In the outside world, inside a high-tech room, Johnson Ironhart sighed with relief. He was so overwhelmed that he couldn't stand and had to sit down in a chair when he saw his son breathing and alive.
On the many monitors filling the room, a familiar scene was playing out—a small crowd gathered around three white stages beneath a pillar of light, where two elves and Skyler fought against the monsters.
"He is fine... He is fine."
He looked haggard, with dark circles under his gray eyes, having not slept a wink in the past few days. Just like him, all the Lights around him were in the same state.
They had watched every broadcast of the preliminary test day and night in search of Skyler, even though many of them believed the kid had died in the monster wave.
Finally, after so many days of hard work, they saw the kid again—healthy and fine. Many were in disbelief about how Skyler had not only survived but had even gotten stronger to battle monsters in just a few days. However, at that moment, they just wanted to get some sleep.
One of the Lights asked hesitantly.
"Boss... can we get a day off?"
Johnson turned to look at him with dark eyes, effectively silencing the man.
"Keep an eye on Skyler."
With that, he stood up and called his wife. After Riya Ironhart woke up, she cried a lot. But then she composed herself, knowing they couldn't lose hope.
She and Emily had gone to Starlight Academy to request complete access to the live performances of all their students, as that academy was one of the few with which Johnson couldn't communicate.
***
Simultaneously, inside Starlight Academy, in one of the hall filled with computers and floating screens, many professors were observing their students' performances.
They were mostly focused on a few groups whose performances were generating a lot of hype online, particularly the one led by Max and his team. These groups were also at the top of their year in the academy.
One of the professors, a tall woman with glasses perched on her nose, frowned. Her name was Miss Sinclair.
"We are seeing nearly all of our students, except for a few who were weak. But why is it that I cannot see Zack? Has he not utilized his live streaming drones?"
Another professor, an older man exuding a haughty air, named Mr. Hawthorne, raised an eyebrow at her words.
"That weakling? The one who always harassed a junior a year younger than him and never studied or trained seriously, only to get beaten up by Max? Who knows what happened to him? Maybe he's already dead. I don't understand why our academy accepts individuals with no shame."
Beside him, a professor clad in an opulent outfit chuckled. He was called Mr. Noire.
"It's because he comes from a wealthy family. Even though he was kicked out of the house due to his antics, his father is one of the Dukes, currently serving as one of the six main leaders of the government, overseeing the continent."
Miss Sinclair observed them with a composed expression; she was already accustomed to this. These two came from affluent families and only favored students with promising futures.
"I believe the professors haven't noticed Zack's progress over the past few months. Perhaps he learned his lesson after being beaten up by another student. However, he has improved, and his strength is now on par with the top students in his class."
Many began to chuckle at her disbelieving words. Suddenly, Riya and Emily walked into the hall, accompanied by the vice principal of the academy.
All the professors in the hall instantly fell silent and greeted the elderly woman clad in silver robes. She was the vice principal and also the second strongest Light in the academy. Her name was Doris.
The vice principal nodded at them and turned to the two women behind her.
"This is the place where we observe the students who enter the preliminary test. You two have already received permission from the principal to use this hall, so I won't say much. Just do what you need to do."
Riya thanked the old woman, and Emily quickly moved to check the control system of all the screens in the hall.
The professors glanced at each other, confused. Some of them turned to vice principal Doris, who explained with a sigh.
"This is Mrs. Ironhart. Her 18-year-old son, who isn't eligible to participate, has been teleported to the preliminary test. They are searching for him in the live broadcasts."
The professors' eyes widened. Yet, they weren't overly surprised because, although it was very rare, it was not new for people to get dragged into the preliminary test, even if they were eligible. The cause was referred to as an error, and they didn't know much about the reason behind it. However, since it rarely happens—only once or twice every few years—no one paid much attention.
Professor Sinclair and several other professors moved to help Emily. They asked Riya for a picture of Skyler and were surprised to see the familiar face that they had seen with Max and his team for a short while, only to meet a tragic end. However, they didn't express their surprise. Since their eyesight was much sharper than that of ordinary people, they began searching for his face on the numerous screens.
Suddenly, Mr. Hawthorne grimaced.
"Skyler? Sky? What a weird name."
His whisper was heard by everyone, but no one had time to care about his chatter.
Riya stood right beside Emily, grateful to those who were helping them.
Suddenly, her phone buzzed. It was her husband, so she answered the call.
"Honey, I'm at the academy..."
Her words were cut off, and her eyes turned red when Johnson gave her the good news.
"Which broadcast... which one? I want to see my son!"
Emily grabbed her phone and asked Johnson to send her the link to the live stream where Skyler appeared. In no time, all the screens in the hall displayed Skyler's figure fighting on the white stage.
Riya exhaled a relieved breath. Her heart, which had felt very heavy, finally settled down upon seeing her son was okay.
Emily returned her phone with a sigh, relieved that the boy was fine.
Riya placed the phone to her ear and whispered in a joyful voice.
"Sky is fine! We found him!"
Johnson chuckled softly.
"I know. I am watching him."
She raised her eyes and looked at the monitors displaying her son's figure.
Skyler wasn't just fine; he was also performing remarkably well.
Now, he just needs to stay safe until the end of the test and make it back home.