Three weeks passed in a blur of bruises, late nights, and lessons that refused to stay simple. Kiren starred out the window, his mind wandering far past the school walls.
His thoughts snapped back the moment the classroom doors swung open.
A tall man with sharp features and wild black hair strode in, his presence alone silencing the chatter. His coat bore the insignia of the academy, though it was worn with the casual confidence of someone who had long since stopped caring about appearances.
"The second first-year instructor," someone whispered.
Kiren straightened instinctively.
The man rested his hands on the desk. "Settle down. I won't repeat myself."
The room went still.
"I'm Instructor Kael Rourke," he said. "And the academy has decided to conduct a small test to assess your growth over the past three weeks."
The word "test" rippled through the class.
Groans. Murmurs. A few excited whispers.
Rourke smiled faintly. "Your reactions tell me everything I need to know."
He turned and wrote two words on the board.
'RED FOREST'
That got their attention.
"This will be a three-day survival exercise," he continued. "You'll be journeying beyond academy grounds to the Red Forest."
Kiren leaned toward Lyra. "So... what exactly is the Red Forest?"
Lyra hesitated, then lowered her voice. "It's a mana-rich forest. At its center stands a massive tree with bright red leaves. They say it overflows with pure mana."
"Pure mana?" Kiren echoed.
She nodded. "Legends claim the gods themselves crafted the tree."
"Pure mana. Hmm, I wonder what kind of beasts live there" Vane murmured to himself.
Rourke glanced in their direction. "Well said, Miss Ainsworth."
Lyra stiffened. "S-sorry, sir."
"No need," Rourke replied. "It's good to see someone actually studies."
He turned back to the board. "That tree will serve as your base camp. Five instructors—including myself and Head Instructor Caldan Rhel will oversee the test. We will not intervene unless absolutely necessary"
A few students shifted uneasily.
"You may form groups," Rourke continued, "or take the test alone. Once inside the forest, you will establish your own camps."
Kiren's grin spread wider with every word.
"You'll hunt beasts," Rourke said. "At the end of each day, you will return to the Red Tree and submit the beast cores you've collected."
He tapped the board. "Cores can be exchanged for provisions and if you have enough, maybe even luxuries. The higher the tier—or the greater the quantity—the better the supplies."
Now the excitement was unmistakable.
"At the end of the three days," Rourke said, "the group with the highest number of cores will receive a rank increase across the board."
The room erupted.
Before it could spiral out of control, Rourke raised a finger.
"Quiet down you delinquents."
Silence returned instantly.
"Within each group," he said calmly, "the individual with the highest number of cores will be promoted to S-rank."
Gasps echoed.
"And the one with the lowest contribution," he finished, "will be demoted to E-rank."
That did it.
Arguments broke out immediately. Some students looked thrilled. Others looked terrified.
Kiren's eyes gleamed. "Did you hear that? Finally. A real hunt."
Lyra, on the other hand, looked pale. She glanced between Kiren and Vane, her hands clenched on her lap.
'How am I supposed to compete with these two?' she thought.
Vane hadn't reacted at all.
He stared out the window, eyes unfocused, watching a raven circle lazily through the sky.
"[You're not listening again,]" Oscar's voice echoed in his mind, sharp with irritation.
"[This is important.]"
"I heard enough," Vane replied silently.
"[You didn't hear the part where you could be demoted to E-rank. I know you don't care about go being high ranked but let's try not to be bottom of the list.]"
Vane's gaze followed the raven as it vanished beyond the trees.
"...That bird's been flying in circles for too long."
"[You are unbelievable.]"
Rourke clapped his hands once. "Details and grouping will be announced tomorrow. Rest up. The forest doesn't care how confident you are."
As the class dismissed, Kiren rose to his feet, practically buzzing with energy.
"This is it," he said. "Three days. No rules. No pretending."
Lyra swallowed. "Just... try not to turn it into a bloodbath."
Vane finally looked away from the window. His expression was unreadable.
"Stick close," he said quietly. "The Red Forest isn't a place you want to underestimate."
— —
Instructor Rouke left the class, hands in his pocket and turned to find Instructor Rhel waiting for him.
"What do you think of the freshmen?" He asked.
Rouke sighed, "They're few that show promise, but don't you think this is a bit extreme for first years? Stories of the Red Forest are know far and wide and none of them are good."
Rhel sighed, "I wonder what the Chancellor is thinking.
— —
Somewhere far above, Crimson leaves rustled— and the forest waited.