Lyre Estate – Training Hall, One Week Before Kael's Mission
The moonlight filtered through the high windows of the Lyre estate's private training chamber.
Velia Lyre stood with arms crossed, her expression unreadable.
Harven leaned against the stone pillar, silent.
Kael stood before them, chest wrapped, face grim, the mark on his skin hidden beneath cloth—but always felt.
"I want to go to the academy," Kael said. "With Rui. With the others."
Velia's eyes narrowed. "You're not ready."
"I've trained every day under your roof," Kael insisted. "I've held back the mark. I've learned to fight."
"And yet you're still being whispered to in your sleep," Harven said coldly. "Still burning through your body to control something you barely understand."
Kael opened his mouth to argue—but couldn't.
Because they were right.
Velia stepped forward. "You have one year."
Kael blinked. "What?"
"One year," she repeated. "To master your skills. To gain control of Voidfang. To strengthen your mind. Because if you go to the academy with that mark unstable… and you lose control there…"
Harven's voice dropped. "It won't be us putting you down. It'll be a royal execution."
Kael clenched his fists.
Velia added, "Your final test is survival. Alone. Missions. Pressure. Discipline. No shortcuts. If you come back after that—still you… then, and only then, you'll go to the academy."
Kael looked down. The burden felt heavy—but it was fair.
"Understood," he said.
Harven gave a single nod. "Then your last mission before the trial year begins is to survive yourself."
---
Present Day – Lyre Estate
Rui sat quietly in her parents' study, her father sipping tea while her mother reviewed a scroll.
"You never told me why he stayed," Rui said.
Velia looked up. "Because he had to."
"We gave him that year," Harven added. "Not to exile him—but to protect him. And you."
Rui's throat tightened. "And if he fails?"
Velia's hand curled on the table. "Then he'll become the enemy."
Harven added, "But if he succeeds…"
"He'll be stronger than any of us ever were," Velia finished. "And he'll walk into the academy not as a danger… but as a Hunter."
---
Two Months Later – Grand Arcanon Academy, Northern Gate
The academy gates stood like sentinels carved from mountain stone—twenty feet tall, adorned with silver veins and magical wards humming faintly in the morning light.
The sky was a soft gold as the first rays of dawn touched the rooftops of the sprawling fortress-city that was Grand Arcanon Academy, the most prestigious training ground in the kingdom.
Rui stood at the threshold, breathing in the crisp air.
Her uniform was crisp—white and gray, with a blue mantle denoting her Wind affinity. A small satchel hung at her side, containing her hunter license, recommendation scroll, and trial token.
Behind her, Dein stretched his arms, yawning. "Two months of hell just to arrive early. We better pass or I'm throwing someone into a training pit."
Riva adjusted the pin on her collar, elegant and composed as always. "Save your energy for the real competition. The top five percent are fast-tracked into the elite squads."
Rui didn't answer. Her eyes lingered on the gates.
Kael should be here.
But he wasn't.
The memory of his promise echoed in her mind:
> "If I make it through the year… I'll meet you there. I swear it."
---
The courtyard beyond the gate buzzed with dozens of new trainees—noble-born mages, rural prodigies, city rogues, and licensed hunters alike. Most wore eager expressions; others carried the heavy air of ambition sharpened to a blade.
A booming voice rang from atop the staircase.
"Initiates! Step forward with your tokens. Present your names clearly. You will be tested within the hour!"
A long line began to form as instructors in black and silver robes recorded each arrival.
Dein leaned toward Rui. "So… who do we have to fight to get into the same group?"
Rui cracked a small smile. "Everyone."
They stepped forward.
---
From high above, standing on one of the Academy's observation towers, a masked figure watched the new arrivals.
An instructor—face hidden behind an enchanted visor—turned to him.
"Any signs of instability this year?"
The masked man replied, "A few… but none like the boy marked by Maldrak."
"And the puppet in the west?"
