The room buzzed with conversation as applicants waited for the results of their combat exam. Kael stood at the podium, scanning the sheet in his hands, his voice carrying over the chatter as he called each name.

  I could still feel eyes on me; whispers about Renic’s suspension, about how I must have cheated to win. As if that were even possible with Kael sitting in the front row. My showing hadn’t been enough to erase the label I’d worn for years, but I didn’t let it bother me. I just waited for my name.

  Kael called the names slowly, as if prying each one from the paper. Fifteen down, and still nothing. I wasn’t worried. Beating one of the top applicants of the year had to count for something. Apparently, Renic wasn’t just talented; he was connected.

  The Korrath was a noble Vassar family that owned half the land outside Etrielle, and rumor had it that he’d been raised with private tutors and a personal essence coach. A prodigy from birth.

  Too bad he lost to a boy who can’t even see threads. I wonder what his family will think of that.

  “Vaelyn Fyrne, pass.”

  My shoulders eased before I realized it. Even victory still felt like survival.

  Kael’s tone carried a faint grin, and I couldn’t shake the feeling he’d saved my name for last on purpose. A wave of murmurs rippled through the crowd. I caught phrases like “blind luck” and “fluke victory.” I tuned them out.

  Kael set his papers aside and stepped out from behind the podium. “If I didn’t announce your name, you’ve failed the combat portion,” he said, his voice lowering. “I’ll have to ask you to leave.” His gaze softened for a moment, then hardened again. “For the rest of you, we move to the final exam.”

  He began pacing in front of the podium, voice clear and firm. “You’ll form a party and complete three Tier One missions. Choose your teammates carefully; you must fill all four roles. You’ll have ten days to complete your assignments.”

  He paused, scanning the room one last time. “That concludes the briefing. You’re free to go.”

  The room erupted into hushed excitement as students started pairing off. I just stood there, unsure who’d be willing to team with me.

  The main hall buzzed with noise as students scrambled to form parties. Clusters had already formed around the strongest applicants, laughter echoing off the stone walls.

  But no one approached me.

  I drifted toward the quest board, scanning for anyone short a reaver, but every party was full. With a quiet sigh, I leaned against the wall. Maybe if I waited a few days, desperation would do what merit couldn’t.

  Just as that thought crossed my mind, a large, familiar figure blocked my view.

  “You fight like a true reaver,” Merric said, voice booming with easy confidence. “Not like a noble. I’d love to have someone like that on my team.”

  “Reckless,” I said. “That’s what you mean.”

  He grinned. “Sometimes reckless wins fights. That’s enough for me. Plus, you seem like a good guy. Shame no one’s scooped you up yet.”

  “You sure you want me on your team? The ridicule’s part of the package.” I met his eyes, searching for hesitation.

  “Let ’em talk. You beat Renic, that’s enough for me.” He extended a hand, and I took it. His grip was firm and steadying.

  Before I could say anything else, a sharp voice cut through the crowd.

  “You’re supposed to be blind to threads. How did you counter Tier Four sequencing?”

  Lira Vaelaryn approached, arms folded, expression unreadable. She wore light leather armor reinforced with pale steel plates, the kind meant for speed rather than bulk.

  “I don’t know,” I said. “I could just... feel his threads. I don’t do much thinking while fighting.”

  “Feel them?” She stepped closer, eyes narrowing. “That’s impossible. You shouldn’t be able to cast at that level, let alone with three elements, by instinct alone.”

  “Tell that to Renic,” I muttered.

  Her eyes narrowed, but there was a hint of curiosity beneath the skepticism. “However you did it, it’s useful. I’d like to join your party—I’m joining your party,” she said, glancing at Merric as if it were already decided.

  “No quarrels here,” he said, laughing. “The more the merrier.”

  “And I don’t get a say?” I asked.

  “Not really,” Lira replied flatly. “No one else wants you, and you still need a caster, don’t you?”

  “Wow. Thanks for humbly volunteering to join the crippled boy’s party,” I said, rolling my eyes.

  Merric chuckled. “This’ll be fun.”

  I sighed. “Yeah… interesting, at least. Now all we need is a healer.”

  “I hear the Guild will assign healers taking their assessment if you ask,” Lira said coolly.

  “Good to know. Thanks, Vaelaryn,” Merric replied, his tone as bright as ever.

  “Then let’s pick a mission and speak with the clerk to confirm,” I said, glancing at the quest board.

  “They’ve recently slain a Tier Five mana beast in the western woods. Its leftover essence is causing crystal resin to form; there’s a mission to collect samples.”

  “Sounds easy enough.” Merric tore the posting from the board. “Let’s go let the receptionist know we’re taking it.”

