The air in the Sacrum of Trials was so thick with magical pressure that each breath felt heavy in the chest. Metal walls layered with runes reflected light from the blue crystals hanging from the ceiling, creating trembling shadows as if curious spirits were watching. Hundreds of trainee children stood in neat rows, yet fear clearly radiated from their faces. No one dared make a sound, as if a single whisper could trigger disaster.
On the high balcony, the mentors stood in heavy dark robes, like shadows gazing down from a throne of hell. The weight of their auras made some trainees' knees tremble; some even collapsed, though they tried to stand again, their faces pale as ash. They were not merely instructors—they were executioners, here to test and destroy.
"Children of the Sacrum of Trials…" the voice of one mentor echoed, deep and cold, as if coming from the belly of the earth.
"The final test has arrived. Today, you will prove yourselves: who is worthy… and who is only dust in history."
The crowd of students fell silent. Only the sound of gasping breaths and the creak of metal beneath their feet could be heard.
"Simple rules," he continued, with a thin smile that carried not a trace of warmth. "No cooperation. No mercy. Only one will survive. And…"—his eyes glinted sharply, pointing to the center of the line—"…there is a special target: Cyras, rank one. Whoever manages to bring him down will be declared the winner."
Like embers thrown onto a pile of oil, the room instantly filled with whispers and sharp stares. Cyras' name rang like a war bell.
Some children swallowed hard. Some looked at Cyras with envy, some with fear, and some with bloodlust. Everyone knew: defeating him meant glory—or death.
Amid the crowd, Cyras stood unmoving. Long white hair fell to his shoulders, contrasting with steel-gray silver eyes. A thin scar on his left cheek made his face even more stern, as if each line was a warning to anyone daring to approach.
In both hands, he gripped twin swords: Nihilion, a dark blade that swallowed the surrounding light, and Emptiness, a slender blade that seemed to cut through the air itself. The Void aura flowing from his body made nearby children tremble just by standing too long beside that shadow.
To the right, Marlon Hermes leaned casually, as if attending a party rather than a life-and-death trial. His long, wavy black hair fell over his shoulders, and his green eyes gleamed with mischief. His fingers toyed with the Deck of Shadow Cards, conjuring small shadow illusions that danced in the air before vanishing. His wide, almost naughty smile belied the deadly aura surrounding him.
"Ah, look at that…" he murmured lightly, jokingly. "Even those mentors seem ready to eat us whole. Good thing, I'm hungry for some entertainment."
To the left, Ester Lunaris stood gracefully, calm and composed. Her silver hair reflected the blue crystal light, and her cosmic cloak shimmered softly like a starry night. Moonblade in her hand glowed faintly, lunar energy pulsing in sync with her breath. No fear touched her face—only a serene calmness, which made her all the more intimidating.
Her pale blue eyes scanned the arena with full calculation. She did not need many words. When her friends were a storm, she was the center of balance.
Cyras leaned slightly forward, his voice low but clear enough for the two of them to hear.
"Let's take out those who dare approach first." His gaze was cold. "After that… it's mentors' turn."
Marlon grinned widely, tapping the Deck of Shadow Cards. "Oh, that's quite the… unwise statement, Cyras. But I like it. Challenging the heavens on the first day of our freedom—beautiful."
Ester only nodded slightly, her gaze sharp. "You two… don't overdo it. We still need to get out alive."
Cyras' smile was faint, almost invisible. "I never overdo it. I'm just… precise."
A great bronze bell resounded, shaking the arena like thunder.
In an instant, hundreds of trainees leapt, wielding swords, magic, and blood toward the main target: number one.
The gong echoed.
And the world seemed to shatter.
Dozens of trainees surged forward, shouts of orders and spells mixing together. Footsteps shook the metal floor, elemental bursts of fire, ice, wind, and lightning collided, a storm of colors fired at a single point: Cyras.
