CHAPTER 38
The days blurred into a rhythm Sorayael had begun to understand, if not fully master.
Morning lectures rolled into combat training under the stern watch of seasoned instructors.
Midday drills were followed by theory classes about elemental harmonization and battlefield strategy.
Then, as dusk painted the skies in hues of ember and rose, she'd slip away, crossing familiar stone corridors with quiet footsteps heading to the town below.
Lyrenna's shop always smelled of smoke and ancient paper.
At first, Sorayael had been little more than an intruder there, a clumsy helper with too many questions and not enough skill.
But over time, the frost in Lyrenna's eyes began to thaw.
She'd let Sorayael assist with ingredient sorting, allowed her to clean runic etchings, even trusted her to handle minor enchantments-under supervision, of course.
Sorayael had grinned. "High praise coming from you."
And then there was Azi.
He never missed a single night. Whether it was leaning against the lamppost near the alleyway, arms crossed and lips quirking when she emerged from the backdoor, or barging in just to annoy Lyrenna.
He was always there.
She never told him to stop coming.
But routine didn't last long at Sterella.
One morning, as students filed into the main auditorium, murmurs filled the air. The instructors stood at the front-stoic, unreadable. Then, Professor Harven's voice boomed across the hall.
Whispers exploded into a low roar.
Sorayael blinked. Artificial dungeon?
Sorayael let out a breath, trying to stay neutral.
Then came the twist.
Sorayael's stomach dropped.
Across the room, Azi, who had been leaning by the archway in his usual nonchalant pose, straightened. For the first time in a while, his playful smirk faded.
He glanced at her.
She glanced back.
Sorayael lingered near the stairs, arms folded as she stared at the stone steps.
She sensed him before he even said a word, Azi always had that kind of presence. Loud in silence.
She finally turned to him, brow raised. "I do not forget to eat."
He gave her that grin, the one that tugged more at her chest than she ever admitted.
Silence settled for a beat. Then Azi's gaze dropped slightly, not quite meeting hers.
She blinked, caught off guard by the softness beneath the tease.
Azi snorted. "Nah, you'd survive. Kick him into a trap or something."
She shook her head, but her smile didn't fade.
He paused, then gave her a sideways glance. "Worried you'll show off too much and everyone will start fighting to recruit you. You're my problem, remember?"
Her breath hitched slightly, caught between laughing and smacking him.
But before she could reply, his gaze softened again. No teasing this time.
The teasing smile on her lips flickered, then returned gentler this time.
Azi chuckled. "Now that's more like you."
He started walking off, tossing a lazy wave over his shoulder.
Because even with all the jokes, there was something heavy in the air. A feeling she couldn't shake.
She looked down at her clenched fists and muttered softly to herself, "This shouldn't feel like goodbye..."
Her silhouette blurred with the arcane shimmer and then she was gone.
The dungeon welcomed them not with roaring beasts or instant chaos, but with silence.
Artificially conjured and maintained by the most skilled instructors of Sterella, the dungeon was eerily pristine. The stone walls were uniform and cold, the air unnaturally still-almost like it was holding its breath.
Sorayael adjusted the strap of her satchel, eyes flicking upward at the faintly glowing glyphs embedded into the ceiling.
The groupings had been decided earlier that morning.
She stood with Marie Arvenell, ever-analytical and steady, and Silas Kaelwyn, who walked a step behind with hands in his pockets, the same amused calm always playing in his eyes.
In the next corridor, Zarethian's group was more synchronized.
He moved forward with Celene and Karsen, who, despite their differences, had established a working rhythm.
Celene kept murmuring faint water incantations, reading the flow of energy ahead, her eyes watchful, while Karsen kept his guard on and his sensitivity at its fullest.
They didn't talk that much while exploring the dungeon.
Further down, however, it was a different story.
Zacchaeus, flustered and frantic, darted between Ravelia and Kieran like a thread trying to stitch together torn fabric.
Too late. Ravelia was already walking to the left with a disdainful toss of her hair, and Kieran confidently strode rightward. Zacchaeus gave a tiny squeak, glanced between them like a panicked squirrel, and rushed after Ravelia.
Back in Sorayael's path, the three had already bypassed a puzzle lock and were descending deeper.
Silas glanced sideways at her. "Worried about the sunny boy?"
Sorayael sighed. "Which one?"
He laughed under his breath. "Fair enough."
The sound of shifting stone echoed through the halls. The first trial had begun.
And deeper still, beyond the constructed walls and planned scenarios, something stirred faintly, something not part of the teachers' design.
The air inside the artificial dungeon grew thick with dampness and the faint stench of sulfur.
Shadows stretched long across the stone-carved walls as glowing runes flickered eerily with each step Sorayael's group took.
Marie walked ahead cautiously, staff in hand, while Silas stayed close to Sorayael, his eyes flicking between passageways, fingers twitching as if ready to summon a barrier at the first sign of danger.
Marie gave a sharp nod. "Too quiet means they want us to let our guard down."
Silas offered a half-grin, though his shoulders remained tense. "Don't worry. If anything jumps out, I'll shield us. Then you can roast it."
They reached a wider cavern where moss clung to jagged stone, and a few flickering torches lit up an old summoning circle etched into the ground. The group slowed, steps instinctively soft.
Then...
A crack.
A low, rumbling growl echoed from the shadows.
The growl turned into a snarl.
And then it emerged, a creature thrice the size of a lion, its body built of sinew and bone, with scales embedded in patches across its gray hide. Its mouth opened wide, rows of glistening teeth on full display, and eyes like molten iron burned into theirs.
Silas immediately cast a shimmering blue barrier in front of them as the beast lunged with terrifying speed. The force of its claw shattered the stone floor just inches before the shield.
The impact sent tremors up their legs.
But the beast didn't stop, it reared back with a roar that shattered one of the torches, plunging the room into semi-darkness. Silas' shield cracked at the center.
The beast roared again.
And lunged.