?BANG.

  ?The sound echoed through the stone walls of Dorm 13 like a cannon shot. The heavy oak front door hadn't just been closed; it had been slammed with such violent force that the floorboards of my bedroom actually vibrated.

  ?I jolted upright in bed, my heart hammering in my chest, the blankets pooling around my waist.

  ?I looked at the clock. It was barely dawn. Demian had left. He hadn't said a word to me. He hadn't waited for me to make coffee, and he certainly hadn't offered a truce. He just left, leaving a heavy, angry silence in his wake.

  ?Outside my window, a small bird began to chirp a cheerful, melodic tune. The peaceful sound felt like a sick joke compared to the brutal violence that awaited me today.

  ?Today was the Battlemagic Exam.

  ?I threw off the covers and forced myself out of bed. My muscles ached with a dull, throbbing pain from my intense, secret training sessions with Roc-ta, but beneath the soreness, there was a tight, coiled spring of kinetic energy waiting to be unleashed.

  ?I walked over to my wardrobe to get dressed. The Academy had strict requirements for today: protective combat gear was mandatory.

  ?I pulled on a pair of flexible, dark green combat pants, layering a knee-length, heavy blue skirt over them to allow for maximum mobility while still offering some protection against low sweeps. Next came the hardened leather harness. I strapped it tightly over my tunic. It featured a high, stiff leather collar specifically designed to protect my neck from stray claws or poorly aimed shadow-blades.

  ?On the right side of my chest, I pinned the silver crest of the Academy. But on the left side, right over my heart, I pinned something much older. It was a tarnished brass emblem of my human homeland—a small crest from the city streets where I grew up. It was a reminder that I wasn't born in a castle, and I didn't need a crown to be dangerous.

  ?I gathered my wild red hair, pulling it back severely from my face. I wove it into a tight, thick braid, coiling the end at the base of my skull into a knot that flared out at the bottom like a thick, fiery tassel. Nothing for an opponent to grab.

  ?As I laced up my heavy boots, I went over the rules of the exam in my head.

  ?There were over a hundred creatures participating today. High Elves, Demons, Orcs, Gnomes, and everything in between. The competition was going to be an absolute bloodbath.

  ?The rules were terrifyingly simple. Magic, physical combat, and weapons were all permitted. If you couldn't fight anymore, or if you couldn't defend yourself, you lost. Most students didn't even lose by getting knocked out; they lost because they burned through their mana reserves too quickly and simply passed out from exhaustion on the sand.

  ?After the fights, the Masters of the Healing Ward would step in to fix broken bones and mend burns. But they couldn't fix everything.

  ?Last night in the common room, Pip had shared a terrifying rumor. According to the older students, ten people had already died in the preliminary brackets last week. Because the rules stated you could not kill your opponent, the ten students who dealt the lethal blows were instantly disqualified. It was a grim reminder: we were allowed to hurt each other, and accidents happened when adrenaline and Hellfire mixed.

  ?But the rewards for surviving were just as extreme as the risks.

  ?The ten worst-performing students would lose a Merit Point, pushing them dangerously close to expulsion. But the Top 10? The Top 10 would receive private, advanced tutelage from Headmaster Solon himself. It was an honor that guaranteed a high-ranking position in any kingdom upon graduation.

  ?I walked over to the mirror hanging on the back of my door.

  ?I looked at my reflection. I didn't see the frightened, squishy little human who used to hide behind piles of books. I saw a fighter. I saw a survivor.

  ?I leaned closer to the glass, resting my hands on the wooden frame.

  ?"You are not inadequate," I whispered to my reflection.

  ?I thought of Eleste’s perfect, sneering face. I thought of Demian turning his back on me in Professor Vector’s classroom. The betrayal flared in my chest, hot and sharp. I didn't push it down. I let it fuel me.

  ?Suddenly, my reflection shifted. The irises of my eyes flickered, flashing with a brilliant, toxic, neon-green light. The Body Magic was right there beneath the surface, eagerly waiting to be let off the leash.

  ?I smiled. It was a cold, ruthless expression.

  ?"Top ten," I promised myself softly in the quiet room. "I am going to make the Top 10. And if the Drow Princess gets in my way..."

  ?My eyes flared green once more.

  ?"...I'm going to break her."

  ?I turned away from the mirror, grabbed my bag, and walked out of the room, ready for war.

  ?I was already running late.

  ?When I pushed open the heavy doors of Dorm 13 and stepped out into the crisp morning air, I froze. The Academy grounds were completely unrecognizable.