Yet the white-haired boy did not flinch. He stood upright, twin swords ready in both hands.
Void aura erupted around him. Strange cracking sounds echoed, as if the space itself rejected his presence. The crystal light that had illuminated the arena dimmed suddenly, drawn into a whirlpool of darkness surrounding his body.
"—Be careful, they're all coming at once!" Ester shouted, raising Moonblade. The silver blade radiated soft light, forming a lunar dome that blocked a rain of distant magical arrows. Explosions pounded the shield repeatedly, scattering silvery-white sparks.
On the other side, Marlon moved his hands quickly, tossing rune cards to the ground. Black shadows burst from the floor, forming rows of clones leaping forward. Panicked trainees slashed at the illusions, only to see the shadow bodies dissolve into black mist before trapping them with shadow chains.
"Hey, hey! No need to rush, the show has just begun," Marlon called, laughing lightly.
But all eyes remained on the center of the storm—Cyras.
A trainee shouted loudly, fire-imbued sword in hand, leaping high to strike Cyras from above.
Cyras merely raised Nihilion. A simple slash.
CRAAASSHH!
The fire extinguished instantly, as if swallowed by nothingness. The trainee's body froze midair, then was thrown backward as if by invisible hands, blood splattering from his mouth. Silence briefly enveloped the arena.
"He… he swallowed my fire…?" one student whispered, face pale.
No time to hesitate. The next spells came: ice spears, lightning chains, wind storms—all striking simultaneously.
Cyras moved Emptiness. The slender blade moved so fast it was almost invisible. A sideways pull—and the space before him fractured. The spells distorted, collided, and exploded before touching him. A massive blast shook the arena, shockwaves throwing front-line trainees into the walls.
"Void…" murmured a mentor from the balcony, barely containing awe. "That boy truly… is walking emptiness."
Marlon took advantage of the moment. "Now it's our turn to have fun!"
He threw shimmering cards, and suddenly the arena was filled with dozens of his shadows. Each clone moved independently, attacking, blocking, or confusing enemies.
Ester covered Cyras' left side, Moonblade glowing brighter. She danced through the gaps, each swing leaving a trail of moonlight cutting through wild spells. Occasionally, the soft light enveloped Cyras, stabilizing the raging Void around him.
"Don't swallow too much, Cyras," she said firmly. "You're not a bottomless pit."
Cyras smiled faintly, silver-gray eyes cold. "No. But they're all… just pebbles falling into it."
He stepped forward.
Each step made the floor creak, black cracks spreading outward. Void aura expanded, pulling in small objects—sand, dust, even broken weapon fragments. It was as if the world itself refused to contain him.
Trainees who had been full of spirit now began retreating, pale-faced, eyes wide with fear. But too late—Cyras had entered the crowd.
With his twin blades, he danced.
Nihilion slashed, leaving trails of emptiness that drained magic from opponents. Emptiness pierced, cutting through defensive illusions, slicing flesh and steel with precision. Every movement concise, efficient, merciless. No wasted motion. No mercy.
Meanwhile, Marlon hummed cheerfully, creating trap after trap. "Watch your step~!" A trainee slipped into a shadow pit and screamed before being dragged into darkness, disappearing.
Ester's swings were elegant, Moonblade glowing brighter. Moonlight cut through a mage's firestorm, then swept forward like a white wave, striking three enemies at once. "Stay behind me if you don't want your body torn by Void, Cyras," she said, calm as still water.
Cyras merely chuckled coldly. "You worry too much, Ester."
The arena became a chaotic battlefield. Light, shadows, and emptiness collided in a symphony of destruction. Screams, clashing metal, and magical explosions filled the air.
Yet amid the chaos, one truth remained:
The trio of Cyras, Marlon, and Ester were not just surviving—they dominated.
The arena began to fill with fallen trainees—some unconscious, some groaning with burns, bruises, or torn flesh from clashing magic.
