Kael woke to sunlight streaming through the narrow dorm window, warm against his face.
For a moment, he just lay there, staring at the ceiling, his body still heavy with the comfortable weight of sleep.
Then the familiar chime echoed in his head.
Ding.
He groaned.
The golden screen materialized above him, glowing with that cheerful, infuriating brightness.
[Daily Subtasks: Excel in Combat]
[Pass Test Three with a Distinction ranking.]
[Penalty for Failure: All combat instincts suppressed for 7 days.]
[Time Remaining: 72hrs.]
Kael stared at it.
Then read it again.
"Pass with distinction?"
He sat up slowly, rubbing his face.
'Well that's... actually something useful. For once.'
But also sounds impossible.
Distinction meant top-tier performance.
It meant standing out.
He would be lucky if he stood throughout the test.
He sighed, swinging his legs off the bed. "The one time this useless thing gives me something helpful, it's impossible."
Across the room, Theo was already dressed, adjusting his glasses as he read a book at his desk.
"Talking to yourself again?" Theo asked without looking up.
"It's called internal monologue. Very sophisticated."
"It's called concerning."
Kael chuckled, pulling on his uniform. "You ready for today?"
Theo closed his notebook, his expression calm but focused. "As ready as I can be."
"Confident?"
"Realistic."
Kael nodded. "Right. Because you never lose."
Theo finally looked at him, his gaze steady. "I don't plan to start today."
There was no arrogance in his tone.
Just fact.
Kael shook his head, pulling on his boots. 'Cocky bastard'
They finished getting ready in companionable silence, the weight of the upcoming test settling over them like a heavy cloak.
Finally, Theo stood, "Come on. We'll be late."
"Would that be so bad?"
"Yes."
"Right. Stupid question."
They left the dorm together, walking through the now-familiar corridors toward the main plaza.
◆ ◆ ◆
The Assembly Field was packed.
Thousands of students filled the massive open space, their voices blending into a low, anxious roar.
The air buzzed with nervous energy, anticipation crackling like static electricity.
Kael and Theo found a spot near the middle, surrounded by a sea of black and blue uniforms.
Above them, the sky shimmered.
The now-familiar golden glyph spiraled into existence, massive and intricate, its light casting long shadows across the crowd.
And from its center, Vice Headmaster Revek's projection materialized—towering, imposing, absolute.
Silence fell instantly.
"Candidates of the 179th Generation."
His voice didn't boom. It didn't need to. It simply was, pressing into their minds with undeniable weight.
"You stand here today because you have proven yourselves capable. You have passed the trials of strength and will. But capability is not enough."
He gestured, and the glyph above him pulsed, projecting images into the air—battlefields, teams fighting, flags being captured and defended.
"Test Three is unlike anything you might have faced. It is not a measure of individual skill. It is a measure of unity. Of strategy. Of adaptation under pressure."
The images shifted—showing teams coordinating, succeeding, failing, falling apart.
"You will be divided into teams of thirty. Each team will be assigned a base and a flag. Your objective is simple: protect your flag for seventy-two hours."
A murmur rippled through the crowd.
Revek continued, unfazed. "Survival alone will earn you passage into the academy. But survival is the minimum. If you wish to secure your place in the upper classes—if you wish to prove you are more than merely adequate—you must do more."
The projection shifted again, showing a scoreboard.
"Points. You will earn them by capturing enemy flags. The teams with the highest scores will be placed in Class A. The weakest will be relegated to Class D."
His gaze swept across the thousands of students below.
"The battlefield is vast. Thirty square miles of forests, mountains, rivers, and ruins. You will encounter enemy teams. You will encounter beasts. You will encounter death."
Another murmur, louder this time.
"Do not fear it. Death here is not permanent. When you fall, you will be removed from the field and placed in the observation area. But your team will continue without you. Your failure becomes their burden."
The words hung in the air like a blade.
"You have been sorted. You have been assigned. In moments, you will be transported to your bases. From that moment forward, the timer begins."
He straightened, his projection pulsing with power.
"Seventy-two hours. Six hundred teams. One goal."
His voice dropped, cold and final.
"Survive."
The glyph collapsed inward, and the projection vanished.
For a heartbeat, the crowd was silent.
And then it erupted—thousands of voices overlapping in chaos, excitement, fear, determination.
Kael stood there, hands in his pockets, staring at the empty space where Revek had been.
"Well," he muttered. "That was intense."
Theo adjusted his glasses, his expression unreadable. "He has a flair for the dramatic."
"Understatement of the century."
A notification blinked into existence in front of every student—golden text hovering in the air.
[TEAM ASSIGNMENT: TEAM 147]
[TELEPORTATION COMMENCING IN: 5 MINUTES]
Kael glanced at his notification, then at Theo.
