“Fighters, with me!” bellowed Jasper. “Hit it with every ranged attack you have.”
Otter pulled his knife and ran to Jasper’s side.
“Not you, Otter. Not this time. If that thing sneezes on you, you’re dead. Stay here and think of a way to use that Luck of yours.” And then Jasper, Torrin, and three others wielding swords were sprinting toward the giant.
Otter fell back as Erin nocked an arrow and let fly. Both Sage and Milo began casting spells. Several other students also pulled out bows and began to fire.
Three arrows skidded harmlessly off the monster’s plated hide, but one found its mark.
Sage finished her spell and holy flames sprung up around the creature’s legs. It let out a guttural roar of pain.
“Nice work, Sage!” Otter cried. “I don’t think it likes that.”
Milo’s spell was much less flashy. In fact, Otter saw no outward signs of its effect except the monster paused in its steady march toward them and shook its head.
Then the fighters were on it, swarming around its spiky legs, chopping and stabbing. Most of their blades clanged harmlessly off its armor, but Jasper and the tall girl with braids from the group they’d just rescued managed to find a weak spot, their swords trailing a black, wispy ichor.
The Kaosborn halted its plodding charge and swatted at the girl who had just injured it. Its long, serrated claws parted armor and flesh alike. The fighter screamed, and was tossed lifelessly to the floor. Otter screamed. Yet another death he couldn’t prevent.
More arrows streaked toward the beast—one sinking deep into its mouth when it roared.
Sage cast Heaven’s Touch again, immolating the creature. Her spells seemed to have the most affect.
“Fight defensively!” Otter called. “Stay out of its way! Let the casters do the damage!” Why hadn’t he realized that before? Stupid.
Jasper nodded almost imperceptibly, but Otter saw a shift in his stance.
Milo cast Mind Spike again. The Koasborn roared in psychic pain and dropped to a knee.
The fighters danced around it, lunging and feinting, but their attacks did no damage. Their primary purpose was to keep the beast occupied and avoid getting themselves killed in the process.
Torrin barely escaped being skewered as the Kaosheart swiped at him before deciding the magic users were the bigger threat and lumbered toward them, ignoring the fighters.
“Dammit,” Otter swore, trying to think of something he could do to buy them more time. He looked around the room frantically, searching for some advantage. He found nothing. He just had to hope some of his luck would rub off on the others.
More arrows flew as the archers in the group backpedaled to keep their distance. This time, none of them got through the shifting black plates.
Sage was in the middle of calling Heaven’s Touch yet again, but the creature was too close and she lost concentration, fumbling her spell at the last second.
In its rage, the creature shrugged off Milo’s next spell, closing to melee range. Unless something changed quickly, one of the spellcasters was about to die.
Seeing their predicament, Jasper hurled himself at the beast, climbing up its leg to strike at a more vulnerable area. His blade could not penetrate the monster’s thick hide. It did, however, grab the thing’s attention. It reached back, plucking Jasper from its rump, and hurled him into the wall. Jasper crumpled into a broken heap on the floor. He didn't stand back up. He didn't move at all.
“No!” screamed Otter.
Finally, Sage regained her sense and cast her spell again. When she did, the whole room lit up with a golden glow as Divine flames consumed the shadowy Koasborn.
It roared in defiance, but its flesh burned away before the radiant power, dissipating into nothingness. When the flames vanished, the creature was gone.
The chamber went quiet. Only the sounds of ragged breathing could be heard.
“Jasper!” Otter shouted. But Sage was already on the move, kneeling over Jasper’s body. With a touch, she cast Stabilize. Otter couldn't tell if he was alive or dead, but Sage gave him a nod.
“He will live.”
The other fighter that had fallen wasn't so lucky. That made three students who had died today in what was supposed to be a simple, harmless simulation. Otter couldn’t begin to imagine what had gone wrong or how Kaos had taken over, but he was certain the administrators were going crazy trying to figure it out.
Otter’s wrisplay buzzed.
Objective(s) Complete:
- Defeat the Kaosborn
- Rescue your fellow students from the Kaosborn.
He breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed the attack was over.