  ?Normally, the sweeping cobblestone paths and manicured lawns were quiet, populated only by students hurrying between lectures. Not today. For this one day, the massive, ancient iron gates of Aeridor had been thrown wide open to the public.

  ?Thousands of people flooded the campus. Noble families in their finest silks, wealthy merchants, off-duty soldiers, and magical scouts from all over the continent had come to watch the carnage. Colorful tents and market stalls had been erected overnight. The air was thick with the smell of roasted meats, spiced wine, and the deafening roar of a crowd eager for blood. People were literally exchanging gold coins, placing bets on which student would survive and which would be carried out on a stretcher.

  ?I pulled my high collar up a little further and kept my head down, weaving through the chaotic sea of bodies. My heart was pounding a frantic rhythm against my ribs.

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  ?I finally broke away from the civilian crowds and slipped into the narrow, shadowed corridor that led to the Examinees' Entrance—a heavy, reinforced iron door set into the back of the Great Arena.

  ?It was quiet here. The roar of the festival was muffled by the thick stone walls.

  ?I hurried toward the door, reaching for the iron ring to pull it open.

  ?"Going somewhere, little mouse?"

  ?I stopped dead in my tracks.

  ?Leaning casually against the stone archway, completely blocking the entrance, was Eleste.

  ?She wasn't wearing combat gear. She wasn't wearing the hardened leather, the padded tunics, or the protective collars the rest of us were forced to wear. Instead, the Drow Princess was dressed in a breathtaking, flowing gown of midnight-blue silk that pooled around her feet. Silver jewelry glittered at her throat and wrists.

  ?She looked like she was attending a royal gala, not a bloodbath.

  ?Why isn't she dressed for the exam? The thought flickered through my mind, but I pushed it away. It didn't matter. Whether she was exempt because of her father, or simply arrogant enough to fight in a ballgown, it made no difference to me.

  ?"Move, Eleste," I said, keeping my voice as flat and steady as possible. I tried to step around her to reach the handle.

  ?Eleste shifted her weight, gracefully blocking my path again. A cruel, delighted smile played on her dark lips.

  ?She hadn't come here to wish anyone luck. She had come here specifically to wait for me. To break me down one last time before they threw me to the wolves.

  ?And, to my absolute horror, it was working.

  ?The cold, crushing weight of her aura pressed down on my shoulders. Without Roc-ta here to ground me, the sheer, ancient power of the High Drow radiated from Eleste, making the air in the narrow corridor feel too thin to breathe. My chest tightened. The old, familiar insecurities of the street rat clawed their way back up my throat.

  ?"Move," I repeated, though this time, I hated the slight tremor in my voice. "The matches are starting. Let me pass."

  ?"Are you in a hurry to die, human?" Eleste purred, her crimson eyes gleaming in the shadows. "I watched the brackets being posted. You are drawn in the first wave. Against three Orcs and a summoned Minotaur."

  ?My stomach plummeted. A Minotaur. The last time I faced one, I nearly destroyed the basement and myself.

  ?Eleste laughed softly, a sound like poisoned honey. She stepped forward, deliberately invading my personal space. The cloying, heavy scent of dark orchids and ozone filled my nose, making me nauseous.

  ?"You look terrified," she observed smoothly. "You should be. Did you really think putting on a little leather harness would make you one of us?"

  ?"Get out of my face," I warned, my hands balling into fists at my sides. I tried to summon the neon-green kinetic energy, to harden my skin like Roc-ta had taught me, but my focus was fracturing under her intense psychological assault.

  ?Eleste took another step closer, until her silk dress brushed against my combat pants.

  ?Slowly, deliberately, she raised her obsidian hand.

  ?I wanted to swat it away. I wanted to step back. But my body felt paralyzed by the sheer, dominating pressure she was exuding.

  ?Eleste extended her index finger and placed it gently, mockingly, under my chin.

  ?The touch was ice-cold. She applied just enough upward pressure to force my head back, making me look directly into her glowing, predatory red eyes.

  ?"Listen to me very carefully, you dirty little stray," Eleste whispered, her smile vanishing, replaced by a look of absolute, terrifying malice. "Demian is sitting in the VIP box with my father. He is not coming to save you. He is not going to catch you when you fall. When you walk through those doors, you are nothing but meat."

  ?Her perfectly manicured fingernail dug slightly into the soft skin of my neck, right above my protective collar.

  ?"And when they break your bones out there in the sand," she hissed softly, "I want you to look up at the stands. Because I will be smiling. And Demian won't even be looking."

