The academy bells rang before the sun had fully risen.
One by one, dormitory doors opened across the Royal Academy.
For the first time since the beginning of the school year, the usual chatter was absent.
No one laughed.
No one complained.
Every first-year student understood the importance of today.
The Annual Evaluation had arrived.
---
Kael quietly wrapped fresh bandages around his hands.
He pulled them tight until they sat comfortably across his knuckles before slipping on his academy jacket.
Across the room, Tovin lay on his bed with one arm covering his eyes.
"...We're leaving."
"I know."
"You don't look awake."
"I'm not."
Kael sighed.
"You'll be late."
"I won't."
"...Why?"
"Because it hasn't started."
Kael frowned.
"...Again with that."
Tovin simply stood, stretched lazily and walked toward the door.
"You think too much."
"I think enough."
"You'll understand one day."
Without another word, Tovin walked out.
Kael stared after him for a moment before following.
Every conversation with Tovin somehow left him with more questions than answers.
---
Outside, streams of students poured towards the same destination.
The Grand Evaluation Grounds.
Students from every class walked together for perhaps the first time all year.
S-Class remained at the front.
Confident.
Proud.
F-Class naturally drifted towards the rear.
Ignored.
Just as always.
Dren eventually caught up with Kael.
"You two left without me."
"Tovin was walking."
"I wasn't."
"You were."
"I was standing while moving."
Dren blinked.
"...I don't even know what that means."
"Neither do I."
Kael continued walking.
"..."
"..."
"...He's strange."
Dren whispered.
Kael nodded.
"I've noticed."
---
The Grand Evaluation Grounds came into view.
Even from outside the barrier...
Its size was overwhelming.
It wasn't an arena.
It was an entire world enclosed within shimmering walls of mana.
Towering forests stretched into the distance.
Jagged cliffs overlooked winding rivers.
Ancient ruins stood forgotten among fields of tall grass.
Stone pillars reached into the sky.
Small hills rolled endlessly towards distant mountains.
The entire landscape seemed untouched by civilization.
Gasps spread through the gathered students.
"It's... huge..."
"How are we supposed to find anyone in there?"
"There are rivers..."
"Those ruins look ancient..."
Kael silently observed every feature.
Forest.
Water.
High ground.
Open terrain.
Ruins.
Natural choke points.
His mind immediately began constructing possibilities.
If combat broke out near the river...
If students gathered in the ruins...
If stronger Paths dominated the open plains...
Every piece of terrain offered advantages.
Every advantage could become a weakness.
---
"All first-year students."
A calm voice echoed across the grounds.
Instantly...
Silence fell.
A man stepped onto the elevated platform overlooking every student.
Tall.
Broad-shouldered.
His warm bronze complexion reflected the morning sunlight.
Long silver-white hair flowed behind him, tied neatly at the back.
His white-and-gold robes carried no excessive decorations despite clearly belonging to the Headmaster.
His amber-gold eyes moved slowly across every student.
He smiled.
It wasn't forced.
Nor was it grand.
It was simply kind.
Headmaster Deus Lux.
Even before he spoke...
The atmosphere itself seemed calmer.
"The first year..."
His voice carried effortlessly across the enormous grounds.
"...passes more quickly than most expect."
No magic amplified his words.
Yet everyone heard them.
"You have struggled."
"You have succeeded."
"You have failed."
"And every one of those experiences has value."
He allowed the silence to settle.
"Many believe strength is measured by victory."
"I disagree."
His gentle smile remained.
"Strength is measured by what you choose to protect... and what you continue carrying after defeat."
Kael listened carefully.
Around him...
Even S-Class remained silent.
No one interrupted.
No one whispered.
It felt wrong to do so.
"You stand here as students."
"When this evaluation ends..."
"...I hope each of you leaves having learned something about yourselves."
He stepped back.
The applause never came.
Not because his words lacked impact.
Because nobody wished to break the silence.
---
A second figure stepped forward.
Immediately...
The atmosphere changed.
Deputy Headmaster Valeria Drakon.
Tall.
Elegant.
Her platinum-blonde hair was tied into a perfect high ponytail.
Sharp silver eyes swept across the gathered students.
Unlike Deus Lux...
She didn't smile.
"Headmaster Lux has reminded you of ideals."
Her voice was cold.
"I shall remind you of reality."
Students straightened instinctively.
"The continent does not reward effort."
"It rewards results."
Her gaze drifted towards the students standing furthest back.
F-Class.
"You may train harder than everyone else."
"You may possess admirable determination."
"If you fail..."
"No one outside these walls will care."
Several F-Class students lowered their heads.
Valeria continued without hesitation.
"Talent matters."
"Ability matters."
"Power matters."
"If you wish to prove otherwise..."
She looked directly at the entire first year.
"Today is your opportunity."
She stepped back.
Unlike the Headmaster's speech...
The silence that followed felt heavy.
---
An instructor approached the front.
"The rules of the Annual Evaluation are as follows."
A massive magical screen appeared above the platform.
Participants: 205 First-Year Students.
Objective: Remain among the final twenty participants.
"The evaluation will test combat ability, adaptability, decision-making and survival."
"Killing is strictly forbidden."
"If instructors determine you are unable to continue, your academy badge will activate and remove you from the battlefield."
"Temporary alliances are permitted."
"The evaluation concludes when only twenty students remain."
Murmurs spread through the crowd.
"So it's really everyone..."
"No brackets?"
"No tournament?"
"We're all entering together?"
The instructor nodded.
"Correct."
"There will be no second chances."
---
Kael looked towards the battlefield once more.
The terrain.
The students.
The rules.
He wasn't searching for opponents.
He was searching for patterns.
People naturally formed groups.
Groups created blind spots.
Blind spots created opportunities.
He quietly memorised everything.
Beside him...
Tovin looked at the battlefield for only a single second.
His bored expression never changed.
"..."
Then he looked away.
Almost...
As if he had seen it before.
Kael noticed.
But before he could question it—
The earth trembled.
Students stumbled.
"What?!"
"The arena!"
Deep within the barrier...
Mountains shifted.
Forests slowly moved.
Stone walls rose from beneath the earth.
The river changed direction.
Entire sections of the battlefield transformed before everyone's eyes.
Confused voices erupted.
"Our maps!"
"The layout changed!"
"The evaluation grounds are rearranging themselves!"
Headmaster Deus Lux smiled faintly.
"The battlefield changes every year."
"The strongest adapt."
Kael's lips curved ever so slightly.
Good.
If no one knew the terrain...
Then preparation alone would not decide victory.
Thinking would.
---
A shimmering barrier rose around the enormous battlefield.
Its brilliant light enclosed forests, rivers and ruins alike.
The first years stood shoulder to shoulder before the entrance.
Some tightened their grip on their weapons.
Others activated their Paths.
Mana flickered across the crowd like thousands of stars.
Kael slowly raised his fists.
Bandages wrapped tightly around his knuckles.
No weapon.
No Path.
Just himself.
Ahead of him stood the strongest first-years in the academy.
Behind him stood those who had already accepted defeat.
Kael belonged to neither.
He would decide his own place.
A horn echoed across the grounds.
The massive gates began to open.
The Annual Evaluation...
...had begun.