*Choosing a student to be his tutor*

Axel, who had just joined them, then said, "That explains why you were so tired yesterday. At least we know why now."

Kevin nodded, taking Axel's hand. "I'll be more careful, I promise." He turned to Alan again and asked curiously, "Alan, have you ever absorbed particles of elements with which you had no affinity?"

Alan replied honestly, "Yes, it has happened to me a few times. If you meditate in places where the spiritual energy is saturated with one element, then of course you will manage to absorb some of them, even if you have no affinity with that element."

Kevin nodded. So if he found suitable places to meditate in the future, he would be able to use all five elements. He just had to absorb enough to reach level 1, and then he would be able to absorb them anywhere. At least, that was what he had figured out when he saw in his mastery of the elements that the fire and earth elements were level 0. He just had to absorb 200 particles to get to level 1, and Alan had just confirmed that this theory was possible.

Axel squeezed his hand to let him know he understood the message. They both worked the same way; he knew Kevin wouldn't have asked that kind of question if it wasn't for a good reason.

Eventually, the bird took off, and Kevin took full advantage of the feeling of the wind on his face and the magnificent view that was offered to him. However, after just an hour, his excitement died down, and after resting his head on Axel's shoulder, he fell asleep instantly.

Alan then said to Axel, shaking his head in annoyance, "You should tell him to slow down a bit. Doing too much meditation at the start will tire him out continually, and he will need energy for his classes."

Axel nodded. "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on him. I won't let him continue if I see it impacting his everyday life."

Axel then asked, completely changing the subject, "Is Erik going to pass the selections to participate in the capital's tournament?"

Alan smiled and replied proudly, "Yes! Since he finished third last year in the Three Sects tournament, he is eligible to participate in the selections for the annual capital's tournament."

Alan then coughed as if he were embarrassed but asked all the same, "Do you... you know... could you take him under your wing a little this year?"

Axel winked at him while putting his arm around Kevin's shoulders. "Since we are officially in our seventh and final year, we both have to choose a student to mentor. I was just thinking about offering Erik the chance to be my mentee."

Alan couldn't believe it. Erik had been bothering him for a while, asking Axel if he could become his tutor. So he asked, "Are you sure about this? I mean, Erik is going to be super happy—don't take me wrong—but there are more promising students than him."

Axel simply replied, "Erik is a hard worker, and I feel good about working with him. I will try to teach him as much as possible; I promise to give my best."

Axel didn't tell Alan that he believed Erik had something special because he wasn't entirely sure about it yet. But with Kevin's help, he would surely find out if his instincts were correct.

He then asked Alan curiously, "And you, who did you choose?"

Alan looked at Kevin and said honestly to Axel, "I'm going to ask for a waiver to be Kevin's tutor. This is the first time that the Sun Sect has a mage with an affinity with three elements, and his main element is the lightning element, which is even more exceptional."

Axel was thoughtful. Normally, they could only choose a student who was in their fourth year or above. "Are you sure they'll accept your request?"

Alan was quite confident, so he told him, "The leaders of the Sun Sect already know that I want to stay here for another three years, until Erik finishes his studies. I'm the most qualified to be his tutor, so I hope they'll agree to make this exception."

Axel nodded. "It would be great for Kevin. I can't wait to see how well he does in class."

Alan then asked, "Do you also plan to stay in the Sun Sect while Kevin completes his years?"

Axel didn't think this life would suit Kevin, but he couldn't tell Alan that they would probably be leaving the Sun Sect next year. Once Kevin learned the basics of alchemy and how to create spells, he could fend for himself to keep improving.

Axel finally told him, "I haven't thought about it yet, Alan. Kevin and I still barely know each other. It's not yet time to make big decisions."

After that, they discussed everything and nothing, and they finally arrived at the Sun Sect. The dormitory building was the largest and the only one with three floors. The canteen building was very close to the warehouse managed by Douglas, where you could buy just about anything.

These two buildings were situated between those used by the mages for their classes and the arena and gymnasium, which were used by the fighters for training. The private pavilions were set out a bit away from the rest of the buildings, positioned at the edge of the forest surrounding the Sun Sect for more tranquility.

Axel and Kevin were now renting the Pavilion No. 8, and once the giant bird landed, Axel greeted everyone. With Kevin still asleep in his arms, he quickly slipped away to get his boyfriend comfortably settled in their new bed.

Their pavilion was quite spacious. There were two large bedrooms with king-sized beds, a large bathroom with a small pool filled with natural hot spring water, and a shower. There was also a large cozy living room with a kitchen and a dining area—nothing like the single rooms in the dormitory.

Axel chose the larger of the two bedrooms and decided to take a nap with Kevin. Kevin woke up because he was hungry and immediately felt Axel's arms around him. He started to move to try to sit up, but the movement must have woken Axel because he tightened his embrace around him and asked, "Are you awake? How are you feeling?"

Kevin replied as Axel kept him from moving, "I'm awake and I'm hungry. Is there anything to eat?"

Once Axel was sure that Kevin was awake and wasn't in danger, he positioned himself on top of Kevin and began to kiss him. These kisses weren't soft and innocent; Axel's kisses were passionate and ignited a fire within Kevin.

Kevin responded with the same burning passion, putting his hands behind Axel's head to intensify their kisses.

When Axel finally let him breathe, he said with a smile, "I'm still hungry."