After Maya formed her team with Taika and the others, everyone began preparing in their own way.
Maya pushed herself the hardest.
She spent hours training her scent manipulation, carefully measuring how much mana she could use before her legs gave out. Flowers, herbs, even the damp scent of soil—she tested each one, learning where her limits truly were.
Taika stayed with her.
She practiced casting magic without words, letting mistakes happen and trusting them to correct themselves. Her control grew steadier, her confidence quieter but stronger with each attempt.
Meanwhile, Clare chose the library.
She buried herself in books and lectures, memorizing formulas, battle theory, and elemental counters. She didn't talk much—but every page she turned sharpened her edge.
Alwin trained far from the academy.
In the forest, he moved alongside Tamamo, summoning and dismissing her again and again. The fox darted between trees, blue fur flashing as Alwin learned to synchronize his mana with hers. Occasionally, her form flickered—just for a moment—hinting at something larger.
Days passed quickly.
The academy buzzed with preparation.
Classrooms were cleaned and sealed.
Practice halls were reinforced.
Magical barriers were tested again and again.
Everything was ready.
Only three days remained before the mid-term magical examinations.
And with each passing hour, the pressure grew heavier.
Only two days left.
The pressure was starting to show---on everyone.
Maya called a team meeting at the garden, choosing a quiet spot beneath a large tree where the breeze carried the scent of flowers.
Maya: "Alright, team. This isn't a casual hangout."
Taika sat properly, hands on her lap.
Taika: "…You sound serious."
Clare leaned against the tree.
Clare: "About time."
Alwin sat nearby, Tamamo resting beside him, ears twitching.
Maya took a deep breath.
Maya: "We need to talk about other students. Especially those from the other courses."
Taika looked up.
Taika: "They're… that strong?"
Maya nodded.
Maya: "Some of them aren't even fully human anymore. Their abilities are on another level."
Clare spoke first.
Clare: "Loki."
Maya continued.
Maya: "Loki. Gravity user. He can increase, reduce, or twist gravity in a localized area. If you fight him head-on, you'll lose."
Taika swallowed.
Taika: "…That sounds unfair."
Maya moved on.
Maya: "Wilder. Beast transformation. White tiger. Enhanced speed, claws, instincts—the whole package."
Alwin's gaze sharpened.
Alwin: "A direct melee specialist."
Maya nodded.
Maya: "Exactly."
Clare added calmly.
Clare: "Iron."
Taika blinked.
Taika: "Iron?"
Maya corrected herself with a sigh.
Maya: "Right—Iron. Super strength. He doesn't use magic efficiently, but his raw power compensates."
Alwin frowned.
Alwin: "Summons wouldn't last long against that."
Maya's voice dropped slightly.
Maya: "And Roy."
The air shifted.
Taika: "…Assassin?"
Clare nodded.
Clare: "Silent movement. Vital strikes. You won't even know he's there until it's too late."
Maya clasped her hands.
Maya: "That's why teamwork matters. We can't fight them alone."
Taika looked at her friends—at Maya's determination, Clare's calm focus, Alwin's quiet resolve.
Taika: "…Then we watch each other's backs."
Maya smiled.
Maya: "Exactly. We survive together."
Tamamo's tail flicked once, as if agreeing.
Two days left.
And the real test was just beginning.
The next day arrived quietly.
It was cleaning day—the last calm moment before the exams.
Students filled the hallways and classrooms, sleeves rolled up, brooms and cloths in hand. Laughter mixed with groans as desks were moved and windows thrown open.
Maya wiped the chalkboard clean, stepping back to check for smudges.
Maya: "Hard to believe this room will decide our future tomorrow."
Taika was on the floor, polishing the tiles a little too thoroughly.
Taika: "…If it's clean enough, maybe the exam will be kinder."
Clare dusted the shelves with efficient, precise movements.
Clare: "Magic or not, dirt is still dirt."
Alwin carried desks with ease, Tamamo following him like a shadow, occasionally sniffing corners curiously.
Alwin: "It feels strange. Like the calm before a storm."
