Raivharyx.
Thundraryx.
Lunaryth.
Zephyrax.
Caelvhar.
One after another, they stepped forward.
Then more joined them.
Vaelura.
Seravyn.
Azharael.
And two others who had remained silent until now.
Ten.
Ten opponents.
Ten future warriors of the Azurions.
And every single one of them was stronger than me.
At least on paper.
The chamber suddenly felt smaller.
Not because of the walls.
Because of the pressure.
Ten different auras filled the training grounds.
Ten different fighting styles.
Ten different instincts.
All focused on me.
The prey.
Zephyrax rested a hand on Azharyon's shoulder.
"Enough."
The word cut through the tension.
Azharyon's aura slowly receded.
Not completely.
Just enough.
His eyes never left me.
Almost as if he wanted to see what happened next.
"This isn't what we agreed on," Zephyrax said.
"If you wanted to break him by yourself, you should have waited."
A few chuckles spread through the group.
Azharyon snorted.
"He wouldn't break."
The confidence in his voice surprised no one.
It only made the others look at me harder.
Studying.
Evaluating.
Judging.
Lunaryth stepped forward.
Calm.
Dangerous.
The kind of fighter who smiled while calculating where to strike.
"Sorry about earlier."
His voice remained polite.
His eyes did not.
"This was always meant to be a group assessment."
Group assessment.
Right.
Ten against one.
Very fair.
A grin tugged at the corner of my mouth.
Lunaryth continued.
"Your progress exceeded every expectation."
His gaze sharpened.
"And your brother believes you're ready."
Ready.
Interesting word.
Ready for what?
The answer came immediately.
"To face all ten of us."
Silence.
Then—
The gravity engine roared louder.
The chamber darkened slightly.
Runes ignited across the walls.
The barriers strengthened automatically.
Even the arena expected violence.
One by one, blue eyes ignited.
Ten pairs.
Watching.
Waiting.
Hungry.
My pulse slowed.
Not fear.
Focus.
I closed my eyes.
One breath.
Two breaths.
Three.
When my eyes opened again—
Blue light flickered within them.
The room changed.
Every stance.
Every heartbeat.
Every shift of weight.
Visible.
Predictable.
Dangerous.
A grin spread across my face.
"Guess it's my turn."
I rolled my shoulders.
Bones cracked softly.
"...to find out how strong you really are."
Nobody laughed.
Nobody answered.
That alone told me everything.
They were serious.
Good.
So was I.
The circle tightened.
A single step.
Another.
Predators closing in.
The hunt had begun.
Then—
Everything exploded.
BOOOOM!!!
The floor shattered beneath my feet.
Not theirs.
Mine.
I launched first.
Fast.
Aggressive.
Decisive.
The nearest target—
Seravyn.
I slipped inside her guard.
Palm strike.
Fast.
Precise.
She smiled.
Wrong.
A trap.
Before my attack connected—
A fist appeared from my blind side.
Thundraryx.
Too fast.
I twisted.
The punch missed my skull by inches.
The shockwave ripped through my hair.
No time.
Another attack came.
Then another.
Then another.
Ten fighters moved at once.
The chamber erupted into chaos.
Claws.
Kicks.
Fists.
Wind pressure.
Feints.
Counters.
Predatory instincts colliding from every direction.
No openings.
No mercy.
No safe angle.
I ducked beneath one strike.
Spun away from another.
Blocked a third.
A fourth nearly caught my ribs.
A fifth clipped my shoulder.
Pain exploded.
Good.
Still alive.
Someone laughed.
Someone else attacked while I was turning.
The coordination was terrifying.
Not ten individuals.
One pack.
One mind.
One objective.
Overwhelm.
Destroy.
Evaluate later.
My breathing remained steady.
My body did not.
Pressure mounted.
Mistakes accumulated.
The arena blurred.
For the first time since entering the chamber—
I realized something.
They weren't testing me.
They were testing whether I belonged among them.
And at this rate—
I was losing.
A kick slammed into my guard.
Another strike crashed into my side.
A third attack sent cracks racing beneath my feet.
The spectators vanished.
The walls vanished.
The world shrank to instinct.
Survive.
Adapt.
Move.
Repeat.
Then—
Something changed.
Deep beneath the seal.
A pulse.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
The attacks kept coming.
But my blood wasn't watching anymore.
It was waking up.
And for the first time—
The ten of them felt it.
Their movements hesitated.
Just slightly.
Just enough.
Azharyon's eyes widened.
The smile vanished from his face.
"...Velzahar."
For the first time that day—
There was concern in his voice.
Because something had answered.
And whatever it was—
Hadn't been part of the plan.