✨ Chapter 44 – The Night of First Blood
The academy transformed by late afternoon.
Students no longer walked.
They marched.
Divisions moved in formation, carrying enchanted shields, elemental staff rods, charm ribbons, hybrid cores, and mentalist focus rings.
The sky glowed the color of old bruises—purple fading into sickly red.
Tomorrow was the full moon.
But tonight…
Tonight would be their first real battlefield.
Ariana stepped into the central courtyard and felt the breath catch in her throat.
Hundreds of students stood in precise rows.
Elementals to the right, arranged by affinity: Fire, Ice, Wind, Earth.
Mentalists in shimmering aura shields.
Guardians in armor etched with runes.
Charmcasters glowing gold and pink.
Hybrids clustered around glowing conduits.
The Pillars stood at the highest balcony like generals.
Headmaster Solarin raised his staff.
And the entire courtyard fell silent.
The Formation
Solarin's voice thundered across the academy.
"Tonight, the first wave of Rebirth's assault will strike our borders."
Students swallowed hard.
"Tonight, you stand as the first line of defense."
No one moved.
No one breathed.
Solarin lifted a glowing sphere—
the formation core.
"Moonborn Ariana Sterling," he called.
The courtyard turned.
Ariana stiffened but Kai nudged her gently forward.
Solarin gestured her to the center of the courtyard.
"You will anchor the hybrid division with your stabilizer magic."
Ariana nodded.
Her heart hammered.
Solarin continued:
"Shifters will reinforce from the flanks."
Kai stepped forward silently.
His wolf aura flared golden.
"Elementals will form the first arc of offense."
Rylan's fire burned like molten glass.
Calen's frost hissed like ice shards.
Zane's psychic eyes glowed.
"Guardians will protect the younger students."
Loren and the senior guardians saluted.
"And Charms Division will be the heart of defensive shielding."
Seraphina lifted her golden ribbons and nodded at Ariana.
Ariana felt grounded by her presence.
Solarin lifted the formation sphere.
"For tonight's battle—you fight together.
One academy.
One force.
One future."
The ground pulsed in response.
The formation was alive.
A huge sigil spread beneath their feet—
silver, gold, blue, red—
spanning the entire courtyard.
Ariana felt it hum beneath her skin.
Her wolf whispered:
"Battle circle.
Moon circle.
You stand at the heart."
Ariana swallowed.
"I'm ready," she whispered.
Kai stepped behind her, resting a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"You're not alone."
Training the Moon-Fire
While the other divisions drilled formations, Ariana, Kai, Seraphina, and the Pillars stood in a smaller, ringed-off area.
Ariana inhaled and reached deep—
—until she felt it.
Moon-fire.
Silver flames rippled along her skin—
beautiful and terrifying.
Rylan whistled.
"Okay, that's hot. Literally and magically."
Ariana flushed.
"Kai… you said to let it out. So I'm trying."
Kai nodded, stepping closer.
"Try creating a steady pulse. Not too strong. Just enough to maintain form."
Ariana extended her hand.
Silver fire formed—
shaking—
too bright—
too fast—
Kai's hand wrapped around her wrist.
"Breathe with it," he murmured.
She inhaled.
The fire softened.
Ariana nearly collapsed with relief.
Seraphina stepped forward, her charm ribbons glowing.
"Let me try weaving shimmer around it. It might help with stability."
Ariana nodded.
Seraphina flicked her ribbon—
gold light wrapped Ariana's silver flames—
and the fire calmed dramatically.
Ariana's eyes widened.
"Seraphina… that helps a lot."
Seraphina smiled softly.
"I know. Charms specialize in harmonizing."
Calen smirked.
"You two are becoming a deadly duo."
Kai muttered something like "too deadly" under his breath.
Ariana elbowed him.
Lira's Cryptic Warning
Later in the evening, Ariana visited Lira in the infirmary.
Lira lay on her bed, pale and trembling.
Aster sat beside her, humming softly.
Lira opened her eyes when Ariana approached.
Her voice was faint, whisper-light.
"Ariana… I saw something."
Ariana sat on the edge of the bed.
"What did you see?"
Lira's fingers twitched.
"There's a pattern… a… a sequence… the corruption uses the same three signals every time it pushes the seal."
Ariana's heart pounded.
"What signals?"
Lira swallowed.
"A hum… then a flash… then the shadows shift direction."
Aster nodded quickly.
"I felt that too!"
Lira continued:
"If you can learn to see the pattern… you can predict where they'll attack next."
Ariana's eyes widened.
"Lira… that's brilliant."
Lira trembled.
"You have moon-fire. You can see through darkness. You can stop it… if you follow the pattern."
Ariana squeezed her hand gently.
"Thank you."
Lira cried softly.
"Please save them. Save the students. Save Seraphina."
Ariana hugged her tightly.
"I will."
Kai's Fear
When Ariana stepped into the hallway, Kai was waiting.
He pulled her aside, expression tight.
"Ariana… there's something I haven't told you."
Ariana frowned.
"What?"
Kai looked down at his trembling hands.
"I'm not scared of the monsters.
I'm not scared of the corruption.
I'm not scared of the Moonbeast."
Ariana blinked.
"Then what—?"
Kai's voice cracked.
"I'm scared of losing you."
Ariana froze.
Kai stepped closer, forehead almost touching hers.
"You're the one thing in this entire academy I can't replace.
The one person I can't fight without.
The one person—"
His voice stopped.
He didn't finish.
He didn't need to.
Ariana whispered:
"Kai…"
Aster peeked around the corner and whispered loudly:
"You two are SO CLOSE to kissing!"
Kai nearly died.
Ariana turned scarlet.
Seraphina dragged Aster away before any of them combusted from embarrassment.
But the moment lingered—
raw, quiet, real.
Sunset – The First Phase
The sun dipped behind the forest.
Red clouds glowed above the academy.
A wicked pulse rippled through the ground.
Ariana stiffened instantly.
"Kai—"
"I feel it," he whispered.
The barrier shimmered—
then fractured in a single thin line.
An alarm rang.
Zane shouted from the west wall:
"BREACH! WEST BARRIER!"
Seraphina yelled from the east:
"SECOND SIGNAL—EAST!"
Calen roared from the north:
"THIRD—NORTH!"
Rylan cursed:
"They're testing ALL FOUR SIDES!"
Ariana's wolf screamed:
"Pattern.
Hum—flash—shadow shift.
They attack—NOW."
A massive boom shook the academy.
Red light spilled into the sky.
Ariana's moon-fire flared uncontrollably.
Kai grabbed her hand.
"Time to fight."
Ariana nodded, fire blazing in her eyes.
"Yes."
She raised her hands—
—and the hybrid division surged behind her.
Kai shifted partially, golden wolf aura ripping through the air.
Seraphina conjured glowing charm-shields.
Zane split into three psychic projections.
Calen froze the ground beneath approaching shadows.
Rylan ignited the field with molten flame.
And Ariana—
Ariana lifted her moon-fire high.
"For the academy!" she shouted.
Every division roared as the first wave struck.
The Night of First Blood had begun.