“I haven’t made my decision yet on whether to enroll any of you, so let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
“What? Why?!” Bran nearly toppled out of his chair, his arms flailing as he caught himself on the edge of the table. Elara, unfazed, raised her hand casually.
“It’s a pass for me, Guide.”
“What?!” Bran’s head snapped toward her, incredulous. “It’s our chance to show everyone what we can do!”
Poor kid’s still desperate to prove himself, Rynna thought, watching the back-and-forth.
Elara leaned back, crossing her arms. “I’ve been doing more healing than fighting lately. I’m not interested in a blood sport, and I’d probably spend the whole time patching you idiots up anyway.”
Fenn nodded. “I thought you might say that. It’s a wise decision. The Ascension isn’t for everyone. I didn’t participate myself.”
Rynna’s eyebrows rose. “You didn’t?” She leaned in, curious. He’d only recently started opening up about the deeper things, but he never said much about his earlier years.
“He was already operating as a Vessel during both of the Ascension tournaments he could’ve entered. Top secret missions.” Taren’s tone clearly showed his disapproval.
Rynna’s brows knit. That was code for assassinations, rogue hunting, and the most dangerous, covert missions, but mostly for assassinations.
“Ember Reach wouldn’t have wanted his skills exposed so publicly,” the boy added.
Rynna’s stomach twisted.They sent a child, maybe as young as twelve, on assassination missions?
She had always known the training was designed to turn them into soldiers and killers, even if they dressed it up as something more noble and called them Hollow-born. But this? This was so much worse. Her eyes flicked to Fenn, trying to read his reaction.No wonder he doesn’t talk about it.
“Taren is correct,” Fenn said, his gaze deliberately avoiding hers. “The Ascension is about showcasing strength among the Reaches, but no one reveals their full hand. Besides, it’s generally considered bad form for a Vessel to compete. The twenty-year age limit keeps it mostly focused on Novice and Awakened levels, making it less...lethal.”
“So, it’ll be me, Taren, and Rynna then.” Bran cracked his knuckles like he was already gearing up for the fight.
“Hold on.” Fenn raised a hand, his tone firm. “I haven’t decided yet. Most of you would qualify for the next one, too.”
Taren leaned forward, his eyes sharp. “We should do it, Guide Fenn. I, for one, would like to test how far I’ve come against Hollow-born with different training styles.”
“And I’d like to kick those other Hollow-born’s butts!” Bran bared his teeth.
Rynna winced. An all-out fight like this so-called battle royal would push Bran to his limits and likely beyond. His control over the enormous and unpredictable elemental power inside him was tenuous at best. The last thing they needed was for him to lose control in front of the entire Hollow-born world. This tournament could be a disaster.
Rynna’s mind flashed back to Fallowmere when he had lost control and obliterated the villain Cain in a fiery display of power before collapsing unconscious. Since then, both she and Fenn had worked with him extensively, trying to help him harness the power, but it remained largely wild. It was as though the fire had a will of its own, surfacing with dangerous intensity when pushed too far.
Fenn tapped his finger on the table, then let out a slow exhale. “I will allow you to participate, Bran.”
“Yes!” Bran pumped a fist, his face lighting up.
“But—” Fenn raised a hand, his tone firm. “You must promise me you won’t use the fire element during the course of the battle.”
“Huh?” Bran’s excitement deflated. “But that’s my most powerful attack.”
“It’s also the one you have the least control over,” Fenn reminded him. “It should only be used in life-or-death situations. And while deaths aren’t unheard of in the Ascension, they are heavily frowned upon and would reflect poorly on the Reach responsible.”
Bran frowned, pursing his lips. “What if it happens by accident?”
Fenn’s eyes narrowed slightly. “You must not let it. Consider it a test of your discipline.”
Bran exhaled sharply, then nodded. “Fine. I promise.”
“All right.” Fenn shifted his gaze to Rynna. “And what about you? What will you do?”
She studied him for a moment, trying to read what he might be expecting from her in this situation. After a pause, she shrugged.Could be fun. With a sudden grin, she snaked her arm out, locking Bran in a headlock and rubbing her fist into his hair, giving him a noogie while he struggled beneath her grip.
