The arena was silent.
Not the usual silence of anticipation, but a heavy, breathless quiet that pressed down on every student, spectator, and teacher present. It was a silence that seemed alive, crawling into the bones of those gathered as though warning them of what was about to come.
Seven trials had passed—each more grueling than the last. Swordsmanship. Archery. Meditation. Elemental mastery. Alchemy. Endurance. Strategy. One after another, challengers had been tested, and one after another, hundreds had fallen away.
Now, only six remained.
Wuxie, Dan, Minjun, Kyle, Selene, and Rylen stood together at the edge of destiny.
The brilliance of their academy uniforms shimmered under the sunlight filtering through banners that hung high above the arena. The silver of Lushan, the blue of Oculus, the black of Abyssal, and the deep forest of Lorehaven all seemed to glow brighter than usual, as if even the fabric itself recognized the importance of this moment.
