Zeus Academy: The Teaser
The sky of "Aetheria" was burning with a strange purple hue, as rivers of magical energy flowed above the heads of thousands of young people lined up before the gates of Zeus Academy.
It was not a calm that hung over the place, but rather a funereal silence; everyone knew that whoever entered these gates today would either emerge as a sublime mage or never emerge at all.
In the middle of the crowd stood "Arya." She looked small in size, pale-faced, wrapped in a worn cloak that hid beneath it a body that did not tremble with fear, but with readiness.
While the rest were muttering protection spells and showing off small fireballs between their fingers, Arya felt the "Void". No mana, no elements, nothing but the steady beat of her heart and the sound of bones tightening under her skin.
"Number 749... Arya from the Ashen Suburbs! Step forward for the test!"
The announcer shouted in a voice amplified by magic to shake hearts.
Arya advanced toward the testing platform, where three of the "High Mages" stood with cold eyes and fists charged with lightning.
Their elder said with contempt:
"Arya... the scanning device does not show a single atom of magic in your being. Did you come here to die?".
Before she could answer, the mage fired a beam of magical "fire," a fire that does not go out unless it is absorbed by the victim's magic or burns their body to ashes.
The onlookers gasped, for the scene looked like an inevitable death sentence.
But what happened next made history stop for a second.
As soon as the tongues of flame touched the tips of Arya's fingers, they did not burn. Instead, the magic disintegrated and turned into pale grey particles that fell to the ground like dead dust.
The fire vanished completely as if it had never been, leaving the mage in a state of psychotic amazement.
"Impossible... You neutralized the magic just by touching it?!"
The mage screamed with a stutter.
Arya raised her head, and a steely look appeared in her eyes, the likes of which had never been seen in this magical world.
She leaned slightly, pressed down on her feet, and then delivered a single punch toward the marble floor of the platform, which was fortified with the strongest defensive spells.
"BOOM!"
Not only did the marble break, but a massive physical explosion roared. The ground split beneath the mages' feet, and a deep, vast crack extended, splitting the academy square in half, sending a shockwave that knocked down everyone in its path.
Dust covered the place, and amidst the dead silence that followed the destruction, Arya stood in her crater, brushing the dust off her fist, which was not even scratched.
She looked at the trembling judges and said in a voice as calm as a storm:
"Your magic determines your status... but my fist will determine your fate. Have I passed the test?"