The protective wards of the Ashen Waters pulsed like the slow heartbeat of a giant, their pale glow softening the black scars of battle. The professors stood waiting as the victorious group stepped across the final ridge, exhaustion hanging off their shoulders like a second cloak.
Headmaster Arannis raised a hand for silence. His silver hair, damp with mist, caught the moonlight like threads of spun frost, "You have all done exceptionally well," he said, his calm baritone carrying across the ruined basin.
"This trial was designed to test more than strength. It demanded coordination, resilience, and the courage to face the unknown. And you did not disappoint."
The words seemed to cut through the lingering tension and Arannis paired this words with his mana, the flow of his power washing over the bodies of all of the students, quickly healing them of their various injuries and reinvigorating them.
Every single student felt much better.
