July 11, 447 A.R. – 1:12 PM (Past Timeline) Cindralith Central Arena
The marble floors of the ceremonial hall had shifted and split again, reforming into a new battlefield a clean, circular courtyard of gray stone surrounded by faintly glowing runic walls. The final trial.
Arena Level 3: Instructor Duel. Objective: Land a single strike on your opponent.
There was no monster this time. No illusionary creature. Only a single man, the appointed Instructor, his black-and-silver uniform immaculate, his posture relaxed but coiled, like a wolf watching its prey.
He stood in the center of the ring, arms folded behind his back. The faint blue shimmer of a protective barrier surrounded him, humming softly, as if daring anyone to try.
Fifteen students remained. All exhausted. All determined. The crowd of parents, nobles, and Order officials murmured with excitement as the survivors stepped onto the platform.
Near the front, Count Aldric Varen sat with composed pride, his children — Lucien and Elise — at his side. Neither had fought in this Level; their noble blood exempted them from such "public demonstrations." They were observers now, untouched by sweat or dust. Lucien leaned back with bored arrogance. Elise, however, leaned forward, eyes sharp with curiosity as she scanned the field until they caught Rei's for a fraction of a second.
He looked away first.
Mira stood among the students, practically vibrating with energy. Her early awakening had drawn enough attention already, and she'd dominated the Frostmere trial with icy precision.Now, she was grinning from ear to ear.
"Come on, Rei," she whispered to herself from the sidelines. "You've got this."
The Instructor's voice cut through the chatter, smooth and cold.
"You've faced beasts and illusions. Now, face reality. In battle, your enemy will not be predictable, nor merciful."
He paused, gaze sweeping across the line of students.
"Land a single hit on me. That's all it takes."
The first candidate stepped forward.
A flash of red light Talon Graves, muscles coiled like steel cables, charged forward, his gauntlets blazing with kinetic energy. He swung with the force of a battering ram.
The barrier absorbed the blow effortlessly then pulsed. A blast of repulsive energy sent him flying backward, crashing into the runic wall. The audience gasped.
The Instructor didn't even flinch.
"Next."
Lira Ashford went next. Her hands blurred, shaping symbols into the air that solidified into crystalline shards of pure light. She hurled them in precise arcs, each one a perfect hit. Each one shattered on contact. The barrier remained intact, glowing faintly brighter, as if mocking her effort.
"Too scattered," the Instructor said simply. "Focus is strength."
Nyx Rainer darted forward, leaving three afterimages behind him, his movement so fast it blurred into streaks of silver. He reappeared above the Instructor, twin daggers flashing. The moment his blades hit the barrier, a shockwave erupted. Nyx dropped to the floor, gasping, his weapons scorched black.
"Speed without control is chaos," the Instructor said coldly. "Next."
Vera Castellan approached, calm and deliberate. She raised her hand, and the faint shimmer of perception threads spread around her like invisible strings, analyzing, measuring. She waited for the barrier's pulse, then struck with precision using a conjured blade of compressed air. The impact was perfect. The barrier didn't even flicker.
Vera exhaled slowly, eyes narrowing in thought.
"It adapts," she murmured. "Learning from every strike."
The Instructor's faint smirk told her she was right.
The next few candidates tried in groups, synchronized attacks of fire, lightning, and kinetic bursts. Each attempt only strengthened the barrier further, its hum deepening, its glow sharpening into a mocking rhythm.
By the time the twelfth student fell to their knees, panting and defeated, the audience's enthusiasm had dulled to uneasy silence.
No one could even scratch the Instructor's shield.
Then it was Mira's turn.
She stepped forward, confidence radiating from her like sunlight on frost. Ice mist coiled around her fingers as she focused, the cold shimmering in the air. The Instructor raised an eyebrow — he'd seen her early awakening report.
"The early manifest," he said. "Show me what the Order's prodigy can do."
Mira didn't respond. Her hands came together, forming a sphere of glacial light that pulsed and cracked. With a shout, she launched a focused beam — pure, cutting frost energy that splintered across the barrier like lightning frozen in air.
For a heartbeat, just one, the shield flickered. The faintest shimmer of instability rippled through it.
The Instructor smiled. Then the pulse returned, absorbing her attack completely.
The backlash hit her like a shove of wind. Rei half-rose from his seat, but she steadied herself, biting her lip to hide the pain.
"Good effort," the Instructor said flatly. "Next."
Mira walked back, panting but smiling faintly when she passed Rei. "At least I made it flicker," she whispered, trying to sound proud.
Rei met her eyes and nodded. "You did."
But inside, his blood was boiling. Every attempt. Every failure. Every condescending look from Lucien above them. And through it all, the Instructor hadn't moved once.
It wasn't a test anymore. It was theater.
And Rei knew exactly who was pulling the strings.