Chapter 20 — The First Measure
The bell rang again.
Not once.
Not twice.
But continuously—low, rhythmic, and oppressive—until it felt less like sound and more like pressure pressing down on the bones.
The intake courtyard fell into absolute silence.
Alex could hear breathing.
Hundreds of them.
Uneven. Shallow. Controlled. Panicked.
Uniformed officers moved in synchronized lines, boots striking stone with mechanical precision. Their armor bore the academy crest, but Alex's eyes were drawn to the finer details—the etched symbols near their throats, the chained emblems tucked beneath breastplates.
Church marks.
Not authority.
Influence.
Liora leaned closer, her lips barely moving. "They said no church control."
"They didn't say no church presence," Alex murmured back.
Ahead, stone ground open with a thunderous grind. The courtyard split apart, revealing a massive underground structure carved directly into the island's core. Stairs descended into darkness, torchlight flaring to life along the walls as if awakened by their fear.
A priest stepped forward.
Not in robes.
In armor.
White and gold reinforced with steel, edges scarred by use. His face was calm, disciplined—more soldier than cleric.
"This academy belongs to no god," he said, voice carrying effortlessly. "But humanity's survival requires order."
His eyes swept the crowd.
"Faith is a tool. Loyalty is a weapon. Both will be tested."
A ripple of unease spread.
"You are not cadets," the priest continued. "You are candidates."
That word hit harder.
"Today," a senior officer took over, "you face Phase One of enrollment."
He raised a hand.
"Strength. Agility. Wit."
The arena below them ignited with runic light. The floor divided into three massive sections, each marked by shifting symbols.
Red.
Green.
Silver.
"You will rotate through all three," the officer said. "Performance will be recorded. Failure will be remembered."
A pause.
"Survival is optional."
They were herded down.
The arena was enormous—circular, layered, and alive with energy. The air vibrated faintly, making Alex's skin prickle.
Names were called.
Groups formed.
Fear grew teeth.
When Alex's group stepped forward, he noticed them clearly for the first time.
A short-haired girl with calculating eyes—Kara.
A tall, broad-shouldered boy with scars etched into his face—Leon.
And Liora.
The three zones loomed ahead.
"Rotation one," an officer barked. "Strength sector!"
Red light flared.
The ground shifted violently as massive stone pillars erupted from the floor, each connected by heavy chains and weighted platforms.
"Objective," the officer announced, "reach the far gate."
No instructions.
No time limit.
The moment the test began, the weight hit.
Alex staggered as invisible pressure crushed down on his body. His knees bent instinctively, muscles screaming.
Leon grunted beside him. "Damn—this is heavier than a beast zone!"
Kara dropped low immediately, spreading her weight. "It's adaptive. Push too hard and it increases."
Alex tried to move.
Every step felt like dragging his body through mud mixed with stone.
Students around them struggled—some collapsing instantly, others attempting brute force only to be slammed into the ground.
Alex clenched his teeth.
No mana.
No blessing.
Just muscle.
He moved slowly, carefully, adjusting his center of gravity like he'd learned surviving the ruins. Step. Breathe. Step.
Halfway across, the chains above them snapped loose.
Weighted platforms crashed down.
Leon barely rolled aside. Kara ducked beneath one, eyes wide.
Alex wasn't fast enough.
The edge of a platform clipped his shoulder, sending him skidding across the ground. Pain exploded down his arm.
He groaned, forcing himself up.
The pressure intensified.
"Get up!" Leon barked. "Staying down makes it worse!"
Alex staggered forward, every instinct screaming to stop. His vision blurred, sweat stinging his eyes.
When he reached the gate, he collapsed to one knee.
A bell chimed.
"Proceed."
No praise.
No acknowledgment.
Agility sector.
Green light flared.
The arena transformed.
Platforms rose and fell unpredictably. Walls rotated. Bladed mechanisms sliced through the air in irregular patterns.
"Movement without hesitation," an instructor called. "Those who stop—fail."
Leon laughed nervously. "Finally. Something fun."
He jumped.
Misjudged.
A shifting wall slammed him sideways, sending him tumbling hard. He barely caught himself, cursing loudly.
Kara moved like water—calculating angles, waiting half a beat before each leap.
Alex hesitated.
Then moved.
He wasn't fast.
But he was observant.
He watched the rhythm.
Counted the delays.
Still—halfway through, his foot slipped.
The platform dropped.
Alex grabbed the edge with raw grip strength, fingers screaming as blades sliced past inches from his face.
"Alex!" Liora shouted.
He hauled himself up, heart pounding, body shaking.
No elegance.
No ease.
Just survival.
When they cleared the sector, Alex's lungs burned like fire.
Silver light rose.
Wit sector.
The floor flattened.
Illusions bloomed.
Screaming civilians.
Charging beasts.
A burning city.
"Choose," the voice echoed. "Save one. Lose the rest."
Students panicked.
Some ran toward the civilians.
They vanished.
Fail.
Others attacked the beasts.
The city burned brighter.
Fail.
Alex froze.
This wasn't real.
But the fear was.
He closed his eyes.
Listened.
The screams were looping.
The fire had no heat.
The beasts cast no shadows.
Alex stepped backward—away from all of it.
The illusions shattered violently.
Silence fell.
"Correct," the voice said. "Non-engagement recognized."
Above, murmurs spread.
When the rotation ended, fewer students stood.
Bloodied.
Exhausted.
Alive.
An officer stepped forward.
"You have completed Phase One."
Relief surged—briefly.
"This does not mean acceptance."
A priest moved beside him, eyes glowing faintly with divine light.
"Phase Two," he said calmly, "is the Blessing Test."
The crowd stiffened.
"Those without blessings," the priest continued, "will be identified."
Alex felt the system recoil.
Not react.
Recoil.
"And those who carry forbidden influence," the priest added softly, "will be exposed."
Liora's fingers tightened.
Alex didn't move.
The island watched.
And the real test hadn't even begun.