Camille let out an exaggerated sigh, dramatically clutching her chest. "How cruel. Defeated in battle and third-wheeling my own loss."
Claire burst out laughing, shaking her head. "You know, at this point, I should start placing bets on who's gonna win Sera first."
"Excuse me?!" I sputtered, finally breaking away from Lillian's hold. My face felt way too hot. "I am not—this is not—that is not a thing!"
Lillian just smiled—a slow, knowing smile.
Oh god.
I turned to Camille, desperate for a distraction. "You—how did you even plan to beat me when I trained for an entire week?!"
Camille shrugged, flicking her hair over her shoulder. "I had to try, didn't I? Besides…" She smirked. "You enjoyed the fight, didn't you?"
I blinked.
And—I hesitated.
Because… she was right.
For the first time, I really had enjoyed it.
Using my magic, strategizing with Lillian, feeling the exhilaration of pushing myself beyond my limits—
It had been thrilling.
Even now, I could feel the lingering rush in my veins, the way my magic felt so much more natural than before.
Lillian, still standing beside me, nudged my arm. "Told you," she murmured. "You're at your best when you stop hesitating."
I exhaled, shaking my head. "This still isn't over, is it?"
Claire crossed her arms. "Nope. There's one more round."
I sighed. "Of course there is."
Ms. Liora, who had been watching with an amused expression, finally stepped forward. "You're all impressive. But yes, there's one final test. And it won't just be a battle of magic."
We all tensed.
She smiled. "The final trial… is a test of endurance. A survival challenge."
Camille raised an eyebrow. "What kind of survival?"
Ms. Liora's smile widened.
"The kind where you'll be dropped into a simulated environment and have to last until morning."
Silence.
Then Claire groaned. "You mean like camping?"
Ms. Liora grinned.
"With monsters."
The room fell into dead silence.
"With monsters?" I repeated, just to make sure I heard that correctly.
Ms. Liora's smile didn't waver. "Yes. You'll be dropped into a controlled simulation, a magically created environment designed to mimic real-life survival conditions. Your goal is to endure the night, use your resources wisely, and most importantly—stay alive."
I narrowed my eyes. "Define 'controlled.'"
Ms. Liora chuckled. "The monsters won't actually kill you, if that's what you're worried about. But that doesn't mean they won't be dangerous. The pain, the exhaustion, the fear—it'll all feel very real. You will have to work together, or you won't last long."
Claire groaned, dragging a hand down her face. "Why do I feel like this is an elaborate excuse to torture us?"
"Because it is," Camille muttered.
I sighed. "Who are we partnered with this time?"
Ms. Liora clasped her hands together. "The same teams from the maze trial. You and Lillian will be together."
Of course we would.
I glanced at Lillian, who didn't seem the least bit worried. She looked intrigued.
Camille smirked at me. "Aw, I wanted a rematch."
"You literally just lost," I shot back.
"And I'd win next time."
Claire snorted. "You sure? Because I remember Sera absolutely wrecking you."
Camille dramatically gasped. "Betrayed by my own partner. This is the worst day of my life."
Ms. Liora cleared her throat. "As entertaining as this is, you all need to take this seriously. This isn't just about survival. You will be judged on your strategy, resourcefulness, teamwork, and adaptability. The top scorers will receive high merit, and their performance will be reported to the academy heads."
A cold weight settled in my stomach.
This wasn't just a trial.
It was an evaluation.
A way to measure our strengths for something… bigger.
Something related to the North Gate.
I exchanged a glance with Lillian, and from the flicker of understanding in her emerald eyes, I knew she had come to the same conclusion.
"Alright," Ms. Liora continued. "You'll be given ten minutes to prepare. After that, you'll be transported into the simulation. Your objective is simple—survive until dawn."
The room buzzed with tense energy.
Lillian turned to me, her lips quirking into that infuriatingly calm smile. "This should be fun."
I exhaled sharply.
"Fun," I muttered.
Right.
Because there was nothing more fun than getting thrown into a survival challenge with monsters and an unfairly attractive partner who knew exactly how to mess with me.
