In the Aether Defense Class...
"Are you seriously doing this, Sokka?" Likka asked, her brows furrowed with concern.
"Cough, cough... It's fine," Sokka said, waving away the smoke coming off his sleeve. "I've done worse."
From the front of the classroom, Professor Nicholas clapped twice.
"Alright then, Mr. Deek. Time to demonstrate your intermediate spell for the offense chant exam. Do well—or don't, I guess. It may or may not affect your grades." He smiled, obviously amused.
Groans and giggles trickled from the class.
Sokka stood up sluggishly, dragging his feet toward the practice ring. On his hands were the gloves Niko had been tinkering with—supposedly broken, barely holding together with exposed threads and cracked insulation.
He raised both hands, fingers trembling slightly as he aimed at the mannequin in the center of the ring.
"O the almighty Fire Lord," he began, voice firm, "bless me with your undying strength—
Fuego Ascendente!"
…
Nothing.
Silence.
Then—giggles. Snorts. A full wave of laughter.
Even Nicholas chuckled under his breath.
"Don't mess around, Mr. Deek. You don't want to shame your uncle…" He arched an eyebrow, arms crossed.
Sokka clenched his fists.
His jaw locked.
Then he snapped—
"SHUT. UP!"
The gloves began to whir—gears clicking, mechanisms spinning. Sparks burst across his knuckles. Static hissed in the air.
Suddenly—
KRA-KOOM!
A bolt of thunder cracked through the sky—shattering the class window. Glass exploded inward. Students ducked and screamed.
Smoke and dust flooded the room.
Professor Nicholas staggered to his feet, waving away the haze, scanning for injuries.
Then he saw it.
There—standing tall in the ring—was Sokka.
Lightning licked up his arms and coiled around his shoulders. His hair floated upward, crackling with power. His eyes shone like charged glass.
"Oh my lord…" Nicholas breathed, stunned.
Likka's jaw dropped. The class fell into stunned silence.
Sokka wasn't casting Fire.
He had awakened Thunder.
"What…" Likka stared at her twin, jaw slack. Sparks still danced off his shoulders.
Then she ran forward.
BONK!
She smacked him on the head with a closed fist.
"Ow!" Sokka yelped, clutching his scalp. "What was that for?!"
"You stupid twin!" she shouted. "I thought you were DYING! I was worried! And turns out you've ALREADY UNLOCKED IT?!"
The class broke into confused murmurs. Sokka just rubbed his head, still sparking.
"Ahem," came a stern voice.
Professor Nicholas stepped forward, arms crossed, gaze sharp.
"Would one of you care to explain what just happened?"
Likka turned with a sheepish smile, twirling her foot like a kid caught sneaking snacks.
"Umm… Actually, Professor… We're from the lineage of the Newfound Lord."
The room went dead silent.
Nicholas blinked.
"Newfound… Lord?" he repeated, eyebrow raised.
Likka nodded.
"Yeah. It's been a family secret, kinda hush-hush. Our older brother, Tecca—he's an alumni here. Two years ago, he reached Pneuma and became a Thunder Lord." She said it like she was reading the weather forecast.
There was a pause.
Then—
"HWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!"
The entire class screamed in unison.
Even Nicholas looked like he aged five years in five seconds.
The thunderous crack tore across the sky. It shook the academy walls.
Even in the quiet hum of the Aether Alchemy lab, the sudden boom made flasks rattle and glassware clink.
Niko jolted upright in his seat, hands twitching near his beaker of shimmering green elixir.
"What are you doing?" came a voice right in front of him.
Ms. Quack stood there with arms folded, expression blank but deeply judgmental.
"Huh—uh—sorry?" Niko blinked, still shaken.
"You didn't hear me?" she said flatly. "Everyone else has already drunk the Echo Elixir. You've been staring at yours for over five minutes like it's gonna talk back."
Niko looked around.
Every beaker was empty.
Every student was watching him.
Even Rai—who sat right next to him—had already cleaned his beaker and was casually scribbling something in his notebook, completely unfazed.
Panic rising, Niko grabbed his own vial and downed the entire Echo Elixir in one go.
Gulp. Gulp. Gulp.
BURP.
Ms. Quack's brow twitched.
She turned away, muttering something under her breath, and made her way back to the front.
"That's it for today's class, students. If any of you experience chest pain, temporary blindness, or uncontrollable magical surges, please report immediately to the infirmary." Her tone was maddeningly casual.
