Mira tightened her grip, the warmth of her flames licking at her fingertips as she faced Celvia across the training grounds. The water mage stood calm and collected, her flowing blue robes a stark contrast to Mira's dark combat attire. The morning sun cast long shadows across the field, the air crackling with anticipation.
"You ready for this?" Celvia asked, tilting her head, her silver-blue hair catching the light.
Mira exhaled sharply, rolling her shoulders. "I won't hold back."
The moment the words left her lips, Celvia struck first. A wave of water surged from her palm, rushing toward Mira with the force of a flood. Mira reacted on instinct, summoning a wall of blue fire to meet it. Steam exploded between them, filling the air with thick mist.
Through the haze, Mira caught movement—a faint ripple of energy. Celvia's spell wasn't over. In the next instant, the mist condensed into ice shards, sharp and deadly, hurtling toward her like daggers. Mira leapt back, twisting midair as she unleashed a burst of flames to melt them before they could reach her.
Celvia smirked. "Good reaction time."
Mira didn't respond. She was already pushing forward, her flames swirling around her fists. She dashed through the clearing, launching a flaming kick toward Celvia's side. But Celvia moved like water itself, flowing around the attack, her body bending with unnatural grace. A spiraling vortex of water formed around her hand, slamming into Mira's stomach.
Mira gasped as the impact sent her skidding back. The cold seeped through her clothes, numbing her limbs. She barely had time to recover before Celvia was on her again.
"Your fire is strong," Celvia said, weaving another spell. "But you lack refinement."
Mira growled, shaking off the cold. "Then I'll refine it now."
Summoning her magic, she closed her eyes for a fraction of a second, focusing. The blue fire flared brighter, growing hotter, wilder. The ground beneath her scorched as she lifted both hands, summoning a spinning vortex of flames.
Celvia's eyes widened, but she didn't falter. She raised both arms, and a sphere of water formed in front of her, glowing with energy.
The moment stretched, tension thick in the air.
Then, they both released their attacks at once.
The flames and water met in a violent explosion, sending waves of heat and mist rippling outward. Mira braced herself as the shockwave pushed her back. Celvia, too, staggered, her defenses barely holding.
A loud whistle cut through the chaos. "That's enough."
Both girls turned to see Kai standing at the edge of the field, arms crossed. Ren and Rhyshe stood beside him, watching with interest.
"You both did well," Kai said, his golden eyes flicking between them. "But Mira, your magic is still too unstable. You pour too much raw power into your flames without control."
Mira clenched her fists, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. "I know."
Celvia exhaled, lowering her hands. "You're getting stronger, though. That last attack—if you'd refined it just a little more, I wouldn't have blocked it in time."
Mira huffed, but a small smile tugged at her lips. "I'll do better next time."
Celvia grinned. "Looking forward to it."
After the match, Rhyshe practically dragged Mira toward the Seven Devils' meeting chamber, buzzing with excitement.
"You've been here for days, but you haven't seen our beasts yet!" Rhyshe chirped. "You can't be one of us without meeting them."
Mira raised an eyebrow. "Your beasts?"
Celvia nodded. "Each of us has a magical beast companion though we usually keep them hidden. They're not just pets—they're partners and they come really handy in competitions."
As they entered the courtyard, Mira's breath caught in her throat.
Standing before her were six magnificent creatures, each radiating a distinct aura.
Kai's beast was a massive golden-winged lion, its mane shimmering with divine energy. Rhyshe had a storm eagle with electric currents rippling through its feathers. Celvia's beast, a sleek blue serpent, coiled gracefully around her shoulders. Akira's was a swift silver wolf, eyes sharp and calculating. Asher's companion, a shadowy panther, barely made a sound as it moved, blending into the darkness.
Ren stood apart, his own beast—a midnight-colored dragon—resting beside him. Its deep violet scales shimmered, and its piercing silver eyes locked onto Mira with an unsettling intelligence.
Mira swallowed. "And you fight alongside them?"
"Of course," Ren said, resting a hand on his dragon's head. "They make us stronger. They share our magic, our will."
Mira's gaze drifted across the creatures. "Do… I get one?"
Kai smirked. "Not yet. But soon we all got ours after we reached a ceratin level and after passing the magic test set by the beasts we finally form a contract with the beasts."
Mira felt a strange pull at those words, as if something deep inside her already knew what was waiting.
Rhyshe suddenly perked up. "Oh, and we have magical artifacts too!" She pulled a pendant from her pocket, the crystal inside glowing softly. "This amplifies my speed during battle. Everyone has something unique."
Mira listened as each member explained their relics—Celvia's enchanted bracers, Ren's void ring, Kai's radiant blade. They wielded not just magic but tools of immense power.
She clenched her fists, determination surging through her. She had so much more to learn and not to mention she did not have any artifact or any beast. She felt lonely but she did not give up ever since she came from the human world to the magic world she has never given up.
As the day wore on, a summons arrived. A silver sigil shimmered in the air before her, a message from the Grandmaster.
Kai's expression turned serious. "It's time."
Mira swallowed. "Time for what?"
Kai's golden eyes locked onto hers. "For your real training. The Grandmaster has decided it's time for your seclusion."
A chill ran down Mira's spine she started to question why did the grandmaster sudeenly summon for seclusion.
Seclusion.
She had heard whispers of it—a period of isolation where a mage trained under intense conditions, away from distractions, to awaken deeper power.
Rhyshe looked both excited and nervous. "You're really getting special treatment."
Ren scoffed. "More like she needs it if she does not come back any stronger one month later we will lose our faces in front of the whole academy."
Mira shot him a glare but couldn't deny the truth. She needed to grow stronger. And if this was the next step… she would take it she cannot be the reason for others downfalls.
That evening, Mira found herself standing before the Grandmaster's residence.
The air here was different—thicker, more alive with energy. A waterfall roared in the distance, mist rising from the cascading water.
The Grandmaster stood at the entrance, his robes flowing like part of the very wind. His wise eyes regarded her with quiet intensity.
"You have potential, Mira," he said. "But potential alone is not enough."
She nodded, bracing herself.
"Tomorrow," he continued, "we leave for your real training. There is a place you must go. A place where your flames will either consume you… or be reborn."
Mira felt a shiver run through her but also concern will she be able to pass this seclusion or fail?
This was it. The next step.
She wasn't ready.
But she would become ready.
Because she had no other choice.