Six

Seventeen days has passed since the thundercloud hung above the Sphere Tower. Mostly, everyone were done forming their specific Elemental Spheres except one. Those that were done forming their Elemental Spheres were immediately escorted out by a teacher. It wasn't because they succeeded in forming their Elemental Spheres but because they needed to be protected from the high amount of Lightning energy.

There were many who passed and succeeded, whereas, there were still some who inevitably failed the assessment. Among the Thirty or so youths, seven failed. They weren't discouraged as the road to becoming powerful was never a road or bed of roses. To some, they took this failure as a stepping stone.

The School couldn't stop those who were still forming their Spheres, still yet, they wouldn't allow it to distract the others since the strange phenomenon affected the air around. This was no longer the power of forming an Elemental Spheres, but the power of the World itself.

Whoever chose to form their Spheres after six months of study were considered geniuses, so some extra days of time should be sufficient enough to form four Elemental Spheres. But, it has been a month and two weeks since Ben entered the chamber and now making him the only left in the Sphere Tower.

In his Universal Plane, Lightning were turning into particles before forming it's Lightening Halo. The other three Halos he recently made only had one-fifth of its space filled with Magic power. Ben could see so many Starfields that he knew it wouldn't all fit into any one of the Halos.

On the other hand, his Lightning Halo was halfway filled; Thanks to being friends to an element. Yet, to him he felt that the two elements he was born with into this world were more than family. Just when he was about to end his meditation a flash of light in the shape of a crystal with both ends long and sharp descended from the clouds, bypassing through the roof of the Sphere Tower, the floors above, even the Mindpower of the elders present, piercing straight into the Concealment Formation laid above Ben's chamber.

Once inside it took the place of the Tear of Thunder - between Ben and the black rock - and spilt in two. One shot into the black rock but left no cracks while the other penetrated Ben's glabella going straight into his Universal Plane.

"Ahhh!!" Ben screamed out in pain as he felt something pass through or more like broke down the spiritual wall he had built and passed the boundaries of his Universal Plane before resting at the centre of all six Elemental Halos.

After screaming Ben lost consciousness. The thick clouds dispersed, the static air withdrew, everything went back to normal. The mentors, elders and teachers all heard the shout of agony that came from within the chamber and was at a loss for words.

Right outside the Sphere Tower people were gathered watching what was happening to the sky, after many days the mysterious thundercloud magically disappears.

It was strange to many, even some teachers couldn't explain why. Only a few knew what this could signify. Amongst the crowd outside the Sphere Tower, in a single spot space began to twist before a man with sliver hair and purple eyes jumped out of that crack in space.

"Take down the Formation!" the bald head and dark skin elder shouted. Right after the Formation was taken down he dashed in.

Out of nowhere a crack in space similar to the one that appeared not long ago outside appeared here too, and like before the same man stepped out. He wore a black robe like every other elder and mentor.

"What happened? I heard him scream." the man's raspy voice came as he stepped out of space, although he kept a straight face he sounded worried.

"So now you decide to come, Belti?" Domino said displeased when she saw the man. "We have everything under control, we won't be needing your help, we can take care of things here."

Ignoring the female mage's remarks he went into the chamber, despite being blocked no one could match him in Mindpower. Mindpower is the only way to fight without too much destruction being made. This method could only be done by mages.

"What happened?" Belti asked the old man that went before him.

"He might have triggered an overflow of energy into his body. All his Elemental Spheres are a bit chaotic at the moment, we can only pray whatever cause those phenomenons we experienced not so long ago doesn't damage him. He looks like a bright kid... ah, tell me Belti, did you give him a Tear of Thunder?" the old man asked alas.

"Yes, I saw potential in him and made him sign a contract which he did, he took the purple Tear of Thunder." mentor Belti answered after some thoughts.

"It still doesn't make sense. It shouldn't have been that much powerful than above average..."

"What's this?" mentor Belti asked pointing at a black rock the size of a head with purple and silver veins running round the while it pulsed calmly.

"Hmm? It must be the treasure he added to aid him, but how can it bring down such strong lightning element? Wow, I can sense a strong presence of lightning and space elements. We can borrow it and find out some things about it." just as the old man was about to grab the black rock it disappeared and reappeared on Belti's hands.

With a faint fake smile Belti spoke, "Now, now Teacher Nes, as my most favorite teacher why don't we wait for the boy, so he can tell us himself what the black thing is, what do you think?"

Although disappointment flashed in the o old man's eyes he quickly hid it. "Hehe, I did say I was going to borrow it, no need to fret." Nes, the old man chuckled.

"Who's afraid of you, old...?"

Crack Crack

A sound of breaking glass could be heard followed by Domino and other mentors and teachers coming into the chamber. Domino had sweat on her forehead; Looks like she just used most of her energy to break whatever must have blocked their path.

Belti's walked up to Ben when he heard the glass like sounds and put him on his shoulder then turned to his old teacher saying, "I'll see you later old man." right before an enraged voice was heard.

"You shameless, son of a bitch! You think you can do..." without letting the woman's words to reach him Belti tore through space and disappeared, along with the black rock and Ben in tow. "...Urgh!! Teacher Nes, how could you let him go like that?!" Domino berated and complained.

"Calm. What happened to being calm and cold like water and ice alike? Where's that stillness? I see his Will has become much stronger to be able to stop you for so long with that only. " Nes said in a calm tone, this made Domino to bring her head down, her hands were still clenched though. "Let's go." the countenance of the man changed in matter of seconds, that calm and carefree old grandpa was no more, instead it was replace by a calm but stern old grandpa.

With that the Sphere Tower was cleared and closed awaiting the next batch of students wishing to begin their journey to becoming powerful.

***

In Ben's room...

Mentor Belti stood at one corner watching over Ben who laid

motionless in his bed. His black rock was set at the bedside table. The illumination stone in the room was dim, hardly bringing any light to the room. Belti was able to step into anywhere in his magic tower since it was his magic tower.

Ben was in a comatose state, it was unknown when he'll awaken, yet, Belti knew not to leave. He was exhausted from using one ultimate Lightning-type spell three consecutive times in less than an hour, yet he persisted.

What mentor Belti couldn't understand is even though his student was called a Friend of Lightning, he shouldn't have been able to survive the astronomical amount of lightning energy currently in his body. Forget of the astronomical amount of lightning, if he isn't mistaken he could sense five other elements within Ben's body which in any common normal sense is not suppose to be.

You can't be training the Lightning element and then an overwhelming chill appears from nowhere to later be accompanied by a scorching heat. The worse part of it was, those two properties weren't meant to mingle together especially in one body, but here, in front of his old eyes, it did.

It can be considered a miracle he successfully formed both Air and Earth-type Elemental Spheres. Yet, no matter how hard he thinks about it he could only tell himself the same thing he had said to his teacher, Nes. 'Let's wait till the boy wakes up and tell us... me, that is if he will want to.'