Mrs. Lira stood at the front, poised as ever. Her cloak was a long sweep of dark green trimmed with silver thread, and the weight of her presence was enough to quiet the last of the chatter. She didn't need to raise her voice; her calm authority alone carried across the courtyard.
"Today," she began, "you will be divided into squads and sent into the northern forest."
That alone drew several startled glances. The northern forest was not some tidy training ground where mana constructs dissolved at a clean strike. It was untamed. Wild.
"Reports tell of mana beasts gathering in unusual numbers," she went on, her tone steady, unshaken. "This will be both a service to the realm and a test of your teamwork."
Her words landed like stones in water. Murmurs rippled immediately through the students, quiet, nervous, curious.
