The students assembled in the chamber, nerves and anticipation thickened in the air. The headmaster's voice echoed off the stone walls as he prepared them for their first trial.
"Your task is to charge your energy into the thorn diamond," Headmaster Zelbus announced. "This will determine your initial ranking. Show us your might, your control, and your potential."
Raena bit her lips. She always does so when she feels nervous. As her governess always told her, the princess knew how important the first strike would be. If anything, the governess told her it might decide how people would treat her!
In sheer determination, our heroine whispered to herself. "I can do this."
Lucius Solarion, with a demeanor exuding unparalleled determination, stepped forward. His striking eyes, mirrors to his resolute soul, gleamed with an intensity that matched the formidable power he was about to unleash. Summoning the ancient, sacred arcs of light magic, the seventh heir of the King raised his hands!
The air around him hummed with energy as a brilliant, almost otherworldly light radiated from his palms. This was not merely a display of power; it was a majestic demonstration of mastery over the elements of light.
With a flourish, he directed a focused, laser-like beam toward the stubborn thorn embedded in the ancient artifact. As the light made contact, the stone didn't just absorb it, but it seemed to drink in the brilliance, glowing brighter and brighter, pulsing with a newfound energy that was a testament to Lucius's control and prowess.
As the glow intensified, becoming almost too luminous to gaze upon directly, Lucius stepped back, a quiet pride emanating from him. This wasn't arrogance, but a well-earned confidence, subtly reflected in the upward twitch of his lips and the satisfied spark in his eyes.
Suddenly, a red dye from the red Thorn appeared in the air, forming "1000 points!" as what the Prince of the Light had gotten.
The students could not help but watch the show in awe. So much so that when someone catches Vladimir's eyes at the moment, you find a mixture of envy and amazement in his eyes.
Even the headmaster, a figure of immense experience and wisdom, couldn't help but nod in approval, recognizing the remarkable display of power.
"Hah! This is my time to shine!" Jaime Pyrus from Emberfall was eager to showcase his abilities. He clenched his fists, summoning intense flames dancing and flicking around him.
With a roar, he punched the air, sending a barrage of fireballs towards the thorn. The stone glowed with a fiery hue, reflecting his power. Jaime's aggressive display earned him "880 points!"
His twin, Jaun Pyrus, followed suit. Unlike Jaime's fiery outburst, Jaun's approach was more controlled. He channeled his fire magic into his hands, forming a concentrated fireball. With precision, he launched it at the thorn. The fireball struck with immense power, causing the thorn to glow brightly.
"That should do it." Jaun's performance was equally impressive, earning him "880 points" as well.
Stepping up next from the Vailes, Ivana Zephyr showcased her remarkable abilities in air magic. Her command over the element was swift and precise, a testament to her skill and intense training. She conjured a powerful gust of wind, manipulating it to swirl around her in a mesmerizing vortex.
She then looked at Raena, whose eyes could not help but look disheartened by the amount of magic Ivana had. "This is how you do it, witch!"
Demonstrating her refined control, Ivana flicked her wrist, directing the concentrated wind toward her target: the resilient thorn. Reacting to her magic, the thorn illuminated, bathed in a bright, airy light that seemed to resonate with Ivana's power. The Thorn, impressed by her exquisite control and the elegance of her performance, awarded Ivana Zephyr a solid "830 points!"
Next was Serena Aquilas from Tidespire. Her sky-blue hair glowed majestically in the dark, almost as if you were looking into a summer beach. She is said to be the oldest triplet of the Lord Tidespire and will then, therefore, inherit the House if it comes to such a thing.
As such, water magic flowed gracefully from her hands, forming a spiraling column of water that crashed onto the thorn. The water shimmered with a vibrant blue, and the thorn glowed in response. Her control and finesse were evident, as the Thorn branded her "850 points!"
Vladimir Darkbane, the last scion of the illustrious but cursed House Darkbane from the depths of the Shadowlands, approached the ancient, malevolent thorn with a demeanor that belied a calm only crafted by centuries of conflict and darkness.
