The air outside the hall felt different. Lighter, calmer… yet at the same time heavy with the weight of what had just happened.
Arian stepped out, his stride unsteady, but every step echoed through the silence of the academy like a declaration of a new victory.
The Headmaster stood tall, his back straight, his face composed as always—yet his eyes betrayed him. For the first time, they carried open astonishment, even if he tried to conceal it.
In a low but steady voice, he said:
— "Since the very day this academy was founded… no one has ever walked out of the Trial of Darkness alive. And you… you didn't just survive. You fused the darkness with your own light."
He raised his hand, revealing a shining metallic emblem shaped like a circle, engraved with a flame and a crossed sword. He extended it toward Arian.
— "This is the official emblem of admission. From this moment on, you are not just a student… you are the first to earn the rank of Distinguished Student from your very first trial."
Arian's trembling hand reached out and took the emblem. The instant he touched it, he felt a second heartbeat—one beating for himself, and another for the journey ahead.
The Headmaster gestured to one of the aides standing nearby.
— "Take him to the House of the Distinguished."
The aide bowed respectfully and said:
— "Please, follow me."
Arian walked alongside him, and as they moved deeper into the academy, he began to see clearly just how different this place was from anything he had ever known.
Towering buildings of white stone, laced with glowing magical veins that shimmered both day and night.
Open courtyards where students trained, each wielding powers unlike the other: one lifting massive boulders with his mind, another shaping water into blades, while groups sparred against conjured beasts.
Halfway through, Arian felt a gaze pierce into him. He turned and saw a girl from the Alpha class standing at a distance. Her long black hair was tied into a sleek ponytail, and her eyes were like a frozen sea—unforgiving, unreadable. She wore the academy's uniform, adorned with silver patterns that marked her high rank.
As he passed by, she gave a faint smile—not mockery, but something laced with strange confidence.
— "Congratulations on surviving the trials. Few ever make it this far… fewer still make it out alive."
Arian paused, meeting her gaze. He asked:
— "What makes this academy so different? What awaits us here?"
Her eyes swept over the courtyard, watching the other students. She replied:
— "Here, we learn that power isn't just muscle or magic. It's mind, spirit, body… woven together. The academy assigns students missions beyond these walls, missions that earn them payment. With that, you can acquire resources, tools, training manuals… even secrets."
She paused for a moment, then raised an eyebrow with a faint, enigmatic smile:
— "And if you have the courage, you can challenge any student. Win, and you take their points. Lose, and you give them yours. A simple system… but a ruthless one."
Arian's heartbeat quickened—not from fear, but from a surge of exhilaration. He answered calmly:
— "Then the real journey is only just beginning."
The girl's smile lingered in silence. She pointed toward a towering building at the far end of the path.
— "That is the House of the Distinguished. We'll be seeing you soon."
Arian carried on. The aide opened a tall iron gate leading into a grand residence, more like a small palace, with white stone walls and wide windows that welcomed the sunlight.
Stepping inside, Arian stood at the entrance and looked around. The place was quiet, elegant, filled with the scent of new wood. For the first time, he felt he truly had a fresh beginning—one unlike any before.
He climbed up to his room, dropped his bag beside the bed, and collapsed onto it with exhaustion. Staring at the ceiling, he allowed a faint smile to spread across his face as he whispered to himself:
— "From here… my real journey begins."
He closed his eyes and let sleep take him, though inside him, two fires still burned: one white with light, the other black with darkness… a battle far from over.