Chapter : 11
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Aflety Magic Academy was never silent—but that morning, a heavy hush blanketed the halls like a thick fog.
The enchanted bulletin boards, which usually shimmered with rotating updates and colorful flyers, now bore a single, golden parchment, framed in an ethereal glow. Crowds of students gathered in awe.
Evan blinked as he read the heading:
"First Semester Trials: Officially Commence in Ten Days"
By Order of Headmaster Gawain
"What?" Gareth growled, cracking his knuckles so loudly a nearby elf flinched. "It's barely been a month! What kind of sick joke is this?"
"Not a joke," Silva murmured beside him. "Aflety doesn't wait. Either we adapt or get left behind."
Cassia glanced at the announcement, flipped her ponytail, and walked away. "Figures. Time to thin the herd."
Behind Evan, a voice chirped sweetly.
"Well then, my darling fiancé," Lilith said with a radiant smile, "shall we begin training together~?"
Evan sighed. "You're not going to stop calling me that, are you?"
"Nope," Lilith replied, leaning close. "You can't run from destiny."
Basil, his tiny Basilisk beast, who had now grown to the length of Evan's arm, flicked its forked tongue and slithered around his neck like a scarf. It gave Lilith a warning hiss.
"See? Even Basil agrees," Evan muttered.
"Is it Basil now?" Lilith blinked, then grinned. "How adorable! But also scary. So very scary." She reached out. "Can I pet it—"
Basil bared its tiny fangs.
"Maybe later," Evan said quickly.
________
The afternoon sun filtered through stained-glass windows as the core students of Aflety gathered in the Arena Garden—one of the oldest courtyards in the academy, reserved only for elite training. The circular grounds shimmered with magical runes, and stone pillars depicting the twelve elements surrounded them, each glowing faintly with mana.
Evan stood across from Gareth Ironfang, their sparring match about to begin.
"Alright, golden boy," Gareth said, flexing his fists wrapped in flame-colored gauntlets. "Let's see what kind of power hides behind those quiet eyes."
Evan didn't respond. Instead, he breathed slowly, grounding himself. Basil was coiled on the platform's edge, watching intently.
"I won't hold back," Evan finally said.
"Better not!"
The clash began.
Flames surged toward him, but Evan countered with a flick of water mana—his body now more attuned to the flow of his elements, Darkness and Water. The two clashed beautifully, forming steam as the battle heated.
From the sidelines, Silva Elowen raised an eyebrow. "His control has improved."
"He's not flashy, but he's terrifyingly efficient," Cassia commented.
Lilith, lounging nearby under a shaded archway, twirled her parasol. "Of course he is. He's mine."
"Please," Cassia muttered.
But while the rivals bantered, another presence observed silently.
Perched above the arena, cloaked in shadow, stood a man with a mask resembling a crow's skull. His presence was veiled with high-level concealment magic, and even the professors didn't seem aware.
Shade Cardinal, First Warden of The Black Nest, watched Evan like a hunter observing prey.
"So this is the child born of Rochel blood," he murmured. "And he's already awakened a Divine Beast…"
His gloved hand curled into a fist.
"Lord Noctis will want to hear of this."
Then, like smoke, he vanished.
______
Two days had passed since the sparring session, and the atmosphere at Aflety had grown increasingly tense. Whispers of the upcoming Semester Evaluation Trials rippled through the halls like wind through grass. Rumors said it would be unlike anything the academy had done in the past decade—designed by none other than Lord Gawain himself.
Evan stood before a crystalline board in the central hall, where notices were posted for the students.
His eyes caught the bold letters:
NOTICE: All first-year students will be split into Trial Squads of five. Trials begin in 3 days. Selection is random—but interference from faculty is permitted in special cases.
Cassia scoffed, reading over his shoulder. "Random? More like 'controlled chaos.'"
Gareth, who was trying to make sense of the glowing inscriptions, grunted. "As long as I get to hit something, I don't care."
Behind them, Lilith's soft voice chimed in, "I hope we're in the same group, Evan."
Evan, rubbing his temple, said, "That would be—"
"—a nightmare," Cassia finished for him.
Lilith pouted.
Basil, who was curled around Evan's neck like a stylish scarf, flicked his tongue toward Lilith with a hiss. She narrowed her eyes at the little serpent.
"He doesn't like you, you know," Cassia said dryly.
"He's just shy," Lilith replied, flipping her silver and dark red hair.
Then, a loud magical buzz echoed through the hall. The board shimmered as the Trial Squad Assignments were revealed.
Squad 11:
• Evan Rochel
• Lilith Laistrygones
• Silva Elowen
• Gareth Ironfang
• Cassia Belvane
"…You've got to be kidding me," Evan muttered.
Lilith clapped her hands with joy. "Fate has spoken."
Silva just adjusted her gloves. "This will be interesting."
Cassia groaned. "Why must the universe punish me like this?"
Gareth cracked his knuckles. "Well, at least we've got muscle and brains."
"Where's the brains?" Cassia said flatly.
"Me," Gareth replied with a proud smile.
Evan sighed as Basil chuckled in his mind through their link.
"You're doomed, Master."
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The next morning, Squad 11 gathered at the eastern training grounds—one of Aflety's oldest and most arcane areas. It was said to be shaped by a forgotten World Tree and wrapped in remnants of elemental ley lines.
The morning mist rolled in gently, veiling the marble columns that stood like ancient guardians. Each stone hummed faintly with residual magic.
"Alright," Evan said, stretching. "We need a plan. These exams won't just be battles—they'll test compatibility, mana control, and beast synergy."
Cassia crossed her arms. "You sound like a professor."
"That's because he actually reads the syllabus," Silva added, flipping through a notebook. "Now, if we divide ourselves based on elemental affinities…"
Before she could finish, a strange sound echoed through the training ground—a soft tapping of a cane against stone.
A figure emerged from the fog.
Draped in a flowing dark indigo coat embroidered with celestial patterns, the man's sharp silver eyes pierced through the mist. His pale hair was tied loosely, and the air around him seemed warped—like space didn't follow normal rules in his presence.
He leaned slightly on an obsidian cane. "Squad Eleven, yes?"
"Who's that?" Gareth whispered, instinctively defensive.
"I am Professor Maeron Vey," the man replied, bowing slightly. "I have been given special permission to oversee your squad's progress… personally."
Evan narrowed his eyes. "Why us?"
Maeron's smile was thin. "Because you are the only team with a Divine Beast in it. And because someone among you possesses an ancient bloodline tied to a certain prophecy."
Lilith looked curious. Cassia skeptical. Basil coiled tighter around Evan's neck, sensing something odd.
"Prophecy?" Silva asked.
Professor Maeron stepped closer to Evan. His silver eyes glowed faintly. "A Basilisk is not just a beast of death. When nurtured properly, it becomes the Wyrm of Ruin—the Drakon Imperialis."
Everyone stared.
Evan stiffened. "You know about Basil?"
"I know more than you can imagine," Maeron whispered. "Your bond with him is… not ordinary. You'll soon realize you're both evolving, whether you like it or not."
"Evolving?"
"Your beast's growth will change your fate—and the empire's. But beware. There are those who already know what sleeps inside that scaled body."
Maeron stepped back and tapped his cane once. A ripple of space magic surged out.
"Training begins. Survive this illusion zone until sundown—or fail."
The training ground twisted into a shadowy forest, thick with illusions and beasts formed of memory and fear.
Basil hissed protectively.
Lilith grabbed Evan's sleeve. "I hate this already."
"You'll hate it more in a second," he muttered, pulling out his mana blade.
Chapter End
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