The forest stood as an endless expanse of twisted trees and creeping vines, bathed in hues of green and shadow. Though the skies above were hidden beneath the dense canopy, the perpetual glow of the moonstones scattered among the branches painted an eerie luminescence over the terrain.
A chill hung heavy in the air, unnatural and biting. Elowen stood at the center of her team, her every step leaving a trail of frost in the soft earth. Her ice-blue eyes scanned the surroundings with predatory focus, her silver-white staff glowing faintly with an otherworldly hue.
The scene was chaos. Three horned boar-like beasts had burst from the underbrush moments ago, their powerful hooves shaking the ground as they charged.
"Hold position," Elowen commanded, her voice like the crack of a glacier. Her team obeyed without hesitation. Her authority was absolute—not because they liked her, but because her strength demanded it.
As the first beast lunged, tusks gleaming, Elowen's staff swirled with icy energy. With a flick of her wrist, a jagged wall of ice erupted from the ground, stopping the beast mid-charge. It thrashed and roared, but the frost quickly consumed its body, encasing it in a grotesque sculpture of ice.
"Next!" she barked.
Her team was efficient, their roles clearly defined under her iron rule. A dark-haired mage hurled fireballs to herd the remaining beasts toward Elowen, while two fighters with axes struck at their flanks to weaken them.
Elowen took no joy in teamwork, but her sadistic grin betrayed her love for the hunt. When the final boar charged her, she didn't bother with a wall. Instead, she conjured dozens of sharp icicles that hovered menacingly in the air before raining down with deadly precision. The beast didn't even have time to cry out.
As the dust settled, the team exchanged wary glances, their relief tainted by unease. The ground was littered with frozen corpses, and the cold seemed to seep into their bones.
"Stop standing around," Elowen snapped, her grin fading into an icy glare. "We move before something else is attracted by the smells the blood."
Her team hurried to obey, their respect tinged with fear.
***
In the lavishly furnished teacher's lounge, a group of instructors sat around a circular table, their eyes glued to a large display screen showing the performance of various students in the forest. The room hummed with quiet conversation and clinking glasses.
One of the younger teachers, a lean man with glasses and a confident smirk, pointed at a particular screen where Elowen was leading her team. The screen displayed her freezing the final boar, its crystalized corpse shimmering under the forest's faint glow.
"That one," he said, his voice filled with admiration. "Her control over ice magic is remarkable for someone her age. I'll be taking her under my wing."
The other teachers murmured in agreement, some nodding at the declaration. But before the teacher could finalize his statement, an ominous presence filled the room.
"You dare to covet a child of Frozen Soul?"
The voice was cold and heavy, like the weight of an ancient glacier. All conversation ceased as every pair of eyes turned toward the source. Standing at the entrance was an older gentleman, his long snow-white hair flowing down his back like a frozen waterfall. His piercing icy blue eyes scanned the room with a chilling intensity, making the air itself feel colder.
"Sir Everglade," the younger teacher stammered, his confidence shattering like brittle ice. "I-I didn't know—she doesn't have white hair, so I assumed—"
"Assumed wrong," Everglade interrupted, his tone as sharp as a blade. He took a step forward, and the teacher instinctively shrank back.
Everglade's gaze lingered on the younger man for a moment longer before he closed his eyes, as if dismissing the matter entirely. "The lineage of Frozen Soul needs no introduction," he said simply, turning to leave. "Remember that."
As the heavy doors closed behind him, the room remained silent for several heartbeats. Only then did the younger teacher exhale, wiping cold sweat from his brow.
***
On the other side of the forest, a very different scene was unfolding. Rebecca stood in the heart of her team's formation, her tower shield gleaming in the dim light. Unlike many other groups, her team moved as a cohesive unit, their bond evident in the seamless way they worked together.
"Here they come!" one of her teammates, a ranger, called out. From the shadows ahead, a pack of saber-toothed panthers prowled forward, their eyes glowing with predatory hunger.
Rebecca didn't flinch. She stepped forward, raising her shield, its surface inscribed with glowing runes. "Hold the line!" she shouted, her voice steady and reassuring.
The first panther leaped at her, its claws extended. Rebecca met it head-on, bracing herself as the beast's weight slammed against her shield. The runes flared to life, absorbing the impact and sending a shockwave that threw the panther back.
"Left flank!" a mage shouted, and Rebecca pivoted smoothly, intercepting another panther with her shield. Her movements were precise, every step calculated to protect her teammates.
The ranger fired arrows from behind her, each one finding its mark. Meanwhile, the mage chanted spells, sending bursts of water to drive the panthers back.
Rebecca's calm under pressure inspired confidence in her team. When one of the panthers broke through their defenses and lunged at the mage, Rebecca was there in an instant, her shield slamming into the beast with enough force to send it sprawling.
"Stay focused!" she called out, her voice cutting through the chaos. "We've got this."
With Rebecca anchoring their formation, the team quickly turned the tide. One by one, the panthers fell, their bodies littering the forest floor. When the last beast was defeated, her teammates cheered, their spirits lifted.
"You're really strong, Rebecca!" one of them said, clapping her on the shoulder.
She smiled, her cheeks slightly pink. "Just doing my part. Let's keep moving—we still have a long way to go."
As they continued deeper into the forest, the bonds between them only grew stronger, their trust in Rebecca unwavering. She wasn't just their shield; she was their unshakable foundation.
***
The golden hues of the setting sun filtered through the thick canopy, casting a warm glow over the small clearing. A campfire crackled merrily in the center, its light dancing on the faces of eleven students seated in a loose circle. Plates and bowls were passed around as the aroma of freshly cooked stew filled the air, a rare moment of respite in the unforgiving forest.
