The arena had become a battlefield of chaos and light, the malfunctioning Abyssal construct thrashing with a ferocity that sent cadets scattering.
Its form—a grotesque amalgamation of wolf-like grace and erratic, unstable energy—flickered between machine and pure beast, its every movement unpredictable.
The instructors formed a perimeter, their combined essence flaring in synchronized waves to contain the beast. But the creature's erratic attacks were too fast, too random, for even their disciplined maneuvers to suppress it entirely.
"Class F, fall back!" barked an instructor, his voice sharp and commanding.
The cadets scrambled to obey, but Roland hesitated.
Amid the chaos, his sharp eyes caught something others had missed: the creature's shadow. It flickered unnaturally, not quite syncing with its erratic movements, as though betraying the essence that powered its attacks.
He clenched his fists. "Eva, Cole," he called, his voice cutting through the cacophony. "We can help."
Cole turned to him, flames already dancing along his hands. "Now you're talking!" he said with a grin, clearly relishing the chance to fight.
Eva shot him a sharp look but nodded, unsheathing her katana. "What's the plan?" she asked, her tone brisk.
Roland's mind raced as he analyzed the beast's chaotic movements and the flickering shadows it cast. He pieced together a strategy in seconds, his thoughts honed by instinct and experience.
"It's unstable," he said. "If we can force it into a predictable pattern, the instructors can finish it off."
He turned to Ian, who was frozen at the edge of the battlefield, his face pale with fear. "Ian," Roland said, keeping his voice steady, "coordinate with the instructors. They need to know what we're doing."
"Me?" Ian stammered, his eyes darting between the creature and Roland.
"You've got the tactical mind," Roland assured him. "We trust you."
Ian hesitated but then nodded, a flicker of determination replacing his fear. He turned and sprinted toward the instructors, waving to get their attention.
Roland took a deep breath, the familiar pull of his essence welling up within him. "Stay close," he told Eva and Cole as he activated Shadow Veil.
A cloak of shadow enveloped the three of them, dimming their forms and making them harder to track.
The creature hesitated, its glowing red eyes flickering as it tried to locate its targets.
"Now!" Roland shouted.
Cole sprang forward, launching a barrage of fireballs that illuminated the arena in bursts of orange light. The creature reared back, its glitching form momentarily stunned by the searing heat.
Eva moved with precision, darting in low and slashing at one of the creature's limbs. Her katana cut through the unstable essence that it was made up of, disrupting its form and sending waves of distortion rippling through its body.
Roland stayed on the perimeter, his focus locked on the creature's erratic movements. Activating Shadow Echo, he anticipated each strike before it happened, calling out warnings to his teammates.
"Eva, left!" he shouted as the creature lashed out with a massive claw.
Eva twisted away just in time, her movements sharp and controlled.
"Cole, hit the legs! It's losing balance!" Roland added, his voice urgent.
Cole grinned, sending a stream of fire toward the beast's legs. The flames licked at its unstable essence, forcing it to stumble.
By this point, Ian had reached the instructors, relaying Roland's plan in hurried but clear terms. The instructors adjusted their formation, their essence attacks becoming more focused and coordinated. Together with Class F's efforts, they began to gain the upper hand.
The beast thrashed one final time, its movements slowing as the combined force of essence and strategy overwhelmed it. With a deafening roar, it collapsed into a shimmering mass of fragmented energy, dissolving harmlessly into the air.
The arena fell silent.
For a moment, no one moved. The cadets and instructors alike stood frozen, their breaths visible in the cold air. Then the murmurs began—quiet at first, growing louder as the weight of what had just happened settled over the crowd.
Roland leaned against a nearby wall, his chest heaving as he struggled to catch his breath. The exertion of using Shadow Veil and Shadow Echo in quick succession had drained his essence reserves, leaving him light-headed.
"That was insane," Ian said, approaching with wide eyes. "How did you—how did you know what it would do?"
Roland shook his head, offering a weak smile. "Just... insight and a whole lot of luck, I guess."
Cole clapped him on the back, his usual grin in place despite the tension. "Luck? Don't sell yourself short, Roland. That was some top-tier strategy out there."
Eva said nothing, but her sharp gaze lingered on Roland for a moment longer than usual before she sheathed her katana.
The instructors regrouped, their expressions grim as they surveyed the damage.
One of them, a tall woman with streaks of silver in her hair, addressed the cadets. "The exercise is over. Return to your barracks immediately."
There was no argument. The cadets filed out, their whispers filling the air with a mixture of relief, confusion, and fear.
That evening, in the quiet of their shared dormitory, the Frost twins sat across from each other, their usually composed expressions tinged with unease.
Ava leaned against the window, her arms crossed as she stared out into the darkened sky. "That wasn't normal," she said finally, her voice low.
Eva nodded, seated on the edge of her bed. "The glitching, the erratic movements... it wasn't just a malfunction."
Eva's jaw tightened. "It reminded me of—"
She didn't finish the sentence, but Ava understood. The memory was etched into both their minds: the Abyssal attack that had destroyed their family, leaving their once-proud name tarnished.
"You think someone tampered with it," Eva said, her tone even but edged with suspicion.
Ava turned to face her, her expression shadowed with unease. "Don't you?"
Eva didn't respond immediately. She'd felt the same creeping suspicion. The construct's movements, its unpredictability—it was too similar to the Abyssal horrors they'd faced before. But voicing her thoughts felt like crossing a line she wasn't ready to confront.
"Stay alert," Eva said finally. "If someone is tampering with the systems, we'll figure it out. Together."
Ava nodded, but the tension between them lingered.
The next morning, the cadets assembled in the briefing hall for a debriefing. The room buzzed with muted conversation as the students speculated about the previous day's incident.
General Clay stood at the front of the room, his imposing figure casting a long shadow over the assembled cadets. His piercing gaze silenced the murmurs instantly.
"The incident during yesterday's exercise was unfortunate," he began, his tone cold and deliberate. "A technical malfunction caused by a rare instability in the essence systems. It has been resolved."
Roland frowned. Clay's explanation was too neat, too dismissive.
The general's gaze swept over the cadets, lingering briefly on Class F.
"The purpose of these exercises is to test your ability to adapt and overcome. Many of you failed in that regard."
His words landed heavily, sparking quiet outrage among the cadets.
"What about the students who were injured?" a voice called out from the crowd.
Clay's eyes narrowed. "They will recover. This academy does not coddle weakness. If you wish to succeed here, you must be prepared for the unexpected."
Roland's hands clenched at his sides. Clay's tone carried a cold, calculated edge, as though the general knew more than he was letting on.
As the debriefing ended, Roland caught Ian's arm before he could leave.
"Be careful," he said quietly.
Ian frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Clay's explanation doesn't add up," Roland said. "Just... keep your eyes open, especially since you're doing his bidding."
Ian hesitated but nodded, a flicker of unease crossing his face.
That night, Roland sat on his bed, the events of the past two days replaying in his mind. The construct's behavior, the Frost twins' suspicions, Clay's cold dismissal—it all pointed to something deeper, something hidden within the academy's walls.
Roland glanced at his Legacy's Interface, its faint glow a reminder of his connection to the Legacy. He had grown stronger, more capable, but the mysteries surrounding the academy were growing just as quickly.
He clenched his fists. Whatever secrets lay beneath the surface, he would uncover them.