A distance away from Castle 37 was another fortress.
Unlike Michael's, this keep was lively. Fifteen candidates had gathered on its ramparts and courtyard.
At first glance, the differences were obvious. Their robes bore crests of different academies.
But this was not enough to stir conflict here.
If it had been in the academies themselves, rivalries might have sparked instantly. But most of these candidates had only pledged themselves to an academy hours ago. There was no deep loyalty, no brotherhood of years to bind them or divide them.
In their eyes, this trial was more like a grand online game—where foreign players became teammates for a round, before scattering once the match was over.
For now, the fifteen accepted the circumstance.
They huddled near the central keep, voices overlapping in tense debate.
"We should stay put," one tall boy insisted, his arms crossed. "Build defenses, wait for others to knock themselves out. Conserving energy is smarter."
