The sun above Grandovale shimmered gently as students returned to the Arcanist's Academy. The Courtyard buzzed—not from chaos, but from life rekindling. The break had ended, and with it came laughter, footsteps, and wild energy.
Zen stood near one of the arches, arms folded, calm as ever.
Beside him stood Lyra, pretending she wasn't still smiling like a fool. She'd already hugged him—twice—and now just walked a little too close.
"You really didn't write back," she teased. "Training in secret? Or just avoiding me?"
Zen raised an eyebrow. "Was that a question or a trap?"
"A trap with sparkles," Lyra shot back.
Before Zen could respond, the air shifted.
BOOM.
A whirlwind of noise crashed through the front gates.
"MY PEOPLLLEEEEEE!! THE ONE! THE ONLY! KLEEZ THUNDERHORN RETURNS!"
Kleez had arrived.
Tall, broad-shouldered, with hair more chaotic than his laugh, Kleez barreled into the courtyard like a bolt of personified thunder. He wore his Royal class uniform like it was war armor—and it almost was, considering how loud his entrance was.
[System Nex]: [Warning: Sound levels exceeding safe limit. Muting suggested.]
Zen smirked.
Behind Kleez walked Elvren Halcrest, elegant as ever, Red hair catching the sunlight, calm eyes sweeping the crowd with regal disdain.
"Still alive, Zen," Elvren said coolly. "Didn't expect otherwise."
"He's evolved," Lyra added. "Taller, moodier, possibly darker."
Zen's eyes flicked to her. "I can hear you."
Kleez threw his arms wide. "I KNEW YOU'D SURVIVE! Of course you did! You're the only guy gloomier than my lightning strikes. Did you level up your brooding too?!"
Before Zen could answer, a booming voice echoed through the campus:
> "Attention Aetherion and Royal Classes—report to Lecture Hall I immediately. This is a formal notice regarding the upcoming Inter-Academy Tournament against Vaelstrom Academy. Tournament begins in two weeks. Attendance is mandatory."
Kleez blinked. "Wait… Vaelstrom?"
Elvren's eyes narrowed. "So, they're finally moving."
Lyra frowned. "That's a serious academy. High-level elementalists. I heard their top ranker took down an entire duel squad in under ten seconds."
Zen's gaze sharpened. "Two weeks."
[System Nex]: [Shadow Trial status updated. New Sub-Quest: "Preparation for Storm."]
[Requirement: Win at least one duel. Bonus Objective: Impress Lyra. Optional.]
Zen ignored the last part.
Kleez clapped both Zen and Elvren on the back. "Oh, it's ON. I say we start training. Lightning, fire, gloom—what a trio!"
Lyra stepped ahead. "Make it a quartet. I'm not watching from the sidelines."
Elvren nodded. "Then let's be clear. Vaelstrom isn't sending amateurs. If we're not ready—"
Zen cut in, voice low. "We'll be ready."
And as they made their way toward the lecture hall, a quiet wind stirred the banners above.
---
• Inside the Lecture Hall
The hall smelled like parchment, ozone, and high expectations. Students filed in and took their seats, chatter simmering down under the looming presence of Instructor tesika—a strict woman with storm-gray eyes and a reputation for making battle mages cry.
"You've all returned," she said, eyes scanning the room. "Good."
Kleez whispered behind his hand, "...for now."
"You'll need to be better than good," tesika continued. "Two weeks from now, a cross-academy tournament will be held. Only some selected students will represent Eboncrest against Vaelstrom Academy."
A beat of silence.
Then—
"Vaelstrom?" Elvren's eyebrows shot up. "They're monsters."
Tesika's lips twitched. "That's precisely why you're going."
The screen behind her flickered to life, displaying images of formidable-looking students in dark uniforms bearing the Vaelstrom insignia—a coiled serpent around a shattered shield.
Zen leaned forward slightly, eyes narrowing at the list of names and their specialties.
[System Nex: Vaelstrom's got a pyrokinetic duelist with tattoos that move, a gravity mage who plays dirty, and—ooh—a mirror illusionist who might actually be allergic to being hit. Cute.]
"We'll begin evaluation training tomorrow," Velmara concluded. "Pair up. Push each other. Surpass each other."
"And don't embarrass us."
---
• Later That Night
Kleez flopped onto the couch with his arms wide. "I'm not afraid. I'm terrified."
Fiora sat beside him, flipping through a report. "You should be."
"I volunteer Zen to carry us to victory," Sylvia announced from the armrest. "Any objections?"
Lyra smiled. "None. But we'll make sure to earn it beside him."
Zen stood quietly by the window, moonlight slicing through the blinds.
[System Nex: Tournament, rivals, public humiliation—it's like a coming-of-age story but with more magical explosions.]
He smirked, just slightly.
"Two weeks," he muttered. "Let's see who rises."