Lucan pulled the blindfold from his eyes.
A strange blue hue colored the sky above, like oil on water, shimmering and unnatural. Around him, a forest stretched in every direction, the tall ancient trees rising like sentinels. The air buzzed with tension, broken only by distant howls and the eerie clicking of some unseen insectoid menace.
"What the hell is this place?" Lucan muttered.
"The sky's not real," Cassian said, already alert, scanning the terrain. "Magical projection. This whole zone is crafted by some of the best mages at the Academy. Don't trust your eyes."
Lucan took a step back, the magnitude of it all sinking in. This wasn't just a test. It was a battlefield dressed in illusions and real danger.
Cassian didn't waste a second. "We need to move. Listen up."
Their group of six snapped to attention. Cassian exuded authority, his eyes sharp, voice clear.
"We're splitting up. Groups of two. Better chances to find relics that way. We regroup at the end and split them evenly. No heroes, no hoarding."
Lucan was paired with Sevrin Hollowmere, a lesser noble from Eirenfall. All Lucan knew about him was that he kept to himself. Slim for a fighter, almost bookish, and not exactly confidence-inspiring.
They had barely begun to fan out when the high-pitched and vile shriek came. The trees above rustled.
Lucan looked up just in time to see the spider drop.
It was massive. Eight bristling legs, a glistening black body the size of a wagon. The group barely had time to draw their weapons before it landed with a thunderous crash in their midst, sending dirt and leaves flying.
"Form a circle! Don't stop moving!" Cassian shouted.
Lucan hesitated, frozen by the sheer size of the thing. But training or adrenaline kicked in. He lunged forward, blade out, taking a slash at one of its legs. His sword bounced off the chitin.
The spider lunged, scattering them. One boy stumbled, tripping over a root, his sword flying from his hand. The spider pounced, knocking down a tree in the process. The boy rolled away, barely avoiding its snapping fangs.
Chaos ruled. Blades glinted, shouts rang out, and the spider moved quickly. It took all of them to keep it disoriented with constant movement, frantic slashes and close calls.
Lucan cut deep into one of its hind legs, black ichor spraying out. It screeched and reared back.
Then Cassian stepped forward, gripping his sword with both hands. He waited calmly and steadily as the spider lunged again. With a clean pivot, he drove the blade upward through the spider's head. It twitched once… then slumped, dead.
Silence fell.
Cassian exhaled, wiping sweat from his brow.
Lucan stared at the corpse, wide-eyed, chest heaving.
That was his first real monster.
He'd expected goblins. Maybe wolves. Level one monsters from the games. Not something like that.
Cassian looked around. "We barely made it with six. From now on, avoid combat unless absolutely necessary. Got it?"
Everyone nodded. No argument there.
The teams split, and Lucan walked beside Sevrin, or Sev as he insisted, through thick underbrush. They checked tree hollows and stone outcrops, anything that might hide a relic.
After about an hour, Sev knelt by an ancient tree whose roots curled up from the ground like fingers. "Got something," he whispered.
He pulled out a shard of green metal with a faint glowing rune etched into it.
"A relic," Lucan breathed.
"Yup," Sev smirked. "Told you. No need to fight if you're smart."
Lucan nodded in agreement. That plan held, for a minute.
They heard shouting ahead.
They crept forward, pushing aside branches to get a view.
It was Maric Valemire and his gang. They surrounded two students, Drakenheim by the look of their darker hair and black uniforms. The Drakenheim boy leaned against a tree, injured.
"Hand it over, and I won't kill you," Maric said, pointing his sword lazily at the wounded boy.
One of the Drakenheim girls whispered something, and the boy held out a relic. Maric took it and stabbed him anyway, laughing as the group ran off into the woods.
"Bastard," Lucan hissed.
"Let it go," Sev warned. "It's messed up, yeah. But it's not against the rules."
Lucan wasn't listening. He was already moving.
"Lucan, hold on!"
As Sev followed, heavy stomping shook the ground. An ogre, hulking and pale, emerged from the trees. It was at least ten feet tall, eyes glowing with fury.
Lucan stopped cold. "We have to help them."
"We can't take that thing!" Sev hissed. "It'll kill us!"
"Then go," Lucan said. "Find another relic. I'll catch up."
Sev stared at him like he was crazy. Lucan didn't wait, he ran.
Lucan reached the two Drakenheim students. The girl raised her sword toward him in panic.
"I'm here to help," he said quickly. "Can you carry him?"
She tried then shook her head. "Too heavy."
"Then stay behind me."
From the stands above, magical projectors showed the scene to the watching crowd. Lyra stood, gripping the rail.
"Don't do something stupid, Lucan," she whispered, eyes fearful.
The examiners watched in hushed confusion.
"What's that boy doing?" one muttered.
"He's going to die for them?"
"He's gaining nothing from this."
Then one examiner stood, eyes glowing with sudden understanding. "Don't you get it? That's why it matters. He gains nothing and still does it."
The ogre charged.
Lucan dodged just in time, stumbling back as its massive arm swung through the air like a battering ram. The force of it alone was terrifying.
He gritted his teeth. Stay calm.
He lunged, slashing at its arm. The blade cut in shallow, but enough to make it roar. It slammed its hand down, faster this time, catching Lucan square in the chest.
He flew back into a tree, crashing with a sickening crack. Pain exploded through his ribs. Blood filled his mouth.
Stay down, his body screamed.
But the ogre turned to the others.
No. "Get up," he growled to himself. "Get up."
He forced himself upright, vision swimming. He charged, sword raised. The ogre turned to meet him but Lucan stabbed its chest and rolled aside just in time. He slashed at its legs, drawing blood. It howled and fell forward.
Lucan ran for the final strike.
The ogre grabbed him though, its hand closed around him like a vice. He gasped, body crushed, sword hand pinned.
"Fuck... just get free..." Lucan groaned as he tried to get out of its grip.
The grip only got tighter and Lucan felt himself going.
Then steel burst through the ogre's heart.
It groaned and collapsed.
Lucan fell to the ground in a heap, coughing, and gasping.
Sev stood behind the ogre, pale as death, shaking.
"You came back," Lucan whispered.
"You think I'd let you die alone?" Sev replied breathlessly. "You were incredible, this the least I could do..."
Lucan coughed again. "Would've been pointless if not for you."
They turned to the Drakenheim students.
"Thank you," the girl said, voice cracking.
Lucan looked at the boy. "Can you walk?"
"No," he murmured with a hand on his chest.
Lucan grunted, pain flashing through his body. "Then I'll carry you."
Sev stared. "But... Lucan, you were just crushed."
"We're not leaving him here. Another monster could come."
Lucan lifted the boy with difficulty. Every step hurt.
Above, the examiners were scrambling.
"He's carrying him?"
"He's not even thinking about winning!"
"No," one said quietly, "he's thinking about what's right."
Lucan didn't hear them, just the sounds of every potential danger in the vicinity. He walked forward, slow but determined, following Sev back to their meetup area.
The first trial wasn't over.
But Lucan had already shown what kind of student he was.