A deep rumbling vibration coursed through the walls. The air shimmered. A flickering light—like the shifting patterns of the simulation’s illusionary magic—sputtered to life around them. The underground ruins, once corrupted by Kaos, began to reassert themselves as part of the Academy’s domain.
The cracks and fissures in the walls and floors disappeared, smoothing over, appearing as they had when the simulation began.
Erin let out a long breath. “Thank the gods.”
A sharp pulse of energy filled the cavern.
Otter barely had time to process the familiar tingling sensation before the world twisted around him.
The cavern blurred, light bending and warping.
Then, with a sudden jolt—the ground was gone.
A heartbeat later, Otter and the others reappeared in the underground complex beneath Ironside Keep, standing in a massive chamber filled with Spell Lords, Overseers, and other students.
Gasps erupted from the gathered faculty. A dozen figures rushed toward them.
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Otter barely had time to register it before his knees buckled.
***
Blackwood and several other Overseers stood watching as the students were retrieved from the simulation. The last few minutes had been the most harrowing of his entire career. He was responsible for each one of those students. His job was to keep them safe.
When he had realized the extent of the corruption in the simulation, he had immediately notified the Headmaster. But there was little he could do either.
Nothing they attempted to regain control of the simulation had worked. They were utterly and completely locked out. Except for a few Spell Lords still connected to their illusions, they had no way to contact the students, no way to give them instructions. All they could do was stand idly by and listen to the sounds of battle.
Then, suddenly, whatever was interfering with their control vanished. It only took them seconds to re-establish visuals and realize all the students still stuck in the simulation had gathered at Otter’s team’s extraction point. And even less time to teleport them back.
They had been prepared for the students’ arrival, with several high level Divine Conduits ready to administer healing, but none of them looked relieved.
“Damage report?” Blackwood asked, eyes locked on the returning students.
Overseer Kane consulted his records. “Thirty-two students entered the simulation. Twenty-nine returned.”
A heavy pause.
Blackwood’s jaw tightened. “The three missing?”
“Lyle Ainsworth. Edris Morran. Elise Fortran.”
A hush fell over the room. Even though the Overseers had been powerless to stop it from happening, they were responsible.
The Academy had lost three students.
Vex let out a sharp breath, folding his arms. “We need answers. Immediately.”
***
Otter barely felt the healer’s hands on him, checking for injuries. His body ached from exhaustion, but he was in one piece. Unlike some of the others.
Unlike Lyle.
The reality of everything that had happened still felt surreal, but his thoughts were sharp. His mind raced, fitting the pieces together, trying to make sense of it all.
Blackwood approached, his boots clicking against the stone floor. “Bennett.” His tone was unreadable, but his eyes were sharp, dissecting.
Otter forced himself to stand straighter. “Sir.”
“What happened in there?”
“I don’t know, sir.”
“We lost visuals as soon as the Kaosborn arrived. Tell me everything that happened from that moment forward.”
Otter did.
Silas remained stone-faced for most of his explanation, but Otter saw him frown at the mention of the Kaosheart. He also nodded several times, as if approving of the decisions they made to help the others.
When Otter finished his story, Silas looked off into the distance, pondering his words. “You did well. Without all of you working together, I think we’d have a lot more families to contact.”
“How did this happen, sir?” Otter asked.
Blackwood’s eyes turned back to him. “I don’t know. But rest assured, we will find out.” He turned his attention to the other Overseers. ““Double security on all restricted archives relating to Kaos incursion theories,” he ordered. “I want a full report on every anomaly detected before and during the event. And I want every student who participated in that simulation debriefed personally.”
***
Otter, Erin, Sage, and Milo sat in a waiting area. Jasper had been taken to the infirmary where he could receive better medical attention. The Kaosheart had really messed him up. It was only because of Sage’s quick intervention he had even survived.
The other survivors were placed in different areas to rest before the debriefing as well.
For a long time, no one spoke.
It was Otter that finally broke the silence. “You really worked a miracle in there, Sage.”
The Divine Conduit bowed her head. “It wasn't me. It was Elarion working through me. That creature was the antithesis of all that Elarion stands for. It was they that burned it from this plane of existence.”
“Still. I don’t think we would have killed that thing if you weren't there.”
Sage smiled softly, but said nothing.