  As we walked, I could feel Lira’s eyes on me. Her stare felt like she was dissecting me, measuring a puzzle piece that shouldn’t fit. With her family name, she could’ve joined any group she wanted. Why this one?

  At the desk, Merric slapped the mission sheet down. “We’d like to register for this quest, and we’re still in need of a healer.”

  The receptionist scanned the form, then slid a clipboard toward us. “Understood. Write your names and roles here. I’ll assign you a healer from our trainee roster.” She said before disappearing through a side door.

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  We each signed our names before she returned with someone in tow.

  “This is Elaria Wynne,” the receptionist announced. “She’ll serve as your healer for the duration of your exam.”

  Elaria smiled brightly, oblivious to me at first. “Hello! I’m Elaria, seventeen, and I’ll be supporting you for my practical.”

  When she finally looked up, recognition sparked in her eyes. “Oh, you’re the boy I healed after the combat exam! How are you feeling?”

  “Fine, thanks to you,” I said with a faint smile.

  Merric clapped his hands. “Perfect! Seems like introductions are out of the way already. I’m Merric, this is Lira.”

  Lira offered a curt nod. “Pleasure.”

  “A pleasure to meet you all,” Elaria said warmly. “I look forward to working together.”

  “Glad to hear it,” Merric said. “We’ve taken a mission to gather crystal resin from the west woods. You in?”

  “I’m in. When do we leave?” she asked eagerly.

  “Tomorrow morning, after sunrise,” Merric said, turning to face us. “Get a good night’s rest.”

  I smirked. “And who decided you were calling the shots?”

  He grinned. “Seeing as I formed this party, I’d say that makes me the leader. Any objections—”

  “I’ll lead,” Lira said, matter-of-fact. “I’m the only one with a Charter Seal, and I’ve formally studied adventuring.”

  “Hey now—this whole party thing was my idea,” Merric said.

  We all turned in his direction. Then his grin cracked wide, and he burst into a booming laugh. “Relax, I’m kidding. She’s got the seal, so she leads.”

  He swept a hand toward her. “Any objections to Miss Vaelaryn taking the lead?”

  None of us spoke.

  Merric nodded, satisfied, and headed for the doors. “Good. Then I’ll see you all bright and early.”

  I made my way back to the dorm, exhaustion settling into my bones after the day’s events. The duel. The gossip. The party assignment. I wasn’t sure which drained me more. I wondered how we’d fare tomorrow with our makeshift party. Somehow, I doubted things would go smoothly.

  That night, I slept better than I had in months—the duel must have taken more out of me than I thought.

  When I woke, the sun hadn’t yet risen. I decided to get some training in before our mission. A faint chill hung in the air as I dressed and made my way toward the training hall. Normally, I wasn’t allowed in without a provisional seal, but those taking the Adventurer’s Exam were granted one after registration. Up to Tier Two casting was permitted, so long as we didn’t destroy the walls.

  The hall was empty, my steps echoing against the polished stone.

  I ran through my usual routine: quickdraw sigils, short bursts of augmentation, blade sequences. Each motion carried a quiet rhythm. Threads stirred faintly around me as I worked, little vibrations pulsing through the air.

  By the time sweat slicked my neck, dawn had broken. Satisfied, I washed up and headed for the eastern gate, uncertain how this new party of ours would function. I only hoped we’d finish the quest in one piece.

  When I arrived, Elaria and Lira were already waiting. The two of them stood apart—Elaria shifting her weight nervously, Lira poised and motionless.

  “Good morning!” Elaria said as I approached, voice bright enough to cut the morning fog.

  “Morning,” I replied. “Where’s Merric?”

  Lira opened her mouth to answer, but the sound of laughter rolled up the road before she could.

  Merric strode toward us, armor glinting faintly in the half-light. “Looks like you three were eager to get this mission started.”

  “Just looking forward to getting this over with,” I said, smirking.

  “Hey now, that’s no way to talk to the guy who saved you from flying solo all week,” Merric said, clutching his chest dramatically. I shook my head as a faint smile tugged at his mouth.

  “If everyone’s here, we should get going,” Lira said, tone clipped enough to slice through his theatrics.

  “Very well,” Merric said, grinning. “Lead on, Commander Vaelaryn.”

  “Don’t test me,” she muttered.

  The eastern woods lay only half an hour beyond Etrielle. The road wound along the mountainside, opening into a sweeping view of Arvalis below. From here, the villages looked like anthills—tiny, tireless clusters moving in quiet rhythm.

  The air thinned as we descended, cool wind carrying the scent of pine and damp stone. Ahead, the path curved into the shadow of the treeline. Birds stirred above us, their songs warbling through the mist that clung low to the ground.

  Conversation drifted in fits and starts, mostly Elaria’s curiosity and Merric’s attempts at humor.

