The mission board stood in the center of the academy hall.
Dozens of glowing panels floated in the air, each one displaying a different assignment. Students gathered around them in clusters, voices overlapping as they discussed difficulty, rewards, and risk.
Phael stood with his team at the edge of the crowd.
This was not training anymore.
This was real.
"These are off-campus missions," Ryn said, scanning the panels. "Beast zones. Ruins. Resource collection. Some of these go all the way into dangerous territory."
Soren folded his arms. "Which means real cores."
Aeris looked uneasy. "And real injuries."
Darian's eyes were already on a specific panel. "And real enemies. Not just beasts."
Rielle glanced at Phael. "What do you think?"
He looked at the assignments carefully. Most were rated low to mid danger. Good for beginners. Safe.
But one stood out.
Mission: Feral Rift Zone – Eastern RavineObjective: Clear beast nest and retrieve coresThreat Level: ModerateSpecial Note: Multiple teams may be assigned
Phael narrowed his eyes.
"Multiple teams," he said.
Ryn grinned. "Which means competition."
"And trouble," Aeris added.
Soren looked at Phael. "You choose."
Phael stared at the panel for a long moment.
This was what Delyra had prepared him for.
Not comfort.
Not safety.
Growth.
"We take this one," he said.
Rielle met his gaze.
"Then we face it together."
They accepted the mission.
The Eastern Ravine lay far beyond the academy grounds.
Jagged cliffs cut through the land like a scar. The air was heavy, thick with the scent of dust and blood. Feral beasts roamed freely here, creatures too violent and unpredictable for normal settlements.
Their transport dropped them at the edge of the ravine just before noon.
Wind howled through broken stone.
Ryn stretched his arms. "This place feels… wrong."
Darian crouched and touched the ground. "Beasts passed through here recently. Large ones."
Aeris tightened her grip on her staff. "Let's not split up."
Soren drew one of his blades. "We move in formation."
They descended into the ravine slowly, each step careful.
Shadows stretched between the rocks.
Every sound echoed.
Phael walked at the front with Ryn, senses sharp. The Crimson Koi stirred faintly, responding to the danger in the air. The Azure Koi flowed through his mind, helping him stay calm, aware.
Then—
A growl rolled through the ravine.
Low.
Deep.
Not one voice.
Many.
From behind the rocks, shapes emerged.
Beasts.
Massive, armored creatures with jagged horns and burning eyes. Their bodies were covered in rough stone-like plates. Feral Rift Beasts.
"Positions," Soren said instantly.
The beasts charged.
Ryn roared and stepped forward, golden markings spreading across his arms as his body reinforced itself. He met the first beast head-on, his fist slamming into its skull with a shockwave that cracked the stone beneath them.
Soren moved like water, blades flashing as he sliced through the legs of another beast, dropping it before it could reach Aeris and Myra.
But three more surged forward.
Phael inhaled.
The Crimson Koi ignited his muscles.
The Azure Koi answered.
Fire gathered around his fists.
Not wild.
Focused.
He stepped forward and struck.
His fist collided with the first beast's chest, flames bursting outward as the physical force followed. The impact crushed its armor and sent it flying into the ravine wall.
Another beast leapt at him.
Phael twisted, the fire on his arm spiraling tighter as he drove his elbow into its head. Bone cracked. The creature collapsed.
"Behind you!" Rielle shouted.
A third beast lunged from the side.
Before Phael could turn, shadows surged upward.
Darian's shadow wrapped around the beast's legs, yanking it down.
"Now!" Darian said.
Ryn finished it with a crushing blow.
The ravine fell silent.
For a moment.
Then more movement echoed deeper within.
Aeris exhaled shakily. "That was only the outer guards."
Rielle raised her hands.
Light flashed.
Three glowing circles formed in the air.
From them emerged her summons—two spectral wolves and a massive stone-winged hawk.
"They're deeper inside," she said softly. "I can feel them."
Phael looked ahead.
"This is just the entrance."
They moved deeper into the ravine.
The walls narrowed.
Darkness thickened.
The ground trembled faintly beneath their feet.
"This is a nest," Soren said.
Then the earth exploded.
A massive beast burst from below.
Twice the size of the others.
Its horns were longer. Its armor thicker. Its eyes burned with savage intelligence.
The Alpha.
It roared.
The sound shook the ravine.
Ryn stepped forward. "That one's mine."
He charged.
The Alpha met him.
Their collision sent shockwaves through the stone.
Ryn struggled, muscles straining, veins standing out as he pushed against the creature's overwhelming weight.
Soren attacked from the side, but the beast's armor deflected his strikes.
Rielle's wolves lunged, biting into its legs, slowing it just enough.
But the Alpha shook them off and swung its head.
Ryn was thrown back, crashing into the wall.
"Ryn!" Aeris cried.
Phael moved.
Fire surged along his arms.
He stepped in, striking the beast's flank with a burning blow that scorched its armor black. The Alpha roared and turned toward him.
Good.
Its attention was on him now.
The beast charged.
Phael stood his ground.
The Crimson Koi strengthened his body.
The Azure Koi guided his focus.
He gathered fire again—this time deeper, hotter.
When the Alpha was close enough to crush him—
He punched.
The impact was deafening.
Fire and force exploded together.
The beast staggered.
Ryn rose behind it.
With a roar, he drove both fists into its skull.
The Alpha collapsed.
The ravine fell silent.
Dust drifted through the air.
No one spoke.
Then Aeris rushed to Ryn's side, glowing light wrapping around his injuries.
"You're reckless," she said.
He grinned weakly. "Still standing."
Rielle approached Phael, eyes wide. "You burned through its armor…"
He flexed his hand.
"…I had to."
Darian looked at the corpse. "We're not alone."
Phael turned.
Footsteps echoed from the upper ledges.
Students.
Another team.
At the front stood Kael Draven.
His eyes moved from the fallen Alpha to Phael.
Then narrowed.
"So," he said quietly, "you really are worth watching."
The tension returned.
Not with beasts.
With people.