The obsidian gates of Eclipse Academy groaned as they opened, revealing a massive courtyard carved from spirit-forged marble. Statues of legendary alumni towered over the plaza, their stone eyes watching silently.
Thousands of hopefuls marched inside, footsteps echoing with anticipation, nerves, and hunger for power.
Kaelan walked in with quiet composure, ignoring the murmurs around him.
"Ashborne… is he that Ashborne?"
"Tch. Just another clan brat."
"You don't feel that? There's something wrong about him… something dangerous."
Despite the whispers, Kaelan didn't even blink. His gaze was locked ahead, scanning the towering inner walls lined with banners of the Seven Apex Clans — Zevrin, Vael, Seren, Blightblade, Ironheart, Veiyara, and at the center… Ashborne.
---
Entrance Trial Phase One: Spirit Pressure Gate
A robed instructor — cloaked in red, his rank Diamond Mid radiating subtly — stepped forward, his voice enhanced with wind magic.
"This is the Spirit Gate. Only those with sufficient will and spiritual backbone may enter the Academy. Those who fail to endure the pressure will be crushed — both physically… and mentally."
"Step forward if you dare."
A glowing archway opened. Blue light pulsed like a heartbeat. One by one, students were called.
---
The first boy stepped forward — a noble from a mid-tier clan. Within seconds of entering, he screamed, blood spurting from his nose before he collapsed unconscious.
"FAILED. NEXT."
Another passed. Then two failed. Another failed. Another passed barely.
Then came a name that made many pause.
"Kaelan Ashborne."
A ripple went through the crowd.
"Tch. Let's see if the heir's all talk."
"What's an Ashborne doing here anyway? He could just walk in."
Kaelan stepped into the gate.
The moment his foot crossed the threshold — the world turned black.
---
Inside the Gate:
The spirit realm appeared as a dark ocean of stars, pressing down on Kaelan's body like the weight of the heavens.
Others had buckled under the weight.
Kaelan?
He closed his eyes.
BOOM.
A flash of red — his mother's face appeared in his mind.
Her warmth. Her smile. The pain in her voice the day she disappeared.
"Live… Kaelan. Become stronger than anyone."
The pressure cracked.
BOOM.
Behind Kaelan's spiritual form, a spectral beast stirred — a six-winged wolf with runes glowing across its fur, its gaze piercing through the realm itself.
The gate shattered.
---
Outside, the entire arch trembled violently — until it exploded in a wave of harmless light.
Everyone stared in shock.
Kaelan stood there, untouched. Calm.
The instructor's eyes narrowed.
"...Qualified. Next."
But deep in the Academy, watching through a hidden scrying orb… a white-haired youth with crimson eyes smirked.
"So, the heir shows his fangs early… this will be interesting."
— Lior Zevrin, Rank #1, Student Council President.
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[To be continued…]