Henry

Lukas arrived at the family training grounds after walking through the long hallway. The De Arcadian training ground was a marvel, a blend of natural and magical perfection. A powerful magical barrier, crafted by the top mages in Valoria, surrounded the grounds. The floor was made of frosty stones engraved with ancient runes. Statues of legendary De Arcadian warriors, each wielding a different form of ice magic, lined the arcs.

Opposite the combat arenas was the spellcasting range, a series of long, narrow lanes lined with targets of various sizes and shapes. These targets were enchanted to move unpredictably, providing a challenging practice environment for honing precision and control in spell casting. At the end of the range stood an ice wall, used for practicing high-power spells and defensive techniques.

To the east, various weapons crafted with ice magic were displayed, ranked from grade A to F according to their strengths. Lukas walked over to the weapons, his eyes carefully examining those ranked A. "These were the weakest weapons back then; too bad they're now classified as A." He picked up an ice sword. "This should be the strongest of all the weapons ranked A. Its effect is so ironic." He dropped the sword and turned to the statues, his eyes fixed on a specific one. It depicted his human friend from the past, wielding his famous ice spell, "The Ice Vortex."

"I can't understand why you turned your back on us and became the slaves of those damned dragons," Lukas muttered, forming a ball of ice in his hand and angrily throwing it at the statue. It crumbled into pieces, and Lukas whispered, "Arise." The statue returned to its original shape, as if it had never been shattered.

Suddenly, faint footsteps approached the training grounds. Lukas instantly turned to face the entrance. A brown-haired boy walked in, stopping just two inches away from Lukas. He stood at 5'7", three inches taller than Lukas. They stared at each other with expressionless faces before both burst out laughing.

"Long time no see, Henry," Lukas smiled, extending his hand. Henry slapped it away and went in for a hug. "You don't welcome a friend with a handshake," Henry said, smiling.

"Did the guards give you trouble on your way in?" Lukas asked, his eyes stern, implying that if they had, he would deal with them immediately. Henry noticed the look in Lukas' eyes and said, "No, they didn't really mind me. They only advised me to get a change of clothes before I walked in. I can never get used to the complex structure of this mansion."

Henry was a close friend of Lukas. They had been friends since Lukas was six years old, ten years ago. Although not a noble, Henry possessed high magical power and talent that placed him among the top three strongest rank E mages. He had lost both parents at a young age and had since wanted nothing more than to grow stronger to protect those he loved.

"Your childhood dream was to become a powerful mage, am I right?" Lukas asked.

"No, you're wrong. It wasn't my childhood dream; it's my only dream as long as I live. But how do I make that dream come true when I can't get into the mage academy?" Henry replied, frustration evident in his voice.

"Why don't we make a bet?" Lukas suggested.

"What bet?" Henry asked.

"We'll spar. If you can land a hit on me, I'll make sure you get enrolled in the magic academy with me tomorrow," Lukas proposed with a smug look.

"And if I lose?" Henry asked.

"You'll find out after the spar," Lukas replied.

"Okay, let's go," Henry agreed, steeling his resolve to win.

Henry attacked first, conjuring a fiery spear and throwing it towards Lukas. CRACK A sharp crack echoed as ice burst from the ground, defending Lukas from the incoming spear. FWOOSH Two fireballs surged from Henry's palms, hurtling towards the ice shield. BOOM The ice shattered on contact, but Lukas was nowhere to be seen.

"Huh? Where'd he go?" Henry muttered. "Argh!" He coughed and fell to the ground, punched in the back by Lukas.

"Sorry, Henry, I never learned to hold back," Lukas said, extending his hand to help Henry up.

"There's no greater pleasure than being bested by you," Henry said, getting to his feet. "I have to go now."

"Okay, see you later, Henry," Lukas waved.

After Henry left, Lukas's hand twisted and morphed into a sharp sword, similar to the one he had picked up earlier. The sword then separated from his hand, and his hand grew back to its original form. "You'll be needing this, Henry," Lukas said with a satisfied smile.