Visconti tilted his head upward, his sharp eyes tracing the heavy clouds that blanketed the sky. The sun was hidden, and he couldn't gauge the time as he normally would by checking his shadow. For some, it might seem like an outdated method, but Visconti prided himself on his practicality. Why rely on fancy gadgets when the natural world offered everything he needed?
The first droplets of rain tapped softly against the ground, but it wasn't long before they escalated into a heavy downpour. The dense forest transformed instantly—branches swayed, leaves dripped, and the earthy scent of wet soil filled the air. Without hesitation, Visconti activated his Water Shield, a translucent dome of water that encased them. The rain hammered against it, sliding off harmlessly.
"Wow, that's a good skill," the boy said, low and amused.
"Thanks," Visconti replied with a calm indifference, as if acknowledging a casual compliment.
"Show-off," Kieran muttered from a few feet away, rolling his eyes but smirking nonetheless.
Unlike Visconti, Kieran let the rain soak him, drops clinging to his dark hair and dripping down his jaw.
"The two of you seem close," the head said, its voice dripping with curiosity. "Perhaps... teammates?"
"Shut up," Visconti and Kieran barked in unison, their irritation perfectly synchronized.
Elijah stopped walking, brushing a hand through his damp hair as he turned to their new companions. His tone was calm but direct. "Ah, we haven't introduced ourselves, have we?" he said.
"I'm Elijah, from the Swords Department. This here is Kieran from the Weapons Department." He gestured towards Kieran, who gave a casual wave, his bow slung over his shoulder. "And that's Visconti, from the Tactician Department."
Visconti, leaning lazily against a tree, nodded without much enthusiasm. "Pleasure."
The girl standing a few paces away hesitated before responding. Her voice was soft, almost shy. "I-I'm Ayun. I'm from the Support Department." She clasped her hands tightly, her nervousness evident.
"And I'm Oscar, Scout Department," the young man with sandy hair said, his voice low but steady. Without waiting for a reply, he crouched and began molding something from the damp soil beneath him. Elijah stopped mid-step, curious about what Oscar was doing.
After a moment, Oscar held up two small clay figures, no more than five or six inches tall. He placed them carefully on the ground, and to everyone's surprise, the clay dolls began walking, each heading in a different direction.
"Is that... your gift?" Ayun asked, her voice trembling slightly as she gathered the courage to speak to him.
"Yeah," Oscar replied simply, watching the dolls with an air of quiet focus.
The group observed the figures as they moved further away, disappearing into the underbrush.
"What are they for?" Kieran asked, unable to contain his curiosity. His tone was sharp but not unfriendly.
"They act like observers," Oscar explained, straightening up. "I can see and hear through them. Useful for tracking or scouting ahead."
Kieran nodded, a rare glimmer of approval crossing his face. "Huh. Not bad."
A while later, the group came across the entrance to a small cave. The forest was dense and wet, the rain earlier leaving the ground muddy and the trees dripping. As they approached, Kieran's sharp eyes caught sight of some fallen branches scattered nearby. He knelt down to inspect them, lifting one and shaking his head in frustration.
"They're too wet to use for firewood," he muttered, glancing at Visconti. "Hey, can you extract the water from these?"
Visconti, who had been leaning against the cave wall with his eyes half-closed, didn't even bother to look up. "I can't," he muttered lazily.
"Ugh, how useless," Kieran grumbled under his breath, tossing the branch back onto the pile.
Visconti smirked faintly but didn't bother to respond.
Kieran sighed, rubbing the back of his neck before igniting a small flame in his palm. He began carefully drying the branches by evaporating the water from them, his fire flickering and crackling as he worked. It was a slow process, but after a few minutes, the wood was finally dry enough to burn.
It took several minutes of patient effort, but eventually, the branches were dry enough to ignite. Kieran's face lit up with a smug grin as he stacked the wood in a small pile. "There," he said proudly, glancing at Visconti. "Looks like I did what you couldn't."
Visconti opened one eye, unimpressed. "Congratulations," he said dryly, before closing it again.
Kieran rolled his eyes but couldn't help feeling satisfied. The thought of outperforming Visconti in even a small way would keep him in high spirits for days.
The smugness on Kieran's face would be enough to keep him insufferable for weeks.
Meanwhile, deeper within the forest, a large, well-lit tent stood in stark contrast to the murky surroundings. Inside, Corps officers monitored magical devices and maps spread across tables, tracking the progress of the cadets undergoing their tests. The atmosphere was tense.
"Sir, we've lost contact with Annie," Bertie, a young officer, reported urgently. Her voice was shaky, her face pale.
The officer in charge, a tall man with graying hair, glanced up from the map he was studying. "How long has it been?" he asked, his voice calm but firm.
"Five hours," Bertie replied, trembling slightly. She and Annie had been friends for years, and the thought of something happening to her sent a wave of dread through her chest.
The officer frowned, his expression hardening. "Annie was responsible for the observers. If we've lost contact, it could compromise the entire test."
The officer frowned, his lips pressing into a thin line. "Send someone to investigate. We can't afford any disruptions."
Five hours earlier
Annie, one of the Corps officers tasked with observing the cadets, stood in a small clearing, her sharp eyes scanning the forest.
She had sensed something off for a while now—a faint magical disturbance lingering in the air. Her hand hovered near the hilt of her sword as she turned, catching sight of a figure emerging from the shadows.
"Who are you?" Annie demanded, her voice steady but her stance tense. "I'm sure you're not one of the officers observing today."
The figure stepped forward, his face obscured by a feline-shaped mask. His aura was cold and dangerous, sending a chill down Annie's spine.
"I really didn't want to do this," the man muttered, almost to himself. His voice was low, smooth, and unsettling. "But you've seen me. And that could jeopardize everything."
Without another word, he drew a sleek black blade seemingly out of thin air and lunged at her. Annie's reflexes kicked in, and she swiftly unsheathed her sword, meeting his attack with a sharp clang of steel.
The man's strikes were relentless, his movements fluid and precise. Annie countered as best she could, but she was already at a disadvantage.
In the midst of their clash, she failed to notice him conjuring a second sword, this one made of pure mana.
Before she could react, the mana blade pierced her stomach, the sharp pain stealing her breath. Her vision blurred, and her knees buckled as the man used his other sword to finish the job.
"The... Corps will kill you," Annie whispered, her voice weak and strained.
The man tilted his head, watching her collapse with a cold, detached expression.
"Perhaps," he murmured before stepping back into the shadows.
Bertie pulled her raincoat tighter around her as she trudged through the forest, her heart pounding in her chest. She had to find Annie. She refused to believe the worst.
After what felt like an eternity, Bertie stumbled upon a clearing—and froze. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw Annie's lifeless body sprawled on the ground, her uniform soaked with blood.
"No..." Bertie whispered, covering her mouth to stifle a sob.
She forced herself to take a deep breath, her trembling hands reaching for the communication device in her pocket.
"This is Officer Bertie. I've found Annie. She's... she's gone
Tears blurred her vision as she activated her mana, carefully levitating Annie's body.
She knew she had to bring her back to camp. It was all she could do now—retrieve Annie's body, inform her family, and offer them her condolences.