The forest, once filled with deafening shrieks and explosive destruction, had finally gone silent.
After a grueling yet surprisingly short battle, the defeated Reflezard hit the ground with a heavy, lifeless thud.
Dom collapsed beside it, gasping for breath, his battered body trembling with pain and fatigue.
A silence fell over the clearing.
A tensed yet gentle peace that usually followed true chaos and near-death.
For a few heartbeats, nothing moved an inch—then Dom groaned, pushing himself to a knee. His breathing was ragged, uneven, his eyes drifted to the motionless body beside him, and a weak, almost hollow smirk flickered across his face.
Several meters away, Dae remained slumped against a beast corpse, his head bowed, chest heaving as he tried to catch his unsteady breath.
"You alright?"
Dae looked up, watching as Dom staggered forward, a hand pressed on his shallow wound on his belly.
"You took a nasty hit back there." Dom pressed, his tone genuinely worried despite his own wounds.
Dae scoffed. "You should really think about yourself first," He muttered, voice strained as he sat up. "I thought you were dead."
Dom let out a shaky laugh. "So did I…" He said, glancing at the path of destruction left where the beast first struck him. "I blacked out for a few minutes, but I'm still alive and kicking."
"Obviously," Dae grumbled, his teeth gritted as he struggled to pull himself up, then Dom reached out a hand.
Dae hesitated for a moment, then took it.
"I'm honestly surprised you survived that," Dae said as Dom pulled him to his feet.
"It'd take a lot more than that to put me down," Dom said boldly, then winced as his movement drew a sharp pain from his bruised side, his cracked rib reminding him of his current state.
Dae frowned at Dom's visible pain, then looked at the Reflezard's corpse in the distance with a mix of disbelief and exhaustion. "If I didn't see it for myself," He muttered, stepping forward. "I would never have believed you could defeat a Reflezard."
Dom patted him on the back, making Dae wince again. "It was a team effort." He said with a proud smile. "I couldn't have done it without you slowing it down first."
Dae stared at him for a moment, then smiled weakly.
Then, a distant explosion shook the ground beneath them.
They flinched once they remembered their mission objection.
"I totally forgot about the exam," Dom muttered, rubbing his head with a sigh. He had been so focused on survival, on the fight itself, that the reason they were here in the first place slipped entirely from his mind. "How much time do we even have left?" He asked, glancing at the position of the sun to estimate.
Meanwhile, Dae took another step and winced. He looked down at his injured leg, twitching with every attempted movement. "It doesn't matter." He grumbled, drawing Dom's attention. "I can't run anymore." He admitted, frustration and exhaustion etched across his face.
"Then I'll carry you," Dom said, his confidence making Dae flinch. "Where's Sam?" He asked, scanning their surroundings.
Dae pointed toward a bush, where Sam lay motionless among the leaves, his mind had already succumbed to unconsciousness. "He should be fine if he stays hidden," Dae said, voice low as he sat down on the floor, then looked up at the sky.
"We still have maybe an hour and a half left." He added.
Dom smiled. "Then… we still have time." He said as he walked towards Sam, but Dae's eyes narrowed at the limp in Dom's gait.
"My wounds are not as bad as his. If you can carry him to the goal, then the trainers can-"
"I'm not leaving you, Dae," Dom said as he stopped by a tree, briefly resting against it while he stared at Sam, now a few feet away. "I'll just… have to carry… both of you."
Dae's eyes flared with frustration. "Don't be stupid, Dominic." He said. "You can barely move on your own. You won't be able to carry both of us. Samuel needs immediate medical care. I'll slow you down."
"I can…" Dom panted, pushing off the tree. "… I'll save Sam and…" He stopped, glancing at Dae with a tired smile. "We'll pass this thing. We've come too far to stop here, partner."
Dae's eyes widened, staring at a man who was clearly too exhausted and injured to walk on his own, yet his eyes still burned with the same determination he used to kill that beast.
With a defeated sigh, Dae lowered his head. "Do what you want." He panted, his dimmed eyes fixed on his still trembling leg. "I can't stop you anyway."
Dom laughed weakly as he moved toward Sam, while Dae rested his head against the ground, a small, tired smile crossing his lips before he closed his eyes.
