"Sonare, Lumira... have we ever told you of the First Shattered Expedition?"
The fire crackled in the hearth, shadows dancing across the study. Sonare and Lumira Selvaris shook their head, huddled close to their parents, the warmth of the flames offering comfort despite the chill of the story.
"Many years ago," their father began, his voice low and steady, "there was an expedition—we call it the First Shattered Expedition. Brave souls who sought knowledge in the wild, unstable lands of the Shattered Cradle. Only a handful returned."
His eyes glinted with excitement in the firelight as he continued. "They spoke of mana storms that tore a man's mind apart. The landscapes that shifted under your very feet, and creatures... born of the wild chaos, neither beast nor human."
Lumira shivered, her small hand clutching the edge of her sleeve tightly, leaning more into Sonare for a sense of comfort from her older brother. Sonare instead felt a strange mix of fear and awe.
"But," their mother added softly, giving a chiding glare towards their father, "they also brought back wonders. Artifacts infused with power unfathomable. Secrets that would never be found again. Those who survived learned their knowledge, shaping the world now."
"Remember this, children," Sonare's father leaned closer, his voice lowered, "knowledge is power, but danger always walks beside it. Don't go seeking either lightly. If ever there comes a time where one of you forgets... your mother and I expect the other to remind the other."
"And," their mother adds softly, her hands reaching to stroke Sonare and Lumira's heads gently, "remember you two are special. Sonare, your eyes. Lumira, your magic. Always stay humble, live a life of humility."
Sonare smiles, imagining figures in cloaks. Battling storms of rough, raw mana, the ground beneath them buckling and twisting. His breath quickens, like he was a part of the expedition.
"Sonare? Brother. Wake up."
The voice of Lumira broke the reminiscing dream, the light from the now-open window spilling over his face.
"Change. Come, eat breakfast."
Groggily sitting up, Sonare rubs his eyes, adjusting to the lighting change. Lumira stands at the foot of his bed. Her long, white hair was combed straight, her piercing yellow eyes staring into silver.
"We shouldn't be late to Astralis. Being late on the entrance day will dim our chances of enrollment."
Sonare swings his feet off the side of the bed, his tussled white hair messy from sleeping. He almost forgot, today was the day of the entrance exam for the prestigious Astralis Academy of Veylor.
"... I got it. I need to change, so step out of my room," Sonare sleepily responds, standing up from his bed, "what did you make for breakfast?"
"Skyfruit pancakes," Lumira said, heading towards the door to the kitchen, pausing in the doorway, leaving it ajar. "Is that a problem, brother?"
Sonare was given time to look around his familiar room. His room was clean, magical application books laid upon the desk. The chair was left out, its wood chipped from overuse. His closet was full of casual clothing, half of which no longer fit.
Sonare pushes his chair in, walking towards the closet to choose an outfit.
"... You know those pancakes glow, right?"
"They taste better than they look," Lumira replied with a small smile. "Just eat it, brother. Your dear sister made them for you."
Stepping out of his room, Sonare is greeted to the sight of skyfruit pancakes on the wooden table. Lumira stands in the kitchen, washing the dishes she had cooked with.
"Where's Mother and Father?"
Sonare moves to the table, sitting down. He picks up the fork and knife, cutting into the glowing pancake and taking a bite.
"They've left already. I said bye to them in your stead."
"I'm grateful."
"Don't be sarcastic."
Sonare shoveled the last bite of glowing skyfruit pancake into his mouth, the sweetness lingering on his tongue. Lumira had already finished the dishes, packing the final things into her satchel, her movements precise as always.
"Don't forget your satchel," she said, glancing at him. "Astralis exam day isn't the time for mistakes."
"I didn't forget," Sonare replied, wiping his mouth with water as he finishes washing his dish. "Mostly. I'll be fine."
Lumira arched an eyebrow. "Mostly?"
Sonare retrieves his satchel from the hanger, the weight of the previously packed spellbooks and supplies both comforting and familiar. Lumira adjusts the strap of hers, checking the runes attached for protection.
"Fine, I'm ready."
She rolled her eyes, adjusting the silver crescent earrings Sonare had gifted her long ago.
"You're wearing the earrings, huh?"
"Yes, the earrings. Is it such a big deal?"
"Not at all. I struck big, right?"
Lumira shoves Sonare lightly.
"I'll end you."
The Selvaris siblings stepped outside. The crisp morning air bit at their cheeks, the faint sense of mana tinged around their skin. The cobblestone was shiny, moist from the cold night. Veylor City was waking—merchants setting up stalls, carriages rattling along the busying street, students, old and new, hurrying towards Astralis Academy.
