Serina jolted upright, her body moving before her brain fully caught up.
"Ah—!" The sharp yelp escaped her lips as the memory hit her like a freight train—Raul's knee connecting with her face, the world spinning, then... nothing.
She blinked rapidly, trying to shake off the disorientation. What the hell just happened?
Then it came rushing back. The entire fight. Every moment. Every movement. The way her body had moved, faster than she'd ever thought possible. The exhilaration of actually landing hits on someone like Raul. The pure, unfiltered thrill of pushing herself beyond her limits.
Heat flooded through her, starting from her chest and spreading outward until her whole body felt warm. A deep, satisfied sound escaped her throat—almost a moan—and her cheeks immediately burned.
"Oh my god," she muttered, covering her face with both hands. A smile tugged at her lips despite her embarrassment. That was... that was incredible.
Yeah. Getting absolutely demolished had somehow been the most satisfying experience of her life. She'd never felt more alive.
Lowering her hands, she finally took in her surroundings. White walls. The faint smell of antiseptic. Medical equipment humming softly in the background. A medical bay. Of course.
The curtain suddenly swished aside, and a woman in a white coat appeared, clipboard in hand and an amused smile on her face.
"Well! From the sounds of those screams, I'd say you're fit to go,"
the nurse said cheerfully. "You've been out cold for two solid hours, dear. Congratulations on not being completely bedbound after meeting Student Raul."
Serina's face grew even hotter. Two hours?
The nurse's smile widened. "Let's do a quick full check-up before you leave, yeah? Just to make sure everything's functioning properly."
After what felt like an eternity of prodding, testing, and answering questions, Serina finally nodded her approval and was cleared to leave.
She stepped out of the examination room, now dressed back in her academy uniform, and immediately her mind started racing. My score was 800 last I checked. Did I... did I fail to get into S class?
The thought sent a small pang through her chest. All that progress, all that excitement, and she might've still fallen short. She glanced down at her armband almost afraid to look.
Then she froze.
S CLASS.
The silver lettering practically glowed against the black fabric. "How...?" she whispered, staring at it like it might disappear if she blinked.
Too distracted to watch where she was going, she walked straight into someone's chest.
"Oof—"
She stumbled back, looking up quickly. "I'm so sor—"
White hair. That was the first thing she noticed. Then the ice bag pressed against his head. Then his expression—a weird mix of confusion, embarrassment, and... apology?
"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice quiet.
Serina nodded quickly, her eyes dropping to his armband. S class too.
Then it clicked. This was the guy who'd been fighting Raul alongside her. The one with the incredible speed and those devastating strikes.
"Wait, did you defeat him?" The words tumbled out before she could stop them. "Since we're both in S class, I mean—did you actually beat Senior Raul? Because I definitely didn't, but we're both here, so does that mean—"
"Nope." He shook his head, his yellow eyes blinking slowly. "I didn't. Someone else did."
His gaze lingered on her for a moment before he seemed to remember himself. "Ashen Drakonis," he introduced, his voice still soft.
"Serina Frostwind," she replied, a small smile crossing her face.
"Thanks for the support back there," Ashen said, shifting the ice bag slightly.
"Same to you," Serina replied warmly.
The door behind them suddenly burst open, and Raul appeared, grinning like he'd just won the lottery.
"Hey!" He waved enthusiastically, then struck an absurd pose—hands on his hips, chest puffed out. "You guys are amazing! I'm so glad neither of you suffered any permanent injuries!"
Serina couldn't help but smile at his genuine enthusiasm, even if part of her wanted to punch him again.
Earlier - Control Room
The purple-haired senior let out a long, exhausted sigh. "Knew it. The Big Three were not fit to test juniors."
Loren finished speaking and leaned back in his chair, arms crossed.
Professor Marcus rubbed his temples. "Alright, Loren... good job handling the monitoring."
Loren smiled, though there was no real humor in it. "No problem... for me."
Marcus groaned audibly. "The selection exam ends," he announced, though his voice carried the weight of someone who'd aged ten years in a single day.
"A simple exam," he muttered under his breath, "nearly ended with two princes almost getting killed by their own star students..."
He could practically feel his retirement calling to him.
"Attention all zones," Marcus announced into the microphone. "The selection exam has officially concluded."
The main screen flickered, cycling through camera feeds from across the different zones.
Zone 1: Verdant Meadows - Aurora sat peacefully on a moss-covered rock, her white hair catching the filtered sunlight as she gazed up at the sky. She looked almost serene, like she hadn't just participated in one of the most intense exams in academy history.
Zone 2: The Burning Wastes - Ignatia stood beside Michael, whose armor displayed a holographic interface listing what appeared to be assumed exam scores.. They were deep in conversation, both looking serious.
Zone 3: Frostwind Tundra - Raul was getting lectured——by Professor Gareth, who looked thoroughly exasperated. Professor Whisper stood nearby, looking like she'd aged several years.
Zone 4: Ironhold Fortress - Cassius sat cross-legged on the floor, his expression unreadable. Beside him, Arira breathed softly, his small dagger floating and zipping through the air in lazy circles. His gaze seemed conflicted as he looked toward the doorway where Suzzy had just entered, her playful blonde hair framing eyes filled with curious amusement.
Zone 5: Shadowmere Forest - Lily had the most expressive angry face, while Vera looked deeply concerned. Darius stood behind them, talking with another senior in similar attire to Loren. Both seniors seemed to be carefully explaining something while trying not to set Lilly off further.
Back to the present..
Professor Syliva's face had drained of all color. "How is this even possible?"
Dr. Venn, the academy's head physician, shook his head grimly. "It's not. Obviously. We can't do anything about it... removing it is all we can attempt, but it's tricky."
He gestured toward the patient with a gloved hand. "This isn't healing magic. It's simulating healing at an accelerated rate in the body. Or at least... it was."
Syliva's hands trembled slightly as she listened.
"The black flesh is attached directly to his mana circuits," Dr. Venn continued, his voice clinical but grave. "Removing it... in the best case scenario, the prince might never be able to use magic again. Worst case? Permanent state of paralysis."
His eyes met Syliva's. "I'm sure I can count on your discretion, Professor?"
Syliva nodded slowly, her gaze falling on Agni lying on the surgical table. A breathing mask covered his face, his chest rising and falling mechanically. But what drew her attention—what made her stomach turn—was his exposed chest cavity.
Black flesh, wrong and alien, pulsed at the center around his heart and lungs. It spread like corruption through his body, tendrils reaching toward where his right hand should have been—the limb had already been removed. The flesh seemed alive, beating with its own rhythm, independent of Agni's heartbeat.
It looked less like an injury and more like an infection. Like something parasitic had taken root.
Syliva swallowed hard. What have we gotten ourselves into?