Some time later…
At the very center of the massive training field, a team of two exhausted recruits, battered and bloodied, supported each other as they finally emerged into the large clearing.
Between two black pillars erected at its center, a massive, blue, swirling portal shimmered before them.
They shared a fleeting, exhausted smile before stepping into the portal—and arrived back among the waiting trainers and recruits.
Medics rushed forward instantly, expertly tending to their wounds.
In the background of expecting trainers and other successful recruits, Johan checked his pocket watch, frowning. "5 minutes left," He murmured, just as Sandra approached.
"Don't you think it's strange, sir?" She asked, eyes flicking across the gathered recruits. "Despite being our best, they're still not here yet."
Johan lowered his watch with a sigh. "I was thinking the same thing."
Sandra turned back to the portal, concern etched across her face. "Do you think something happened to them?" She asked.
"Who knows?" Johan replied, lighting his cigarette with a neutral expression. "Whatever happens out there, they're on their own. If they fail… then so be it."
Sandra frowned at him. "Isn't that a little cruel, sir?"
"We're soldiers, Sergeant." He said, exhaling a cloud of smoke. "A little cruelty runs in our blood."
Sandra sighed and turned back to the portal, a hopeful look on her face.
As the minutes ticked by, tension built.
A female recruit whispered a prayer, just as a hand touched her shoulder. She turned to find Roger shaking his head.
"There's no point in hoping, my dear. If they've not made it here yet, then they failed. It's sad, but it happens." He said with an obviously superficial, sad look, one that made the girl cringe. "Don't worry." He added, tugging her closet. "As the second strongest team, we'll be sure to-"
"Roger." His lackey said.
Roger's brow twitched at the interruption. "What?" He grumbled, annoyed before noticing the lackey pointing at the portal. He follows the gesture, his eyes widened when the portal distorted.
All eyes went wide as an exhausted Dom stumbled through, carrying Dae and Sam on his back. Blood and grime covered all three of their battered bodies.
Dae opened his eyes, recognizing the grounds weakly. "We… made… it," He said, voice barely audible.
Dom forced a smirk, lips trembling. "I told you… We won't… f—" His legs gave out on the next step. Dom collapsed heavily, sending both Dae and Sam crashing on top of him.
As the trainers and recruits rushed in, the medics were already separating the three.
"Damn," One medic muttered, rolling Dom onto his back, taking in his bruises, cuts, and feverish sweat.
"Dom, Dae, Sam," A recruit muttered sadly, watching as the medics checked the vitals of the other two.
As the recruits stared in shock and concern, Roger and his lackey exchanged a confused glance. "They're supposed to be the strongest…" The lackey muttered, and Roger gulped, his mind rattled as he tried to imagine what could do this to them.
A voice called out. "Where's David?"
Dom lifted his gaze, and the praying girl from earlier looked at him. "Where's David?" She asked again.
Dom's eyes widened with recognition. As the image of her lover's severed head haunted his mind, his expression darkened, a sight that cracked her already fragile hope.
Especially when Dae's eyes mirrored the same grief.
"Get back!" Sandra commanded, moving the other recruits aside as she approached with Johan and the other trainers.
They all stopped once they took in the wounded trio. "Jesus…" A trainer muttered as a medic quickly stitched Sam's exposed wound while another applied healing magic on him.
Johan's gaze was steady as he looked at the two conscious mages. "What happened?" He asked.
Dom whispered through groans, "We… got jumped… by… an A class."
"A Reflezard," Dae commented, wincing as they sterilized his injured leg.
Johan, Sandra, and the other trainers flinched at the name. Some recruits gasped in recognition of that deadly beast.
"That's impossible," A trainer said. "Reflezards are rare, A-class Magic beasts. We only sent B-classes out there. You must've-"
"It was… lizard-like…" Dae panted, voice strained as he cut the trainer off, his tired eyes narrowed as he recalled that terrifying frame and shriek. "It was fast and powerful. And it had a hard shell which reflected my spells."
The trainers stiffened as Dae's words described the textbook description of the beast's features and abilities.
Johan narrowed his eyes while Sandra shook her head.
"I personally reviewed and cataloged every single beast we sent into the field. There's no way I would make a mistake like that." She said.