She placed one hand on her desk and said with a yawn,
"Class dismissed."
Chairs scraped. Bags zipped. The students shuffled out.
Niko stayed seated a second longer—blinking slowly, like someone unsure whether he just made a life-changing decision... or a fatal one.
A tap on his shoulder snapped him back.
"What are you even doing, bro?" Rai asked, leaning over.
Niko sighed, rubbed his face with one hand.
"I dunno, man. Feels like I need... sleep. Or a reset."
He stood up and slung his bag over one shoulder, trailing behind Rai as they left the classroom.
At the front desk, Ms. Quack watched them go with her usual unreadable stare.
Rai quietly closed the door behind them.
KLACK.
* * *
They walked toward the main building as usual. The sky had cleared, but something in the air still crackled from earlier.
A crowd had gathered around the academy's dried fountain. Low murmurs buzzed like bees.
Rai's ear twitched. A shiver ran down his spine.
"Well—uh—Niko, I gotta swing by the Jock Club. See ya!"
And without waiting for a response, Rai bolted—sprinting off like he owed someone money.
Niko blinked, half-turning.
"What the—Rai? The hell was that—?"
Then—
"THERE YOU ARE!!!"
A voice like a thunderclap ripped through the courtyard.
Students jumped. Birds scattered.
Niko's eyes widened.
From across the yard, Likka pointed at him—her fingertip still crackling with leftover sparks, her face lit up with pure joy.
"Oh sh—"
THUD!
Niko was blindsided. Someone collided into him, knocking him flat on his back.
"Watch where you—"
He looked up and froze.
It was Sokka.
Sokka extended a hand, grinning ear to ear.
Niko took it and got pulled back to his feet. He dusted himself off while still trying to process what just happened.
Sokka reached into his pocket and handed Niko the gloves—slightly singed, but still intact.
"Thanks," Sokka said. "Turns out I wasn't sick. My body just needed to regulate my newly unlocked power." He smiled like a kid who just learned he could fly.
"Unlocked… power?" Niko raised a brow.
PUFF.
Likka suddenly hugged Niko from behind, wrapping her arms tight around his torso.
"There. Can I hang out with Niko now, twin?" she said cheerfully, talking past Niko's shoulder toward Sokka.
Sokka chuckled, tapping Niko on the shoulder.
"How could I say no? I don't mind having an in-law like him."
Niko froze.
Sweat formed on his forehead.
Likka buried her face into his back, clearly flustered now too.
Niko slowly raised a trembling hand.
"Um. Do I get a say in this arrangement?"
Sokka leaned in, eyes sparking with leftover static.
"What? You don't like my twin?"
"Whoa—what the hell?!" Niko staggered back a step.
WHUMP.
Likka low-kicked her twin's leg.
"Stop it. Don't flex our powers here," she scolded, eyes narrowing. "We don't want to draw more attention than we already have."
Sokka held up both hands in surrender.
"Alright, alright. No lightning. Just teasing."
Just then, Rai and his usual gang of jocks strolled past, laughing and loud as ever.
"Wooo-weee! Someone's gettin' all lovey-dovey today!" Rai quipped, shooting finger guns at Niko and the Deek twins. "MmmMMM! I wish I had that kinda spark—!"
WHOOSH.
Likka's ear twitched. She vanished.
A blur shot past Niko.
Rai barely had time to blink before—
WHAM!!
Likka swung a devastating clothesline at him mid-jog.
Rai flipped twice in the air, limbs flailing like a ragdoll before crashing to the ground.
"DAAAYUUUUUMMMMMM!!!"
The jocks gang recoiled, jaws dropped.
Two of them scrambled to grab Rai's limp body.
"He's down! HE'S DOWN!"
"TO THE INFIRMARY! MOVE MOVE MOVE!"
They ran off like their lives depended on it, dragging Rai by the arms and legs as if evacuating a war casualty.
Likka stood there, arms crossed, sparks still dancing off her shoulders. She raised one hand and flipped them off as they disappeared into the distance.
"GET REKT, JACKASS!!" she yelled, voice echoing across the courtyard like a battle cry.
The remaining students around the fountain went dead silent.
Someone whispered,
"…remind me never to hit on Niko."
Sokka laughed as he walked away, waving a hand over his shoulder without even turning back.
Then—
DING.
DING.
DONG.
The school bell rang through the courtyard, cutting through the lingering tension.
Likka jogged after her twin but glanced back one last time.