The ten minutes passed far too quickly.
Before I knew it, we were standing in the center of an open field, the sky above us already shifting into hues of deep indigo and navy blue. A dense forest loomed ahead, stretching far beyond what my eyes could see. The air was cool, crisp, and carried an unsettling silence—the kind that made my instincts scream that something was watching us.
I took a deep breath. Survive until dawn. That was the objective.
Simple.
Except nothing was ever simple.
I turned to Lillian, who was still entirely too calm for my liking. She gazed toward the treetops, the faint glow of the simulated moon reflecting in her emerald eyes. Her rapier rested lazily at her side, and her posture was relaxed—as if she were out for an evening stroll and not about to fight for her life.
"You look way too comfortable with this," I muttered, crossing my arms.
Lillian glanced at me, a small smirk tugging at her lips. "Should I be scared instead? Would that make you feel better?"
I scowled. "No. But at least pretend to take this seriously."
"I am," she said, stepping closer. "Very seriously. That's why I have you."
My heart skipped.
I scoffed, turning my head. "Flattery won't make me go easy on you."
She chuckled. "Who said I wanted you to go easy on me?"
Before I could respond, a deep, guttural growl rumbled through the air.
I stiffened. Lillian's expression barely changed, but I saw the way her fingers tensed around her rapier.
The first monster was here.
The moment I turned, glowing yellow eyes flickered in the shadows of the trees. The underbrush shook, branches snapping under heavy footsteps. Then—it lunged.
I barely had time to react before claws swiped toward my face.
[Ice Shield]
A barrier of thick frost formed between us just in time. The monster—**a hulking, wolf-like beast with jagged black fur and elongated fangs—**slammed against it, snarling. My breath hitched. The impact sent a sharp vibration through my magic, almost cracking the ice.
This thing was strong.
I leaped back, my mind racing. Lillian already had her rapier drawn, her stance elegant and poised.
"Lovely technique," she mused. "But let's see how well you hold up in a fight."
I rolled my eyes. "Not the time, Lillian!"
"On the contrary, it's the perfect time," she said, tilting her head, before darting forward.
She was fast.
In a single swift movement, she sidestepped the beast, blade flashing in the moonlight. Her rapier sliced cleanly across its flank, drawing a horrid screech from its throat. I didn't miss how effortless it was for her—like she was dancing rather than fighting.
The beast whirled on her, snapping its fangs—but I was already moving.
[Ice Spear]
Jagged spears of frost erupted from the ground, encasing the creature's legs before it could reach her. Its limbs locked in place, frozen mid-motion.
Lillian's smirk widened. "Now that's more like it."
The beast thrashed violently, the ice around its legs cracking.
Crap.
Lillian leapt forward, aiming a precise strike at its **neck—**but at the last second, another set of glowing eyes appeared from the shadows.
A second beast. And it was charging straight for her.
"Lillian!"
Before I could think, I moved. My instincts took over.
[Ice Dash]
A burst of cold magic propelled me forward, faster than I had ever moved before. The second beast was mid-air, claws extended—but I reached her first.
I grabbed Lillian by the waist, spinning her out of the way just as the monster's massive form crashed into the ground.
Lillian's hands caught my shoulders, and suddenly—we were chest to chest.
Her breath hitched.
My own heart stopped.
Everything around us faded for a second. It was just me, her, and the warmth of her body pressed against mine.
Then—
"Well," she murmured, voice breathless. "That was bold of you."
I opened my mouth, but no words came out.
And then—another growl.
Oh. Right. The monsters.
Before I could die of embarrassment, Lillian smoothly regained her footing, flipping her rapier in her hand. "We should probably finish this first, don't you think?"
I exhaled sharply, forcing my focus back. "Right. Let's just—never speak of this again."
Lillian's smirk was downright wolfish. "No promises."
The battle was far from over.
The second beast let out a piercing snarl, shaking off the dust as it locked its eyes on me. The first one was still trapped in my ice, but it wouldn't hold for long. Lillian stepped beside me, her rapier glinting under the moonlight.
