Chapter: The Mansion of Trials and Shadows
The gates of the Awaken Special Training Grounds creaked open like the entrance to a different realm, and Class B filed in slowly, their wide eyes soaking in the grandeur. It wasn't what they expected. The structure wasn't like a combat zone, but rather an elegant mansion, tall and vast with high arching ceilings, intricate golden pillars, and a large glimmering chandelier that floated in the center of the main training hall. The walls were lined with portraits of past heroes, their gazes stern, as though silently judging those who dared step inside.
Eli followed at the rear, shoulders hunched, feeling every step weigh heavier with each memory that haunted him. The rumors, the looks, the betrayal of friends who now looked at him like a ticking bomb. As he walked through the marble floor, his eyes scanned the room, barely registering the gasps and praises from his classmates.
Catherine, her eyes slithering with intent, clung tight to Eli's arm, dragging him away from the others. He flinched, trying to shake her off gently, but her grip was firm.
"Let go," Eli muttered, not looking at her.
"Tch," Catherine smirked. "You still don't get it, do you? You're not the only one with ghosts."
She pulled him into a quieter corner of the mansion, beneath an ornate staircase.
"Want to hear a story, Eli?" she asked without waiting for permission. "There was once an Awaken student. Weak. Useless. His powers weren't anything spectacular—just a ripple of energy. Everyone mocked him. He wanted to quit, to disappear. But there was another student in the same class—a strong one. Born from a legacy of heroes. Powerful, confident, the top of their class."
Eli remained quiet.
"They were friends," she continued. "The strong one protected the weak one, until one day, during a training simulation, the weak one lost control. His power erupted and nearly destroyed an entire block. The academy branded him unstable. The strong friend? She stood by him. She fought the teachers, the board. But in the end, he was expelled and disappeared."
She stared at him, her voice soft. "I never forgot that. Because that strong one was me. And the weak one was my friend. I failed to protect him. I won't fail again. Even if the world calls you a demon. Even if you are one. I decide who my opponents are."
Before Eli could respond, a loud voice called Catherine's name.
A group of students approached, led by Timothy and Moses.
Timothy crossed his arms, scowling. "What the hell are you doing with the demon?"
Catherine turned slowly, her expression blank at first—then twisted into a feral grin. "You trying to pick a fight with the opponent I luckily found?"
Moses stepped forward, his aura surging. "Eli Calamaki is someone we all in Class B must avoid. You know that. Being close to him is an offence."
Eli tried to pull away from Catherine. "I don't want any trouble..."
But she gave him a death stare. "You stay right here."
She turned toward the group, stepping protectively in front of Eli. "You all seem to have a death wish. Calling someone I view as superior... a demon?"
Timothy flared. "Catherine, you're crossing the line. Don't go against Class B for this freak."
She laughed coldly. "You talk too much. Why don't you all come at me and let's settle this?"
The group tensed, their powers igniting, but just before chaos could erupt, a thunderous clap echoed through the hall.
Everyone froze. Standing on a raised platform were the three elite heroes: Nice, Mighty, and Flowless.
"Enough," Nice said, his voice cutting like a blade. "Welcome again, Class B, to the Awaken Training Program. Today, you will be tested."
Mighty pressed a button on a small remote.
In an instant, the grand hall shimmered and twisted. Walls morphed and faded. The floor vibrated. The chandelier dissolved into mist. Before the eyes of the stunned students, the entire room transformed into a massive, living 3D cityscape.
Towering buildings surrounded them. Some structures were on fire, others crumbled from imaginary earthquakes. The wind howled through empty alleys. Cars moved. Holographic civilians screamed and ran. The realism was overwhelming.
Gasps, cheers, and startled laughs erupted.
"Whoa! It's like a real city!"
"Is that fire real?"
"I swear I felt that earthquake!"
Nice raised his voice again. "This is your battlefield. You will be placed in random areas of this simulated city. You must rescue civilians from Threats. Remember—the environment is holographic, but the pain, damage, and death are real enough if you aren't careful."
The students fell into silence.
Mighty stepped forward with a tablet. "Now forming teams."
As names were called, students grouped up, disappearing into different sections of the simulated city.
Outside the hall—
A black portal tore through the air. A polished white shoe stepped out. Then another.
Vile emerged, dusting off his white suit, his crimson eyes scanning the grounds.
"I sense him here," he said with a chilling smile. "So this is where you hid him."
He turned to the swirling portal behind him. "You can come out now."
Dozens of black portals exploded open. Threats poured out like a river of shadows—each one more twisted and monstrous than the last.
Inside the hall—
The last group was sent off. Only Eli remained.
Flowless approached him, eyes soft but unreadable. "Don't look so defeated. Your record might be... terrible, but your story isn't over."
She pointed toward a darkened hallway. "Go to that room. Someone is expecting you."
Eli hesitated. Something didn't feel right.
As he turned to leave, Catherine grabbed his wrist.
"Where do you think you're going, Rival?" she laughed. "Without saying goodbye?"
Eli blinked. "What..."
Flowless stepped in. "Let him go, Catherine. Or you might be disqualified."
Catherine glared. "You're trying to isolate him. Why is he the only one without a team? What are you planning?"
"It's none of your business, student."
"Oh, but it is," Catherine snapped. "I want him on my team."
Before the argument could continue—
**BOOM!**
The walls of the mansion shattered inward.
Screams echoed. Holograms glitched. Fires flared uncontrollably.
A shadowy figure stepped through the smoke.
Vile.
He smiled at the terrified students. His aura pulsed like a living storm.
"Found you, Eli."
The mansion—or what remained of it—plunged into chaos.
And thus, the test... became real.