Alyra pushed herself up in bed.

  From the window, golden light filtered through the branches of the Sunveil, breaking Rothmere into scattered fragments. Roofs and towers pierced the morning mist, while the jungle rolled beyond the city like a restless green sea. A breeze carried the scent of fresh bread and damp earth. Bells tolled across the streets, their chime tangled with the harsh cries of jungle birds.

  Today, training began again.

  Her stomach tightened at the thought of facing classmates and instructors. They would stare, whisper, maybe laugh. Or worse, look at her with pity.

  Her lips pressed into a pout. She could almost see the pointing fingers, the sidelong glances.

  A girl’s voice snapped through the quiet. “Hey, what’s with that face, kid? Wake up on the wrong side of the bed?”

  Her pulse jumped. She shot a glance around the room. Empty. “Who are you? Where are you?”

  “What, you don’t see me? Oh, right… forgot I made myself invisible.”

  Purple mist puffed into her face. Alyra squeezed her eyes shut. When she blinked again, Sierelith stood there, a smug smile tugging at her lips.

  Alyra froze, breath catching in her throat. “You!” The word scraped out in a strangled gasp. “What are you doing here? How dare you show your face? What if someone finds me with a heretic spy in my room?”

  Sierelith’s smirk only grew. “Relax, kid. I know my job. I did a full lap around this school before coming in, made sure no one could sense me.”

  “Well, thanks. That’s so considerate,” Alyra shot back.

  Sierelith dipped into an exaggerated bow. “Always happy to serve. Some of us know how to stay unseen. Something you clearly haven’t figured out yet.”

  Alyra clenched her teeth. “You didn’t answer my question. What the hell are you doing here? Haven’t you gotten what you wanted already? Didn’t you see what Derek is capable of? He took down that massive demon almost by himself! Isn’t that enough proof he’s the Cashnar?”

  The spy’s eyes dulled, her tone flat with boredom. “What I saw didn’t exactly impress me. Without me, your precious Warden and your so-called Cashnar would be corpses. You should be thanking me.”

  Heat flared in Alyra’s cheeks. “If it weren’t for you, no one would’ve been in danger in the first place!” The words came out sharper and louder than she meant. Her chest clenched as her eyes darted toward the door. Had anyone heard her shouting?

  Silence. No knock.

  Sierelith shook her head with slow disdain. “You really need to learn how to think. If I hadn’t stepped in, there’d be a giant golem made of half of Narkhara’s corpses pounding on this city’s gates right now.”

  “Oh, sure. Like you did it out of the kindness of your heart!”

  “My reasons are my own,” Sierelith said.

  “So you’re not going to tell me why you’re here? Fine.” Alyra’s voice sharpened. “I’ll call the guards.” She pushed to her feet and strode for the door.

  “I know your little secret, kid.”

  At the door, her hand froze on the handle. A chill knifed through her chest as she turned back, forcing down a swallow. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Sierelith’s smile sharpened. “You’d be more convincing if you hadn’t just gone pale as one of those corpses chasing us in Ebonshade.”

  Alyra’s throat tightened around a hard swallow. Could she really know about that too?

  “No need to strain your brain,” Sierelith went on. “I saw everything that day, and I can read a person’s aura. Not as well as a seer, but I’ve got a certain knack. And with you, I know exactly what to look for.” Her smile thinned to a blade’s edge. “You’ve got Death energy sitting in the chakras of your hands. And the fact you’re not writhing on the floor tells me it’s somehow stabilized. Lucky you.”

  Alyra sank back onto the bed, moving slowly. What was she supposed to do now that the spy knew her secret?

  “Good,” Sierelith said with a nod. “I like you better this way. You should know, when Isabelle put that Death sphere in your hands, she basically signed your death warrant. Looks like Orbisar has other plans for you.”

  “Isabelle did what she had to do,” Alyra murmured. “She tried to carry the sphere herself, but when she couldn’t, she asked me. I’m honored she trusted me with something so important. Derek absorbed that sphere’s power and used it to bring down that terrible monster.”

  “Good to know,” Sierelith replied. “I was curious how you’d take it.”

  “Why?”

  “Your Derek’s pretty mad at Isabelle for what she asked you to do. I’ve overheard some… interesting conversations around here.”

  Alyra’s brow furrowed. “He’s not my Derek. And I think they’ll make up soon enough. He can’t be that upset over me.”

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  Sierelith rolled her eyes. “You’re not the quickest, are you? There’s a chance Derek may never trust Isabelle again.” She gave a careless shrug. “But hey, believe what you want.”

  Never trust Isabelle again? Why? Isabelle had done the right thing, and Alyra had carried her part. What could be so wrong about that? She pushed the thought away. “Could you finally tell me why you’re here?”

  Sierelith’s smile widened. “I have plenty of reasons for what I do. The one that concerns you has to do with this school.”

