I arose well before dawn the next morning, barely able to contain my excitement for combat training and ability drills to finally commence. The cozy bed and feather pillows of my lavish academy quarters had still granted little sleep. Thoughts of unlocking reality-rending powers beyond mortal imagination under the tutelage of promised master dimensionalists filled my dreams instead.
Wolfing down an energizing breakfast from the enchanted pantries along with some arcane "nutritional supplement potions" (that tasted suspiciously like hot sauce mixed with sulfur), I swiftly traversed the twisting ornate corridors to Orientation Arena #3 as assigned. This was it - the first step to being molded into an unrivaled spatial warrior!
Stepping out of the shadowy hallways into the sunlit arena bowl truly gave me pause though. Circling the wide packed-dirt grounds were rising stands filled with chatting students of all shapes, sizes, and fantastical races eagerly awaiting the novice battles. Clearly an audience was standard here.
My eyes continued roving up towards the towering faculty observation platforms. Standing at the carved railings were several figures dressed in voluminous scholar's robes decorated with glittering runes and silver tracery. No doubt these were my new instructors - the so-called luminaries of dimensional control and astral projection. Just glimpsing their inscrutable faces so high above sent anticipatory shivers through me.
Swallowing the last of my sudden nerves, I descended the stone steps onto Arena #3's grounds where a score of other students were already loosely gathered. Some leaned casually on carved oaken staves or flaming spears looking bored by the proceedings. Others muttered last minute warding spells under their breath or stretched in preparation.
Before I could analyze the competition further, five tolling chimes echoed from the towering faculty stands signaling the start of trials. In a burst of violet flame a column of sparks erupted in the arena's center that swiftly coalesced into a tall severe looking woman. Her stern visage examined us over an aquiline nose framed by locks of platinum hair topped with gleaming metallic ornaments. Piercing yellow eyes held no warmth or compassion.
With disciplined militaristic precision she marched over the dirt towards myself and the other novices. The arcane sigils on her jet black form-fitting armor seemed to absorb the ambient light. "Welcome initiates. I am Overseer Nyla, tasked with assessing your battle capacities and determining where best to allocate training resources."
Her thin lips quirked in cold approximation of a smile. "To that end, you shall now demonstrate your talents against one another in elimination duels. The last novice standing shall earn an exclusive apprenticeship under our most esteemed Archmagus Nebiros. Fail to impress however..." Nyla let the implied threat linger.
Murmurs rippled through the gathered students at mention of some reclusive master instructor. But honestly their gossip was mere background noise to me. All I cared about was unveiling my reality-shaping abilities for this harsh Overseer's judgment!
With an imperious wave of her gauntleted hand, Nyla effortlessly conjured shimmering glyph barriers around Arena #3's perimeter, sealing the combatants together at center stage. We exchanged nervous or eager looks based on temperament. space already distorted from the chaotic energies.
"Now then, let true testing commence!" the platinum-locked proctor pronounced before vanishing in another violent burst of violet sparks. She rematerialized high on one of the arcane viewing platforms to coldly oversee the coming battles.
No sooner had Nyla departed the arena grounds then a stocky dwarf initiate with skin like craggy stone lumbered forward swinging his oversized mattock. Runic gems encrusting the weapon flared to life as he charged straight towards an elegant elf swordsman.
With refined grace the slender elf neatly sidestepped the dwarf's cumbersome swing. In the same effortless motion he drew the slender silver rapier sheathed at his waist, murmuring an incantation under his breath. The blade ignited with photometric flames in response. Where dwarven and elvish weapons collided in a screech of otherworldly metal the very air rippled wildly outwards.
All around Arena #3 similar confrontations erupted. Novices wielding weapons or casting spells clashed in a dizzying display of elemental fury and exotic magic. Cryomantic ice shard projectiles shattered against summoned ethereal shields. Blinding rays of celestial light dueled with necromantic death curses. Streams of jade serpent fire coiled through the air like living whips.
