Chapter 6 — The Hero Who Definitely Did NOT Wet the Bed

On this beautiful morning, we all gathered at the training grounds for Skystride partner drills.Alex, our team captain, was paired with me. Selene, the vice-captain, paired with Roland, and Leo partnered up with Lucas. After the briefing, we split off into our pairs.
"Alright, Haruto," Alex said, crossing his arms. "First question: what do you know about dark magic?"
"Uhh… nothing," I admitted honestly.
He sighed. "Figures. Okay, short version: dark magic can manipulate the five basic elements—even if they aren’t your natural affinity—and can bend some rules of physics. I can’t do the physics-breaking stuff yet, though."
I nodded, trying to keep up.
"Watch closely.Oh fire, source of life on land, lend me your power—Fireball!"
A black fireball shot out and exploded against a straw dummy.
"Earth, cradle of all living things, shield me—Stone Wall!"A dome of solid rock encased him briefly.
"Water, source of life in rivers and seas, grant me your blessing—Rain!"A drizzle fell lightly over the training field.
"Air, breath of the skies, strike my foe—Air Slash!"A sharp gust sliced clean through another dummy.
"Lightning, destroyer of heavens, descend—Lightning!"A jagged bolt crashed down on the final target.
I stared, awestruck. "That’s… insanely cool."
Alex grinned. "And once you get the hang of it, you can skip the long chants entirely."
Dark mana swirled around him effortlessly, like it was alive.
"Now it’s your turn. First, feel for the mana in your body. Deep breath in… and out…"
I did as he said. After a few tries, I felt a warm sensation in my stomach.
"There it is," Alex said. "Now imagine that mana flowing out, like air leaving your lungs, while focusing on the spell you want."
I strained, focusing hard.
"Ugh, this is so hard!"
Alex laughed. "Don’t worry, it’ll click eventually. It’s already late—let’s head back to the dorms."
---
That night after dinner, I sat cross-legged on my bed, repeating his instructions."Mana flows out… like air… think about the spell…" I muttered.
And then—suddenly—I felt warmth spreading. On my bed.I froze."...Wait. Is this… wet?!"
I yanked back my blanket and my soul nearly left my body."WHY IS IT WET ONLY IN THE MIDDLE?!"
I screamed, loud enough to wake the dead.
The door burst open."What happened?!" Leo demanded.
"I-I-It’s…" I stammered, pointing at the soaked spot.
Lucas peeked over his shoulder, expression dead serious."...Haruto. Did you just wet the bed?"
"WHAT?! NO!"
Lucas gasped dramatically, clutching his cheeks."Unbelievable… I never thought I’d live to see The Hero’s Wetting-The-Bed Arc! Truly historic!"
"THAT’S NOT AN ARC!"
Selene covered her mouth, trying to hide her laugh, while Roland just muttered, "Incredible…" like I was some rare specimen.
"I didn’t pee!" I shouted, face red.
Lucas knelt down, stroking his chin like a detective."Centralized wet zone… warm to the touch… yep, classic case of nocturnal bladder betrayal."
"IT WAS MAGIC, DAMMIT!"
"Ah yes, magic pee."
"STOP CALLING IT THAT!"
Everyone burst out laughing. Even Alex had his hand over his face, shaking silently.
"Alright, enough," Leo said between chuckles. "Selene, dry him off before the poor hero dies of shame."
Selene sighed and cast a warm air spell, drying both me and the bed instantly."There. Next time… maybe don’t practice magic on the bed, okay?" she said gently, though her smile screamed pity.
I buried my face in my pillow."...Kill me now."
Lucas patted my shoulder. "Don’t worry, Haruto. Tomorrow, if you wet the bed twice, that’s called progress."
"GET OUT!"
And that was how my day ended—with everyone laughing at me and me being branded as ‘the hero who peed the bed.’