Johan calmly dropped to a knee, eyes glowing as his gaze pierced through their eyes while his mana reached into their minds. Within moments, he accessed Dom and Dae's memories, reliving their experience like a moving picture,s including the Reflezard encounter.
"They're telling the truth," He said, standing while releasing his spell.
"Are you sure?" Sandra asked, and Johan nodded, exhaling smoke. She turned back to them, her gentle face now etched with regret. "I am so sorry. I thought I double-checked everything before the exam. I must have made a mistake."
"I doubt that, Sergeant," Johan said, his eyes narrowed as the image of the beast lingered in his mind. "You're not at fault here."
Sandra frowned, confused by Johan's words, just as a recruit stepped forward.
"Um, are they going to be okay?" A girl asked.
Johan glanced at one of the medics, who gave a thumbs-up, reliving some of the tension in the air.
Just then, a familiar bell echoed through the hall, and they watched as the field portal shimmered and closed.
"Time's up," A trainer announced.
The female recruit from earlier widened her eyes, tears streaming down her face. "No." She muttered, looking at the still unconscious Sam, then back at the other two. "What about David? Where is he?" She asked, voice trembling, even though she already knew the answer.
Dom closed his eyes tightly, pain etched across his features. "I'm… sorry," He mumbled.
The girl sank to her knees, sobbing, while a few other female recruits rushed to comfort her.
"This is a mess," A trainer muttered, shaking his head, and Sandra nodded, frowning.
Johan, maintaining his usual neutral expression, observed the broken girl and sighed. "Start rounding up the remaining recruits and beasts," He instructed Sandra, who, despite her frustration, nodded in acknowledgment. He pointed at some soldiers. "You five—help her out."
"Sir!" The five other trainers responded, saluting before following Sandra as she worked on reopening the portal through the terminal.
Johan then turned his attention to Dom and Dae. "Regardless of the mix-up," He said. "I'm honestly impressed that you two managed to kill a Reflezard. That's a beast that even A-class veterans struggle against—and you did it while protecting someone else."
Dae and Dom weakly glanced at Sam, now lying on a gurney, being rushed away, while two other gurneys were brought in for them.
"You did well, soldiers," Johan added, nodding with genuine pride.
But the acknowledgment did little to lift their spirits. Dom's frown deepened as he watched the girl sobbing uncontrollably, while Dae simply closed his eyes, silent, exhausted, and guilt-ridden as medics strapped them to their gurneys.
Johan sighed again, his gaze sweeping the room, noticing some resentful stares from his wards.
A recruit locked eyes with him, glaring."With all due respect, sir… don't you think you're being a little inconsiderate?" He demanded.
Johan looked around, noticing others sharing the same sentiment.
Unmoved by their stares, he replied calmly, "I do feel bad about what happened… but that won't change anything."
The recruit clenched his fists in frustration.
Johan folded his arms, continuing in the same measured tone. "I promise to get to the bottom of this, but… in some strange, fucked-up way, I still consider this a lesson."
"A lesson?" Roger asked, curious.
Johan's gaze returned to the medics, who were finishing the final straps on Dom and Dae, who had both finally lost consciousness. "Not everything goes according to plan," He said, voice even, as the boys were lifted.
"I said it when we first met," Johan added, turning back to the recruits. "What we need from you is the power to complete any operation, regardless of the risk. This is a practical example."
The frustrated recruit fell silent, and the others followed suit, recognizing the harsh but true logic.
"I'm just as annoyed that it happened like this, but unfortunately… that's just how things work," Johan said, closing his eyes as the medics carried Dom and Dae away.
"With that out of the way," He continued, addressing the recruits. "Of the 40 sent into the field, 29 made it through the gate on time… but only 22 qualified for a passing grade."
"Damn it," One recruit muttered, eyes glistening as they remembered their partner killed by a Gorback. A few others shared similar expressions of grief and disbelief.
"The seven of you, including those still alive in there, will retake a different exam in two months," Johan explained, turning to them fully. "The rest… are no longer recruits. From today, you are fully authorized Magic knights. On behalf of the Royal Council and Royal Army, I congratulate you."
Johan saluted, but only a few recruits returned it.
The rest remained motionless, either confused, conflicted, or silently grieving.