Chapter 36
Whispers spread through the open arena at lightning speed.
I was mortified.
And terrified.
What if the same thing happened during the Selection trials?
When real danger threatened me—
Or someone else.
“Well, it's still better than that uncontrollable cage of fire we witnessed the first time we met,” Eugene said, surprisingly loud and clear.
I turned, wanting to meet his gaze.
But he wasn't looking at me.
“I agree,” Mr. Shiford said with a nod.
Were they actually trying to defend me right now?
That somehow felt even more humiliating.
“Alright, Illariana. You can return to the stands for now,” Draksen Ardevayne said, his tone impossible for me to read.
I obeyed immediately.
The last thing I wanted was to remain the center of attention any longer.
“Let's take a look at how shadows interact with density magic, then,” I heard someone say behind me.
Keeping my eyes lowered, I walked past the other recruits before sinking into my seat.
“How exactly would you like me to support you?” Stasia asked, leaning closer. “I could poison everyone here.”
With a sigh, I shook my head and turned my attention back to the arena.
To Kaeron.
And to the shadow mage standing beside him.
At first glance, she didn't look anything like someone who wielded shadow magic.
She was tall, with graceful curves and golden curls cascading over her shoulders.
Her large yellow irises didn't immediately draw attention.
But once you noticed them—
It felt as though you were looking at something entirely unfamiliar.
Something not quite human.
I silently watched as she offered Kaeron a soft smile.
He responded with a restrained nod.
And in the next moment, shadows surrounded him.
They wrapped around his body like a crown of dark flames lined with sharp, vicious spikes.
Then, within seconds, the crown—
The flames—
Seemed to die.
Collapsing into a mass of black metal.
But only for a moment.
The metal suddenly came alive again, twitching and swaying around him like the tail of a rattlesnake.
A warning.
A promise of the attack that would follow.
I was stunned by their power.
By the control both of them possessed.
Compared to them, I faded into the background.
Became far too...
Ordinary.
“Very good.”
The faintest satisfied smirk appeared on Draksen's face.
“Kaeron is exceptionally strong,” Seris remarked. “Before entering Istmond, he had already been taught how to control his magic.”
“Doesn't everyone get sent to Istmond as soon as their abilities awaken?” I asked, meeting Seris's blue eyes.
“Only those whose powers awaken unusually early,” Seris explained. “When abilities manifest at the age considered normal, they're assigned a mentor to help them learn control. Then, when the time for the Selection arrives, they're officially enrolled in the Academy.”
I nodded.
Kaeron returned to his seat.
I tried not to look at him.
The humiliation of my own failure still burned too fiercely.
One by one, the recruits were called into the arena.
Gianna demonstrated masterful control of water magic.
It turned out she could already control multiple streams at once.
She demonstrated this by creating a massive oasis entirely out of water, complete with several cascading waterfalls.
Stasia summoned several poisonous plants as tall as I was, carefully containing the toxic mist they released.
Now a boy with messy, vivid blue hair stood in the center of the arena.
Perched on his shoulder was an enormous scorpion with glowing blue markings that seemed almost luminescent.
The boy himself carried an air of arrogance, his bright blue eyes carefully analyzing everyone around him.
He immediately sparked mixed feelings in me.
And I was dying to find out what kind of magic he possessed.
With a wave of Eugene's hand, several targets appeared in front of him.
I held my breath, waiting for what would come next.
The boy's gaze shifted to the targets.
Then his eyes began to glow.
The scorpion stirred, slowly crawling down from his shoulder.
The mage raised a hand.
Silver lines streaked through the air, threaded with a faint blue glow.
A second later, all five targets burst into blue flames.
“Is he a fire mage?” I asked quietly.
“No.”
Kaeron's voice came from beside me.
“His magic is similar to mine.”
For the first time since the demonstrations began, he had spoken.
The unexpected comment immediately drew not only my attention, but Stasia's, Seris's, and Gianna's as well.
“In what sense?” Stasia asked.
“His magic belongs to the same category as mine.” Kaeron's voice remained calm, but his eyes never left the boy standing in the center of the arena. “Conceptual powers. We don't control a substance—we control a law or a phenomenon.”
Somehow, it felt as though there was something connecting the two of them beyond the nature of their abilities.
“Excellent.” Azriella clapped her hands together. “I'm delighted by how strong this year's recruits are.”
At her words, I bit the inside of my cheek.
Something unpleasant twisted inside me.
“Honestly, almost all of them deserve a place in the Strongest Class.”
The female voice came from somewhere behind me.
And those words instantly brought my humiliation back to life.
The implication wasn't exactly subtle.
I was the one person who had failed to demonstrate anything today.
Anything besides helplessness, anyway.
“Your embarrassment is practically saturating the air.”
Kaeron's voice cut through my thoughts.
“You know, that's not exactly how people usually offer support,” Seris said with a snort.
“I wasn't trying to support anyone.”
Kaeron didn't even bother looking at him.
Seris rolled his eyes.
Then he nodded toward the seats.
A moment later, he and Kaeron switched places, leaving Seris sitting beside me instead.
His hand rested lightly on my shoulder.
His blue eyes seemed to smile even before his lips did.
“I think everyone here belongs.”
“For almost everyone, I'd agree.”
The moment I heard that voice, warmth and a shiver spread through me at the same time.
Four figures stood near the entrance to the arena.
Airis.
Tarven.
Miloran.
