Chapter 19 – In Preparation

  Kaelin barely slept that night.

  She lay on her bed in the academy dorm, the faint glow of moonlight casting long shadows along the stone walls from a gap between the curtains. Her bag sat at the side of her desk, its contents weighing heavily on her thoughts.

  Every time she closed her eyes, the words from the books she had taken surfaced again. Spells with despicable consequences. Magic designed not just to harm, but to torture.

  She had taken them, despite knowing she shouldn’t have. This knowledge should’ve stayed hidden, and most likely would have. But now, they had been set free, and she was faced with a choice: to use what she had learned or let the knowledge rot inside her mind.

  Not all of them were deadly, or even painful. And most of them required minimum five mages to perform.

  The next morning, she dragged herself to homeroom, still groggy. The usual noise of students chatting and shuffling books filled the air, but something felt different today. The moment she stepped inside, she noticed the change.

  Professor Alden, their homeroom teacher, stood at the front of the room, arms crossed. The usually relaxed man had a sharp glint in his eye today, and behind him, the academy's emblem hung on a banner. A formal announcement was coming.

  “Take your seats,” Alden said, his voice carrying easily over the murmurs. “As you should all know, considering I only told you a few days ago, the mid-years are approaching.

  This is not just any test – it is a tradition between the three main classes of the academy. A practical application of all you have learned so far. And this year, the challenge is a monster subjugation.”

  A ripple of excitement passed through the room. Kaelin straightened, suddenly more awake.

  Elric continued, “Now I know I’ve already told you this, but by now you should have sorted yourselves into groups of three. These will be the teams in which you complete this exam. Should you fail, there will be both catchup lessons with your individual magic instructors as well as your teachers for each of the core subjects. Then, if you fail the practical test during the end of years… We will be forced to expel you.”

  Suddenly it got a bit more serious. Although no one was particularly worried, the thought still lingered.

  “While none of the teachers are meant to say anything until now, I’m sure you’ve all realised that the classes are sorted 1, 2 and 3 based on ability shown in the entrance exam. This will be a chance for people in the lower classes to rise. Should a team from classes 2 or 3 double the score of a team in a class above them, once individual ability and class work have been taken into account, they may have the chance to switch. A day before the event, you will all be told where it is taking place, and day of, each team will be assigned a monster to fight.”

  “…”

  The entire class was silent, listening intently for anything they could use in their favour.

  “Don’t worry, all the monsters will be apprentice level, and moniteurs will be on site to keep away any ranked higher. Each group will be monitored individually to ensure safety, but you are expected to handle the task on your own. In just a moment, I would like one representative of each team too come up to the front with names. Should anyone be left without a team, they will be grouped up by me.”

  Murmurs broke out again, this time with nervous energy. Monster subjugation wasn’t just a sparring match or a controlled exercise. It was real combat. Real danger.

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  Kaelin’s stomach twisted, but she forced herself to stay impassive. She could handle this. She had to.

  Elric pulled out a scroll. “Now then, one at a time, a single member from each team should come up with names.”

  Kaelin’s fingers tightened around the edge of her desk. She was glad she and Lena were able to take Zephyr in, even with his stuck-up attitude and their limited contact.

  The first person went up, and Professor Alden called out the names to check everyone agreed. “Elena, Tomas, and Varik.” He looked up, scanning for their faces, checking they agreed.

  “When I call your names, please raise your hand if you are willing to be in these teams.

  “Reese, Guy, and Kana.”

  Names to be called as people went up, a small line at the front of the class, and with each one, Kaelin felt more and more estranged. Whether these partnerships were based on ability or friendships, she didn’t even know most of them. They didn’t give her the chance to let her get to know them. Before long she was snapped out of her daydream by a voice calling her name.

  “Kaelin, Lena, and Zephyr.”

  Kaelin looked to her left, but Lena was still sat down. Looking to the front of the classroom, Zephyr was standing next to Professor Alden. Lena nudged Kaelin, telling her to raise her hand.

  The room fell quiet for a brief moment before whispers spread. Kaelin didn’t have to guess why. Lena was well-liked, and she wasn’t too bad at fighting, both close range and support. But pairing up with the two probably least well-known people was a surprise to most. People knew of the relationship between Lena and Kaelin… But Zephyr?

  They could only guess why. His talent was undeniable – being a tri-affinity mage with good grasp on all three made him one of the strongest students at the academy, even as a first year. But it also made him distant. He had no close allies, and despite his skill, people kept their distance. To them, he seemed out of reach.

  Alden ignored the murmurs. “You will find out the destination in three days. Prepare accordingly.”

  ***

  Later that day, Kaelin caught up with Lena outside the library.

  “I don’t suppose you’re thrilled about our team.” Kaelin said, falling into step beside her.

  Lena glanced at her and smiled. “What do you mean, I’m thinking we might just win this! I mean think about it, we have both the students of the head of time here, Mr Martin, and then there’s me. Don’t worry about it. There isn’t a team better.”

  Kaelin scoffed. “That’s one way to look at it.”

  “I might even have a chance to cuddle up to Zephyr, start to put the moves on him if you know what I mean.” Lena said with a sly smirk. “What do you think of Zephyr anyway, you keep making it seem like he’s your worst enemy.”

  Kaelin exhaled. “He’s strong. More than strong, honestly. But he keeps himself separate from everyone.”

  “I think he just doesn’t trust people,” Lena murmured. “Maybe this will be good for him. And for us.”

  Kaelin wasn’t so sure.

  ***

  Later that evening, she found Zephyr at the academy’s outdoor training grounds. He was stood by the weights, doing physical training, just as Kaelin had planned to.

  Kaelin crossed her arms and leaned against the fence. “Are you planning on being a pain to work with?”

  Zephyr didn’t stop what he was doing, but a flicker of amusement passed over his expression. “Depends. You planning to get in my way?”

  Kaelin smirked. “No. But I’d rather not die because we didn’t work together.”

  Zephyr finally paused, lowering the weight back onto the ground. He studied her for a moment before speaking. “You’re sharp. You fight dirty. That might actually be useful.”

  “I’ll take that as a compliment,” Kaelin said dryly. Then, after a beat, she added, “Look. I know neither of us are the most... approachable people. But if we’re going to do this, let’s at least agree not to sabotage each other.”

  Zephyr considered her words before nodding. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

  A pause. Then, unexpectedly, he said, “Do you ever feel like you’re on the outside, looking in?”

  Kaelin blinked. That was... not what she had expected.

  She shrugged. “Most days.”

  Zephyr tilted his head slightly, as if weighing something in his mind. Then he returned to his stance. “We’ll see how this goes, then.”

  Kaelin watched him for a moment longer before turning away. Something had shifted between them. A small crack in the walls they had both built.

  And as she walked back to her dormitory, she couldn’t stop the nagging thought at the back of her mind. Like she had forgotten something.

  She was sure they’d win. They had more than one advantage over the others. She knew the location, giving an easier time preparing, and no other team had a group as powerful as their own.

  Oh shit, I was gonna work out!

  Cursing herself, she arrived at her room. Her fingers brushed the edge of her bag, where the books were hidden beneath a layer of folded clothes.

  She told herself she wouldn’t use them.

  She just wasn’t sure she believed it.