The journey back to the academy was tense. Raven walked slightly ahead, her movements fluid and silent, as if she were a shadow gliding through the trees. Leon kept his sword within reach, his eyes never leaving her. Selene, on the other hand, looked like she was ready to throw a knife into Raven's back at any given moment.
Elias sighed, rubbing his temples. "Can we all at least pretend we don't want to kill each other? Just until we reach safety?"
No one responded.
The night was still thick with danger, the scent of damp earth and blood lingering in the air. The riverbank behind them was proof of the battle they had barely survived. Yet, somehow, Raven had found them just in time.
Coincidence? Leon wasn't sure he believed in those anymore.
"You never answered my question," he finally said. "Why were you out here in the first place, Raven?"
Raven glanced at him over her shoulder, her expression unreadable. "Looking for you."
Selene let out a short, bitter laugh. "Right. Because you're suddenly our guardian angel now?"
Raven ignored her. "I heard about your mission. I also heard about the real reason why the academy is sending people like you into the trials."
Leon stiffened. "What do you mean?"
Raven stopped walking, turning to face them. "Do you really think the academy is just testing your strength?"
Leon and Elias exchanged glances. The trials were meant to push them to their limits, but there had always been whispers, rumors that something more was happening behind the scenes.
"You're not the first group they sent out," Raven continued. "You're just the first to make it this far."
Selene's grip on her dagger tightened. "And how exactly do you know all this?"
"Because I was part of the first group."
Silence fell over them.
Elias was the first to break it. "You're lying."
Raven smirked. "Am I?"
Leon's mind raced. If Raven had truly been part of the first group, that meant the academy had been keeping secrets from them. But why?
And more importantly, what had happened to the others?
Leon stepped closer, his voice low. "What happened to your group?"
Raven exhaled, her expression darkening. "We were told the same thing you were,that the trials were designed to prepare us for war. That only the strongest could graduate. But that was a lie."
Selene crossed her arms. "Then what was the real purpose?"
Raven hesitated before answering. "The academy isn't training warriors. They're searching for something. And they're using students like us to find it."
Leon frowned. "Searching for what?"
Raven shook her head. "We never found out. But one by one, our team started disappearing. Some of them were killed. Others just… vanished."
Elias' face paled. "And the academy didn't say anything?"
"They covered it up," Raven said. "They sent new students every time a group failed. And eventually, when I was the last one left, I ran."
Selene scoffed. "So you abandoned them?"
Raven's jaw tightened. "I tried to warn them, but no one listened. The academy controls everything—the records, the missions, even the news that reaches the outside world. If you don't play by their rules, you disappear too."
Leon's stomach twisted. If what Raven said was true, then they had been nothing more than pawns in someone else's game.
He turned to Selene and Elias. "If we go back now, they'll know we're onto them."
Elias nodded grimly. "And if we don't, they'll send others in our place."
A heavy silence settled over them.
Finally, Raven spoke. "You have a choice. Go back and pretend you don't know anything… or find out the truth before it's too late."
Leon clenched his fists. They had fought too hard to turn back now.
"We keep going," he said. "But this time, we do things our way."
Selene sighed but nodded. "Fine. But if she betrays us again, I get to kill her first."
Raven smirked. "I wouldn't expect anything less."
With their decision made, they turned toward the academy, unaware that the real danger had only just begun.
The path back to the academy felt longer than before. Shadows stretched between the trees, shifting unnaturally under the pale moonlight. The wind whispered through the branches, carrying an eerie sense of foreboding.
Leon walked at the front, his grip firm on his sword. Every rustle of leaves made his muscles tense, ready for an ambush. Selene walked beside him, her sharp eyes scanning the surroundings. Behind them, Elias stayed close to Raven, though his expression showed clear distrust.
"I still don't believe you," Elias muttered to Raven. "If the academy was hiding something, why tell us now?"
Raven smirked but didn't look at him. "Because you were never supposed to make it this far."
Leon exhaled sharply. "Explain."
Raven stopped and turned to face them. "Think about it. The previous teams never came back. The academy claims they 'failed' their missions, but do you really think that's the whole truth?"
Leon and Selene exchanged glances.
"I did wonder why there were no reports from past candidates," Selene admitted. "They keep records of every mission, but nothing about those who were sent before us."
Raven nodded. "Exactly. The academy has been using us as tools to retrieve something. But no one has ever succeeded. Every time, the chosen students either die or disappear."
Elias scoffed. "And yet you survived."