  “So what exactly is crystal resin?” Elaria asked as we walked. “The posting made it sound like some kind of miracle material.”

  “It’s a calcified form of sap,” Lira said, not breaking stride. “It forms where Essence saturates the soil. Used for weapon cores, armor lattices, energy conductors—”

  “Isn’t it extremely reactive? Like, explode if you sneeze on it, reactive.” Merric cut in.

  Lira’s eyes flicked toward him. “Only if you’re stupid enough to mishandle it.”

  “Then I’ll be sure to let you carry it,” Merric said, smirking.

  Elaria laughed under her breath. “You two are impossible.”

  “He’s worse,” Lira replied evenly.

  “I’m charming,” Merric said. “There’s a difference.”

  “Debatable,” I murmured.

  “Ah, our fearless reaver speaks,” Merric said, feigning offense. “Was starting to think you’d gone mute.”

  “I talk when I need to.”

  “Then this trip’s going to be very quiet,” he said with a grin.

  “It’s about to be,” I shot back.

  Merric laughed loudly enough to make a few birds scatter. “See? I knew we’d get along.”

  Lira’s voice cut through the laughter. “Focus. We’re close.”

  The banter faded as the forest rose before us—a vast wall of green and shadow. The air thickened with the scent of moss and damp soil. Wisps of Essence shifting faintly between the trees like dust caught in sunlight.

  Merric adjusted his grip on his weapon. “All right, everyone. Eyes open. We don’t know what’s waiting in there.”

  “Step lightly,” he added quietly.

  “Now that’s advice worth following,” I said.

  “For once,” she replied.

  With that, we crossed the threshold into the woods. The light behind us dimmed, swallowed whole by the trees. As we stepped beneath the canopy, the atmosphere changed. An eerie quiet settled over us, thick enough to feel on my skin.

  The forest looked different once we crossed the tree line. The towering trunks leaned inward as if conspiring to block out the sky, cutting us off from the world beyond.

  A strange pressure rose in my chest, something that made every breath feel heavier.

  “This forest shouldn’t house any Essence beasts willing to tangle with a party our size,” Merric said, leading the way with his hammer slung over one shoulder. “Still, keep your guard up, just in case.”

  We followed in a loose line behind him, eyes scanning the dark stretch of undergrowth. As we went deeper, the silence became heavier. Even the wind seemed to die here.

  “The resin deposit should be on the west end of the forest, near the old den of that Tier Five beast,” Lira murmured, eyes flicking between the map and our surroundings.

  The path narrowed, the canopy blotting out most of the light. Each step crunched softly against layers of moss and brittle leaves. The further we moved, the thicker the air became.

  “Holy hell, it’s hard to breathe here,” Merric said, voice strained.

  “The Essence density’s high,” Lira replied, steady and analytical. “Your lungs will adjust. Try to keep your breathing controlled.”

  I could feel it too, the pressure, like wading through water. The threads shifted faintly in the air, coiling around our limbs with every step. It was as if the forest itself were exhaling.

  Ahead, a faint glow pulsed through the fog. A crystalline shape, gleaming pale yellow, clung to the side of an enormous tree. Green motes swirled lazily within it, like fireflies trapped in amber.

  “There,” I said, pointing. “I see one.”

  Merric followed my gaze and grinned. “Good eye, Fyrne. Let’s grab it and check for more nearby.”

  I stepped toward the tree, careful with my footing. The resin’s glow flickered faintly as I drew close.

  For a moment, everything was still.

  Then the ground shuddered beneath me.

  “Did you feel that?” I asked, backing away.

  Lira and Merric already had their weapons drawn. The vibration deepened, turning into a low rumble that shook loose chunks of soil and crystal dust from the roots around us.

  Then the earth split.

  A massive form erupted from the ground beneath the resin, showering dirt and debris into the air. Eight gleaming eyes locked onto us. Bright, deliberate, and intelligent.

  “What the hell—” Merric’s words cut off as he raised his hammer.

  The creature hauled itself free—eight legs, each joint plated in a mix of chitin and translucent crystal. Its abdomen gleamed like a gemstone the size of a horse, bright colors pulsing beneath the surface. Razor mandibles clicked together with a metallic snap that made my teeth ache.

  “I think that’s a Glassfang,” Lira said, disbelief tightening her voice. “But they’re not supposed to exist this far north. The Guild reports place them deep in the southern wilds.”

  “Guess this one didn’t get the memo,” I said, sliding into stance. The creature’s eyes tracked me. It was too focused, too aware. “Whatever it is, it’s not letting us walk away.”

  Merric grinned despite himself. “Then let’s make it regret the trip.”

  With a roar, he surged forward, his feet pounding the earth as he closed the distance.

  The Glassfang screeched in response, its voice a chorus of shattering crystal.