[The Stance Trial—]
The stance grounds buzzed with energy long before the first duel began. Students crowded the vast stone arena, wings were rustling, tails were flicking, chatter bouncing from wall to wall. Excitement mixed with nerves in the air like storm clouds about to burst. Valkyrie, Soda, Jasmine, and Rain stood shoulder to shoulder, their anticipation written on their faces.
"Okay, before this madness starts," Jasmine said with a mischievous grin, "I've got some people you need to meet." She waved her hand, and two figures walked over from the crowd.
The first was a tall girl with silver streaks in her black hair and eyes that glowed faintly like clock dials. Her steps were deliberate and steady, as if the very rhythm of time obeyed her.
"This is May," Rain said proudly, nudging the girl forward. "Angel of Time."
"Angel of Time?" Soda gasped, with her eyes wide open. "That sounds ridiculously powerful."
May gave a small, calm smile. "It has its limits. I can slow, pause, or even rewind time— but only for about ten minutes back".
"So... that means if you can reverse time back... you can also fasten it? Damn... That's hella of a power you got sis" Soda said.
"Uhm... you mean the future? Nah... That's beyond me. Nobody touches that thread." She said with her voice soft, but her words carried weight.
"Oh...Still," Valkyrie said with genuine awe, "that's incredible. Do you know how many mornings I'd fix if I could rewind ten minutes?"
Soda laughed, elbowing her. "You'd just rewind every time you overslept."
Before Valkyrie could answer, the second newcomer stepped up. She was a little shorter than May, with sharp eyes and an energy that felt restless, like sparks ready to leap. Her outfit shimmered faintly, as though her very presence bent space around her.
"And this," Jasmine continued, "is Suki— the Angel of Portals."
Suki smirked, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Pretty self-explanatory, huh? I can open doors to anywhere. Other worlds, other realms, or just the other side of the cafeteria line when it's too long."
That made Soda snort. "Forget angel of portals— you're my angel of skipping lines."
Valkyrie chuckled, her nerves easing. "So you can take us anywhere?"
"Anywhere I've seen," Suki corrected, wagging a finger. "Or imagined with at least a picture, No peeking into places I don't know yet. But still— dimensions, universes, hidden realms... let's just say, if you get bored of one world, I'm your girl."
Before the laughter faded, Soda clapped her hands together. "Girl...Speaking of introductions— it's our turn too! Val, should I do the honors?"
Valkyrie raised a brow. "Since when do you ask permission Soda?"
Soda grinned, ignoring the jab. "Ladies, meet Tekna— the Angel of Technology. She can literally talk to machines, upgrade anything, and probably hack the universe if she wanted to."
Tekna adjusted with a shy smile. "I prefer engineering genius, but Soda's version works."
"Cool," Suki muttered. "So you're the one I'll call when I break my communicator again."
"Uhm...I do more than fix broken gadgets suki.... you know..." Tekna corrected.
"And last but not least," Valkyrie added warmly, stepping aside, "this is Lily. Angel of Plants and Flowers. She can command earth and soil, make anything bloom— trust me, our room smells like a garden thanks to her."
Lily twirled a fingertip, and a little vine sprouted instantly from the ground, curling into the shape of a heart. "Nature always listens, even in places like this," she said softly.
Rain's eyes widened in wonder. "That's beautiful."
Soda leaned closer to Valkyrie, whispering but not really hiding it: "So basically, between Light, Air, Ideas, Water, Time, Portals, Plants, and Technology— we're stacked."
"Stacked?" Valkyrie repeated, chuckling. "That's one way to put it."
"Unstoppable is another," Jasmine added smugly.
The group shared a look, their excitement was building. Valkyrie felt something stir inside her chest— the same warmth she'd felt when her light first burst to life. These weren't just classmates anymore. They were becoming something more.
The horns blared across the stance grounds, summoning every student to silence.
The trial was about to begin.
***********************************************
"Attention, students," Miss Vivian's voice rang clear across the wide expanse of the trial grounds, it was smooth yet firm, her golden hair catching the sunlight as her white and gold cloak swept behind her. "Today begins the Stance Trials, the first test that marks your path in Monster Academy. You will learn not only the strength of your powers, but the weight of control, courage, and restraint. Each battle is more than a fight— it is a lesson."