"I'm sure you know this," Lumira starts, her eyes wandering across the other students also heading to the entrance exam, "but mom told me to remind you; don't overuse your eyes or mana. It's just an entrance exam."
Sonare nods solemnly. Mana was the source of all magic. If you couldn't utilize your mana from your mana pool, you can't use magic. Even if you didn't have enough mana, you could sacrifice your own life force to make up for your missing mana.
"I won't," Sonare responds, making sure Lumira knows he understands her point, "this academy, as prestigious as it may be, isn't worth me losing some of my life and my vision, you know?"
Sonare watches as a student walks with his parents. Jittery, nervous. The kid shakes with every step he takes, only held up by his parents holding his hand.
"Must be nerve-wracking for others," Sonare murmurs to himself, "that kid can barely stand properly."
"Yes, and I'm sure you aren't nervous, either."
"What older brother would I be if I showed my nerves in front of you?"
"The same one I've always had."
"I hate you."
"Love you too."
Sonare and Lumira round a corner, nearing the portal that connects to Astralis Academy, the crowd of students thickening. A boy, perhaps a year older, stands with a smug grin, eyes narrowing as the siblings pass.
"White haired siblings," he sneers, voice carrying over the cobblestone. "Selvaris, right? You're on the list. Heard your little sister does all the work for you."
Sonare's face breaks into a small frown. He opens his mouth to fire back a remark of his own.
"Better watch your mouth," Lumira says evenly, stepping beside Sonare, her tone sharper than her words. "You might regret it."
The boy scoffs, brushing past the siblings without a second glance, leaving a hum of mana in his wake.
"I could've handled it."
"Do you think we have time for you to handle it, brother?"
Sonare keeps his mouth shut, letting out a small exhale.
They pass beneath an arch strung with pennants, and the city seemed to fall away. Astralis rose ahead: a cathedral of stone and glass, spires laced with runes and latticed bands that pulsed like the wings of a dragon. Banners snapped in the morning wind—the academy's sigil, a shield at the heart, with two crossed swords and a banner unfurled beneath it, fluttering above the main gate.
Crowds tightened. Guardians in plain cloaks escorted nervous youths; older students strolled with confident strides, robes trailing rune-light. Street vendors hawked charms and quick-ward pastries; an elf boy spun a tiny wind sprite from his palm, sending it darting between stalls, laughter following it like a ribbon.
They reached the outer plaza where the exam tents and temporary sigil-marks had been arranged. Proctors in dark blue stood with clipped precision, calling names and checking scrolls.
"Remember, brother, " Lumira whispered, falling into step behind him. Sonare nods, moving along the crowd.
Bells cut across the plaza. The proctors hush the crowd as a stern man mounted a low dais. The man had short hair, wearing a badge etched with an hourglass. The aura that exuded the man was serious and firm—one of the academy exam marshals. His voice carried, tempered and firm.
"Welcome, aspirants. The Astralis Entrance will begin shortly. Listen well. Display skill, restraint, honor, and knowledge. Any use of life-sacrifice beyond regulation will be recorded and reviewed. Proceed in a line towards the marshals."
As the lines of aspiring students move, Sonare scans the gathered faces. A young man with short mint hair and eyes, standing with a crisp posture, his eyes narrowed as if judging anything and anyone who walks. A pair of young ladies, one with long blonde hair, another with long purple hair. The girl with purple hair seemed nervous, as the blonde haired girl calmed her down with a gentle smile.
Funneled into the gate in groups, the gate was two great doors of bronze, each panel carved with historical scenes that came from the Shattered Cradle—depictions of figures battling through storms.
The siblings reach the proctors. Sonare watches the proctor in front of him use a small projection device to take notes. She looks up directly into Sonare's eyes.
"Name and mage class," she speaks plainly, her eyes motionless from repeating the same actions monotonously.
"Sonare Selvaris, counter-mage."
Her finger swipes across the magical projection, his information being printed on the magical screen.
"First counter-mage I've seen. Next!"
Sonare moves past the proctor towards the narrow passage between the gates. He stops for a few seconds, waiting for Lumira to catch up.
"Name and mage class."
"Lumira Selvaris. Spellblade."
Reuniting, the siblings step through the passage. Walking along the guided path, the pair end up in the inner courtyard. The bells toll again, signaling the start of the exam.
The bells had barely faded when a hush fell over the courtyard. The proctors moved with swift efficiency, moving students with swift efficiency, using spells to teleport them all into the first exam, splitting Sonare from Lumira.
"Jeez. Talk about fast."