"Still uncontained. Guild's tightening its net. They're beginning to suspect there's more than one."
The instructor frowned. "And the original one?"
"Still outside the gates."
---
Meanwhile…
Deep in the southern frontier, Kael stood before a crumbling stone ruin buried in vines. A new mission scroll rested in his hand.
> "Scout-level clearance. Investigate ancient structure. No known threats."
Caution: Faint mana signatures matching corrupted field anomalies present.
Kael looked past the paper and into the darkness of the ruins ahead.
The mark on his chest stirred beneath his cloak.
Something was waiting inside.
And it wasn't just ruins.
---
Grand Arcanon Academy – Trial Grounds
The sun had risen fully now, casting long shadows across the wide coliseum carved into the hillside behind the academy walls.
Hundreds of spectators—families, instructors, nobles, and guild observers—filled the stands to witness the trials. Most came for status or talent scouting. But some came with swords sheathed and contracts ready.
Below them, in the arena floor, stood the hopefuls.
Among them: Rui Lyre, Dein Farrow, and Riva Halden.
---
Rui Lyre – Windborn Prodigy
When her name was called, a hush fell over the onlookers.
Everyone knew the Lyre family.
But few expected the daughter to be more than her lineage.
Rui stepped into the stone circle, facing off against a third-year academy duelist assigned to test her.
Her opponent smiled. "Noble blood doesn't mean much in the ring."
Rui didn't reply.
Her hands moved.
The moment the bell rang, a whirlwind exploded around her.
Not summoned—released.
She didn't shape the wind. She became it.
Her opponent barely had time to raise a ward before Rui struck, blades of air slicing past defenses and forcing him back step by step.
She spun once—her control was flawless. She didn't cast. She flowed.
By the time the examiners called the match, her opponent's outer armor was torn to shreds and the arena walls had deep slashes carved into them.
One of the instructors whispered to another, "Her control… that's beyond second-year. That's bordering on Arcanist."
A noble woman in the stands raised an eyebrow. "That's a Lyre, all right."
---
Dein Farrow – The Weight of Will
Dein wasn't graceful. He wasn't refined.
But he was stubborn.
His opponent—a quick-footed spear user—kept him on the defensive. Dein's broadsword was heavy, slowing him down. He took two solid blows early.
But he didn't fall.
Every time he got knocked back, he roared and came forward again.
His mana surged wild and unpolished—but it was real.
His sword cracked the arena floor when he swung, and even though he was bleeding from his temple, he forced a draw out of sheer grit.
When the final bell rang, his opponent offered him a hand, grinning. "You're insane."
Dein coughed, wiped the blood from his mouth, and smiled. "That's what they keep telling me."
---
Riva Halden – Precision Over Power
Riva's trial was quieter, but no less impressive.
Her match was against a dual-element specialist—lightning and stone.
She played it safe. Her barrier spells shimmered like mirrors, deflecting attacks with mathematical precision.
Where her opponent charged, Riva waited.
Where her opponent shouted, Riva whispered.
It wasn't flashy. It wasn't overwhelming.
But it was disciplined.
In the final exchange, both landed a clean hit—lightning grazing her shoulder, a mana bolt slamming into her opponent's ribs.
The examiners called it:
> "Draw. Both show Academy-level potential. Recommend Mage Division, Advanced Placement."
Riva nodded once and walked away, quiet and composed.
But her eyes scanned the crowd.
She was looking for someone who wasn't there.
---
Later that evening, the names of those who passed were posted on glowing panels at the academy gates.
All three names stood among the accepted.
Rui Lyre – High Ranking (Mage Division)
Dein Farrow – Accepted (Warrior Division)
Riva Halden – Accepted (Mage Division) – Advanced Placement
As the others celebrated, Rui stood at the edge of the crowd, hand resting on the academy wall.
She whispered into the air:
"Kael… I made it."
She closed her eyes.
"And I'll wait for you."