Black smoke from Void, shards of moonlight, and Marlon's shadow illusions clouded vision. It was no longer a test—it had become a battlefield.
"Enough!" A heavy voice echoed.
A mentor stood on the upper balcony. His long cloak fluttered, eyes glowing with electric blue light. He leapt down, striking the floor hard, cracks spreading. The Circle Master's aura immediately pressed down across the arena.
The energy wave hit the remaining standing trainees, pushing them back, coughing up blood.
But Cyras merely lifted his face slightly, silver-gray eyes narrowing. The pressure… heavy, but not something he could not resist.
"He's moving," Ester whispered, Moonblade raised. Silver light trembled, forming a thin shield in front of the three of them.
Marlon whistled lightly, seemingly unaffected. "Heh, the main show finally comes out. I thought we were nearly boring."
The mentor stared sharply at the three children. "This test is not for showing off, boy. You've gone too far."
Cyras stepped forward, his sword brushing floating dust aside. His thin, sarcastic smile appeared.
"Then, what do you expect from us? To hold back just to look like them?" He glanced briefly at the fallen trainees. "If we are stronger, then let the fact be real. What use is a test if we have to pretend to be weak?"
The mentor's aura vibrated violently, lightning leaping from his fingertips. "Insolent child."
He swung his hand.
BRAAAK!
A bolt of blue lightning shot straight at Cyras.
But before it hit, Emptiness was already raised. The slender blade trembled, and the space before him fractured—the lightning distorted, then vanished as if swallowed by fog.
The arena fell silent for a moment.
Marlon placed a hand on his forehead, pretending to be shocked. "Oh, damn. Our mentor just realized electricity doesn't work on darkness."
Ester cut in coldly. "Don't be reckless. He's different from the trainees. He could tear our defenses at any time."
Cyras didn't answer. He only advanced again, Void growing stronger around him.
"If this is still part of the test," he said softly, almost inaudible but reverberating through the arena, "then we will fight… until the end."
He raised his swords simultaneously.
Nihilion pulsed, swallowing surrounding light. Emptiness glimmered, thin but deadly.
Meanwhile, Ester's Moonblade shone brightly, lighting up the areas swallowed by darkness. Marlon raised both hands; hundreds of shadow cards floated, spinning like black stars in orbit.
The tension grew.
Other mentors on the balcony began to stand, unsure whether to intervene. They exchanged glances—between worry… and awe.
Because for the first time in Sacrum of Trials history, three children their age forced a mentor to descend into the arena.
As Cyras' Void aura peaked, the metal floor began to crack, emitting dark glows. Dust flew, mingling with sparks of magic from mentors descending. Remaining standing trainees tried to protect themselves but were soon swept by waves of power they could barely comprehend.
An elderly mentor, clad in dark blue with glowing rune symbols, leapt into the air, creating a circle of energy around him. "You think this is a show? I will destroy you!" His voice boomed, terrifying some uninvolved trainees.
Cyras glanced at him, then raised Nihilion. At that moment, Void peaked, and the space around him cracked like glass. The mentor's rune light was partially drawn into the emptiness, a small explosion destroying part of the floor beneath him. The mentor staggered, yet remained standing.
On the other side, Marlon danced among shadows. Each card he threw became a clone that attacked, blocked, and diverted the mentor. Some clones appeared behind enemies, cutting retreat paths, while others held attacks aimed at Cyras and Ester. The arena filled with dancing shadow illusions, throwing enemy coordination into chaos.
Ester remained calm on the left, Moonblade glowing. She used the moonlight to deflect overly strong mentor attacks, redirect destructive energy, and heal minor wounds on Cyras when his Void almost surged uncontrollably. Each Moonblade swing left thin light trails cutting through wild magic like fine threads, precise and lethal.
