The vast marble amphitheater at the heart of the Astralis Institute buzzed with anticipation. Hundreds of students gathered beneath the arched skylight, where the sun poured in like liquid gold.
Among the crowd, Celeste stood silently, her usual dull expression masking the whirlwind of emotions inside. She had arrived only moments earlier, having used the Sagittarius constellation's power—teleportation—to reach before anyone else. Her legs had barely touched the ground when she felt the now-familiar tap on her shoulder.
"Celeste!" Lyra appeared beside her, panting slightly, still flushed from their training earlier that day. "Thank you for introducing me to Instructor Selene! She was incredible! Will she come again tomorrow?"
Celeste nodded with a small smile. "She might."
"Please thank her again! I think I'm finally starting to believe I can do this," Lyra grinned before returning to her place in the crowd.
Just as Celeste turned her gaze back toward the stage, a voice drifted over her shoulder.
She froze.
Auren stood behind her, arms crossed, his golden eyes trained on her. "How do you know Selene?"
Her mind raced. Before she could utter a word—
"Ahem."
The Headmaster's voice boomed through the amphitheater, cutting through every side conversation like a blade.
A hush fell over the gathering.
"I commend all of you for your continued dedication during these turbulent times," he began, his voice calm yet firm. "As you know, the Glorious Trial is approaching. The selection of the eight who will wield the ancestral weapons is not a mere test of strength—it is a test of worth."
He looked across the sea of young faces.
"Before the trial begins, all students will undertake a Literary Examination next week. Theory is the foundation upon which warriors are built. You must understand the world you seek to protect. The histories, the forces at play, the very essence of what makes our empires stand."
Gasps and murmurs rose in the crowd. Some were clearly disappointed, others panicked.
"The top scorers will be considered more seriously for leadership and team formation during the trial. Everyone is dismissed."
With that, the professors turned, the Headmaster's cloak trailing behind him as he exited through the central archway.
Students poured out of the hall, voices buzzing again.
But Celeste couldn't move. Auren was still behind her.
She felt the tug on her sleeve.
"You still haven't answered," he said, brows furrowed now with suspicion. "How do you know Selene?"
Celeste turned around slowly, scrambling for a lie, but her eyes gave away the uncertainty.
"I—she's just… someone I met a while ago. She sometimes visits our empire," she said carefully.
Auren studied her with unsettling intensity. "What's her full name?"
Celeste blinked. "She didn't say."
He frowned. "You're not close, but you introduced her to Lyra? And she just happened to show up at the perfect time to train her?"
Celeste opened her mouth but no words came.
"You're hiding something," he muttered, his voice low.
Before she could say anything, Kael called out from a distance, "Auren! We're going to the training yard."
He hesitated, then threw one last glance at Celeste—one filled with confusion, irritation, and something deeper… suspicion laced with curiosity.
"This isn't over."
He turned and left, his red cloak fluttering behind him.
Celeste stood alone in the slowly emptying amphitheater, her heart pounding.
She had survived the moment.
But barely.