Above the dense canopy covering the examination island, a massive dragon with violet scales glided effortlessly through the sky.
Its flight was smooth, graceful — almost lazy. On its back, a pink-haired girl stared out at the horizon with a weary expression.
Emma Bennet had expected something different.
Sitting cross-legged, she let the wind toy with her hair, her gaze lost somewhere between the clouds.
Eloria's practical exam… Her mother had sold it to her as "an exhilarating experience," "a challenge worthy of her," "the perfect opportunity to have some fun."
But so far, it was all just formalities. Boredom.
She sighed softly and sat up straighter, idly tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
"You've had that look on your face for an hour now."
The voice echoed in her mind — deep, calm, almost teasing.
"You're going to jinx yourself if you keep complaining."
Emma shrugged without answering right away. Her eyes lingered for a moment on the ever-shifting reflections dancing across the dragon's scales.
"I'm not complaining," she finally replied through thought. "Just stating facts."
A low, amused rumble rose from the creature beneath her. Its name was Sya, an ancient spirit bound to her since she was thirteen. A rare, unique entity that hadn't obeyed anyone in centuries.
"And yet you look exactly like a sulking child."
Emma rolled her eyes.
"You talk too much," she muttered aloud this time.
Then she briefly closed her eyes, and with an instinctive mental link, shared her vision with Sya.
The world blurred for a moment… then sharpened. Their senses merged.
They saw the forest, the winding rivers, the scattered students running, fighting, panting.
Emma let her mind drift through the images. Most were simply repeating what they had been taught. Some groups had style, others a bit of daring. But nothing… nothing gave her that thrill she was looking for.
Her gaze lingered on a small group navigating difficult terrain along a hillside.
Among them, one figure caught her attention — not because of any obvious strength or brilliance, but because of the strange aura he gave off. Almost… contradictory. Like a walking paradox.
And the moment her eyes landed on him…
He looked up.
Their eyes met — despite the absurd distance.
Two amethyst pupils locked onto hers, piercing straight into her soul.
Emma flinched slightly. So did Sya. The link broke abruptly in surprise, and the girl straightened suddenly, heart beating a little too fast.
"…Did you see that?" she asked mentally.
'I did.' Sya's voice was deeper now, more serious. "He sensed us. No… he saw you."
Emma frowned, unsettled.
How?
She was far too high up for anyone, even with heightened perception, to spot her so clearly. At that distance, she should have been nothing more than a blurry dot in the sky, drowned in sunlight.
Emma remained frozen for a moment, her eyes still fixed on the spot where he had been.
Who was that guy?
She'd never seen that face among the notable students.
"I want to know more about him."
But Sya, not letting her drift off any further, cut in sharply.
"You're not here for that, Emma."
The spirit's voice had lost all trace of mockery.
"You have a mission. And let me remind you — if you don't complete your three class objectives by the end of the trial, your entire class gets eliminated."
Emma narrowed her eyes, annoyed. She hated being spoken to like a child — even by Sya.
"I know," she growled. "I'm not stupid."
This time, she sat up with purpose, her hands pressing against the dragon's smooth scales.
Each class had received three objectives. Liam was handling the first, Charlotte the second, and she the third.
Destroy the seven altars scattered across the island.
Ancient ruins, remnants of a forgotten cult. Officially, they were useless, but they were exceptionally well hidden.
Two had already been reduced to rubble. Five remained.
"Alright," she said under her breath. "Show me the next one."
Sya didn't answer right away, but she felt the spirit obey. Beneath her, the dragon's massive body lifted slightly, then tilted into a gentle descent.
***
'Emma?'
"Move, Noah. We need to hurry and take down the next monster," Maya called.
I nodded silently and started walking again.
I had seen Emma... perched on Sya. I was sure our eyes met.
But honestly, I wasn't in the mood to think about that.
We had just taken down an advanced-rank monster. And even if it hadn't been easy, with five of us — well, four, since I hadn't been of much use — it was more than doable.
Rowan and Aram had done most of the work. Especially Rowan. That guy was a beast.
After more than an hour of walking, we reached a wide plain. A calm lake shimmered on the horizon, and beside it, a gaping cave opened like a black maw.
All around, traces of footsteps, struggles, and human presence were still visible.
Without a word, we grew tense.
Gornaks weren't just fierce. They were smart. The one living here might have already sensed us.
We had barely begun approaching the entrance when a clash of screams and steel echoed from within the depths.
