Zaren and William spent the tense hours before the test hidden in the orphanage's dusty library. Zaren pulled a worn book titled "Basic Elemental Sparks" from a shelf. "Hey, William! Look! Maybe we can practice?" he said, hope flickering in his eyes.
William managed a grin. "Can't hurt to try." They hunched over the wobbly table, fingers tracing strange symbols, whispering incantations that sparked nothing but dust motes in the dim light. It felt like grasping at hope.
---
The next morning, William slammed open Zaren's door. "GET UP, ZAREN! TODAY'S THE DAY!"
Zaren shot awake, tangled in his thin blanket, and thumped onto the floor. "Okay, okay! I'm up!" He scrambled into his worn clothes, heart pounding. William vanished to change.
Outside the orphanage gates, excitement buzzed through Zaren. "Let's go, William! First step to Orion!"
William chuckled, adjusting his shirt. "Teasing me won't make you rank up faster, you know?"
Zaren shot him a determined look. "We'll see." William just smiled, and they broke into a run towards the imposing Kingdom Guild.
The Guild building loomed, built of massive, weathered stone. Other nineteen-year-olds from the orphanage milled nervously outside. "Wow!" Zaren breathed, taking in the sheer size.
William nodded, eyes wide with awe. "So this is where it starts..."
Cardos Valnus, sharp in his black uniform, met them. "Welcome. Follow me. Lord Armen awaits on the training ground." The crowd shuffled after him, whispers buzzing like scared bees:
"Maybe I should just go home..."
"Too late now! No turning back!"
"How strong is a Cadet Orion?"
Zaren clenched his fists, knuckles white. William met his gaze, his own eyes cool and steady. "Let's go," William said, his voice firm.
Entering the vast training ground felt like stepping into an oven. An intense wave of heat slammed into them. Several recruits gasped and shrank back. In the center stood Armen Johnson. His fiery red hair seemed to dance with unseen flames. His eyes glowed like hot coals. Fire rippled over the heavy red gauntlets covering his fists, and the air around him shimmered with heat. This is real power, Zaren thought, a thrill mixing with awe. This is a Cadet Orion.
"Welcome," Armen's voice boomed, cutting through the nervous silence. "Let's begin. Form groups of three!"
Chaos erupted. Recruits scrambled, calling out names. Zaren and William stuck close, searching for a third. Nearby, Brad, Zanet, and Mario smirked, already a group.
A nervous-looking boy sidled up to William. "Hey, uh... ditch Zaren. Join us. I'll kick one of my guys out." He jerked a thumb dismissively at Zaren.
William's face hardened instantly. "Take that offer and shove it somewhere dark."
Brad stepped forward, fist clenched, face reddening. "You little--!" He froze mid-sentence. Armen's fiery gaze was locked onto him. Brad paled, his anger evaporating. "Uh... fine. Later." He quickly retreated.
Zaren and William exchanged a worried glance. Who would be their third?
Suddenly, a calm voice spoke beside Zaren. "Can I join?" They turned. A girl stood there, dark hair pulled back sharply, her gaze intense. Nira Varnas.
Zaren blinked, surprised. She had a focused, almost fierce look. William grinned. "Yeah! Why not?"
"TIME'S UP!" Armen's shout silenced the field. "Get with your teams! Now, the test begins... but there's a change." A wave of relief washed over the recruits. Not fighting him! "Urgent business calls me away," Armen continued. The relief vanished as he finished: "Your test is to enter the Blackroot Forest. Kill one Zibo. Bring back proof. One kill per team."
Shock hit like a physical blow. Even Cardos looked startled.
"Sir!" a voice quavered from the crowd. "We've never even seen a Zibo! We don't know how to fight one!"
Armen raised a fiery hand. "My assistants will shadow you. They intervene only if death is certain. Bring back one Zibo head to pass. You have twenty-four hours. Fail, and you go home." His fiery eyes swept over them, serious. "This forest holds dangers far worse than facing me unprepared. Move out."
Cardos directed them towards massive gates leading out of the city wall. As they walked, William nudged Zaren. "You ever seen a real one? A Zibo?"
Zaren's face darkened, a shadow passing behind his eyes. "Yeah. Once. Tiny. A baby still." His voice was flat, distant. "Terrifying. It was... eating someone. Drinking... stuff. A man grabbed me. Ran. Saved me." He shuddered slightly.
William whistled low. "Okay. So our goal just got a whole lot harder, huh?"
Zaren's jaw tightened. Determination blazed in his eyes, hotter than Armen's flames. "I don't care if it's hard. I like hard things. I chose this path. I will do it."
William stared at him, then broke into a wide, fierce grin. "Well, alright then, partner!"
As they neared the looming forest gate, walking alongside Brad's smirking group and other nervous teams, Nira spoke to William. Her voice was cool, assessing. "Can I ask? Do you know any magic?"
William nodded. "Light magic. Basics."
Nira's sharp eyes flicked to Zaren. "And him?"
William answered quickly, handing Zaren a simple, weighted practice sword from the pile by the gate. "He doesn't have magic. But he's fast. Really good with a blade."
Nira's gaze swept over Zaren again, a flicker of something unreadable – doubt? Disappointment? – in her eyes. No magic? He'll be dead weight. "Gravity magic," she stated simply, turning her attention back to the dark tree line.
"Awesome!" William said, forcing cheer. But as Nira walked slightly ahead, William leaned close to Zaren, his voice a low, urgent whisper. "Watch yourself. She seems... sharp. Useful, maybe. But I don't trust that look she gave you. Our team is strong. Just... stick close to me, okay?" His protective instinct was clear and fierce.
The heavy iron gates groaned open with a sound like grinding bones. Beyond lay the Blackroot Forest. Ancient, gnarled trees clawed at a sky choked by thick canopy. Thorns and dense undergrowth formed walls. A heavy silence hung in the air, thick with the smell of damp earth, rotting leaves, and something faintly metallic and wrong. The light was dim, green, and menacing.
Zaren gripped his sword, the weight unfamiliar but solid in his hands. William took a deep breath, a faint, warm golden light flickering hesitantly at his fingertips. Nira cracked her knuckles, and the air around her hands seemed to warp and blur faintly, heavy with unseen force.
Their twenty-four hours had begun. The Blackroot Forest, hungry and ancient, swallowed them whole. Somewhere within its shadowed heart, teeth waited.
(Chapter 3 Fin)