Another mentor, the fire master with glowing red eyes, leapt high, burning Marlon's clones and raining large fireballs on Cyras. Yet the Void of Nihilion swallowed the sparks; the heatwave exploded in the air but didn't touch him. Emptiness pierced the air, cutting the mentor's attack trajectory perfectly.
"Not fast enough…" Cyras murmured coldly. Each twin slash distorted space, drawing enemy attacks into the abyss. Explosions of light and shadow collided, cracking floors and throwing some trainees far away.
Marlon chuckled. "Come on, time for the real show!" He threw the last rune card, and dozens more clones emerged from the ground, moving freely, attacking, blocking, and slashing relentlessly. Some mentors focusing too much on Cyras found themselves trapped in shadow traps, thrown, or slammed against arena walls.
Ester covered Cyras' left side, Moonblade shining brighter. Each swing left a moonlight aura piercing through wild magic. She occasionally channeled energy into Cyras, stabilizing the turbulent Void, making Nihilion and Emptiness strikes even more precise and deadly.
A mentor ran toward Cyras, sword in hand, attempting to cut his attack path. Cyras simply moved both swords—Nihilion swallowed surrounding light, Emptiness pierced a defensive gap—and the mentor was halted midair, thrown back, dust and rune fragments scattering around.
Other mentors began to panic, realizing this trio was no ordinary children. They exchanged looks; some tried to concentrate massive magic simultaneously, but Cyras' Abyssal Domain made the space reject their energy. Waves of destructive power collided, creating blinding light and shadow explosions.
Cyras glanced at the main mentor. "The little game is over. Now it's your turn," he said coldly, thin sarcasm lingering. Void aura spread, dragging dust, metal fragments, and even light around him. The space ahead became a small abyss, swallowing some of the mentor's attacks.
The mentor, eyes sharp, concentrated his power, creating a giant blue lightning bolt in his hand, launching it at Cyras.
BANG!!!
The lightning exploded midair, sending a blue energy wave smashing the floor, creating long cracks. But before reaching Cyras, Emptiness was raised, splitting the lightning's path, reflecting some energy to arena walls, destroying part of the runes. Nihilion absorbed the remaining energy, making it vanish harmlessly.
Ester held her breath, Moonblade glowing brighter. "Marlon, right-side clone! Quick!" She channeled moonlight, forming a thin barrier to shield them from secondary explosions.
Marlon, mischievous smile on his face, spun the rune cards; his clones moved quickly, blocking remaining attacks, then shot backward to strike other escaping mentors. "Ah, my mentor… the game has just begun!"
The arena's atmosphere had completely changed: dust, shadows, moonlight, Void explosions, rune fragments, clones, and wild magic blended into a tense symphony of chaos. Every second could mean life or death, and the three students moved with precision and harmony, dominating the battlefield.
Amid the explosions of light and darkness, Cyras, Marlon, and Ester stood unshakable. Every movement confused enemies, disrupted strategies, and caused measured, deadly destruction. Dozens of remaining trainees and mentors retreated, terrified, awestruck, or both.
Cyras looked at his two friends. His silver-gray eyes cold, yet understanding: they were in sync, and their power—not just skill, but coordination, strategy, and trust—was unmatched.
"This isn't over," Cyras whispered, swords ready, Void pulsing wildly around him.
Ester nodded, Moonblade ready, moonlight dancing in the air.
Marlon chuckled, clones dancing around them, ready for the next trap.
The arena trembled, light and shadow dancing wildly—the final battle had just begun.
The main mentor stepped onto the arena, metal floor creaking under the exploding energy waves. Blue lightning danced in the air, accompanied by thick smoke and rune sparks exploding like falling stars. The smell of ozone and burning metal filled the arena.
Cyras stepped forward, Nihilion and Emptiness shining darkly. Void around him erupted into vortices, drawing sparks, dust, and rune fragments. One step cracked the floor, waves of emptiness circling his body, repelling every passing attack.