The crowd of angels and devils hushed, though an electric energy buzzed through them. For some, this was their moment to shine. For others, dread hung heavy.
Miss Vivian clasped her hands. "The rules are simple. You will be paired. You will be tested. No one is here to die, only to prove themselves. Do not mistake trial for destruction."
Then, beside her, a new figure stepped forward. Mr. Ohio. The devil instructor towered over most, his dark crimson cloak lined with silver threads, his presence was heavy like thunderclouds rolling before a storm. His voice was deep as hell, carrying power without effort.
"My devils," he began, his golden eyes sweeping across his students, "remember this. You are devils, not demons."
The devils shifted in their seats, whispers rippling until Ohio's gaze silenced them.
"There is a difference," he continued. "Demons are chaos with no restraint. Devils,"— his tone sharpened "are cunning, disciplined and purposeful. Do not shame your nature. You are not beasts. You are forces."
A murmur of pride flickered among the devil students, though one leaned lazily against the wall with a smirk. Stephanie.
"Blah, blah, blah," she muttered under her breath, flicking her long hair back, her scarlet lips curling into a sneer. "Save us the sermon, old man. We came here to fight."
Soda, sitting beside Valkyrie, heard it and muttered quietly, "Of course she'd say that."
Valkyrie gave Soda a sharp look, whispering back, "Don't let her get to you."
But Soda's jaw was already tight.
Miss Vivian raised a silver dice in her hand, its sides glowing faintly with enchanted light. "The dice will decide who takes the lead in each pairing."
The first names were drawn, and the announcement hit Soda like a thunderclap.
"Stephanie… versus Soda."
Soda froze in her seat. "Oh no," she breathed, her hands tightening around the edges of the bench.
Jasmine leaned forward immediately, whispering quickly into her ear. "Hey, don't panic. You've trained, Soda. You've got this."
Rain nodded too, her soft voice filled with reassurance. "You're not alone. Just breathe. Fight like the air— flowing and untouchable. That's who you are soda"
But the encouragement didn't drown out Stephanie's cruel grin. She stood with deliberate slowness, her boots clicking against the floor as if each step announced her superiority. They both made their way slowly to the battle field.
"Well, well, Soda," Stephanie purred, her voice dripping with mockery. "Looks like you'll finally get the honor of losing to me. Don't worry, I'll go easy enough so you can crawl back to your little friends in one piece."
Soda pushed herself to her feet, her face was pale but her eyes were hardening. "Don't flatter yourself. I don't need to go easy with you. I can do this for days with no sweat outta my skin."
The crowd erupted in "oooohs" and whispers, half anticipating Soda's defeat, half intrigued by her boldness.
Miss Vivian's voice sliced through the noise. "Silence." Instantly the students stilled.
"Competitors, to the stance field."
The two girls walked onto the broad circle of the trial platform, the air between them already sparking with tension. Valkyrie, Jasmine, Rain, Tekna, Lily, May and Suki leaned forward in their seats, with their chests tight.
Miss Vivian lifted the enchanted dice, the faint glow pulsing brighter. She released it into the air. The dice spun, shimmered, and landed with a soft chime. The runes glowed scarlet— the devil's mark.
"It favors Stephanie," Vivian declared.
Stephanie smirked triumphantly and stepped closer to the edge of the circle. "How perfect. I get to choose the field."
Her eyes gleamed with malicious delight as she dragged out the words. "Let's make it… a graveyard."
A ripple of unease swept through the audience. The choice wasn't forbidden, but it was cruel— designed to unsettle her opponent and to intimidate them.
Vivian, calm as ever, reached to the panel beside her podium. With a press of her slender hand, the ground beneath the stance field rumbled. Ancient mechanisms churned, the glowing runes that lined the circle shifting as if alive.
The field suddenly darkened. Grass withered to ash. Pale tombstones erupted from the earth, crooked and cracked. A black iron fence spiraled up around the perimeter, and eerie blue mist curled low across the ground.
Students gasped in awe as the entire arena transformed, locked under a shimmering dome of protective glass. The graveyard shimmered under phantom moonlight.
Stephanie spread her arms wide, her smile was wicked. "Ahhh, feels like home already."
Soda swallowed hard, but raised her chin. "Then let's make you regret it."
The bell chimed— the trial had begun.