his voice carrying authority but also trust. "I'll leave the introductions to you while I have a word with Iruim."

Kantara saluted, and Lutens departed toward the main hall. The air seemed lighter in his absence, though the weight of the moment remained.

Kantara clapped his hands together, drawing everyone's attention. "Alright, everyone. Let's start with introductions. Team Lland, step forward and introduce yourselves—name and power."

The first to step up was Arkinos, a tall, rugged man with earthy tones in his skin. He raised a hand and spoke in a deep voice. "Arkinos. I can turn my skin into whatever material I touch. Break a chunk off me, and all I need is contact to regenerate it."

Savina followed, her flowing black hair swaying as if it had a life of its own. "Savina. Hair manipulation," she said with a sly smile, her locks suddenly elongating and hardening into a needle-sharp point before returning to normal.

Next was Lurianne, her radiant beauty striking as ever. Her golden locks glistened, but her piercing gaze was what caught Atenyos's attention. "Lurianne. I emit light to blind my enemies," she said curtly, her eyes locking with Atenyos's. The intensity in her look seemed like a warning—or a challenge.

Darius, a mountain of a man, stepped forward giving a slight glance at Cassian. "Darius. Physical output: 23%. Pure strength." His voice was as solid as his build, leaving no room for doubt about his prowess.

Fantcus gave a lazy grin as he walked up. "Fantcus. My skin's unnaturally slippery. Good luck trying to land a hit." He chuckled as his hand shimmered briefly, looking as though it were coated in oil.

Ormany followed, his quiet presence almost unsettling. "Ormany. I can restrict senses. Sight stays intact, but the rest…" He trailed off, his tone making it clear he'd leave the rest to the imagination.

Klmatra, a wiry man with an aura of control, stepped up next. "Klmatra. I control plants." His words were simple, yet the vines subtly shifting around his feet spoke volumes.

Crphis was next, his movements fluid and strange. "Crphis. My body can turn into liquid. Hard to hurt what you can't hit."

Lastly, Mantrey stepped forward. He didn't say much, simply brandishing a set of knives that gleamed unnaturally. "Mantrey. My blades are unbreakable. That's all you need to know."

Kantara nodded as the Lland team stepped back. "Impressive," he admitted. "Now, my team, step forward and introduce yourselves."

One by one, the team introduced themselves and their powers. When Atenyos's turn came, he hesitated before speaking. "Atenyos. I …don't really know my powers yet."

The Lland team broke into laughter, their amusement echoing across the training grounds. All except Lurianne, whose fierce glare seemed to intensify. Her expression alone silenced Atenyos, her unspoken message clear: Weakness won't be tolerated.

Kantara's sharp whistle cut through the chatter. "Enough!" His voice carried authority, and the laughter ceased immediately. "Atenyos is part of this team. Show some respect."

Atenyos looked at them with the black bags under his eyes emitting what felt closest to killing intent  "No, Kantara please let them laugh …now at least, won't be long till they can't"

Ipsum looked at him, light shimmering off his bright orange hair burning the palm of his hand till it sizzled the air and water in the atmosphere as a gesture that he has Atenyos's back.

The Lland team exchanged glances, their smirks on their faces vanishing as they realize their might be more to him than meets the eye.

"Now, onto the training structure," Kantara continued. "This will be a Nine-day joint session. Each day will feature one-on-one matches except one match that will be two-on-one, arranged by strength and experience. You'll have a chance to learn from each other—and prove yourselves. For now, you'll be escorted to your rooms to prepare for tomorrow. The match schedule will be revealed in the morning."

The teams murmured among themselves as they followed their escorts to the dorms. The atmosphere was thick with anticipation, each member sizing up their potential opponents.

In the briefing room, Kantara's team gathered to debrief.

"Well," Ipsum began, leaning back in his chair. "That was something."

"They've got some serious powers," Marcellus admitted, his tone thoughtful. "But so do we."

"They've got an emperor on their side," Cassian pointed out. "Not exactly a fair match-up, is it?"

"Lutens isn't fighting, Cassian," Ipsum replied. "This is about us—not him."

The conversation shifted to speculation about the upcoming matches.

"I'm betting Atenyos goes up against Lurianne," Elvora suggested. "They're both new, so it makes sense."

Atenyos frowned but stayed silent, his mind already racing at the thought.

"Don't let it get to you," Ipsum said, clapping Atenyos on the shoulder. "You've got this. Trust yourself."

Atenyos managed a small smile "Get to me? If anything after what happened I wish they'd make it into an all out battle so I can break each and every smirk of their faces"

Ipsum looked at him and patted him "Well, this isn't how the training will go, so focus on the current mission, if you want to prove something then win your match and show them what they came to unsee"

The team dispersed to their rooms to rest, though Atenyos found himself lingering in the hallway thinking deeply about this joint training.

""I'll fucking destroy those bastard's for trying to under estimate me and what the fuck does this bitch Lurianne want, looking at me like I just killed one of her family members, I need to calm down though, this is just training and I'm trying my best to change"

" I'm changing I'm changing I'm changing" He kept repeating to himself trying to ease up, he headed to his room and tried his best to sleep.

Meanwhile, Lutens sits in Irium's office….