His dark magic, a legacy of his forebears and a source of his power and torment was more potent than any other in his bloodline. With each step he took toward the thorn, he could feel the weight of his house's expectations pressing down on him like the heavy chains of fate. He channeled this burden through his sword, a mystical blade that seemed to materialize from the darkest corners of the shadows, an extension of his very will.
Drawing upon the ancient and dark energy coursing through his veins, Vladimir slashed the air before him, sending cascading waves of dark energy toward the menacing thorn. The air around him chilled, the essence of the place seeming to recoil at the display of power. The thorn, an ancient entity of unknown origin, absorbed the darkness hurled at it, pulsing with a deep, ominous light that seemed to mock the efforts of mere mortals.
Despite the daunting challenge, Vladimir's strength and mastery of the dark arts earned him "780 points!" which confused the other high-ranking students. Raena, however, could not help but giggle as to how many points her dark knight had garnered!
"I did it, Raena!" His voice echoed across the room, which really irked Ivana's ears.
Zorina Aquilas from Tidespire followed. All she could ever think of was how to follow in her other sister's footsteps. Serena, as always, had set the bar too high for them sisters!
Zorina hissed from the thought of losing again to her older sister. With such strong feelings, she cast her water magic from her fingers, trying to grow them as much as possible!
Her water magic was strong but lacked the finesse of her sister Serena. She summoned a torrent of water, crashing it against the thorn. The thorn glowed, but not as brightly as it had for Serena. Zorina got "660 points" instead, causing her to walk back with a sigh.
Cleagor Terravorn from Ironhold was next. His earth magic was raw and powerful. He summoned a massive boulder and hurled it at the thorn. The impact caused the thorn to glow with a deep, earthy light. Cleagor's display of strength earned him a solid "690 points!"
He stomped his big left foot to the ground when he found the number in the air. The students gasped, knowing how much it would have meant if he at least got around 700+.
Gale Aeros from Vailes stepped forward. The locks on his hair signify that he shares the same teacher as Ivana, which is true. Knowing how many points Ivana got, Gale already had an estimation of how much he might get. He summoned a gust of wind and directed it at the thorn as fast as he could. In the end, the thorn may have glowed, but not as brightly.
"640 points!"
Truth be told, his air magic was swift and precise, but it lacked the power and control of Ivana's, something that was always reminded to him for so many years now. Yeah, in fact, he has gotten tired of hearing this.
The girl with fiery sunglasses on took a step up the podium, her nervousness covered with the smirk she had on her face. "Hmph!"
Ferina Oarenhal from Emberfall was next. Unlike the Pyrus twins, Her fire magic was wild and untamed, almost as if Fire Bending was her greatest sort. She summoned a blaze of flames and directed it towards the thorn. The stone glowed fiery hue, but her lack of control was evident.
With that, she got "670 points!"
The Pyrus twins gave each other a look. "Not bad, cousin."
"That was actually bad, you know."
"Shut it, Jaime."
Talon Terran from Ironhold followed. He was slightly thinner and smaller than Cleagor, though he should be just as tall as his mate. Although thin, you can never deny that the people of Ironhold come from a line with large genetics. He summoned a rockslide on the floor and directed it at the thorn. The impact caused the thorn to glow, but not as brightly as Cleagor's.
He snickered at the thought, especially when he got "580 points!"
"Really? 580?" He could hear Cleagor from behind. "You're lucky it wasn't half of what Prince Lucius got."
"Yeah, whatever." The embarrassed man rolled his eyes.
Fern Willow from the Vingrove followed. Raena's cheeks flushed as soon as she saw her olive-green hair. It looked so cool to her! Everything about Fern is green. Her bangs are green, her robe is dark green, and even her eyebrows are the same shade. Almost to the point that her skin is glowing green as well!
She summoned largely average vines out of her palms and directed them at the thorn. Although her nature magic was strong, she still struggled with control as only a little of the Thorn got hit directly.
Fern formed a knuckle out of her hands but was shy about not hitting it accurately. With that, she lowered her head when she got "550 points!"