As arcane destruction bloomed on all sides most newcomers scrambled for whatever cover they could find around the arena edges. But my blood sang with electricity watching the casual reality-distorting might on exhibition. Here was the glorious battleground I had been promised!
Grinning wildly I stepped away from the relative shelter of a twisted oak growing along the arena border. Wrapping my body with spatial compression energies I attuned myself to stand unharmed amidst the magical mayhem. Anchoring my stance I thrust both palms forward, unleashing a spiraling beam of kaleidoscopic colors.
The tri-helix spatial lance warped gravity itself as it seared through the arena grounds, scattering rival applicants like frightened rabbits. Closer novitiates raised glowing wards for defense as my distortion wave overtook them. Cerulean shields flashed then cracked like eggshell under the prismatic barrage.
"Yes! Bow before true dimensional dominion!" I crowed, amping my ability further. Opalescent ribbons spiraled outwards lifting debris into the sky while their body heat wicked away. Surely now that harsh Overseer would see my unmatched talent!
A flicker of shadow on the ground was my only warning before I had to hurl myself aside by reflex, narrowly dodging a lethal crimson beam that scythed past and blew a smoking furrow through dirt and stone alike. Rolling back to my feet with hands still blazing with distortion light I scanned for the source of my unexpected counterattack.
There! Haughtily brushing dust off midnight robes stood a pale-skinned youth around my age. Short navy hair framed a delicate face marked with frigid arrogance as he looked me over with blazing scarlet eyes. Strange nebula-like pupils seemed to shift swirling colors as they bored into me like drill bits.
"Sloppy form, brother," the mysterious assailant pronounced mockingly over Arena #3's ongoing magical chaos. "You warp dimensional boundaries only by the cruelest brute force imaginable." To demonstrate he traced an elegant sign with one slim hand. In response the scorched earth between us rippled...then unfolded itself like the lid of a jewelry box to reveal a hidden inner dimensional space crammed with otherworldly crystalline growths shimmering with vibrant power.
I could only gape wordlessly at the delicate yet mighty display. This darkly beautiful newcomer had psychically reached into adjacent realities to harvest those massive gem formations as effortlessly as picking apples! Whereas my own exertions were fueled only through crushing spatial compression waves.
As if sensing my shock, the raven-haired novice shot me a haughty smirk. He gestured again causing the pocket realm portal to spiral closed and vanish without a trace. "True dominion incorporates more...elegance. Allow me to demonstrate proper distortion artillery."
With frightening speed he dashed his palm against the ground, unleashing an eruption of interconnected pentagonal energy plates. The intricate mandala spell circle spiraled outward growing exponentially until it overtook half the arena. Suddenly reality within that hemisphere came unglued!
Solid ground dissolved into floating islands hovering at odd gravity-defying angles. The very air rippled with multicolor auroras of uncaged dimensional energy while elemental chaos Magic's ran rampant. My arrogant adversary stood calmly at the eye of this space-time hurricane like the master of ceremonies rather than its architect. Effortless. Surgical. Undeniable power put on full display not just for others but to humble me.
Jaw clenched I fought back against the hurricane gales seeking to hurl me into the prismatic skies. Of course MY debut exhibition couldn't go unchallenged! Clenching my fists to stabilize personal gravity I managed a weak grin.
"Okay, not bad," I called out grudgingly across the widening abyss separating us as glowing crystals erupted randomly from thin air under the rules of our opponent's spell. "Didn't know I would be getting my own private tutoring on spatial control today!"
The raven-haired stranger's eyes narrowed, clearly unappreciative of my cheeky retorts in the face of his magical dominance over Arena #3. With a snap of his fingers the chaos dimension erupted further. Jagged arcs of violet energy bridged floating islands at hazardous angles. Glowing nebula gases flooded the arena bowl.
I barely erected a bubble shield of compressed space-time to avoid being immolated by sudden solar flares. The darkly striking novice remained untouched at his safe focal point even as raw creation raged. His handsome features were frozen into a mask of utmost contempt for my continued defiance.
"Still stand up to the might of Zeref Dragov?!" he cried, gesturing dramatically as the dimensional shift.