"Congratulations on being the second to make it out alive, Darkbane knight."
Vlad could not help but blush over the headmaster's words. Who wouldn't? From the outside, he was trying to chill it out: raised his eyebrows in a cool way, gave a little smile, then said, "Nah, I barely made it out alive, Headmaster Zelbus. I was only lucky to have managed to unlock some cool technique along the way that I haven't ever tried before."
"Yeah, we can see you from the screen, you jerk."
Vladimir's mood was ruined in an instant. His bright face soon turned gloomy when he rolled his eyes and groaned.
The Shadow dweller does not want to bother himself with the Kingdom's seventh heir, so he does not try to cross him anymore. However, that's just not how Lucius is wired.
Lucius continued, "Hah! I bet you could not even conjure the breastplate again."
"Piss off, will you?" Vladimir could not help but plunge his face directly into the bickering person behind him, catching Lucius in shock.
Yet Lucius just did a playful smirk. "Oh yeah? What if I don't? What will you do?"
"Oh, you spoiled prince." Vlad bit his lip. "You have no idea."
"Cut it out, boys!" Both of them glared at each other when the Headmaster got angry. "Have some respect for your peers!"
Lucius sneered as he shifted his gaze back to the multiple screens and watched his friends deal with their own respective beasts.
The first person Lucius saw was Ivana Zephyr and her cannon golden locks. Plus, her bitchy tongue and the never-ending one eyebrow raises.
Perhaps you knew the princess of House Zephyr from the Vailes of Elarian Kingdom that way, but there is more to her than that. Hopefully.
She was, after all, Lucius' female counterpart. Not only by their unnecessary confidence and the smirk etched on their face that you wish you could have punched out of their mouths yourself but also with their familial issues.
Her air of arrogance was unmistakable, a facade carefully crafted to hide the insecurities borne from her father's disappointment in not having a son.
"If only I had a male heir..."
Ivana shook her head, her eyes squinting to divert her focus back to the trials again. She cannot afford to be seen as weak. Never, not even in a million years!
For what it's worth, Lord Zephyr had always wanted a prince to carry on the family name, and Ivana felt the weight of those unfulfilled expectations every day.
The room was eerily quiet, the air thick with anticipation. From the shadows, a beast materialized. It was a massive griffin, its wingspan wide and menacing, its eyes gleaming with predatory intent. Ivana smirked, her fingers tingling with the energy of her wind magic.
"Let's dance," she muttered, her voice dripping with disdain.
"Oh, what's wrong? Cat got your wings?" she taunted the griffin as it circled her, seeking an opening.
The griffin lunged at her, its claws extended. Ivana reacted with lightning speed, conjuring a shield of wind that deflected the attack. The force of the impact sent her skidding back so far from the beast that her shield of wind seemed weaker if it was cast abruptly, but she remained unphased. With a flick of her wrist, she sent a gust of wind towards the griffin, knocking it off balance.
"Predictable, as always," she scoffed, rolling her eyes.
She took to the air, her wind magic lifting her gracefully above the ground. From her vantage point, she launched a barrage of wind blades, each slicing through the air with deadly precision.
The griffin screeched in pain as the blades cut into its flesh, but it quickly recovered, flapping its wings furiously to create a powerful gust that sent Ivana crashing to the ground.
Hitting the earth hard, Ivana gritted her teeth, feeling a surge of anger. She would not be out damaged by this creature!
She channeled more energy into her hands, creating a swirling vortex of wind around her. The griffin charged again, but this time, Ivana was ready.
"Come on, is that all you've got?" Ivana taunted, her voice cold as ice. "I've been through worse breakfasts."
She unleashed the vortex, the powerful winds enveloping the beast and lifting it off the ground.
With a final, determined effort, she summoned a massive wind blade, sending it hurtling toward the griffin. The blade struck true, piercing the beast's heart and ending its struggle. Ivana landed gracefully, her chest heaving with exertion.
She had won, but she knew her battle was far from over. She had to keep proving herself, not just to her father but to everyone who doubted her.
Wiping a strand of hair from her face, Ivana looked at the defeated griffin and said, "Don't mess with a Zephyr," her mean girl tone unmistakable. "You'll always end up blown away."
--
Jaime Pyrus, the fiery and energetic twin of the Pyrus family, bounced on the balls of his feet as he entered his room.
His lean, muscular form was a testament to his agility and combat readiness, while his tousled hair, perhaps with hints of flames in its hue, waved slightly with his movements. His fists were already ablaze with fire, casting a flickering light that highlighted his warm, fiery-eyed excitement.
