Chapter 11 – The First Trial
1026 Words
Chapter 11 – The First Trial
The rumors exploded by morning.
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Lyra felt it the moment she stepped into the lower hall.
Eyes.
Too many eyes.
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“They say Kael carried her.”
“No way.”
“I saw it.”
“She’s just a servant…”
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Her grip tightened around the cloth in her hand.
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Don’t react.
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But this time—
Ignoring it didn’t make it go away.
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Because now—
She wasn’t invisible anymore.
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She was a target.
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“Lyra Valen.”
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Her name echoed across the hall.
Clear.
Sharp.
Official.
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Lyra froze.
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A man stood at the center.
A senior instructor.
Cold eyes. Stern posture.
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“…Report to the main arena.”
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Silence fell instantly.
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Lyra’s chest tightened.
“…Why?”
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The instructor didn’t blink.
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“…First Trial.”
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Her heart dropped.
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“…Trial…?”
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“You’re enrolled in this academy.”
A pause.
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“…Or did you forget your place?”
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Laughter broke out again.
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Lyra swallowed.
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Of course.
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Even servants—
Could be tested.
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Even servants—
Could be broken.
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“…Yes,” she whispered.
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The arena was massive.
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Stone walls.
High ceilings.
Runes carved into every surface.
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Cold.
Ancient.
Unforgiving.
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Students filled the upper levels, watching from above like spectators in a game.
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Waiting.
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Lyra stepped inside slowly.
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Her heartbeat echoed in her ears.
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“…This is bad…”
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Very bad.
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She could feel it already.
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That pressure.
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Faint.
But there.
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Her eyes scanned the arena.
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Nothing obvious.
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But her body—
Knew.
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“…They hid it…”
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The meteor stone.
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Somewhere in the arena.
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Waiting.
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“Trial begins.”
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The instructor’s voice echoed.
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“No external help.”
“No restrictions.”
“Survive—or fail.”
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Lyra’s breath caught.
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“…Survive…?”
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Too late.
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The ground shifted.
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Magic surged.
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A creature emerged from the shadows.
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Massive.
Twisted.
Made of dark energy and stone.
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A summoned beast.
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Lyra froze.
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“…I can’t fight that…”
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The beast roared.
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And charged.
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Lyra ran.
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Her body reacted instantly.
Instinct.
Survival.
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The creature slammed into the ground behind her.
Stone cracked.
Dust filled the air.
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Too close—
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She stumbled.
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The pressure hit.
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Stronger.
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The hidden stone.
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Her legs weakened.
Her breathing broke.
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“…not now…”
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The beast turned.
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Faster this time.
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It lunged again—
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Lyra forced herself to move.
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Barely dodging.
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Her body screamed.
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Weak.
Too weak.
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Above—
Students watched.
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“She’s going to die.”
“Of course she is.”
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But one of them didn’t look away.
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Kael.
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Standing in silence.
Watching everything.
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His gaze is sharp.
Focused.
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“…Move.”
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The word was quiet.
Barely audible.
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But Lyra heard it.
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Her eyes widened.
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“…him…”
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The beast attacked again.
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This time—
Too fast.
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Lyra couldn’t dodge.
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She raised her arms instinctively—
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Impact—
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But it never came.
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For a split second—
The beast’s movement faltered.
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Just slightly.
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Enough.
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Lyra moved.
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Escaped.
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Her breath shook.
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“…That wasn’t me…”
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Her eyes flicked upward.
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Kael didn’t move.
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But she knew.
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He interfered.
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Just enough.
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The battle continued.
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Lyra ran.
Dodged.
Fell.
Got up again.
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Her body couldn’t keep up.
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The pressure kept increasing.
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“…I can’t… breathe…”
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The stone.
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It was stronger now.
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Draining her.
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Killing her slowly.
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The beast roared again—
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And struck.
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This time—
She couldn’t move.
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Her body froze.
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“…No…”
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The attack came down—
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And in that moment—
Something inside her snapped.
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Not fear.
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Not panic.
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Something deeper.
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Her hand lifted instinctively.
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Reaching.
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Grabbing—
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And for a split second—
The air shifted.
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The magic around the beast—
Flickered.
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Copied.
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Distorted.
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Lyra’s eyes widened.
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“…what…?”
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The beast staggered.
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Confused.
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Just for a moment.
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But that moment—
Saved her.
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Lyra rolled away.
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Her breathing uneven.
Her body is shaking.
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“…I did that…”
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She didn’t understand how.
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But she did.
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The instructor raised a hand.
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“…Enough.”
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The beast vanished instantly.
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Silence fell.
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Lyra collapsed to her knees.
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Her body was trembling uncontrollably.
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“…I survived…”
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Barely.
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Above—
The whispers returned.
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“…Did you see that?”
“She moved weird…”
“The beast hesitated…”
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Suspicion.
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Interest.
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Danger.
survive
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Kael turned.
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Without a word.
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But his eyes—
Remained on her.
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Longer than before.
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“…She’s not normal.”
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Not a guess.
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A conclusion.
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Across the arena—
The girl watched.
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Her smile is gone.
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Eyes dark.
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“…So she adapts…”
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Her fingers tightened around the hidden purple stone.
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“…Then I’ll break her faster.”
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Lyra slowly stood.
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Her body stis ill shaking.
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But something inside her—
Had changed.
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Just a little.
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Not strong.
Not yet.
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But no longer helpless.
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She looked at her hand.
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“…What was that…?”
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No answer.
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But she knew—
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That wasn’t the end.
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That was the beginning.
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Because now—
They had seen her.
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And they would come harder.
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Stronger.
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More cruel.
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And next time—
She might not survive.
- Writer