A mentor dived from above, surrounded by a giant fire ring. Before the fireball hit, Nihilion swallowed its light and heat, absorbing the energy wave. Emptiness pierced the air, cutting the attack's path, making the fireball explode midair, fragments flying harmlessly past Cyras. The blast hit the floor, throwing Marlon's clones, but they returned to dance midair, confusing the enemies.
Ester danced on the left, Moonblade glowing silvery-white. Her graceful swings cut lightning chains, neutralized ice storms, forming a thin light dome around Cyras. Every movement was perfect: stabilizing Void, attacking, defending. A wall of moonlight formed, shattering mentors' illusions attacking from the side.
Another mentor fired waves of dark energy. Cyras' Void expanded instantly, absorbing part of the wave, drawing light and energy, creating mini-explosions on the floor. Dust flew, the room filled with dark mist and shattered light dancing wildly.
Marlon laughed, spinning rune cards quickly. Dozens of clones appeared, rushing mentors overly focused on Cyras. Clones blocked attacks, cut retreat paths, and attacked simultaneously, creating the illusion of strikes from every direction. A mentor staggered, thrown back, and arena walls cracked behind him.
Cyras advanced again, his steps splitting cracks, Void spewing vortices that swallowed magical projectiles. Emptiness struck a mentor attempting to attack from above, piercing unseen defensive gaps. Nihilion absorbed leftover energy from small explosions, turning destructive energy into harmless emptiness.
Ester raised Moonblade, moonlight beaming strong, channeling stable energy to Cyras. She cut frozen ice circles in the air, destroyed magical arrows, and simultaneously struck three mentors attempting to press from the arena's side. Silvery-white aura enveloped the three, cutting every wild attack and keeping Void under control.
The main mentor raged, unleashing giant lightning and energy waves shaking the arena. Blue light shattered the floor, creating long cracks. But before the attack hit, Cyras deflected it with twin blade moves—Nihilion splitting the energy path, Emptiness piercing defenses, deflecting some energy to the debris. Explosions hit walls and ceilings, rune fragments flying, yet Cyras remained standing.
Marlon increased pressure, clones blocking other mentors' escape routes, attacking from unexpected angles. He danced among shadows, launching precise strikes forcing enemies out of position.
Cyras faced the main mentor, steps firm, Void peaking wildly. Each Nihilion and Emptiness swing created mini void chasms, absorbing light, energy, and parts of attacks. Explosions and space distortions shattered floors around, sending rune fragments into the air. The main mentor almost staggered, aura trembling facing the emptiness consuming part of his lightning energy.
Ester slashed to the right, Moonblade glowing brilliantly, blocking unexpected strikes and stabilizing Cyras' position. The combined attacks of Marlon's clones and Ester's swings made the mentor stagger, some of his body thrown into arena debris.
Cyras raised both swords, Void expanding until the entire arena seemed to press down, destroying remaining attacks from mentors and trainees. A void chasm opened ahead, swallowing debris, light, and dust, leaving thick tension in the air.
With one forward step, he slashed, Emptiness piercing the main mentor's weak point, Nihilion absorbing remaining energy, sending the opponent crashing into the wall, body thrown, debris falling around. Explosion rumbled through the arena, dust, light, and shadows dancing wildly, marking the end of the mentor's dominance.
Ester lowered Moonblade briefly, breathing steady, yet her blue eyes remained sharp, watching the now utterly destroyed arena. Marlon exhaled lightly, clones disappearing one by one, but the aura of threat still lingered.
Cyras gazed at the arena ceiling, his white hair glimmering, Void pulsing around him. Cold, clear voice left his lips:
"We survived… and won… our way."
The final explosions subsided, leftover dust and rune fragments dancing in the air, leaving the three standing tall amidst the ruined arena. Their victory was not only about strength but coordination, strategy, and unshakable will.
The outside world awaited—and this trio was ready to face everything that came, wielding emptiness, shadows, and moonlight as their weapons.