And Rosalie.
“The lightning magic was a little underwhelming.”
Airis's gaze swept across the arena before settling on me.
I immediately tried to remember the girl who had demonstrated lightning magic earlier.
Unfortunately, my brain refused to cooperate.
The other three headed straight toward the judges.
Airis didn't move.
Neither did his gaze.
Yet somehow, he looked incredibly tense.
“How fortunate we are to see three more members of the Strongest Twelve today,” Azriella remarked.
“I agree,” Draksen Ardevayne said coldly. “Though one of them was supposed to be somewhere else.”
His gaze shifted toward Airis.
“Airis?”
“I couldn't leave for Mataarus without saying goodbye to my protégé first,” Airis replied, arching a brow in my direction. “So I'm borrowing her for a little while.”
Whispers immediately erupted around me again.
And I wasn't sure which stung my pride more.
The fact that I'd just proven how weak I was.
Or the possibility that I'd somehow embarrassed Airis after everything he'd invested in training me.
“Very well,” Draksen said, rising from his seat. “Everyone can relax for now, but don't wander too far. We'll prepare your individual training schedules and divide you into groups.”
“We expect everyone back here in thirty minutes,” Eugene added.
And then, right before our eyes, all four of them vanished.
******
Once we reached the garden beside the Temple of Nereida, Airis stopped and turned to face me.
He didn't look cold.
Quite the opposite.
His jaw was clenched so tightly I could see the tension in it.
And there was a storm raging behind his eyes.
I'd never seen him this angry before.
But I refused to let fear lock me in place.
“Did you see everything?” I asked first, unable to bear the chaos inside me any longer. “Were you there from the beginning?”
He nodded.
“Yes.”
“I know I didn't show anything, and I have no idea—”
I tried to explain myself, but Airis cut me off, his voice sharp enough to make me flinch.
“And what do you think caused that?”
I froze.
I didn't have the strength to analyze it.
And digging any deeper into myself felt terrifying.
There were probably a million reasons why I had failed.
But I didn't know which of them I could admit to Airis without feeling ashamed.
“You could start by asking those bruises under your eyes.”
Apparently my silence had lasted too long.
Airis exhaled sharply and continued.
“The nightmares are back, aren't they?”
I nodded.
Airis sighed.
“But I'll deal with it,” I said quickly. “I need to learn how, eventually.” I straightened my shoulders. “I'll handle it before the Selection.”
“Good.”
The answer came immediately.
Then he said something I hadn't expected to hear.
“And who exactly have you decided to get close to?”
I froze again.
It took me a second to understand what he meant.
Then I remembered Seris.
His hand on my shoulder.
A touch Airis had definitely noticed.
Unable to hide my surprise, I blurted out,
“Wait... are you jealous?”
For a long moment, Airis said nothing.
Before finally answering.
“It bothers me how quickly you start trusting people.”
I frowned.
“From your very first days here, you've known there's a hidden agent working for Moss. And now you're deciding to get close to just anyone?”
“That agent could be anyone,” I shot back, unable to hide my irritation. “Even my roommate.” I gestured vaguely. “But somehow, the only thing that bothered you was having men in my social circle.”
Crossing my arms over my chest, I raised a brow.
“Don't make me say something you already know.”
“What exactly do I already know?”
Now I was genuinely getting angry.
And internally panicking.
Because every word he spoke only made my heart beat faster.
What if we weren't even talking about the same thing?
What if I'd imagined his feelings for me?
What if I'd built an entire fantasy out of nothing?
“Doesn't it bother you that I just embarrassed both myself and you as my mentor?”
I nodded toward the arena now standing far behind us.
He remained silent.
And somehow, it felt as though his eyes were trying to tell me something.
But I couldn't understand it.
Or maybe I simply didn't want to.
“I don't care about other people's opinions.”
His answer came sharp and immediate.
“I know your strength. I know what you're capable of.”
Then his expression hardened.
“I'll be gone for about a week. And I expect you to consider every possible threat while I'm away.”
“Interesting. Which threats?” I asked, unable to resist my usual sarcasm. “Potential Moss spies, or just random guys?”
“Both.”
I could've sworn his gaze was trying to say more.
Something was holding him back.
“Why a week?” I asked, changing the subject before my heart could betray me any further.
“I need to go to Mataarus. After that, Vuduarus.” He paused. “You already know about the three-day limit there.”
I pressed my lips together.
“Did something happen?”
“I don't know yet.”
For the first time since we'd entered the garden, uncertainty slipped into his voice.
“But your friends are fine.”
I nodded, relaxing slightly.
“Tarven and Miloran will keep an eye on you.”
“And Joel.” I rolled my eyes. “I don't need babysitters.”
“You don't.”
Airis agreed immediately.
Then his gaze locked onto mine.
“But I do.”
Anastasia Lang's POV
While Ria and Airis stepped away, I decided it would be best to avoid running into Tarven and Rosalie.
So I slipped into the crowd of students leaving the open arena and headed into the gardens, choosing a random direction and hoping it would take me far enough away.
For a while, it worked.
I managed to relax.
Just a little.
But only a few minutes later, a voice I should've stayed far away from spoke beside me.
“Well, hello, little sister.”
Every muscle in my body threatened to lock in place.
I refused to let it.
If there was one thing I'd learned, it was never to let her see fear.
I couldn't afford to take my eyes off her for even a second.
So I turned around immediately.