The moment the five instructors passed through their respective portals, the world shifted.
They found themselves standing alone inside a dense forest. Towering trees blocked out most of the light, their thick canopies weaving shadows across the ground. The air was damp, heavy with the scent of soil and moss.
No one wasted time.
Each instructor moved instantly. One leapt into the branches, concealing himself among leaves and bark, suppressing his aura completely. Another slipped into a narrow cave, sealing the entrance with a thin layer of earth and illusion. A third submerged himself in a shallow stream, masking his presence with flowing water. The remaining two scattered in opposite directions, hiding within natural terrain so flawlessly that even with open eyes, finding them would be a challenge.
They were instructors of the academy. Being outdone by a first-year student was not an option.