"We take them together," she said smoothly, voice as calm as if we were not facing monstrous creatures trying to tear us apart.
"Obviously," I shot back, exhaling sharply. "I'll handle the frozen one. You take the other."
Lillian smiled—a sharp, confident thing that made my pulse stutter. "Try not to get distracted this time."
I didn't dignify that with a response. Instead, I focused my energy, feeling the icy chill of my magic crackle at my fingertips.
The first beast, still encased in ice, thrashed violently, shattering some of its restraints. Its rage sent a visible tremor through its body, steam rising from where the frost met its fur.
Not good. The ice wouldn't hold.
Fine. Time for something bigger.
I raised my hand, magic surging through my veins.
[Ice Lance]
A spear of jagged ice formed in mid-air, hovering just above my palm. The second the monster lunged, I thrust my hand forward—and the spear shot straight through its chest.
The beast howled in agony, its body convulsing as the ice spread rapidly through its limbs. It staggered, claws scraping against the ground—then, with a final, shuddering breath, it collapsed.
For a moment, I stood still, chest rising and falling, waiting to see if it would move again.
It didn't.
One down.
I turned my attention to Lillian—and nearly forgot how to breathe.
She moved like a shadow, fluid and elegant, her rapier slicing through the air with lethal precision. The second beast barely had a chance to land a hit on her. She dodged effortlessly, every motion graceful, every step calculated.
Then, in a single decisive move, she lunged forward—her blade piercing the monster's throat.
A perfect kill.
The creature let out a final gurgling snarl before crumbling onto the dirt.
Silence settled over the clearing, broken only by the sound of our breathing.
Lillian turned to me, flicking her rapier to rid it of blood. "Not bad, Sera."
I swallowed, trying to regulate my heartbeat. "You either."
Then—her expression shifted.
She stalked forward, closing the distance between us in a heartbeat. Before I could react, she cupped my chin, tilting my face upward to meet her eyes.
"You moved so quickly back there," she murmured, thumb brushing over my lower lip. "Saved me before I even saw it coming."
I froze. My breath hitched.
What was she—?
Lillian's lips curled into a smirk. "Tell me, Sera. Were you being reckless? Or were you just that desperate to hold me?"
My brain short-circuited.
I shoved her hand away, face burning. "I WAS TRYING TO SAVE YOUR LIFE!"
She laughed—actually laughed. A soft, musical sound that sent entirely too many emotions through me.
"Relax," she said, voice way too amused. "I was merely… appreciating the moment."
I scowled, crossing my arms. "You're impossible."
She leaned in slightly, emerald eyes gleaming with something dangerous. "You love it."
I was seconds away from yelling at her—when a voice suddenly interrupted.
"Well, well. That was quite the show."
Both Lillian and I turned sharply—just in time to see Camille and Claire stepping into the clearing.
Claire had her arms crossed, a smirk tugging at her lips. Camille, on the other hand, had an entirely unreadable expression.
"I was going to ask how you two were doing," Claire said, eyeing us with an unmistakable knowing glint, "but from the looks of it—you're clearly doing just fine."
I opened my mouth, fully prepared to defend my honor, but Camille took a step forward, eyes locked onto Lillian.
"That last move," Camille mused, expression unreadable. "The way you dodged. It was… different."
Lillian's gaze flickered toward her. "Oh?"
Camille tilted her head slightly. "It wasn't your usual fighting style. It was faster. Almost like you were adjusting mid-battle."
For the first time, Lillian's smirk faded just slightly.
There was a brief pause, a flicker of something unreadable in her expression.
Then, she simply smiled. "Maybe I was."
Camille hummed, her violet eyes sharp with interest. "I see."
I frowned, looking between them. Was I missing something?
Before I could ask, Ms. Liora's voice rang out from above.
"Congratulations! You all survived the first night. Consider it a success."
I exhaled, only now realizing how exhausted I was.
But something about the way Camille kept watching Lillian made me uneasy.
And I had a feeling that, despite surviving the night—
The real trials were only just beginning.