After another awkward pause, Erin spoke up. “So…did anyone else level up after that fight?”
Otter’s head snapped up.
“I was wondering the same thing,” said Milo.
“You guys hit level 2 already?” Otter asked.
They all nodded. Even Sage.
Otter’s face fell, his expression darkening as he began mumbling under his breath.
Erin put a hand on his shoulder. “Still nothing?”
Otter shook his head.
“That doesn't matter. Not anymore.” There was a determined look in Erin’s eyes. “You saved us, Otter. Those Rift-Hounds would have torn us apart if not for you. When people find out what you did in there, no one’s going to care if you have a Class or not. You’ll be a hero.”
Otter didn't really believe her. Sure, he’d proven that he was just as capable as any first level adventurer, but apparently The System still didn't recognize his worth. He fell into a sullen silence, first from his growing frustration, then from guilt when he realized that even with a Class, three of his fellow students hadn't survived.
When it was finally Otter’s turn for his official debriefing, he stepped into the room, shoulders squared despite the weight of exhaustion.
The chamber was dimly lit, lined with heavy bookshelves and filled with a long table, where several Overseers and instructors sat. Headmaster Voss stood at the head of the table, his sharp gaze locked onto Otter the moment he entered.
To his right sat Master Horvan, arms crossed. Overseer Blackwood was to his left, expression unreadable. Other faculty members lingered in the background, murmuring amongst themselves. A single scribe sat at the far end, quill poised over parchment, ready to record every word.
“State your name,” the scribe instructed.
Otter swallowed. “Otter…er…Dwayne Bennett.”
“Tell us exactly what happened—everything from the moment you entered the simulation to the moment you were extracted.”
Otter took a deep breath and recounted their journey through the ruins, sparing no details. He explained the traps, the missing expedition, the fight with the Rift-Hounds, and the rescue of the other students. He hesitated when he got to the part about Lyle.
“He… didn’t make it,” Otter said quietly.
Blackwood’s gaze remained unreadable, but Master Horvan let out a slow breath. “Continue.”
When Otter reached the battle with the Kaosheart, his voice grew tighter. He described the teamwork—Jasper rallying the fighters, Sage’s divine magic, Milo’s Mind Spike distracting the beast.
“We lost... I don’t know her name. We never got the chance to talk.” Otter finished. He swallowed against the lump in his throat. “We did everything we could.”
There was a long silence. The quill scratched against parchment, recording every word.
Then Blackwood spoke. “Did you encounter anyone else?”
Otter frowned. “Just Alisha. But she was part of the simulation’s narrative, right?”
Blackwood’s fingers tapped against the table. “Yes. She was controlled by one of the Spell Lords. He’s the one that instructed you to go to your entry point for extraction.”
Finally, Vex spoke for the first time. “Tell us again about this Luck’s Whisper ability of yours.”
Otter hesitated. “I don’t really know much about it. The System has never explained what it is or how it works, but I’ve got some theories.”
“By all means, regale us.”
“I’m pretty sure it’s connected to my Luck stat. Whenever I get the notification, something Lucky happens. Or at least, I see an opportunity I can take advantage of.”
“Such as?” Blackwood prompted.
Otter thought back to the times he’d received the notification. There were some instances he didn't want to share. “Well, the first time I saw it was in Brighthaven. I was racing this kid and…well, it kept me from getting puked on.” No one looked impressed, so he went on. “Then here on campus, when Ly… when a couple of boys wanted to start a fight, I saw it again just before one of the lanterns in the commons exploded, giving me a chance to run away.” That raised some eyebrows.
“I’ve never heard of someone without a Class having a special ability,” said Overseer Kane. “That’s what this is, right?”
“It’s not unprecedented,” said Blackwood. “But it is very unusual.”
“And you saw this notification during the simulation?” asked Vex.
Otter nodded. “That’s how I found the secret passage leading around the trap.”
The scribe continued to write, but the others fell silent, only casting curious glances at each other.
“Thank you, Mr. Bennett,” Headmaster Voss finally said. “You have been very helpful and forthcoming. You are dismissed.”
Though no more words were exchanged, Otter saw several dark looks on the faces of the Overseers as he left the room. It didn't leave him feeling warm and fuzzy inside.