The sun had gone down and the sky was red by the time Chen Ho stepped through the glowing barrier of the Trial Beast Grounds.
Students filled the exchange courtyard, tired and bruised. Some came in empty-handed, their faces pale with shame. Others struggled under heavy bags of loot, their eyes shining with pride.
The Phoenix sat on Chen Ho's shoulder, and even in the fading light, its feathers glowed. As soon as he showed up, whispers spread.
"Look at him!"
"Did he go by himself?"
"They said he got through the Ravine ambush..." and battled Zhao Yunxian.
"There's no way he lived through a rank-2 snake."
Chen Ho didn't pay any attention to them and walked calmly toward the weighing stone. With every step, his pack made a loud noise.
Proof of Life
Dean Yue Lian herself was in charge of the exchange, her robes blowing in the wind at dusk. She looked at each student with a sharp, weighing look.
Chen Ho got to the stone, took off his pack, and opened it.
People gasped.
There were more than a dozen beast cores, all shining a faint blue and red.
Fire-ape hides are thick and burned, but they are still whole.
Steelhide tusks that are sharp and polished.
Crimson serpent scales that still have a faint glow.
The steward's chalk broke in his hand. "This... this is worth more than four gold!"
"Not one student has ever brought this much," someone said quietly.
The Phoenix made a sharp trill, as if it was showing off. Its feathers shone like gold, and the fire flickered steadily and strongly.
Yue Lian's eyes stayed on it, getting smaller. "That animal of yours..." It feels like its flame is too pure.
Chen Ho bowed a little and spoke in a calm voice. "It's just a firebird with some special skills, Dean."
The Phoenix blinked at her, as if to make fun of her. A spark flew out of its beak and disappeared before it hit the ground.
Gifts and Gossip
"Very well," Yue Lian said, but her eyes didn't soften. "Chen Ho of City H, you have done very well. You are one of the top ten students who started this year. "You can now move on to the next round of academy training."
Murmurs got louder.
"Top ten? From City H?
"He was supposed to be garbage..."
"With that beast, he might even make it to the top..."
Zhao Yunxian stood at the edge of the courtyard, his face pale and his lips pressed together. His snake walked with a limp next to him, its scales broken. His look at Chen Ho could have cut steel.
Chen Ho met it once, then looked away, as cool as ever.
Private Summons
A voice came from behind him as the crowd began to leave.
"Chen Ho."
He turned around. Dean Yue Lian was now closer, and his eyes were as sharp as a spearhead.
"You woke up more than just a beast bond in those Grounds, didn't you?" she asked in a low voice so only he could hear.
Chen Ho's heart slowed down and became steady. He bent down. "Dean, this student doesn't have anything else."
Her eyes stayed on him. The air between them felt thick, as if her spirit power was pushing against his hidden talents.
Then she smiled a little, but it was hard to tell what she meant. "Maybe. Or maybe you just started. Chen Ho, train hard. There are ways for the Academy to show the truth.
She turned, her robes whispering, and left him in the darkening sky.
Looking back
Chen Ho walked back to the hall where the dorms were. The Phoenix flew down to his arm and chirped softly.
He stroked its feathers while his mind replayed the picture of the Dragon's silver eyes, the molten silver, and the shadow that curled around it.
He wouldn't talk about it yet. Some secrets were like stones that got heavier if you dropped them too soon.
He whispered to the Phoenix, "Soon." "We'll go higher." "One step at a time."
The Phoenix sang, and the flames glowed like dawn.
Even though the sky was clear, thunder rolled faintly behind the Academy walls.
The Dragon still remembered.