  “What possible interest could you have in this school?”

  “My father, Korrigan, is very concerned about what the cultists did in Ebonshade. He believes one of them is already here… or about to arrive. He wasn’t very clear on that point.”

  Alyra’s pulse jumped. “Cult of the Dead? In this school? What could they possibly want with a novice academy?”

  Sierelith lifted a brow, watching her as if waiting for the pieces to click.

  Realization struck like a hammer. “They want me?”

  The spy nodded. “You know why. The Death energy you carry is rare and valuable. They want you in their ranks, and they don’t think you’re fit for Orbisar’s Church. Honestly, I’m inclined to agree.”

  Alyra stood, swayed, and flopped back onto the bed. “So?”

  “So my father thinks the Cult of the Dead is a threat to the Awakened Chain as well. We’re not against Death magic on principle, but what they pulled in Ebonshade was unacceptable. My job is to figure out their moves and, if possible, screw them over.” She punctuated it with a wink.

  Alyra frowned. It was hard to imagine someone like Korrigan Malzar, the leader of the heretics, using words like ‘screw them over’. That sounded more like the playful spin of this troublesome girl. “And your mission to figure out if Derek’s really the Cashnar?”

  “I can handle more than one thing at a time, kid.”

  Alyra huffed. “Are you ever going to stop calling me kid?”

  Sierelith smiled. “When you grow up, I will.”

  Alyra pushed herself up again and this time remained standing. The shock of Sierelith’s sudden appearance still rattled her, but her thoughts were finally clearing about what this meeting meant. “You told me all this because you want something from me, don’t you?”

  The heretic dipped in a quick bow. “Finally starting to think. Good, about time. Yes, of course. Even if I can juggle more than one task, another pair of eyes inside this school would be useful.”

  Her heart raced at the implications of what this lunatic—who already had her cornered—was about to ask. “You want me to be a spy?”

  Sierelith burst out laughing. “For Orbisar’s sake, no. You’d be awful at it. Just keep doing what you normally do. Now that you know what I’m after, keep your eyes open for the cult member.”

  Alyra frowned. “How do you even know there is one?”

  “My father has his sources, and like me, he doesn’t broadcast them. He couldn’t tell me if it’s someone already planted here or still on the way. But he’s certain they’ll come.”

  Alyra narrowed her eyes. “You already have your own source, as you call it. So why ask me for help? You’re the one who said I’d make a terrible spy.”

  “Because whoever’s hiding in this place already has you in their sights.” Sierelith flashed her a conspiratorial grin. “Who better than you to notice someone suspicious?”

  Alyra studied her. Those green eyes burned with a strange intensity. Reckless, almost insane. At least this time she wasn’t asking her to do anything more than keep her eyes open… what harm could there be in that?

  “Fine,” Alyra exhaled at last. “I’ll try to figure out who it is.”

  Sierelith clapped once, the sound sharp and ringing. “Perfect! Just watch and report any weirdness you see. Don’t stick your neck out. We wouldn’t want anyone kidnapping you…”

  Alyra shot her a flat stare. “Hilarious.”

  “See you soon!” Sierelith swept her hand through the air. A purple cloud bloomed around her. When the smoke cleared, she was gone.

  Alyra sat frozen, fingers knotted together, heart hammering until it finally slowed to a steadier beat.

  She drew a long breath, forcing the storm inside her into some semblance of order. She couldn’t let emotions run wild. Not this time.

  The Cult of the Dead, Claudine… and now this damn spy. Why couldn’t she just have a normal life like everyone else?

  She clutched her hair, screamed into the empty room, and kicked a chair.

  Pain jolted up her foot, stealing the air from her lungs. “Shit!” she gasped, hopping on one leg while grabbing the other. “Shit, shit, shit!”

  A knock rattled the door.

  She dropped her foot with a hissed curse and limped to the door.

  Waiting outside, arms crossed and annoyance etched into her face, stood a familiar figure.

  Alyra blinked. “Tanya? What are you doing here?”

  The Thorn huffed. “Instructor Claudine sent me to see if you’re fit to resume training.”

  “But class doesn’t start for another hour.”

  Tanya arched a brow. “She’s not talking about regular training. We’ve got that little remedial course for washouts like you, remember?”

  “Oh, that. Right…” Her foot still throbbed, but the ache was already fading. Just a bruise, thankfully. Surviving the slaughter at Ebonshade only to cripple herself alone in her own room would’ve been the height of irony.

  “What’s the problem?” Tanya asked. “If you want, I can tell her you’re not up for it. Not like I’m dying to waste my time with you.”

  The Thorn stood a head taller, her presence intimidating enough without the gulf in skill. A real champion.

  To her, Alyra was no doubt nothing but a waste of time. Still, Instructor Claudine had insisted on keeping their secret training going. Why, Alyra couldn’t guess. Best not to disappoint her.