Sonare landed on the edge of a vast terrain, his boots crunching against cracked stone. A glowing barrier erupted into being—a shimmering sphere filled with shifting illusions of terrain, storm, and strange, distorted creatures.
A voice that seemed to come from everywhere within the sphere rang in the ears of every candidate.
"Testing? This is not a duel, or some battle royale—although that would be fun. Make it to the middle of this field without getting too injured by the illusions, yeah? And the sphere will slowly close in. Just a heads up! Begin!"
Sonare steadied himself. Already, the illusions pressed in—wind howling in his ears, phantom bolts of lightning flashing too close for comfort. A twisted beast lunged from the corner of his eye, only to dissolve into smoke when his gaze locked fully upon it.
Sonare starts to move, running towards the center. Beside him, a student with spiky red hair barks a laugh.
"This is weak," he said, voice loud enough for Sonare to hear. "They think a little illusion can challenge me, Axel Kingsley?!"
The illusion bends sharply around Axel as a flare of heat erupts from the heels of Axel's feet. Fire burst from Axel's heels, launching him forward in a blur. He cut through the illusions with arrogant ease, shouting over the storm.
"What the..." Sonare had to blink twice to rebound from the sudden move that Axel just made. "Should I just brute force it, too?"
In the distance, the same young man with mint hair cuts through the dangerously vast field with methodical ease. Constructs of energy, green in color, flared in his hands, forming temporary platforms and bridges that guided his path flawlessly. The candidate created shields and abatises using his constructs, allowing him safe passage through the illusions.
"Fine. Brute force it is."
Sonare exhaled, drawing in the roiling storm around him. Mana surged, coiling down his legs. With a snap, wind bursts from his feet, launching him forward in jolting strides. The ground buckled and shifted, but his eyes cut through the illusions—phantoms dissipated when he focused, false terrain patterns unraveling before his gaze.
He darts between jagged shards of false rock, letting bursts of wind propel him faster. Illusionary claws swiped, snapping at his ankles. He twists at the last moment, landing hard, sliding forward with another blast of air.
Through the chaos, other figures emerged. The golden-haired girl pressed her palms together, her aura radiating calm. Around her, wavering students steadied their footing, their breaths aligning as though her presence itself defied the storm.
Her companion—the violet-haired girl—stumbled at first, arms trembling as glimmers of light traced patterns along her skin. But as she focused, the illusions faltered near her, like shadows recoiling from fragile light.
On the far edge of the field as Sonare ran, he caught sight of a figure moving with disarming ease. An elf girl with black hair bound neatly back, her movements sharp and fluid. She weaved through the storm as though she had already walked this path before, each step balanced, every dodge calculated to brush just beyond the reach of danger. Where Axel tore through and the mint-haired boy imposed order, she simply flowed, never wasting motion.
Sonare watched with an unamused glare, before launching another burst of wind from his feet. He wasn't gliding like the elf, or radiating calm like the blonde girl—but every shove of air, every snap of muscle, forced his way forward.
"Brother. If I win, you owe me lunch."
A voice from above catches Sonare's attention. He looks up, finding Lumira floating above him, seated on a construct in the shape of a crescent moon—made from pure light.
"Not fair. You aren't running!"
"Apparently my sitting is faster than your running."
With her final teasing remark, she speeds up, her construct making its way to the middle, where the illusion abruptly stops.
Sonare continues to force his mana to surge, launching faster than before. One beast lunged, jaws snapping at his chest. He drops low, sliding on the stone, wind blasting from his heels to propel him under the phantom's arc, straight through the end of the illusion.
The moment he crossed, the storm collapsed. Illusions crumbled to ash, shadows peeling away into nothing.
From the far side, the elf girl stood already at ease, not a hair out of place. Axel was there too, grinning arrogantly. The mint-haired boy had arrived just before Sonare, his constructs dissolving with a snap of his fingers.
Sonare pushed himself upright, dusting himself off. Lumira stands beside him, a quiet smirk on her face.
"You owe me lunch."
"Oh, whatever."
A horde of footsteps was heard, signaling new arrivals.
Out of the fading storm, a figure emerged, shoulders squared, posture crisp despite the sheen of sweat at their brow. Others stumbled with them, drawn along like driftwood caught in a current. They had been guided—pushed forward—by the blonde girl who strode with surety, smiling radiantly and gently at the purple haired girl, who hadn't let them be swallowed by the storm.
High above, the voice of the sphere rang out again.
"We have some finished candidates. Your remaining time for those still in the storm is 10 minutes. Candidates who have finished, make sure to take a break!"