Chapter 26
Morning fog settled gently over the open training fields of Sanctum Astrae, the mists swirling like ancient spirits called to witness the battles to come. Today marked the second phase of the Celestial Exhibition: live combat trials.
Unlike the earlier matches, these were not duels. They were full-team engagements—three versus three—meant to simulate real battlefield scenarios. Summons, weaponry, strategic positioning, and raw power would all be tested.
Astern stood in full silence beside Lunaria and Kaela. Each wore a customized cloak embroidered with their team insignia—a crescent wing entwined with a blooming star. A symbol Kaela had insisted on calling "Blades in Bloom."
"It makes us sound poetic and deadly," she'd said. "You're welcome."
Their first opponents stepped onto the field—a team from the Solspire Capital, wearing brilliant red-and-gold armor and carrying weapons that shimmered with enchantment.
"Don't underestimate them," Lunaria warned. "Their captain—Thalos—specializes in gravity suppression. He'll try to ground us and keep us from maneuvering."
Astern nodded. His aura was already rising like a tide.
---
The match began with a flare of golden light.
Thalos immediately shifted the gravity field, pressing downward in waves. Kaela stumbled slightly. Lunaria's frost aura spread outward to counterbalance the shift.
Astern, however, didn't flinch.
Instead, he launched upward, spinning once midair as he extended his palm. A beam of umbral-celestial energy sliced across the field, disrupting the spell anchor buried beneath the ground.
The pressure snapped.
Kaela surged forward with her twin daggers, dancing through the disrupted space, striking fast and clean. One enemy dropped, stunned.
Lunaria's frost condensed into shards that exploded midair, forcing Thalos into a defensive shell. He raised his flame-shield—but it was too late.
Astern dropped from above like a meteor.
His aura pulsed—calm, sharp, absolute.
His foot connected with the ground, releasing a controlled burst that shattered the terrain and sent the final two opponents flying.
The crowd roared.
---
After the match, Dorm D returned to their observation platform. Rylen met them with a slow clap.
"I liked the name better after you won," he admitted.
Kaela grinned. "Told you. Poetic and deadly."
Lunaria was already studying the next bracket. "We've been moved to the high tier group. Next match is against Team Verdance from the Sylvan House."
Astern tilted his head. "Summoners?"
Lunaria nodded. "And specialists in environmental control. Forest-born. Expect terrain shifts."
"Can't wait," Kaela said, stretching. "I've always wanted to punch a tree."
---
That night, as Astern returned to his dorm alone, he paused in the moonlight.
Something stirred at the edge of the forest beyond the walls.
A ripple of energy—faint, familiar, laced with memory.
He narrowed his eyes.
A soft voice echoed in his mind:
You fight like someone who's already seen the end.
And far in the distance, beyond star and shadow, a hand of bone touched the edge of a broken mirror.
"Soon."