Maya glanced around the now-bright classroom—the sunlight, the familiar desks, the quiet effort of everyone preparing.
Maya: "Yeah… but we've done everything we can."
The classroom slowly returned to order, spotless and ready.
Tomorrow, this peaceful place would become a battlefield of magic.
And everyone knew it.
The student council room was quiet, bathed in the soft glow of mana lamps. Stacks of documents, magic charts, and exam maps were neatly arranged--everything already reviewed weeks ago.
Sky sat at the head of the table, eyes calmly scanning a report.
Sky: "The academy is almost ready. No irregular mana readings so far."
A vice president leaned back on her chair, arms crossed.
Vice President: "As expected. The mid-term won't trouble us… but the first-years might surprise people."
Another member closed a book filled with complex spell formations.
Council Member: "Especially the scholarship students. Their growth rate is unusual."
Sky paused for a moment at that, fingers tapping lightly on the table.
Sky: "Potential often blooms under pressure."
He looked toward the window, where the academy grounds stretched peacefully below.
Sky: "Tomorrow's exam isn't about strength alone. It's about limits… and what happens when they're tested."
The room fell silent again--not from tension, but certainty.
They were ready.
And somewhere below, new names were about to be written into history.
That afternoon, Taika and Maya carefully carried a pile of books toward the student council room, the spines stacked so high Taika could barely see over them.
Maya: "Whew… next time, I'm asking for teleportation duty."
Taika smiled faintly as they stepped inside.
Sky looked up from his desk.
Sky: "Thank you. You can leave them there."
They set the books down. Maya stretched, then glanced between Sky and Taika.
Maya: "I'll wait outside."
The door closed softly, leaving the room quiet.
Sky turned to Taika, his expression calm—but serious.
Sky: "Taika, I need you to remember something."
He lowered his voice and slid a small note across the desk.
Sky:
"Loki — 150 meters
Wilder — 2 meters
Silver — 30 meters
Roy — 50 meters"
Taika blinked.
Taika: "A code…?"
Sky: "Distances."
She froze.
Sky: "If you ever feel danger and these names come to mind—move outside those numbers. Immediately."
Taika's fingers tightened around the paper.
Taika: "Attack ranges…"
Sky nodded once.
Sky: "They're not ordinary students. Those ranges are where they are most lethal."
Taika's thoughts raced—gravity crushing from afar, blades striking before sound, claws tearing at arm's length.
Taika (thought): So that's what it means…
Sky stood, turning toward the window.
Sky: "Survival isn't about bravery. It's about knowing when not to be there."
He looked back at her.
Sky: "Keep this to yourself."
Taika slipped the note into her sleeve and bowed slightly.
Taika: "Thank you… President Tudor."
As she left the room, her heart pounded.
The exam hadn't started yet—
---but the warnings already had.
As evening fell, the academy slowly sank into silence.
Lanterns lit the stone paths, their warm glow reflecting against the tall towers of Galdur. Students returned to their dormitories one by one, voices fading, footsteps growing distant. Tomorrow would decide everything.
In the garden, Taika stood still, Sky's words echoing in her mind.
Taika (thought): Distances… not power… but death.
Nearby, Maya laughed softly as she stretched her arms after training.
Maya: "No matter what happens tomorrow, we'll be fine. We've prepared."
Clare closed her book and looked up.
Clare: "We've done everything we can."
Alwin stood a little apart, Tamamo sitting quietly beside him, her blue tails swaying faintly as if sensing what was to come.
Alwin: "I'll protect you all… as much as I can."
Taika looked at them—her team, her allies. People she hadn't known long, yet already trusted with her life.
She clenched her fist.
Taika: "Let's survive this. Together."
Above them, the academy bell rang once—low and heavy—signaling the end of the day.
Far beyond the walls of Galdur, something ancient stirred beneath stone and earth, unseen… but waiting.
And within the academy, seven paths slowly began to align once more.
Not legends yet.
Not heroes.
Just students---
standing at the edge of becoming.
End of Chapter — End of Arc