The edge of the forest looked like a wound on the land.
Trees twisted outward, their bark black and slick with moisture. A thick fog clung to the ground, swallowing boots and hiding roots. The air here smelled of ozone and decay.
Two hundred students stood in formation.
Kael stood at the rear. He kept his head down, blending into the crowd. Being invisible was safer than being seen.
Dante and Orion stood further up the line. They hadn't spoken to him since the courtyard incident. Good. Distance made the lie believable.
A figure stepped onto the raised platform ahead.
Grandmaster Orion Vale.
His presence alone silenced the wind. He wore simple grey robes, but the Aether around him hummed like a trapped storm. He didn't shout. He didn't need to. His voice carried to every corner of the clearing.
"Welcome to the Illusion Forest," he said.
"The test is simple. Survive for twenty-four hours."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
"Survive?" someone whispered. "Against what?"
The Grandmaster continued. "There are beasts inside. Feral. Unpredictable. You are allowed to defend yourselves. Lethal force is permitted only in life-threatening situations."
He paused. His eyes swept over the students. They lingered on Kael for a fraction of a second. Then moved on.
"However," the Grandmaster said. "This is not a hunt. It is a test of awareness. Running blindly will get you killed. Hiding will get you found."
"Those who quit ring the bell at the edge. Those who pass... return at dawn."
He raised a hand.
"Begin."
A horn blew. Deep. Resonant.
Students surged forward. Some screamed battle cries. Others ran in panic. The weak clustered together. The strong dashed into the trees alone.
Kael didn't run.
He walked.
Panic is noise, he thought. Noise attracts predators.
He waited until the crowd thinned. Then he stepped off the path and into the fog.
The temperature dropped instantly.
The trees here were older. Their branches intertwined overhead, blocking out the sun. It was twilight even though it was noon.
Kael stopped. He closed his eyes and listened.
Snap.
A branch breaking. Fifty meters to the left.
Growl.
Low. Guttural.
Feral Beast, Kael identified. Rank 1. Maybe Rank 2.
He could fight it. He could end it with a thought. But fighting used energy. Energy left traces. Traces attracted bigger things.
No.
Observation first.
Kael moved sideways. He didn't walk on the leaves. He stepped on exposed roots, on stones, on patches of moss that didn't crunch.
He found a large oak tree. Its bark was rough, perfect for climbing.
He ascended silently. Ten meters. Twenty. He stopped at a thick branch hidden by foliage.
From here, he could see the path below.
He watched a group of students run past. They were shouting, waving weapons. Clumsy. Loud.
They won't last the night, Kael thought.
He settled in. He pulled his cloak tighter. The cold was seeping into his bones. He suppressed his Aether flow to match the ambient temperature. To the beasts below, he was just another piece of wood.
Minutes passed.
Then an hour.
The forest grew darker. The fog thickened.
Kael remained still. His breathing was shallow. His heart rate slowed. He was becoming part of the environment.
This is what Uncle Lucien meant, he thought. Power isn't just striking. It's waiting.
Suddenly, a scent hit him.
Iron. Blood.
It drifted on the wind. Close.
Kael's eyes narrowed. He shifted his gaze to the right.
Through the fog, something moved.
It wasn't a beast. It was too smooth. Too deliberate.
A figure walked along the path below. It wore the academy uniform, but the crest was covered in mud. The student held a dagger loosely at their side.
They stopped. Looked up.
Directly at Kael's tree.
Kael didn't move. He didn't breathe.
Did he see me?
The student smiled. It was a sharp, hungry smile.
Then, they turned and walked away.
Kael exhaled slowly.
Not a student, he realized. A hunter.
And the test... has just changed.
ns216.73.216.175da2
and then Add to home screen.