CHAPTER 29: TESTING MAGIC AFFINITY

The yard behind the mansion was broad and open, lined with trimmed hedges on either side and a stone-paved square that seemed perfectly designed for combat practice. Ian let out a low whistle as he looked around, already uneasy about what Piper had in mind for him. Piper, however, did not waste time. She reached into a wooden chest by the side of the yard and pulled out a neatly folded set of lighter garments, much simpler than the heavy robes Ian had been forced to wear.

"You will not be able to move freely in those," Piper said, her voice as firm as always. She handed the garments to him without so much as a smile. "Change into these. My Lord"

Ian stared down at the bundle in his hands, then back at her stern face. "Seriously? Already? I just got here and now I’ve got to play dress-up again?"

Piper’s eyes narrowed slightly, but her expression did not change. "These are training clothes, not dress-up. Go and change, my lord. We will not waste daylight."

Ian groaned but turned back toward the house, muttering to himself as he went. "First they drag me off, then I’m being called ’lord’ and treated like a recruit all at once. This is worse than gym class."

Chloe, who had remained nearby, chuckled softly at his words. Piper only folded her arms and waited.

After a few minutes Ian reappeared, tugging uncomfortably at the tunic and trousers he now wore. They were much lighter, but he still felt strange in them. "There. Happy now? I look like I’m about to run a marathon in the middle ages."

Piper gave him a quick once-over, then nodded curtly. "That will do." She motioned for him to come forward into the center of the yard. "Now we begin."

Ian raised his brows as he walked toward her, dragging his feet slightly. "Begin what exactly? You going to throw me a sword and tell me to swing it around? Because I’ve got to be honest, that’s not going to end well for anybody."

Ignoring his sarcasm, Piper stepped closer until she was only a few paces away. "First, I need to know what you are capable of. Tell me, my lord, do you have any combat experience?"

Ian scratched the back of his head, trying not to laugh. "Combat experience? Not unless you count video games. But uh... yeah, I did take a bit of karate back on Earth. Not a master or anything, but I can throw a decent punch if I need to."

Chloe tilted her head curiously. "Ka-ra-te?" she repeated slowly, as though trying the word on her tongue.

Ian gave a half-smile. "Yeah, karate. It’s a martial art from my world. You know, lots of shouting and kicking. I didn’t stick with it for too long, but hey, at least I can defend myself a little."

Piper did not look impressed. Her arms stayed folded across her chest as she responded flatly, "Then your skills are insignificant. What matters here is not how you fought on your world but what you can become in this one."

Ian let out an exaggerated sigh. "Great. So basically, everything I know is useless. That’s real encouraging."

Without responding to his complaint, Piper moved toward a small wooden stand at the edge of the yard. She picked up what looked like a carved stone orb, dull and gray, about the size of a melon. She carried it back and set it on a pedestal in front of Ian.

"You must be tested before anything else," she said firmly. "We need to know your magical affinity. Without this, we cannot train you properly."

Ian eyed the orb suspiciously. "Magical affinity? Look, I don’t even believe in magic. Back home, magic is just fairy tales and movies. You want me to touch that rock and find out I’m Harry Potter or something?"

Chloe smiled faintly at his words, clearly amused though she said nothing. Piper, on the other hand, did not even blink.

"This is no fairy tale," she said in the same steely tone. "Place your hand on it. The orb will show your element. It will determine how you will be trained. There is no other way forward."

Ian rolled his eyes, clearly exasperated. "Whatever you say. Let’s get this over."

Ian stepped closer to the pedestal with a crooked grin, clearly doubtful but curious enough to play along. He placed his palm on the surface of the orb, muttering under his breath, "Alright then, magic rock, show me what you’ve got."

The moment his skin touched the smooth surface, the orb responded violently. A rush of light burst forth, filling the entire yard with brilliance. It wasn’t a single steady glow either; it shifted, pulsed, and shimmered like a living flame. First it glowed deep crimson, then it flared gold, then cool blue, before rippling into green and white and even violet. The colors changed so fast and yet so vividly that the entire orb seemed alive.

Chloe gasped loudly, stepping back in shock. "By the heavens... I’ve never seen..."

Even Piper, who had maintained her hardened expression since meeting Ian, faltered for the first time. Her lips parted slightly as her eyes widened at the display before her.

Ian looked between them both nervously, his hand still on the orb. "Uh... okay. That doesn’t look normal. Is it supposed to be doing that? Because I’ve seen a lot of glowing gadgets in my world, but this looks like a rainbow about to explode. Am I going to blow up or something?"

Chloe clutched her hands together tightly. "No... not explode, but... my lord, this is impossible. It should not be possible."

"Great," Ian muttered, half-laughing, half-terrified. "That’s exactly what I love to hear when my hand is stuck on some magic disco ball. ’Impossible.’ That’s comforting. Real comforting."

Piper regained her composure, though her eyes remained locked on the orb. "Remove your hand."

Ian pulled back immediately, shaking his fingers as though the orb might have burned him. The lights lingered for a moment, flickering brightly before slowly fading into darkness again. The yard fell quiet except for Ian’s uneasy laugh.

"So... what does that mean?" he asked, raising his brows at both women. "Good news? Bad news?"

Chloe spoke softly, almost whispering. "My lord... every person has one affinity. Some rare few have two. But you... the orb showed all of them. Fire, water, wind, earth, light, shadow... all of them."

Ian blinked at her, completely baffled. "Wait, wait, wait. Hold on. You’re telling me that instead of one power, I’ve got... all the powers? That’s insane."

Piper finally turned her gaze on him, her usual sternness returning, but now it was tinged with something else, wariness. "It is not just insane. It is dangerous. No man, no woman, no being in this world should be able to wield every element. It has never been recorded before."

Ian rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Well... lucky me, I guess? Or maybe unlucky me. I don’t even know anymore. All I wanted was to survive, maybe eat, maybe get some sleep. And now suddenly I’m a walking, talking magic anomaly."

Chloe stepped forward timidly, her eyes wide but filled with awe. "It means you are special, my lord. Far more than even the queen suspected. You are not just the heir... you are something much greater."

Ian gave a nervous chuckle, taking a step back. "Yeah, see, when people start saying things like that, it usually ends with me being thrown into even more trouble than before. So forgive me if I’m not exactly jumping for joy here."

Neither Piper nor Chloe answered him immediately. They just stood there, both staring at him as though they were looking at something impossible, something that should not even exist. Ian glanced between them, still uneasy, and finally said with a shaky laugh, "So... that’s a good thing or a bad thing?"