The halls of the Knight Academy trembled with the footsteps of the chosen hundred and fifty.
They passed beneath towering archways carved with runes and relics of wars long past, each stone heavy with names of knights who bled, conquered, and died. The walls whispered of glory… and the price it always demanded.
Ethan moved with the others, but he walked alone in spirit. The Trial Band on his wrist flickered with a dull blue, the crystal in its center now engraved with his tally: 24 Victories. Rank 9.
His name had climbed, and so had the hate around him. A few nobles muttered as he passed. Some didn't even bother to hide their disgust.
"He has no house," one whispered.
"A mistake in the rankings," said another.
"A shadow hiding in our light."
Ethan ignored them all.
Beside him, Velina walked tall, arms crossed despite the bruises staining her forearms. Her braid was half-undone, dust and sweat streaking her cheeks. But she smiled when their eyes met.
"Still standing," she whispered.
"For now," Ethan replied.
The stone corridor ahead began to widen, and what they saw next made several of them stop in place.
---
The Hangar Hall.
A vaulted chamber as wide as a parade ground and thrice as high, shaped like the inside of a cathedral, but instead of altars and stained glass, it was filled with weapons, armor racks, ancient scrolls behind crystal cases, and massive circular portals pulsing with color.
Blue crystal lamps floated midair, bathing everything in a cool, dreamlike glow. The ceiling arched like a ribcage of a god, layered with blacksteel beams and obsidian-etched pillars. Faint murals on the far walls depicted long-lost wars, men on horseback facing beasts with dozens of limbs, armored titans cracking the skies with hammers, and something beneath it all… serpents slithering across continents.
In the center stood seven portals, three on each side, glowing faintly in red, green, and violet. But it was the seventh, the largest, in the middle, that caught every eye. A towering gate of silver-edged stone, with ancient Leviathan script spiraling toward the center. Its core pulsed like a heartbeat, glowing blue like a calm ocean before a storm.
The portal to the next trial.
They all felt it.
Even without stepping closer, it hummed in their bones.
---
"Take your time," one of the instructors announced from the platform above. "Fifteen minutes to rest. Heal what you can. Eat. Drink. After that, the next phase begins, and it will not be kind."
Clerics in white and gray robes emerged from the shadows, casting minor healing spells, applying bandages, offering satchels filled with field rations, flasks, and crystal-threaded maps. Velina sat on a nearby bench and exhaled, finally relaxing her shoulders. Ethan leaned against a pillar beside her, arms crossed.
She glanced at him. "What you did out there… It wasn't just survival."
He met her eyes. "What do you mean?"
"You weren't trying to just pass the test. You were… proving something. To them. To yourself."
He looked away. "…They laughed when I said my name."
"And now they fear it," she said softly.
He let a faint smirk pull at his lips. "Not enough yet."
She chuckled and reached into her satchel, tossing him a piece of dried meat. "Then maybe this will help your revenge-fueled muscles recover."
He caught it and nodded in thanks. They sat in a rare, calm silence—until Ethan finally broke it.
"That one. Cael Verendis. You've seen him before?"
Velina's jaw clenched. "Unfortunately. He visits the merchant guild sometimes. Always with two shadows following him. Cruel. Cold. Talks like his words are carved from scripture."
"He said he'll break me."
Velina looked at Ethan. "Do you believe him?"
Ethan didn't answer immediately.
"I believe… that he's strong. But so am I. And I've survived more than he's ever imagined."
Before Velina could respond, footsteps echoed behind them.
---
The air darkened, as if gravity itself shifted.
Cael Verendis.
Cloaked in indigo, his Trial Band glowing with 35 victories, he strode forward like a king claiming a throne. Behind him, his hoodlums, one with a crescent scar beneath his eye, the other chewing on a blackroot twig, flanked his shoulders like trained hounds. He didn't speak at first. Just looked at Ethan, like inspecting a cracked blade.
Then, slowly, Cael smiled.
"So… the peasant and the merchant's daughter. Quite the tale."
Ethan said nothing.
Cael turned slightly, pretending to admire the mural behind them. "Twenty four victories. That's impressive, I didn't see that well at first. But I wonder… how many of those would stand if we removed the rules?"
"You want a fight?" Ethan asked, stepping forward.
"No," Cael said, turning back with a cold grin. "I want you to know that this is the highest you'll ever rise. This moment. This board. This air. After today, you're nothing but a blemish I'll erase when no one's looking."
His voice grew lower. More venomous.
"You think pain makes you worthy? You think blood and loss makes you a knight? No, Valdros. What makes a knight… is birthright. And you? You're just mud."
Velina moved beside Ethan, her voice ice. "You talk too much."
Cael's gaze flicked to her, and he laughed softly. "Defending your stray? How noble. I'll be sure to bury you beside him when he finally breaks."
Ethan's fists clenched, knuckles pale.
But he didn't strike. Not yet.
Cael turned to leave. "Enjoy your fifteen minutes. After that… the sand will teach you how weak you truly are."
---
Ten minutes passed.
The knights reappeared on the platform, their white-gold armor glimmering.
The lead knight stepped forward.
"You now face the Second Assessment. You've proved you can stand alone. Now you must survive together."
The room grew quiet.
"The portal before you leads to the Drazan Expanse, a desert ravaged by Tartarus breaches long ago. You will be dropped in one end of the land—and your objective is simple: reach the Beacon Tower on the far side in less than 72 hours."
Murmurs.
"Along the way, you will encounter Class I and Class II Desert-type Tartarus Beasts. For every beast you slay, extract the core crystal. It is proof of your passage and performance. Each of you carries a satchel for collection."
A cleric walked down the line, handing Ethan and Velina their satchels—worn leather, rune-stitched.
"Killing one another is forbidden. The Light Sigils in the sky will monitor every move. If you break the code, you will be expelled or executed, depending on intent."
"And what if someone tries to cheat?" a noble barked from the crowd.
The lead knight smiled. "Then may the desert judge them first."
With a final glance at the aspirants, he raised his hand.
"Enter the portal. Survive the Expanse. Let your deeds speak louder than your name."
---
Ethan stood before the blue gate.
The hum of the portal was soft, but it gnawed at his bones—like something within the light called to the Abyss hiding under his skin.
Velina stepped beside him.
"Ready?"
He nodded.
"No skills this time," he whispered. "No system. Just us."
Velina looked at him, fierce and proud. "Did you say something" Ethan didn't respond, he was too focused.
And with that, they stepped into the light.