Chapter 6: Where Dreams Become Measurable PART I
1163 Words
A single tulip. Red. Bright against the pale stone. I froze. For a moment, the noise of the arena faded into the background. The flower shouldn't be there. There wasn't a garden nearby. There wasn't even a patch of grass. Just stone.. Endless white stone. Yet somehow a tulip rested at my feet as though it had grown atraight through the Academy itself.
"Lys?"
I blinked. The flower vanished. Gone. Not blown away. Not stepped on. Gone.
"What?" I asked.
Mira frowned. "You were staring at the ground."
"There was a flower."
"A real flower?"
"I think so."
"You sound unconvinced."
"I am."
"Good."
Before I could answer, the silver-haired instructor continued.
"This year's combat examination will differ from every examination held before."
A collective groan rolled through the crowd. The instructor ignored it.
"Traditionally, applicants face one another."
Several people nodded.
That sounded reasonable.
Then she smiled. "This year, however, you will not be fighting fellow applicants."
Silence spread across the arena.
"For this examination, we received a special request."
The instructor turned toward the Academy building behind her.
"To explain, allow me to introduce someone."
The atmosphere changed immediately. Even the Academy students standing in front of her straightened. The joking disappeared. The whispers stopped.
I frowned. Who exactly needs this kind of introduction? The answer arrived a moment later.
A figure descended the wide stone staircase behind the dais. The first thing I noticed wasn't his uniform. Or his title. IT was the silence. The entire arena seemed to hold its breath. Tall. Broad-souldered. Black hair touched with strands of silver. A long black coat hung from his frame, embroidered with silver thread that shimmered beneath the morning sunlight.
Every step echoed across stone. Slow. Deliberate. Confident. The kind of confidence that came from never needing to prove anything.
Around me, applicants began whispering. Then whispering became staring. Then staring became outright panic.
"...No way."
"Is that really him?"
"It can't be."
"It is."
"Why is he here?"
Beside me, Mira leaned forward.
"Oh."
I glanced at her. "Indeed, oh."
"We're doomed."
"That is not a helpful observation."
"It wasn't meant to be helpful."
Fair.
The figure continued his descent down the staircase. Each step echoed across the arena. No dramatic music. No magical display. No flashy entrance. And somehow that made it worse.
The Duke reached the bottom of the stairs. The silver-haired instructor inclined her head respectfully.
"Applicants." Her voice cut through the noise. "This is Duke Bartholomew Craven."
A pause. The reaction was immediate. Several applicants straightened. Even the Academy students in front of him looked noticeably more alert.
The Duke himself appeared entirely unimpressed by the attention. He simply stood there with his hands behind him, dark eyes surveying the arena.
Calm.
Patient.
Dangerous.
Like a wolf pretending to be a statue.
Beside me, Mira leaned closer.
"I don't like him."
"You don't even know him."
"Which is?"
"He looks like the type of man who enjoys making exams harder."
Unfortunately, she had a point.
The instructor waited for the whispers to settle. Then she smiled. "The combat examination this year was designed following a special recommendation."
The arena grew quiet. Very quiet.
"Specifically..."
She gestured toward the Duke.
"... a recommendation concerning His Grace's ability."
My stomach immediately tightened. Beside me, Mira made a small sound. A very concerned sound.
The instructor continued.
"For those unfamiliar with Duke Craven..."
Several applicants immediately looked embarrassed. Apparently, everyone was familiar with Duke Craven.
"... His Grace possesses one of the rarest abilities in the kingdom."
The Duke looked mildly annoyed by the attention.
"The ability known as Spirit Domination. His Grace can perceive spirits. HE can command them. And when necessary..."
A pause.
"... He can make them become warriors."
The instructor stepped forward once more.
"Allow me to explain today's examination."
Nobody liked explanations that came after phrases such as Spirit Domination.
"As you can see, we have gathered some of the strongest second-year students from both the Warden and Hero Division."
The students remained perfectly still. Which somehow made them look even more dangerous.
The instructor continued.
"As for the applicants..."
Her gaze swept across the arena.
"You are every remaining candidate for both the Royal Warden Program and the Hero Program."
Silence.
A collective pause spread across the courtyard.
Then-
"What?"
The word echoed from at least fifty different mouths.
Even I blinked.
Hero Program?
That wasn't right.
Beside me, Mira frowned. "Wait. I thought the Hero Program had a separate examination."
"So did I."
The instructor smiled.
"This year, however, someone really important requested a unified examination."
The arena exploded.
"WHAT?!"
"That's insane."
"Heroes and Wardens are completely different!"
"You can't compare Hero and Warden candidates."
"We can and we will. The exam is as follows..." the instructor replied.
"That's ridiculous."
"Are we gonna fight second-years and the hero candidates for a place in the Wardens?"
The instructor didn't even blink.
"No."
The arena quieted slightly. THen someone shouted. "Then who are we fighting."
The instructo smiled. That was the final confirmation that something terrible was about to happen."An excellent question."
Mira groaned." We're doomed."
"Without a doubt."
The instructor folded her hands behind her back. "Heroes and Wardens serve different roles."
Several applicants nodded.
"Heroes stand front line. Wardens support, coordinate, analyze, and adapt."
Still reasonable.
"Which is why this examination will test both."
A boy near the front raised a trembling hand.
"...How?"
The instructor pointed toward Duke Craven. "By fighting His Grace's Spirits."
Silence. Absolute silence.
Then-
"WHAT?!"
The arena exploded.
"YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS!"
The instructor continued. "One of our professors has prepared a specialized trial realm for today's examination."
A trial realm?
"The trial realm contains a special object for each and everyone here. You must secure it. While avoiding hostile spirits and Academy second-years. They will try to steal it from you in every way."
Mira's face slowly lost color. "Lys."
"Yes?"
"Let's go home."
I consider it. "Tempting."
"Very tempting."
"We'd have to explain to sister Dana."
Mira grimaced. "Right."
The instructor continued as if he hadn't just announced a competition designed by a madman.
"Each applicant will begin at a random location within the trial realm. The artifact assigned to you will resonate only with your blood. You may not steal another aoolicant's artifact. But you can help them from getting it stolen by the spirits or the second-years. Any questions?"
No one had the courage to talk anymore.
The arena had reached that special level of panic where people stopped asking questions because they were afraid of the answers.
"Excellent. Then the first 150 applicants to come back will be admitted to the Academy. Good luck to everyone."
She raised a hand. Golden light ignited across the stone floor. The entire arena was soon covered in intricate circles of light. The air vibrated. Not enough to hurt. Just enough to make my teeth feel strange. Around me, applicants began stepping backward.
"Good luck, applicants."
- Writer
