The following morning dawned gray and sullen, clouds stretching across the sky like heavy bruises. Aria pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders as she crossed the academy grounds. The air was damp, tasting faintly of rain and tension.
Her training with Riven had begun in earnest. Each day was a brutal test of will and control. He pushed her to the very edge of her abilities, then demanded she go further. It wasn't just magic anymore — it was survival. Magic, mind, body, soul — all had to move as one.
Yet even as the training wore her down, she found herself smiling more often than not — a thin, sardonic smile she'd perfected whenever Riven barked out another impossible task. A small rebellion of spirit.
She wasn't the broken girl from her past life anymore.
Today, however, wasn't about training.
Today was the first major Dueling Demonstration.
It was supposed to be a "friendly" event between the first-year students — a way for professors to assess everyone's capabilities, encourage camaraderie, and give students a chance to show off. In reality, it was an unofficial ranking system. A battlefield where reputations were forged... or shattered.
Aria stood at the edge of the grand dueling courtyard, a massive marble arena surrounded by high stone walls and tiered seating already packed with spectators. She tugged at the leather gloves she wore, adjusting them with slow, deliberate movements.
She could feel the eyes on her.
Whispers floated through the air:
"Isn't she the one who had that strange incident with the courtyard?"
"I heard she burned an entire field by accident."
"I bet she won't even last a round."
Aria sighed, tilting her head back to study the sky. Wonderful. They've already made me into a walking catastrophe.
A tap on her shoulder pulled her from her thoughts.
It was Elric, a fellow first-year — friendly, freckled, and probably the only person so far who treated her normally. "Hey, you okay?" he asked. His voice was pitched low, wary.
Aria gave him a crooked smile. "If I burst into flames, just throw a bucket of water on me........"
Elric snorted, shaking his head. "Noted😂."
An official in deep blue robes stepped into the center of the courtyard, his voice amplified by magic. "First duel: Aria Valemir versus... Rayne Crossford."
The courtyard buzzed.
Rayne Crossford.
Son of one of the academy's major patrons. Already infamous for his arrogance and talent. Brilliant in magic theory — and a complete menace in practical lessons. Rumor had it he'd dueled and defeated second-years during mock battles.
Aria's gaze sharpened.
So they're testing me immediately.
She stepped into the ring, boots scraping against marble.
Rayne was already there, smirking like he'd already won. His pristine white uniform was pressed so sharply it looked like he'd just stepped out of a portrait. His wand — an ornate piece inlaid with tiny sapphires — spun idly in his fingers.
"You're the special one, aren't you?" he said, his voice loud enough to carry. "The golden girl." He twirled his wand lazily. "Don't worry. I'll go easy on you. Wouldn't want to scuff that pretty little face."
Aria's lips twitched. Seriously? We're doing this cliché?
She offered a sweet smile in return. "Thanks. I'll try not to break your spine."
A few students nearby laughed quietly. Rayne's smirk faltered.
The official raised his hand.
"Begin!"
Rayne moved first — fast. With a flourish, he launched a hail of shimmering blue shards at her, a spell designed to bind and immobilize. Aria sidestepped gracefully, letting the shards slam harmlessly into the ground behind her.
In a flash, she countered.
Her hands moved through the gestures Riven had drilled into her — sharp, fluid, exact. Golden sigils burned into existence midair, and a pulse of force shot out, blasting the ground beneath Rayne's feet.
He stumbled, cursing, and immediately threw up a shield. It shimmered azure — textbook perfect.
But Aria didn't stop.
She pressed forward, weaving another spell — one she had been experimenting with during her secret practice sessions.
Her palm ignited in molten gold. Threads of magic spiraled from her fingers, twisting and lashing toward Rayne's shield like living chains.
The moment they touched, his shield cracked — visibly buckling under the strain.
Rayne's eyes widened.
Aria grinned, a glint of wicked glee in her eyes.
She twisted her hand, and the golden chains snapped tight, shattering his shield with an audible crack. Before he could recover, she sent a controlled burst of force that knocked him flat onto his back, wand skittering away across the floor.
The crowd gasped.
Silence stretched, thick and stunned.
The official strode forward, lifting a hand. "Match — Aria Valemir!🔥🔥"
Rayne groaned from the floor, clutching his ribs. Aria leaned down just enough for him to hear and murmured with mock sweetness, "Sorry. Did I scuff you?"
She turned on her heel and left him there, walking off the field with a lightness she hadn't felt in years.
Later, in the shade of a quiet courtyard garden, Aria collapsed onto a bench, stretching her arms overhead.
"I was almost worried you were going to melt him," a dry voice said.
Riven.
He lounged nearby, arms crossed, his usual unimpressed expression firmly in place.
Aria shot him a lazy smirk. "What, and make your job easier? No way."
For a second — just a second — Riven's mouth twitched upward.
"You're improving," he said. "But that was a small fish. Remember, there are sharks out there."
Aria closed her eyes, tilting her face to the breeze. "Let them come."
And for the first time in a long while, she truly meant it.
She was Aria Valemir.
She wasn't just going to survive.
She was going to conquer.