  ?She held my chin for one more agonizing second, letting her words sink like venom into my veins.

  ?Then, she dropped her hand, stepping aside with a dismissive wave.

  ?"Run along now, human," Eleste sneered. "Your grave is waiting."

  ?I shoved past the Drow Princess, ignoring the cold, mocking laughter that followed me down the corridor. My hands were shaking, not from fear, but from an overwhelming, white-hot rage that threatened to burn a hole straight through my chest.

  ?I pushed open the heavy double doors at the end of the tunnel and stepped into the Examinees' Reception Hall.

  ?It was a cavernous, vaulted stone room situated directly beneath the Arena floor. The air was thick with the smell of sweat, ozone, and nervous energy. Over a hundred students were packed into the hall, forming a massive, chaotic line that snaked toward a long wooden registration desk manned by Academy officials.

  ?Weapons were being sharpened. Mana-potions were being nervously downed. A few students were already hyperventilating in the corners, overwhelmed by the deafening roar of the crowd echoing through the ceiling above us.

  ?I scanned the room, my eyes sweeping over the sea of horns, pointed ears, and heavy armor.

  ?"Valerie! Over here!"

  ?I turned. Standing near a massive stone pillar were Roc-ta, Bram, and Pip.

  ?Bram was leaning heavily on his giant double-bitted axe, looking surprisingly pale for a Dwarf. Pip was nervously adjusting the straps of a leather breastplate that was slightly too big for him, looking like he was about to be sick. Roc-ta, however, looked completely in her element. She was stretching her shoulders, her yellow eyes practically glowing with predatory anticipation.

  ?I marched over to them, my boots clicking sharply against the stone floor. The neon-green kinetic energy I had tried to suppress in the hallway was now practically vibrating beneath my skin. I didn't care who saw it anymore.

  ?"You're late," Roc-ta noted, her sharp wolf eyes instantly catching the furious tension in my jaw and the faint red mark Eleste's nail had left on my neck. "Run into trouble?"

  ?"Just a cockroach in the hallway," I spat, crossing my arms tightly over my chest to keep my hands from shaking.

  ?Pip peered behind me, standing on his tiptoes to look over the crowd of taller students.

  ?"Where is Demian?" the little Gnome squeaked nervously. "He wasn't in his room this morning when we left, and we really need our heaviest hitter if we end up in a group melee."

  ?The sound of his name was like a spark hitting dry kindling.

  ?My hands clenched into fists. The kinetic mana flared so intensely within my veins that a few students standing nearby actually stopped talking and took a wary step back.

  ?"If it were up to me?" I snarled, my voice vibrating with a dark, terrifying power I didn't even try to hide. "Dead. That aristocratic bastard better show up in the Arena today, because I swear to the Ancestors, I am going to tear him apart with my bare hands!"

  ?Bram’s eyes widened to the size of saucers. He gripped his axe a little tighter, exchanging a shocked look with Pip. "Lass, did something happen?"

  ?Roc-ta, on the other hand, let out a low, approving chuckle. She leaned against the pillar, crossing her muscular arms, clearly enjoying the murderous aura radiating from me.

  ?"I like this new energy," the Wolf-girl grinned, revealing her sharp canines. "And what about his lovely little shadow? The Drow Princess?"

  ?I looked at Roc-ta. The image of Eleste holding my chin, telling me I was nothing but meat, flashed in my mind. A cold, ruthless smile spread across my face.

  ?"Eleste?" I whispered, my voice dropping to a deadly, venomous hiss that made even Bram shiver. "There aren't enough words in all the languages of this world to describe how I am going to mutilate her."

  ?Before anyone could respond, a massive bronze gong echoed through the reception hall, vibrating in our teeth. The low murmur of the students instantly went dead silent.

  ?An Academy official stepped up onto a wooden crate near the heavy iron gates that led up to the Arena sand. He unrolled a long parchment scroll.

  ?"Listen up, examinees!" the official barked, his magically amplified voice cutting through the tension. "The preliminary brackets have been finalized. When your name is called, you step through the gates. If you hesitate, you forfeit. If you step out of bounds, you forfeit. Survive, and you advance."

  ?He looked down at the scroll.

  ?"First bracket! Entering the Arena now: Kaelen of the High Elves. Gorg of the Orcish Wastes. And..." The official paused, his eyes scanning the crowd until they landed on me. "...Valerie de Valois. Human."

  ?Roc-ta slapped me hard on the shoulder.

  ?"Keep that fire burning, human," she said, her yellow eyes blazing with pride. "Show them the wolf."