Theo was staring at his own screen, his expression shifting—just slightly—into something that might have been disappointment.
"Different teams?" Kael asked.
Theo nodded. "Team 212."
"So we're enemies."
"For seventy-two hours."
"Try not to cry when I steal your flag."
"I'll try to contain my devastation."
They stood there for a moment, the chaos of the crowd swirling around them.
"Don't die," Theo said simply.
"You too."
"And Kael?"
"Yeah?"
"Try to put in even a little effort."
"No promises."
◆ ◆ ◆
The teleportation was... disorienting.
One moment, Kael was standing in the crowded plaza, surrounded by thousands of students.
The next, the world twisted—reality folding in on itself, colors bleeding together, sound warping into a high-pitched whine.
And then—
Thud.
Solid ground beneath his feet.
Cool air against his skin.
The roar of water, loud and constant.
Kael blinked, his vision clearing slowly.
And stared.
"...Holy shit."
He was standing on a massive stone platform—easily a hundred feet across—suspended in the air beside a thundering waterfall. The water cascaded down from towering cliffs above, crashing into a churning pool far below, sending mist billowing upward in thick, shimmering clouds.
The base itself was built directly into the rock—a fortified structure of dark stone and enchanted iron, with walls, watchtowers, and battlements overlooking the surrounding terrain. The flag—a banner of deep crimson emblazoned with a silver wolf—flew from the highest tower, snapping in the wind.
It was stunning.
And terrifying.
Because the only way on or off the platform was a narrow stone bridge connecting them to the mainland—a chokepoint that could be easily defended.
Or easily blocked.
Kael turned slowly, taking in his surroundings.
Forests stretched out in every direction, dense and dark. Mountains loomed in the distance. And scattered throughout the landscape, he could see other bases—tiny specks of stone and light, each one flying a different colored flag.
One base, in particular, caught his eye.
It was close.
Too close.
Maybe a mile away, perched on a rocky hill overlooking the forest.
Their flag—a dark green banner—was clearly visible even from here.
Great.
'Neighbors.'
"Welcome to your base, candidates."
The voice was calm, female, echoing from nowhere and everywhere at once—an automated message from the school.
"Your flag has been raised. The timer begins... now."
A countdown appeared in the sky above them, massive and glowing.
[71:59:58]
[71:59:57]
[71:59:56]
It began ticking down.
And around Kael, his thirty teammates finished materializing—appearing in flashes of light, stumbling slightly as the teleportation released them.
"..."
It seems the academy wanted to balance things out since there looked to be exactly fifteen blue jacket and fifteen black jacket including him.
For a moment, there was chaos as everyone was trying to process their surroundings.
Voices overlapping, students looking around in confusion, trying to orient themselves.
And when they finally stabilized enough to stare at one another—
The Knights slowly grouped up and moved to one side of the courtyard.
The Mages moved to the other.
They stood in two distinct groups, eyeing each other with barely concealed tension.
Kael, still standing near the center, glanced left.
Then right.
Then back at the two groups.
'Wait.'
'Are we... picking sides?'
'I thought this was supposed to be one team?'
He looked around, genuinely confused.
'Did I miss a memo?'
There was just one person other than him who stood at the center, a small figure frozen—clutching her staff with both hands, her honey-brown hair falling over her face. Her eyes darted nervously from person to person.
She looked just as lost as he felt.
Their eyes met across the space.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
And then, slowly, she edged toward him—hesitant, like she wasn't sure if she was allowed.
She stopped a few feet away, her voice barely audible over the roar of the waterfall.
"Um... which side are you on?"
Kael blinked at her.
Then shrugged. "Honestly? No idea."
Both side maintained their stance for almost five minutes.
And after what felt like an eternity for Kael, someone from the Mage side, a calm, authoritative voice cut through the silence.
"Alright. Everyone, listen up."
Everyone turned to him.
A tall boy with neatly combed blue hair and sharp, aristocratic features stepped forward.
His blue mage uniform looked freshly pressed, and the way he stood—calm, upright, hands clasped behind his back—oozed quiet confidence.
"We don't have time for childish grudges," he said, his tone firm but measured. "If we want to pass—if we want to win—we need structure. I propose an alliance."
At first there was silence from the other side, as all the knights exchanged looks unsure of how to respond.
Then after a few more seconds, a figure stepped out from their ranks.
She stood with her arms crossed, her single violet eye sharp and unyielding, the silver-edged eyepatch catching the light.
"Fine," she said flatly. "But I lead the Knights. You lead the Mages. We coordinate, but we don't interfere with each other's tactics."
Niko nodded. "Agreed. Dual leadership."
No one from either sides came out to oppose their sudden leadership, so it was silently finalized that Niko and Seraphina where the two captains of the team.