One thing you should know about him is that he loved a good fight, and he was eager to show off his skills! He is, after all, the biggest show-off in the pits of Emberfall. Or at least, in his generation.
Mind you, the people of Emberfall are naturally outrageous and overly prideful to begin with.
With that, a wide and evil grin came out of his expression, exposing his beast-like teeth. "Heh, alright, big guy! Let's see what you've got!"
The room was dimly lit, the only light coming from the flickering flames of Jaime's fists. From the darkness, a beast emerged—a massive minotaur, its horns gleaming wickedly in the low light. Jaime grinned, his heart pounding with adrenaline... "Hah! That's it?"
"Come to me, baby."
Irked by the teenager's taunt, the minotaur charged, its hooves thundering against the ground.
Jaime met the beast head-on, his fists blazing as he punched forward. The impact was explosive, fire meeting flesh in a burst of heat and light. The minotaur roared in pain, but it didn't back down. It swung its massive fists at Jaime, who dodged nimbly, his movements quick and agile.
Jaime launched a series of rapid punches, each one accompanied by a burst of fire. The minotaur was relentless, absorbing the blows and retaliating with powerful swings. One of its fists connected with Jaime's side, sending him sprawling to the ground!
"Argh!" He groaned, feeling the burn of the impact, but he refused to give up. He looked at the minotaur again, and to his surprise, it was already charging in his direction!
Jaime's eyes widened. He absolutely has no fast thinking in situations like these! Think... think.. Think!
Suddenly, it was as if his body made a defense mechanism and channeled his fire magic, feeling the heat spread from his fists to his arms. Well then, perhaps the body knew he had to push himself harder!
"You're done for!" With a fierce yell, he enveloped his entire arms and shoulders in flames, the heat radiating off him in waves. He has never done this before, and he is steaming hot!
The minotaur hesitated, sensing the increased power, but it was too late. Jaime charged, his entire body a weapon of fire. He slammed into the minotaur, the flames searing its flesh and forcing it to its knees.
With a final, powerful punch, Jaime struck the minotaur's head, the fire erupting in a brilliant blaze. The beast collapsed, defeated. Jaime stood over it, his chest heaving, a triumphant grin on his face.
"I'm done here." Jaime chuckled. He watched as the room's exit suddenly appeared, implicating that his work here was done.
"Jaun, when I leave this room, you better be greeting me already."
--
Jaun Pyrus is definitely not the person you expect to find in the land of pride and bustling confidence.
The calm and collected Pyrus twin adjusted his nerdiest glasses as he stepped into his room. He was the opposite of his brother—where Jaime was fiery and energetic, Jaun was thoughtful and measured. One cannot say that he looks thin, but as someone who has always been by his twin brother's side, people always thought he was thinner. He felt that he never had to since he was blessed with the magic to attack in range.
However, Jaun was no less determined to prove his worth.
The room was shrouded in darkness, the silence broken only by the sound of his own breathing. From the shadows, a beast emerged. It was a massive serpent, its scales glistening in the dim light.
Jaun's heart raced, but he remained calm, focusing on the magic coursing through his veins.
"Who dares to challenge the darkness within?" a deep, hissing voice echoed from the serpent's throat.
Jaun, without flinching, responded with his stern and cold voice, "It is I, Jaun Pyrus, and I am not frightened by shadows."
The serpent hissed, lunging at Jaun with lightning speed. He reacted quickly, conjuring a fireball in his hand and hurling it at the creature. The fireball exploded against the serpent's scales, causing it to recoil in pain.
Taking a deep breath, Jaun steadied himself, preparing for the next move. "You will not best me so easily," he muttered under his breath.
The serpent recovered quickly, its eyes glowing with malevolent intent. "Foolish boy, you think you can defeat me?" it snarled as it struck again, faster than before. But Jaun was ready.
He conjured another fireball, this one larger and more powerful!
"I don't think—I know," he retorted and hurled it at the serpent, the flames engulfing its head.
As the beast thrashed wildly, trying to extinguish the flames, Jaun didn't waste the moment. He channeled his magic into his hands, conjuring a stream of fire.
"This ends now," Jaun declared, the flames flowing from his palms like a river. The serpent writhed in agony, its scales blackening. With a final, desperate effort, Jaun summoned a massive fireball. "For my brother, for my worth!" he shouted, launching it at the serpent's heart.
The fireball struck true, the explosion lighting up the room. The serpent let out a final, agonized hiss before collapsing to the ground, its body charred and lifeless. Jaun stood over the defeated beast, his breathing heavy but steady.
"I guess I still have it in me." He said, giving the audience an innocent smile.