sun didn't shine in this city; it smoked. Smoke drifted over the towers of Wildcrane, those bone-like, curved spikes, as if the entire city were sighing with magic, tired and angry. Alchemical fumes swirled in the air, and lanterns on chains glowed a dull blue.
The students descended the ramp. The stone slabs echoed under their feet. Not a single word was spoken, only the sound of footsteps. A silent delegation of 52 first-year students at the Academy.
"In pairs, in lines." Saen strode forward, as if carved from a piece of charcoal. "Remember: you are nothing here. And every step you take could cost you not only your grade, but your life."
Reina walked beside Kallen, silent. Her red hair was pulled back in a severe knot, and the rings of the tattoo around her eyes shimmered slightly. The other students looked uncertain, some clutching their staffs, others staring at the vampires ahead.
They were already waiting for them in the square.
The delegations of the races lined up in a semicircle. The draconids were dressed in armor that looked as if it had been cast from lava. The demons had wrapped their horns in cloths with spells written on them. The dwarves had their hands on the handles of their hammers, the elves were silent as statues, and the vampires were just... staring. Hungrily.
A tall man with pale skin and mercury-colored eyes stepped forward.
"Welcome, students of the Academy of the Seven Circles," he said. His voice seemed to flow over the stone. "You have arrived in Voldkrann. There is no place for fear here. There is no law but strength. Here, you will be presented as a race, as a couple, as an individual. And you will be judged."
Silhouettes were already moving on the rooftops. Observers. Arbiters. Those who decided who was worth living and who wasn't.
Kallen clenched his fists. His pulse was racing. He didn't like this city. It was too alive. Too... sick.
"Your place is among those who break," the Shadow suddenly whispered in his head. "Or those who are broken."
He looked at Reina.
She looked at the crowd, at the vampires, at the demons, calmly. But her fingers were tense. She could feel it.
— Do you hear that too?"
She nodded.
— This city wants blood.
Later. Inside the Waldkrans' dormitory.
The rooms were given to us immediately. They were basic and unadorned. There were beds, a work desk, and a stone washbasin. The window showed a dark sky covered in magical smog.
Kalen took off his outer jacket. His back ached. His tattoo pulsed like a living spot that whispered in an unknown language.
He lay down on the bed and closed his eyes. All he felt was a threat. The city was foreign. Even the Academy nearby felt like home. But here... it smelled like death.
The morning in Wildkraut began with a scream.
Somewhere in the depths of the city, beyond the towers and the cast-iron beams, someone was screaming. Without words. Long and drawn out. To the point of cracking his vocal cords. Whether it was a cry of pain or ecstasy, Kalen did not know. He simply stood up.
"Have you woken up?" Reina was already sitting on the windowsill, barefoot. Her scarlet eyes glowed in the dim light. "We've been told to be at the lower platform in fifteen minutes."
"Seriously?" He rubbed his face. "We just landed yesterday."
"This is Wildcrane," she shrugged. "You only rest here if you're dead."
They quickly dressed. Heavy boots, gray robes with the Academy crest, a sword on their backs, and daybags. They descended the spiral staircase to the lower level.
They were already waiting there.
"Everyone has arrived." Saen nodded. "Now you will be separated. This is not the Academy. This is Voldkrane. Each of you will have your own trial."
"What the hell..." muttered Kalen, but he stopped when he saw the black-masked figures approaching them. Without faces.
Ten masks. Ten tasks. And no rules.
"Lionheart," one of them said, his voice muffled. "You're coming with us. A special invitation."
"What the hell...?" Kallen opened his mouth, but he felt Reina step closer. Her gaze became hard. He tried to calm her down. "Don't worry." But his insides were boiling.
The filthy Shadow was pulsating.
Kalen followed them.
Location: under the turret, 11th level
The corridors were charred. Everything seemed burned, as if the flames of the soul had passed through. The stone walls were covered with formulas, and the magic writhed like worms. At the end, there was a door that emitted a mist.
"Come in." The mask pointed inside.
He went in. Closed.
Silence.
Then the light flashed, and a figure emerged from the fog.
It was a young elf. About 17 years old. Blond, with the face of a noble bastard. Two swords on his back. There were three people with him. A demon, a dwarf, and a vampire.
"You're Lionheart?" The elf chuckled. "Funny name for a... dog with zero shadow."
"Listen, you bastard," Kalen stepped forward. "I just woke up. Don't fuck with me. It'll hurt."
"Just like we do," the demon chuckled.
The battle started without a signal.
Kalen dodged. The first blow missed him, the second hit his shoulder. Blood spattered. He kicked the vampire, sending him crashing into the wall. He summoned the Shadow, and Ward emerged from the gloom as if he had been cut from the fabric of space.
"One against four? No. Two already." Kalen chuckled. "Ward, break them all."
A minute later, it was all over.
The elf was moaning, the demon was unconscious, the vampire wasn't moving, and the dwarf... he wasn't getting up at all. The chamber was covered in blood. And Kalen was with the shadow that stood behind him, black and cold.
A new figure emerged from behind the wall.
"Interesting." It was an adult, with eyes that seethed with magic. One of the true inhabitants of Wildcrane. "I have been observing. I did not expect such power."
"So what?"
"You are... either a great curse or a rare chance. We will know. Soon."
He's gone.
The door opened.