"See you later, darlin'~" she called, throwing Niko a wink before disappearing into the crowd.
And just like that… Niko was alone.
Surrounded by half the student body.
All of them staring.
Still. Silent.
Some with awe.
Some with confusion.
Some—probably—with fear.
Niko slowly looked down at his still-twitching gloves…
And sighed.
Suddenly, Lia and the rest of the gang popped up behind him like they'd been watching the whole thing.
"Didn't know you were officially dating the baddest b— in the academy, Niko. Congratulations."
Lia clapped, expression somewhere between smug and impressed. Her face moved in that slightly unsettling way it always did when she was being extra sarcastic.
Niko turned slowly, staring at her with the deadest deadpan he could muster.
"Ha. Ha. Like I ever got to say my opinion here." His voice dripped with sarcasm.
Lia snorted.
"Anyway, we've got math study today. Let's move."
Niko groaned.
"Oh, great. Back to actual suffering."
Lia just smirked and started walking, the rest of her gang trailing behind.
They gave quick goodbyes, waving or bumping fists before peeling off toward their own classes, one by one.
Niko took a deep breath, adjusted his bag, and followed quietly—bracing himself for whatever the next subject (or catastrophe) had in store.
* * *
At the Infirmary — After Likka's Thunderclap Clothesline
GASP.
Rai jolted awake, blinking hard—his face still half-stuck to the infirmary pillow from his own drool.
A gentle voice greeted him.
"Are you okay, son?"
He looked up to see the school nurse hovering nearby—also known as his mom.
Rai scratched the back of his head and rubbed his neck.
"I was dead, wasn't I, Mom?" he asked, dazed.
She chuckled softly and tapped his forehead.
"Silly. If you were dead, you wouldn't be in my infirmary, now would you?"
Rai blinked slowly.
"I got cooked. For messing with the Deek twins. Never thought I'd still see the light of day..."
His eyes stared off at nothing, pure trauma-mode activated.
One of the jocks still lingering in the corner whispered,
"I think he's still in shock, ma'am."
The nurse let out a long exhale.
"You boys need to get to class. The bell's already rung. Go on—shoo."
The jocks hesitated, exchanging glances, but nodded.
"Y-Yes ma'am."
One patted Rai gently on the foot like they were saying goodbye to a fallen comrade.
"Be strong, bro." said one of them.
Then they left, the door clicking shut behind them.
She jotted something down on her clipboard, then glanced over with a soft chuckle.
"That'll teach you to run your mouth around elemental prodigies… and academy committee members."
Rai let out a muffled groan and rolled over, burying his face in the pillow.
"When will I get there…?" he mumbled.
"I wanna be stronger too…"
She set her pen down with a quiet sigh. She leaned in and gently patted his head.
"You will, Rai. Soon."
She leaned back into her chair again and resumed scribbling notes.
"So… how's your training going?" she asked, voice casual but curious.
Rai turned over and held out his hand, palm up.
"Well… I've been doing some intense bonding work. Y'know, connecting with Great-Great-Great-Great-Great Grandpa and all that."
He grinned faintly.
"Check out the progress."
She leaned in—and gasped.
The faint circle mark on Rai's palm glowed brighter now, pulsing steadily.
Aether veins had begun to spread outward—like quiet, blazing fire beneath his skin.
She sat upright, a sparkle in her eyes.
"Wow… it's accelerating."
Then she smiled.
"Alright then. This weekend, back at the house—we try your moves for real."
"No worries," Rai said, sitting up slowly.
"I got your back, Mom. We're gonna get strong. Then maybe we can stop living in exile from the main family."
They both paused.
Then pulled into a quiet, tight hug.
* * *
Hallway – On the Way to Math Class…
Niko walked quietly down the hallway, the chaotic courtyard finally behind him.
He pulled off his gloves as he walked—now officially busted. The gears had snapped. The teeth were mostly shredded. A few wires were still sparking lazily.
He stared at them in his hands and muttered,
"Never thought my crappy prototype would actually help the Deek twins…"
Lia walked beside him, arms crossed, slightly smirking.
"Well," she said, "some things just work the way they're supposed to, Niko. There's this cosmic thread power that some people call... 'fate.'"
Before Niko could reply, her bag started twitching.
It wiggled. Then shuddered. Then a voice muffled from inside piped up—
"Speaking of fate… what exactly do you think it is?"
It was Bell.
Muffled. Mysterious. Totally casual.
* * *