I wasn't one hundred percent sure how I survived the morning rush to class. Ninety percent? Maybe. This was it though — the Academy's legendary "Trial by Fire," a test every demon student dreamed of (or dreaded). I found Yuria waiting outside the Forge Arena, barefoot and bouncing on lightning-charged toes. Her blonde braid drifted around her like sparks from a torch.
"So, ready to get scorched, big shot?" I grumbled, trying to look confident. Inside I was trembling.
She flashed me a playful grin. "I've been waiting for this. Don't tell me you're scared."
"Me? Scared? Pfft," I said, though the pit in my stomach said otherwise.
Seraphina Glacielle stood nearby with an icy glare. She held a clipboard. "Begin when you're ready," she announced coolly.
The arena gates opened. We stepped onto a circular platform bathed in red light — portable sunstones were in 'combat mode.' In the center was an obsidian brazier, lit with a whoosh. Flames roared around it, dancing like liquid nightmares.
"Endure the flames, or put them out. Your choice," Seraphina said, arms crossed.
I swallowed as heat blasted my face. Yuria cracked her knuckles, looking unreasonably happy. I realized I definitely preferred flame on Yuria's side than on my own.
For a second, we just stared each other down. Then Yuria lunged forward like a flame-bat out of hell, lightning crackling around her fists.
I panicked. Ducking aside, I tried tapping the Sigil to twist the arena's gravity, but nothing happened. Before I knew it, Yuria had unleashed a vicious bolt of lightning at the brazier.
"Ow!" The bolt missed by inches, scorching the ground between us. The brazier's fire roared, feeding off the chaos.
I needed a plan. Remembering Yuria's earlier potion trick, I pulled an ice vial from my pocket. With a swing, I shattered it. A plume of frost engulfed the brazier, instantly quenching most of the flames. Only a few embers remained.
Yuria blinked, surprised. "Neat trick," she said, nodding. "Didn't see that coming, human."
I grinned sheepishly. "You're welcome," I mumbled, brushing ash off my jeans.
Seraphina raised an eyebrow. "Physics and magic classes might enjoy that demonstration. Intriguing approach."
"It's no big deal," I shrugged. "I've got a few tricks up my sleeve."
Yuria charged again, stomping the ground. Arc lightning shot out from the steel grates in a semicircle aimed at me. I had seconds to react. Quickly I traced a rune in the air. The arena floor beneath me shot up into a giant earth wall, absorbing the lightning strike with a thunderous crack. The ground and walls shook, but I stood protected.
Yuria staggered. "That was cunning," she admitted. "But let's really play."
The brazier had faded to cold ash. Yuria sighed, brushing soot from her arm. "All right. Tactics, huh?"
We circled carefully now, eyes on each other. The courtyard's air smelled of burnt herbs and ozone. It was quiet — too quiet.
Suddenly, flame runes inscribed themselves around the walls (I hadn't cast them). Three little fire sprites materialized, racing toward me. They leapt onto the ground, skittering like burning beetles.
I dodged one and the others struck the frozen ground. Steam hissed as each flame sprite smashed into ice and vanished.
The floor beneath me rumbled. I barely jumped aside — the ground split open with an eerie groan, creating a chasm. I landed on the far side as the platform dropped.
Yuria yelped, but she held her footing. She glared up, snow forming around her feet to keep her steady. "Tricky," she muttered. "Thanks for not dropping me in lava."
"Anytime," I said. The platform began to rise again.
Above us, a massive serpent of flame slithered down from the ceiling, tongue lashing. It hissed as it dove toward me.
My heart hammered. No cover now. I slammed both hands together and muttered an incantation from the Codex. The floor beneath the serpent became swirling water — then instantly froze into a glassy sheet. The fiery snake smashed into it, cracking and vanishing in a puff of steam.
Silence fell. The trapdoors clanged shut. The flames were gone.
We collapsed to our knees, breathing hard. Seraphina approached, applauding slowly. "Well done. You demonstrated creativity and survival instincts under pressure."
"You managed to spare the curriculum," Lilith added with a grin from a catwalk above. "I'm impressed."
Seraphina nodded approvingly. "Class dismissed. Both of you should probably get some rest. And maybe take a cold shower."
Yuria pumped a fist. "We did it," she panted.
"Yeah," I agreed, adrenaline finally fading. "We actually survived that."
Seraphina and Lilith disappeared as the stairwells opened. We watched them go, then met each other's eyes and laughed out loud — a release we didn't know we needed.
Yuria bumped my shoulder. "See? Told you it'd be fun."
"Fun is one word for it," I managed between chuckles.
We got up. "So I guess I'll skip lunch and hit the library," I said. "Plenty of notes to, uh, rewrite."
"Nerd," Yuria teased, looping her arm through mine. "I'll treat you to ramen for being such a hero."
As we walked out into the day, I realized something: I might not belong here naturally, but right now I felt oddly at home. After everything, my demon world just became a tiny bit brighter.