Fern's younger brother, Moss Willow, followed. One can say that his hair is oddly weird. It almost looked like a full-grown bush! Everyone could not help but burst into laughter when he stepped out, obviously making him feel unconfident with whatever he might summon this time.
Moss didn't like being caught off guard. He hates the attention he gets, superbly! He channeled his frustration as he conjured two blocks of wood from the ground, directing them at the thorn. It got him "500 points!"
"See? I'm not as bad." Talon can be heard from the distance, probably talking with his Ironmate, Cleagor.
"Yeah, I guess you could say so."
Cirana Aquilas from Tidespire was next. Compared to her sisters, this one seemed a little shy. Her hair was relatively much brighter compared to her sisters though, and in fact, she looked so much prettier than them.
However, looks are looks. As soon as she breathed in and out, meeting her eyebrows and focused on her water magic, what she did surprised other people!
Cirana kneeled and whispered things, her eyes all focused at one point on the floor. Water splurged out of the dry brick as it suddenly formed into a pair of fishes! "Pisces, attack!"
The majestic pair swam in the air, pushing its way into the Thorn.
"500 points!" Her sister, Zorina, chuckled. The people in the room seemed very dissatisfied, as she may have been able to conjure animals from her water element, but she was not able to use it to attack with much damage.
Raena wondered if she should finally come and step forward. She has been trying to remember how she did it with her fingers once again. However, she could not do the same trick anymore, and it baffled her why she couldn't!
Before the princess could ever muster enough confidence to step in, someone did what she should have done in the first place already.
From her tiny steps, Aurora Lumerion of Nirvana was next. Raena gasped. She was the short-haired glasses girl who was seated beside Lucius!
Everyone was staring at Aurora. One could say that she was the living opposite of Lucius himself. He was confident, and she was shy. He was smiling, and this one could barely even do so. Her aura... how could you describe it? As if there is so much exuding light within her, but her flace is just as gloomy.
One thing is for sure, when summoned a beam of light and directed it at the thorn, her light magic was gentle and soothing. It was as if they were all refreshed. The stone glowed with a soft, radiant light.
It was not enough. "480 points!" As it said, leaving Lucius facepalming from the back.
As to everyone's anticipation, finally, it was Raena Ravenscroft's turn!
Her heart pounded in her chest as she stepped forward. She felt the dark magic pulsing through her veins but struggled to control it.
Raena's expression wavered with uncertainty as she pushed through the nerves clamping down on her chest. She could feel the eyes of her peers bearing down on her, the silence in the chamber almost suffocating.
The thorn before her seemed to mock her struggles, its surface smooth and indifferent. Drawing in a shaky breath, she summoned the dark magic she knew lurked within her soul's depths—a powerful and daunting heritage.
"I can do this," she whispered to herself, a mantra against the rising tide of doubt.
The dark energy gathered at her fingertips, a swirling mass of shadows that danced and writhed in the air. The chamber held its breath, the other students and the headmaster watching intently. Raena's heart thudded in her ears, pounding out a rhythm of fear and determination.
With a surge of willpower, she thrust her hands forward, directing the dark energy toward the stubborn stone. The shadows leaped from her fingertips, a stream of darkness that crackled through the distance!
As the energy collided with the thorn, there was a moment, a heartbeat of anticipation, before the stone absorbed the darkness, its pulse a slow throb of deep, ominous light.
The glow was faint, less vibrant than those before her, and a murmur rippled through the gathered students. Headmaster Zelbus stepped forward, his expression inscrutable. Raena held her breath, waiting for the judgment, her heart already sinking.
"360 points!"
"As expected from a witch!"
"Is that for real? She's like a commoner!"
"I actually felt guilty for her before. But with such little power? Hah!"
"Yeah, she really deserves to be laughed at!"
"WEAK!"
Raena bit her lip. She could not afford to cry again this time, not on this special occasion! She knows fully that doing so would make her look weaker than she thought she was.
Raena nodded, a mix of disappointment and resolve settling over her. As she stepped back, allowing the next student to approach the thorn, she couldn't help but feel a spark of determination ignite within her. 'Raena... This is not the end,' she thought to herself.
'I will grow stronger. I will prove my worth!'