  “N-no, it’s fine. Just give me a second to get ready.”

  Tanya shrugged. “Suit yourself. See you in the gym.” She turned and walked off, shaking her head.

  Alyra shut the door and hurried to get ready.

  Wash her face, get dressed… same old routine. Everything already felt like it was sliding back to normal. She just needed to be patient.

  Her stomach growled. She hadn’t even had breakfast. If she’d known there’d be extra training this early, she would’ve gotten up in time to eat something.

  Oh well. She could skip breakfast this once.

  She bent to tie her shoes when a thought chilled her. What if Tanya was the cultists’ spy? Why else insist on training with her?

  Tanya said it was Claudine’s idea, but she could’ve lied and Alyra would never risk asking the terrifying instructor to confirm.

  She pressed a hand to her forehead. No. If she started thinking like that, she’d end up suspecting everyone she met. Her job wasn’t to play detective or chase wild theories, it was to observe and report.

  And so far, Tanya hadn’t done anything suspicious.

  Alyra left the room and set off to catch up with her partner. The corridor was still half-empty at this hour, the blue crystal lights along the walls casting a cold glow over the stone. A few girls on their way to the dining hall for breakfast gave her curious glances, but none dared speak to her.

  She lowered her head and quickened her pace. The last thing she wanted was questions, let alone retelling what she had lived through. For once, she was grateful that most of them had never given her the slightest attention.

  In the gym, Tanya was already stretching.

  The Thorn sat with her legs spread wide, folding her toned body over one leg, then the other, every movement precise and controlled.

  Did she still remember the strike Alyra had managed to land the day she’d been kidnapped? Hopefully not.

  With a smooth, fluid motion, Tanya rose to her feet and arched a brow at her. “So, how was it?”

  “What?”

  Tanya rolled her eyes. “Ebonshade, obviously, genius. That’s all anyone talks about around here, but I think it’s all crap.”

  Alyra drew a deep breath. Of all the people she expected to show any real interest, Tanya was the last. “It was bad. A lot of innocent people died, including the local priest.”

  And Markus.

  A lump pressed at her throat, but she forced it down.

  The Thorn narrowed her eyes. “I’ve heard rumors about some giant beast tearing the whole village apart and—”

  “I don’t want to talk about it,” Alyra cut in. “We’re here to train, right?” She raised her gloved fists into a guard stance. Better to spend the whole day getting punched than to relive those moments.

  Tanya nodded with a mocking smile. “If you’re that eager to get beaten up, I’ll be happy to oblige…”

  Alyra clenched her jaw.

  “Suit yourself, little Sprout.” Tanya tapped her own chin. “Besides, I still owe you a punch, don’t I?”

  Crap.

  Before they started, Alyra had to ask one last question. “Tanya, why do you think Claudine wanted you to train with me? I mean, she has to know you’ve got nothing to learn from me.”

  The Thorn rubbed the back of her neck and shook her head. “That’s where you’re wrong. She seems to think this waste of time might do me some good. Who knows why. Maybe it’s got something to do with the tournament.”

  Alyra’s eyebrows shot up. “Tournament?”

  “Yeah. First one of the semester’s coming up. They use it to pick the two most promising students in Rothmere to send to the national tournament. The boys’ school runs their own, too. It’s not a game or entertainment. Most Wardens in office today are former winners or finalists.”

  “Oh, I didn’t know that. Well, good luck then.”

  Tanya gave her a look of disdain. “I don’t need luck. You do.”

  Alyra’s jaw dropped. “Me? You mean I have to compete too? But I’ve only been here a short time, and I’m just a Sprout!”

  This wasn’t some friendly game. You fought in front of an audience, instructors, even dignitaries from other cities. One slip, and people would be talking about it for months—maybe years.

  “The tournament’s open to all official students,” Tanya said. “No ranks, no divisions. Everyone gets the same chance to stand out.”

  She was doomed. They’d tear her apart in front of all Narkhara.

  Tanya’s mouth curled in a crooked grin. “Seriously? After what you went through in Ebonshade, you’re scared of a simple tournament?”

  Heat flared in Alyra’s cheeks. “I am not scared! I just haven’t had enough time to prepare, and I don’t want to make a fool of myself.”

  “I see,” Tanya said. “Then let’s not waste time, shall we?” She stepped forward, guard raised, a malicious smile tugging at her lips.

  Alyra swallowed hard.

  Her first day back at school was going to be very, very long.

  Thrive: Unseen

  by DMA

  When the player is broken, the System doesn’t matter.

  Thrive Protocol—a growth system that turns life into a leaderboard.

  Merge: place two items inside, get one “combined” result. No combat value. Trash-tier.

  Before anyone notices him, it’ll already be too late.

  New chapters every week ? Progression Fantasy ? LitRPG