Day Seven.
The sun broke through the treetops like a promise. Warm, golden beams filtered through the canopy and painted the moss-covered forest floor. A gentle breeze stirred the trees. Birdsong returned to the air.
It was almost peaceful.
Almost.
"Can't believe we made it," Rae said, crouched near the remains of the last campfire. "One more day. One more."
Brent sat nearby, wrapping his hands in fresh cloth, the faint glow of healing light pulsing from his palm. His arms were laced with cuts, his shoulders bandaged, but his expression was calm. Focused.
"We're not done yet," he said quietly.
Kalen, slouched near a tree, scoffed. "You're paranoid. There's no way they throw more at us now. Everyone else is probably drinking broth and writing in their journals."
Brent's eyes narrowed. "You don't survive by assuming the enemy is done."
A sharp silence fell.
And then, it shattered.
Whispers in the Leaves. Shadows in the Light.
The attack came without warning.
Three arrows whistled from the trees—Rae barely deflected one with her blade. Brent raised a Lightfield Shield, absorbing the other two.
"AMBUSH!" he shouted.
From the darkness, they emerged.
Black robes. Curved daggers. Masks carved like snarling wolves. Assassins—more than a dozen—moved like living shadows.
"They're not from the academy," Rae said, backing into formation beside Brent.
"No," Brent growled. "They're here to kill."
Then he noticed.
Kalen?
Gone.
Coward.
The Battle for Day Seven Began
Rae and Brent moved as one.
She slashed, he shielded. She parried, he healed. His Solar Step flared, flashing him across the battlefield in streaks of golden fire. Her sword danced, slicing through cloaks and tendons.
[Light Technique Activated – Radiant Ward]
A dome of holy light engulfed them, slowing the assassins and shielding their unconscious teammate.
Still, the assassins pressed in—stronger than beasts, coordinated, and unafraid to die.
Brent triggered Supernova Impact, blasting three at once into trees with a single blow—but another drove a blade into his ribs from behind.
Blood poured. His vision blurred.
[System Warning – Critical Health Detected]
[Emergency Protocol Available – "Dawnheart Ascension"]
"Do it," Brent muttered, clutching his side.
[LEVEL 10 ACHIEVED – Class Advancement Unlocked: Dawnheart Paladin]
You have stood in the gap when all others fled. The light within you has awakened a hidden root of divinity.
Flame Resonance: 44%-54%
New Ability: Eternal Aegis
Grants 10 seconds of complete invulnerability and massive regeneration. Triggered only when on the brink of death.
The next moment, Brent stood tall.
Wounds sealed in golden fire. His body pulsed with divine energy. A halo of radiant flame circled his back.
He didn't fight.
He cleansed.
Every punch burned. Every kick was a flash of searing dawn. One assassin screamed as Brent's palm collided with his chest—his body evaporating into pure light.
Rae was covered in blood, her arm limp and face cut, but she kept fighting. When she stumbled, Brent was there.
His light wrapped her in warmth, lifted her to her feet.
And then the last assassin fell.
It was done.
Brent dropped to his knees, breath ragged, power flickering like a dying flame.
"I—think we made it…" he murmured.
Rae ran to his side. "Don't move! Brent—stay awake!"
He smiled faintly. "You're okay… that's all I wanted…"
Then came the sound of footsteps.
Behind them.
Brent turned.
Kalen.
Smiling.
"I owe you something, don't I?" he said, voice low and bitter. "All those eyes watching you now. All that power. They're calling you a prodigy."
"Kalen…?" Rae blinked. "Where were you?"
Brent was too weak to speak.
Kalen drew a short dagger from his belt.
"No one remembers the guy who almost made it."
He stabbed Brent—right in the gut, where no armor protected.
Brent gasped. Light flickered out of his eyes.
"No!" Rae screamed.
Before she could react, Kalen grabbed Brent's dying body and dragged him toward the old stone well behind the camp—black mist rising from within.
Rae ran forward, but too late.
With a final grunt, Kalen stabbed his blade into Brent's chest as he hurled him into the well.
The toxin mist hissed like a demon's breath.
No one survived its depths. It had been there since the ancient wars—sealed and abandoned.
Rae screamed Brent's name, lightning crashing in her voice.
But there was no reply.
Kalen said nothing. He turned and walked into the forest.
Rae stayed until sunrise.
But Brent never came back.