The sounds got louder... and then two students burst from the shadows, covered in blood, their clothes in tatters.
The moment they saw us, their faces twisted.
"Shit!"
"Fuck!"
One hastily summoned a barrier, the other drew his rapier.
But Rowan didn't give them time to breathe. He charged. A barrage of brutal, rapid strikes crashed down like a storm.
The already unstable barrier shattered instantly.
His fist slammed into the outstretched blade; the impact made the weapon vibrate so violently that the student dropped it with a stifled cry.
"What the hell is this monster?!" he shouted, backing away in panic.
But before he could flee, an arrow whistled through the air and pierced him cleanly. His body dissolved into a shower of white particles.
His companion, terrified, raised his hands and backed away.
"Wait, please—"
But when he saw Aram's hammer rising above him, fear twisted into powerless rage.
He tried to shout something, but the weapon came down, crushing him without mercy. He too vanished in a burst of light.
The cave trembled slightly.
Camila stepped forward, scanned the area, made sure no one was hurt, then gave a nod.
Without a word, we moved deeper into the darkness.
A few steps in, the air grew heavier.
The stone walls closed in around us, shaped by time and dampness into a narrow natural corridor. The metallic scent of blood hung in the air, mixed with the acrid stench of burnt mana.
Then we emerged into a wider chamber, dimly lit by glowing crystals hanging from the ceiling.
And we saw it.
A mass of flesh and fangs, nearly four meters long, hunched on four powerful legs.
Its ash-gray skin was slashed with deep wounds, leaking dark, almost black blood. Its side rose and fell in trembling spasms, every breath a struggle.
Five large magical horns jutted from its back, twisted like raw crystal spirals.
Three of them were snapped clean off, reduced to smoldering stumps. Mana leaked from the cracks, unstable, faintly crackling in the air.
Its dull red eyes were half-closed. It had heard us, smelled us, but showed no signs of aggression.
"They did all the work for us," Rowan commented, a smile tugging at his lips.
"Yeah… I thought it'd be dead already. Why didn't they finish it off?" Maya asked.
"Because when a Gornak's at death's door, it detonates its mana core. And it takes everything nearby with it," I said calmly.
They turned to me, intrigued.
Aram frowned.
"Then why didn't it?"
I gave a faint smile and raised a finger, pointing to the shadow behind the creature.
Two small figures huddled against it.
Young Gornaks, barely bigger than large dogs. Each had two translucent horns glowing faintly with mana.
"She never meant to," I said.
"It was a bluff. A distraction. Those two idiots fell for it. Panicked without even noticing the younglings."
A long silence settled over us.
Even Rowan, usually so quick to strike, didn't move. His arms were crossed, eyes fixed on the dying creature, a trace of doubt on his face.
Camila remained frozen. She stared at the Gornak, then at the little ones, and finally at her own hands.
Her fingers trembled. Just a little.
She could save it. Keep it alive a few more hours, stabilize its core, close the wounds. She could.
But she let it go.
Literally. Her hands dropped, limply, as if drained of will.
After all, we hadn't come here to heal.
We came to kill.
"Alright," I said evenly. "Let's finish the job."
They all turned to look at me.
"It's half-dead anyway."
No emotion in my voice. Just a fact.
Camila clenched her jaw but said nothing.
Rowan shrugged, as if that settled it.
Aram stepped forward, hand on his weapon.
"Fine, I'll do it," he muttered.
But I raised my hand to stop him.
"Forget it."
He arched an eyebrow, confused.
"I haven't done shit so far. Might as well be useful now."
I walked past him without waiting for a reply.
Killing a monster had nothing to do with taking out a student. Here, death was final. No reset. No white light to erase the act.
The Gornak watched me approach. A low growl escaped its torn throat. It didn't have the strength to attack. Not even to defend itself. But its eyes locked on mine. Not with hatred. Not even fear.
Acceptance.
"Don't worry," I murmured. "We won't harm your little ones."
It seemed to understand.
I didn't hesitate.
Without a word, I raised my blade and drove it straight into its heart.
The mana ripped apart in a silent shiver.
The Gornak collapsed with a heavy thud, its final breath rattling in the air.
Behind it, the two young ones remained still. Trembling. But alive.
I pulled my weapon free without a word. Blood dripped slowly onto the stone.
I stood for a while, eyes on the Gornak's body.
Then, silently, I turned to face the two little ones.
And took a step toward them.