Chapter 31 – The First Day of Survival Class
As Seryn crossed the northern garden of the Academy, the morning sun slipped through the mist.
The air smelled of soil, steel, and dew. A wide open field — reshaped into a training camp — was filled with students pitching tents and sparking campfires.
Instructor Marith stood before them in a dark green cloak. His face was firm, his eyes sharp and alert.
"The spells you learn in classrooms will not save you beyond these walls," he said. "Out there, power means nothing without wit."
Kai leaned closer, whispering, "Then we're both doomed."
Seryn smirked. "Probably."
A few students chuckled.
Marith turned his gaze toward them but didn't raise his voice. "Laugh now," he said, "the forest won't."
They divided into groups.
Seryn found himself paired with Kai and a tall, dark-haired boy.
"Rien Davor," the boy said with a nod. "I've watched you two in training. You move well."
Kai raised an eyebrow. "You watched us? That's creepy."
Rien shrugged. "Observation saves arrows. My family are archers."
Seryn noticed his stance — balanced, cautious. Someone trained to wait for the right moment.
Marith announced, "Today you'll learn three things — orientation, mana trail detection, and safe night formation. A single mistake at camp can invite death."
They spread out.
Seryn studied the rough map, lines and runes scattered across it.
Kai pointed randomly. "So this is north?"
"If north follows the fire's smoke, yes," Seryn said.
Rien interjected. "Smoke runs with the wind. Northwest."
Seryn nodded. "Good reasoning."
By dusk, the sky darkened.
They built camp; Seryn drew a small circle of stones and placed a dim light rune in the center.
Kai watched. "Lighting fire through ritual?"
"Less smoke," Seryn replied.
"Smart. You really hate being noticed."
"Not hate," Seryn said. "Just learned the cost."
From afar, Marith watched them.
Another instructor murmured, "The Daskal boy?"
Marith nodded. "His blood is interesting — his mind, more so."
Night fell. The field grew quiet, torches glowing faintly.
Kai leaned against a tree. "Peaceful, huh?"
Rien answered, "In this silence, danger echoes first."
Seryn watched the small flame dance. "Or memory."
Kai tilted his head. "You're lost in thought again."
"Trying to remember faces," Seryn said.
"Whose?"
"I don't know. Every time I try, the faces fade."
Rien asked softly, "Memory loss?"
"Maybe. Or maybe some memories choose to stay blurred."
Marith's voice echoed from the dark. "Rest. Tomorrow we track monsters."
Seryn lay down.
When he closed his eyes, a vision appeared — a table, three figures, gleaming blades.
A woman's voice whispered: 'Don't trust them, Seryn.'
Then the image dissolved into fog.
In his half-sleep, he murmured,
"Even my mind doesn't belong to me anymore."
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💬 Author's Note:
The Academy teaches survival, but some lessons can't be found in books.
As Seryn faces the wilderness, it's not jus
t the forest he must navigate — it's the maze inside his own mind. ⚔️