Aria stirred the pot of stew one last time, her fiery red hair catching the light as she leaned over to taste it. "Perfect," she declared, flashing a grin at her twin, Lyra, who sat nearby chopping herbs with practiced ease. Lyra's dark auburn hair contrasted with Aria's, but the similarity in their facial features made their bond unmistakable.
"I don't know how you two do it," one of the team members said, savoring a bite of the stew. "It's like having a personal chef in the middle of a survival test."
Aria laughed, her green eyes sparkling. "Years of practice. We used to help out in the kitchens back home."
Lyra smiled softly, her movements precise as she added the final garnish to the dish. "Cooking's not just about food; it's about bringing people together."
The team had been skeptical when Aria first joined them, leaving her original group behind. It was an unusual move, one that could have created tension. But Aria's easygoing nature and Lyra's quiet warmth had quickly won everyone over. Together, the twins brought a sense of camaraderie that had brought their team together.
As the meal continued, laughter and conversation filled the clearing. Stories were shared about near-misses with forest creatures, embarrassing moments during training, and even wild theories about the next phase of the test.
"I'm just saying," Aria said between bites, "if they throw in a wyvern tomorrow, I'm calling it rigged."
"You'd probably try to tame it," Lyra teased, nudging her sister.
"Maybe," Aria replied with a wink.
Despite the lighthearted atmosphere, there was an undercurrent of awareness among the team. The forest was dangerous, and they all knew that this brief moment of peace could be shattered at any time. But for now, they allowed themselves to relax, trusting in each other and the strength of their bonds.
***
Darkness. That was all Kael could see, an endless void that swallowed him whole. For a brief moment, he thought he had gone blind. His heartbeat thundered in his ears as his mind raced. No, I passed out, he realized, the sudden clarity jolting him back to reality.
Kael staggered, his knees almost buckling, but he caught himself before he hit the ground. His vision adjusted to the dim moonlight filtering through the thick canopy above, revealing the chaos around him.
His teammates were scattered on the forest floor, groggily trying to pick themselves up. Everyone but Varric.
A deep, guttural grunt pulled his attention toward the edge of the clearing. There, illuminated by faint streaks of silver light, stood a monstrous stag towering over them. Its shiny brown fur gleamed with an unnatural luster, and its antlers-jagged and crystalline-glimmered with arcs of lightning that crackled ominously across their surface.
Kael's chest tightened. He didn't need to be a seasoned fighter to understand the situation. This was a Fulgur-stag, an E-rank beast. They had no chance.
"Run!" Kael shouted, his voice cracking but loud enough to jolt his teammates into action.
The groans and confusion melted away as they realized the danger. Freya scrambled to her feet and bolted without hesitation, while Higan had disappeared at some point during the commotion. Kael's gaze swept the clearing until it landed on Lily, still unconscious and vulnerable on the ground.
She'll die if I leave her.
Without a second thought, Kael sprinted to her side, hoisting her onto his shoulders. Her weight pressed heavily on him, but the adrenaline coursing through his veins numbed the strain.
Amid the chaos, Varric stood tall, his confidence unshaken. He stepped forward, placing himself directly between the Fulgur-stag and the retreating team. Despite the beast's menacing presence, Varric exuded an almost arrogant composure.
"This thing's just a glorified deer," he muttered, raising his hands. With a sharp motion, he summoned a barrage of wind blades that hurtled toward the stag.
The Fulgur-stag lowered its crystalline antlers, blocking most of the attacks. However, a few blades slipped through, grazing its hide and leaving shallow cuts.
The beast reared back, its antlers glowing brighter as its rage intensified.
A sudden arc of lightning shot forth, crackling violently toward Varric.
He reacted too slowly. The lightning struck him squarely, stunning him mid-motion.
Thwack!
The stag charged forward, its antlers spearing through Varric's torso in several places. The impact sent blood spraying across the clearing. Varric's body slumped, impaled on the stag's antlers, his limbs limp yet still twitching with life.
"Aaaaaah!"
Kael froze in his tracks, Lily's unconscious form still on his shoulders.
He turned back, his breath hitching at the horrific sight. Varric's bloodied figure dangled helplessly from the stag's antlers, his pale face twisted in agony.
Kael's hesitation allowed Varric to meet his gaze. Despite the pain contorting his features, he forced out a hoarse, desperate plea. "My bag... break it..."
Kael's eyes darted to the nearby bag Varric had dropped during the fight. He was close enough to grab it, and after a moment's hesitation, he did. Rummaging through the contents, Kael pulled out two items.
The first was a small artifact-a teleportation crystal designed to transport students back to the academy with immediate medical attention on the ready. The second was a shard of a crystal, its surface shimmering faintly in the moonlight.
Kael's heart skipped a beat. He recognized the shard instantly. It was the one he had found earlier, the one Varric had taken from him under the guise of being their team leader.
Varric's voice, weak and desperate, cut through the chaos. "Please... Kael..."
Kael looked up, locking eyes with Varric. For a moment, time seemed to stand still.
"Please..." Varric repeated, his voice trembling with fear.
"..."
Without a word, Kael pocketed the shard. Then, he placed the teleportation artifact back in the bag and slung it over his shoulder.
Varric's face went pale as the realization set in. "No... you can't..."
But Kael didn't look back. He adjusted Lily on his shoulders and ran, his heart pounding in his chest as Varric's faint cries faded behind him.
The Fulgur-stag let out a triumphant roar, the sound echoing through the forest as Kael disappeared into the shadows.