A faint hum reverberated through the air. Ethan sat beneath the pale blue light of the healing spell, his body draped in soft warmth as the energy from the mages flowed into him. He didn't resist. He couldn't. The pain in his muscles had dulled into a throb, and the blood crusted on his clothes slowly flaked away as his skin mended itself.
Velina lay beside him, chest rising and falling steadily. Her wounds were closing with every passing second, her color returning. The magic formed gentle halos over every wounded aspirant who had reached the beacon. One by one, flesh closed, bruises faded, broken bones aligned with muted cracks, and energy surged anew.
[SYSTEM UPDATE: WRATH surge suppressed back to threshold]
[WRATH - 35/35]
[SYSTEM NOTICE: Leviathan Mark Stable]
Ethan stared down at his right arm. Though still wrapped in cloth, he could feel the faint pulse of the Leviathan Mark beneath. The glow had faded, but something churned inside him. A storm that didn't sleep. It wasn't rage anymore. It was something colder. Sharper. A steel-edged resolve.
But the murmurs around the beacon grew louder.
"How the hell did he survive?" "He cheated. He must've." "No way he made it through all that with a girl on his back." "...But those beasts…"
Some voices, hushed in shame, admired him quietly. Others, loud and venomous, spat hatred like acid.
Ethan said nothing. He sat, head low, arms resting over his knees. Velina remained silent too, her gaze fixed on the rippling light of the beacon. They were alive, yes. But that wasn't the victory yet. That was only the beginning.
A sudden hush rippled through the circle of aspirants.
Footsteps. Crunching lightly on the sand, slow, deliberate.
Cael Verendis. The Rank 1. The noble. The golden boy of the first trial.
He approached with his entourage—three other nobles clad in light noblest armor. Their clothes looked almost untouched. The gleam in Cael's eye wasn't from pride.
It was hunger.
"Well, well..."
Ethan didn't look up.
Cael let out a mocking chuckle. "The crawling mutt made it back, huh?.... Hahahahaha"
His cronies snickered.
"Still wearing blood like a badge of honor. Or is that your perfume now, peasant?"
Ethan didn't flinch.
"I remember how you shook during our duel," Cael continued, his voice smooth as silk and twice as cutting. "Swiping like a blind cub while I watched you embarrass yourself. What did you say again? Something about being strong?"
He stepped closer. His shadow loomed.
"I should've broken your arms back then. Saved you the trouble."
Silence. Ethan slowly stood. His head remained low. His fingers curled by his sides.
Cael smirked. "What? No comeback? Are you mute now too?"
Ethan lifted his head. His crimson-red eyes locked onto Cael's. They gleamed. Not with pain. Not even with rage. With purpose. He smiled. A slow, wide, unsettling smile.
"Watch your back, Cael," Ethan said quietly. "A predator is more dangerous when it's wounded. This... is just the beginning. And things are going to get exciting."
His tone sharpened like a blade unsheathing.
"Mark my words... Let it sink... I... will be the storm you all will fear."
The smile vanished. He stared into Cael's eyes like a hunter who had already won.
Cael froze. The mockery in his face cracked. Words caught in his throat. Rage flared, but he couldn't speak. Couldn't find a worthy insult.
He turned, teeth grinding. "Let's go."
His cronies followed. Their glares couldn't pierce the storm Ethan had become.
Velina stood beside him, brow furrowed. "With what you just said... be ready. He'll be on your back every passing second now."
Ethan sat again and exhaled slowly. "I'll be waiting for him. Every damn time. I'll welcome him with my sword... Ready to take him down"
---
The air shimmered. The mages raised their hands in unison and began chanting in a language that danced on the edge of understanding. Arcane circles formed around them, glowing with radiant symbols. A massive circular formation burned into the sand around the beacon.
At its center: a glowing beast crystal.
Power pulsed outward from it, feeding into the circle. The formation flared. A swirling portal tore open in the air.
"Aspirants," a mage called. "You have proven your might in the Drazan Expanse. Return now to the Academy."
One by one, the remaining aspirants stepped into the portal. Ethan and Velina waited till the rest had gone.
He helped her up.
"Let's go."
Together, they passed through.
---
They emerged in the Hangar.
High arching ceilings, pillars of obsidian marble, golden sigils rotating in the air. Banners of the Academy fluttered from the walls. Around them, other aspirants blinked at the light.
A walkway led them to the Coliseum.
Stone stands surrounded the arena. The Knights stood at the far end, garbed in ceremonial black and silver armor. The lead knight stepped forward, his voice like thunder.
"Aspirants! You have walked through fire. Bled in the sand. You have faced fear. And emerged standing. You are no longer aspirants."
He raised his hand.
"From this moment on, you are Squires of the Valiant Order. The first step toward knighthood begins now."
The crowd roared. Even those who hated Ethan couldn't help but stand straighter.
The knight gestured. "Step forward. Your spoils will be taken. Your satchels collected."
They were taken to another hall. Another hangar opened. Inside, vast tables filled with enchantment tools, storage stones, and records. Assistants collected satchels and sorted beast crystals. Ethan handed his over wordlessly.
Then, another hangar.
Unlike the others, this one was built from ancient stone, runes glowing across every surface. The walls curved like the inside of a temple. At its center stood a portal unlike the others, taller, humming with a deeper power. The ground around it was carved with spiral steps and glowing veins of light.
A knight spoke.
"Step through. Your next trial awaits."
Ethan and Velina exchanged glances.
Neither of them spoke.
They walked forward, side by side, and stepped into the light.
The trial of the Drazan Expanse had ended.
But the storm was only beginning.