"I did," Raven said, her voice softer this time. "But survival came at a cost."
Leon studied her closely. He had always thought of Raven as someone unreadable, someone who could lie with a straight face. But now, there was something different. A hint of pain she wasn't trying to hide.
He sighed. "Let's assume you're telling the truth. What is the academy looking for?"
Raven hesitated before answering. "Something ancient. Something that was never meant to be found."
The group moved forward again, though their thoughts were heavy with Raven's revelation.
Selene was the first to break the silence. "This 'something' is it a weapon?"
"Not exactly." Raven kept her voice low. "More like a force of power. It existed long before the academy was built, buried deep beneath this land. The founders knew about it. That's why they chose this location."
Leon frowned. "And they want us to retrieve it?"
"Or awaken it," Raven corrected.
Elias let out a bitter laugh. "Great. So we're not just being tested, we're potential sacrifices."
"No," Raven said, shaking her head. "We're bait."
Leon felt a cold chill run down his spine.
"What do you mean?" Selene asked, her tone sharp.
"The academy has been searching for generations, but they never found the source of this power," Raven explained. "But students like us young, talented fighters, have the kind of energy they need. They're sending us into danger not just to locate it, but to trigger whatever reaction it needs to be unearthed."
Leon clenched his fists. "So we're disposable."
Raven's silence was enough confirmation.
A wave of anger surged through him. He had trained for years, pushing himself to the limit, believing that his strength would lead him to greatness. But now he realized, he had never been in control.
"Then what's our next move?" Elias asked.
Raven glanced at him. "We have two choices. Either we keep playing along and act as if we don't know the truth, or…"
Selene narrowed her eyes. "Or?"
"We find the power before they do and destroy it."
Before anyone could respond, a sudden noise made them all freeze.
A branch snapped.
Leon immediately drew his sword, and Selene had her daggers in her hands within seconds. Elias's fingers hovered over his spellbook, prepared for combat. Raven remained still, her gaze sharp.
The bushes rustled, and then—
A blur of movement.
Leon barely had time to react as something fast and powerful lunged toward him. He sidestepped, bringing up his sword just in time to block a curved blade aimed at his throat. The force of the attack sent him skidding backward.
"Ambush!" Selene shouted, already throwing a dagger toward another shadow emerging from the trees.
Figures in dark cloaks appeared, their faces obscured by masks. Their weapons gleamed in the moonlight. They moved with unnatural speed, their strikes precise and lethal.
"Academy hunters," Raven hissed.
Leon's stomach twisted. The academy had sent assassins after them.
There was no time to think. One of the attackers charged at Elias, wielding dual knives. Elias dodged, summoning a burst of flames in response, forcing his opponent to retreat.
Selene fought two at once, her movements fluid as she countered every strike. But the enemies were relentless, pressing forward without hesitation.
Leon blocked another blow, then twisted his blade, slashing across his attacker's chest. The man grunted but didn't fall. Instead, he merely stumbled before regaining his stance.
"They're enhanced," Raven warned. "They won't go down easily."
Leon cursed. Just what had the academy done to them?
The fight dragged on. Though they held their ground, the assassins showed no signs of tiring. It was clear, their orders were to kill.
Leon gritted his teeth. If they didn't find a way to escape, they wouldn't last much longer.
He turned to Raven. "You said we had two choices."
Raven smirked despite the situation. "I did."
"Then let's make our decision now."
Selene kicked one of her attackers back. "We're running, aren't we?"
Elias cast a barrier spell, shielding them temporarily. "Unless you all want to die here, I suggest we go."
Raven nodded. "Follow me."
With that, she darted into the trees. The others followed without hesitation.
The assassins pursued, their footsteps eerily silent.
Leon didn't look back. If they hesitated even for a second, they'd be dead.
Branches tore at his clothes, but he kept moving. The forest grew denser, the terrain rougher. Raven led them through a narrow path between rocks, moving as if she knew exactly where to go.
Then, suddenly—
A cliff.
Leon barely stopped himself in time. The ground disappeared before him, revealing a deep chasm below.
Selene swore. "What now?"
Raven turned back, her expression calm. "Jump."
Elias's eyes widened. "Are you insane?"
"We don't have time to argue." Raven stepped back, then sprinted forward and leapt off the edge.
Leon hesitated only a second before following.
The air rushed past him as he fell. The darkness of the abyss swallowed them whole.
But even as they descended, Leon knew, this was only the beginning.