[NT: For now, I will use Liliana's point of view, as it would be boring to do a chapter from the perspective of all three. I'm not sure if it's a good idea to alternate chapters between Aethereis and Liliana. Do you like the way I'm doing it?]
Waking up early in the morning, Liliana got out of bed, yawning slightly. Walking around her room, she saw her reflection in a mirror, noticing her wrinkled purple nightgown that revealed parts of her pale skin. Her hair was disheveled, but her appearance could be described as sexy, a characteristic any succubus would have despite looking messy.
Entering the bathroom in her room, Liliana activated a mechanism to start the water flowing from a showerhead. Removing her nightgown, she stood completely naked, revealing the curves of her body. As she walked, her buttocks bounced slightly and moved rhythmically, just like her medium-sized breasts. Her tail, with a heart-shaped tip, swayed from side to side.
Enjoying the hot shower, Liliana closed her eyes and allowed the water to relax her muscles. After some time, she dried off with a soft towel and headed to the wardrobe. She chose a black dress that complemented her white hair, highlighting her features without being too revealing. She styled her hair, letting it fall in soft waves over her shoulders.
Once she was ready, Liliana left her room and headed to meet her mother. She walked through the castle halls with an elegant and dignified bearing, unlike when she was with Margareth or Morgana, where her demeanor was more relaxed and playful.
Arriving at her mother's office, Liliana knocked gently before entering. The office was a spacious and well-lit area, with a chandelier in the center. The walls were covered with bookshelves filled with books and ancient scrolls. In the middle of the office, a dark wooden desk was cluttered with documents. Behind the desk, seated in a chair, was Morgana. She wore an elegant white dress that clung tightly to her body, making her attributes more prominent, and her hair was tied up.
"Good morning, mother," Liliana said casually as she sat down in an armchair near the desk.
"Good morning, daughter. Did you sleep well?" Morgana replied while finishing organizing some papers.
"Can't I keep sleeping and forget about the academy?" Liliana said with a snort.
"Unfortunately for you, Margareth is preparing the teleportation matrix. She will accompany you while you're at the academy. Are you ready?" Morgana responded with a chuckle.
Liliana pouted, turning her face to the side, annoyed by Morgana's words.
Enjoying Liliana's reaction, Morgana got up from her seat and walked over to her, sitting beside her. Hugging her, she rested Liliana's head on her chest. Stroking her hair gently, she said, "Don't worry, my little Liliana. If anyone bullies you, mom will take care of it."
Liliana nodded in agreement with a cute sound. "Mmm."
Just then, the office door opened softly. Margareth, with her always elegant and confident bearing, entered the room. She wore black armor with some red details that highlighted her athletic figure, and her long black hair fell over her buttocks. Her red eyes glowed slightly as she walked.
"Good morning, Lady Morgana. Liliana," Margareth greeted with a slight nod. "The teleportation matrix is ready."
Morgana looked up, still stroking Liliana's hair, and smiled at Margareth. "Thank you, Margareth, I appreciate your service."
Margareth returned the smile with a slight curve of her lips. "It's always an honor to serve the imperial family."
Liliana straightened up, still clinging to her mother, and looked at Margareth with a mix of curiosity and a touch of apprehension. "Do we really have to go now?"
Margareth nodded firmly. "Yes, Liliana. It's important that we arrive on time for the assessment. Don't worry, I'll be by your side the whole time."
Morgana gently released Liliana and stood up. "I trust you, Margareth. Take good care of my daughter."
"Of course, Lady Morgana," Margareth responded solemnly. Then, she turned to Liliana. "Let's go, Liliana."
Liliana stood up from the armchair, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves. "I'm ready," she said, though her voice showed slight hesitation.
Walking through the halls, Liliana followed Margareth after saying goodbye to Morgana. As they passed through the corridors, security increased with several guards patrolling. After a few minutes, they entered through a door. In the center of the room was a circle with several glowing runes changing in different patterns, occasionally creating distortions around them.
Once inside the circle, it began to shine brightly, releasing a purple mist that enveloped their bodies. A second later, the place was completely empty.
********
POV Liliana
After Margaret activated the teleportation matrix, I lost the feeling of my body. The only thing I could see was darkness. My heart was pounding, a mix of excitement and a little fear.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, I could see again, and my feet touched solid ground. I cautiously opened my eyes and looked around curiously. We were in a place that looked like a lobby. There were several people of different races, wearing military uniforms of various colors.
Approaching us, a young-looking man said, "Welcome to the academy. My name is Cedrik, and I will be your guide until the opening ceremony is over." Cedrik was a human with green hair and black eyes. His presence emanated a calm energy.
Nodding in response, Margaret spoke coldly, "My name is Margaret, I will be an assistant."
Hearing Margaret, I knew it was my turn to introduce myself. Performing a practiced salute, I said, "And I am Liliana Everstall Duskmire."
Cedrik observed us closely, his black eyes seeming to scrutinize every detail. Margaret's cold tone didn't seem to affect him; he simply nodded with a slight smile on his lips.
"Perfect. Follow me, please. The tests are about to begin," Cedrik said, turning elegantly to guide us through the lobby.
As we walked, I couldn't help but feel a mix of nervousness and excitement. It was the first time I had been so far from home in an unfamiliar place. My only comfort was that Margareth was with me.
We exited through huge double doors that opened onto a vast field. My eyes widened in amazement at seeing hundreds of people gathered, each from a different race. There were elves, humans, and dragons in their human form, even beastmen from various tribes.
*******
At the end of the field was a podium. Arranged around it were several seats where various people were seated. Among them, a middle-aged man with blue hair tied in a bun stood out. Most notably, his blue, curved horns revealed his origin as a dragon.
Rising from his seat, the man released some of his aura, causing the crowd to fall silent and pay attention. Then, using mana to amplify his voice throughout the area, he said, "Welcome to the Royal Academy of Arkania."
"Many of you may be wondering who I am. For those who don't know me, I am the current director of the academy, Valerian Rivercrest."
"As you may have heard, several tests will be conducted to determine if you are qualified to be part of the academy. Among them, we will assess the current rank of all participants, as well as their combat abilities."
"That's why a tournament will be held where out of the three hundred and fifty thousand applicants, only one hundred and twenty-five thousand will pass. There we will evaluate your abilities through points."
The academy only accepts one hundred and twenty-five thousand students per year. The duration of the period is four years. The academy has a hierarchy divided into the following ranks: common, uncommon, rare, and very rare. These ranks apply to all years. If a person has great talent and starts at the uncommon rank but reaches the rare rank before the end of the first year, they will be transferred to a different class of the same year. This way, disparity among others is avoided.
"The rules are simple: it is forbidden to kill the opponent, and it is also forbidden to destroy the core. Everything else is allowed. All you have to do to increase points is to take the badges we will distribute. The more you collect, the better your performance."
All the applicants started murmuring among themselves, nervous about facing each other. Only those with a higher status origin were visibly calm. They had sources of information gathered before entering and had prepared adequately. Among them, some already had that information thanks to relatives in other years.
"Silence," Valerian said in a thunderous voice, and continued, "You will be teleported to a combat arena randomly. Thanks to the work of our mages specialized in spatial magic, we have created an arena large enough for all three hundred and fifty thousand applicants to fight. I have high expectations for this year." Looking at seven specific people, Valerian sat down again.