Pete sat up in bed, his heart pounding with excitement. Skyfang Academy, the most prestigious school for beastkin, had finally opened its doors to a handful of non-beast students like him. It was a historic moment—never before had humans, elves, or other non-beasts been allowed inside.
He rushed to the window and looked out at the towering academy in the distance. The castle-like structure stood atop a floating island, suspended in the sky by ancient magic. From here, he could see winged beastfolk soaring toward it, their feathers and scales glistening under the morning sun.
Pete wasn't afraid. He had trained for this. But the real question was—would the beasts accept him?
As he turned to get dressed, he noticed something odd—his shadow… moved on its own.
Boo , Pete jumped out of his room only to find out it was his mischievous brother concealing his body into a shadow . What the bloody hell was that Gregor were late u know said Pete . Really Gregor were two hours away from the school openingGregor smirked as he stepped out of the shadows, his dark magic dissolving like mist. "Relax, little bro. You're acting like you've never been outside before."
Pete huffed, throwing on his cloak. "This isn't just 'outside,' Gregor. It's Skyfang Academy. I can't afford to be late on my first day."
Gregor leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. "Fine, fine. Just don't get eaten. Those beastkin aren't exactly known for playing nice with humans."
Pete ignored him and rushed downstairs. Their mother was already at the door, holding out a packed satchel. "Be careful, my love," she said, ruffling his hair. "And remember—stand your ground, but stay respectful."
With a final wave, Pete bolted outside, where the transport glyph was glowing on the ground. In just a few moments, it would teleport him to the academy gates.
But as he stepped onto it, he felt a strange pull—the magic wasn't working right. The air shimmered violently, and before he could react, the spell collapsed. Instead of the academy, Pete found himself somewhere else entirely.
Pete stumbled as the magic fizzled out, dropping him right back into his room. He groaned, rubbing his head. "Oh, come on! Seriously?"
Gregor laughed from the doorway. "Told you. The glyphs are probably set to activate at the right time. You can't just rush fate, little bro."
Pete flopped onto his bed, staring at the ceiling. "Ugh. So what do I do now? Just sit here for two hours?"
Gregor smirked. "Or… you could spar with me. Unless you're scared I'll wipe the floor with you again."
Pete sat up, fire in his eyes. "Oh, you're on."
With a flick of his wrist, Gregor summoned twin daggers of shadow, while Pete grabbed his wooden training sword. If they had to wait, they might as well make it interesting.
Gregor I challenge to dress to bare minimum , Pete was ready to snap Gregor in his most vulnerable form , Mommmmm why would you undress me too said Pete , no cheating Pete you know that and no posting of your body to the FEN , so you guys are gonna spar while being afraid of me posting you
Gregor burst into laughter while Pete turned red with frustration. "MOM! This is totally unfair!"
Their mother smirked, crossing her arms. "Oh, please. You think you can fight at Skyfang Academy, but you're scared of a little embarrassment?"
Gregor, now only in his underclothes, stretched lazily. "She's got a point, Pete. If you can't focus under pressure, how will you handle real combat?"
Pete groaned but took his stance. Fine. He'd win this fight and prove his focus was unshakable.
Gregor lunged first, shadow daggers flickering in the dim morning light. Pete dodged, rolling to the side, then countered with a sweeping strike from his wooden sword. Gregor barely managed to block, grinning.
"Not bad," Gregor admitted. "But let's see how you handle this."
With a snap of his fingers, the shadows beneath Pete twisted and pulled at his feet, trying to trap him.
Pete smirked as his dagger skill, Lagrith, ignited with a burst of radiant energy, dispelling the creeping shadows around his feet. Light against darkness—Gregor's usual tricks wouldn't work this time.
Gregor raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Since when did you get good at countering my magic?"
Pete spun his glowing dagger and lunged, forcing Gregor to go on the defensive. "Since I realized I'd be fighting beasts twice my size at Skyfang. If I can beat you, I can handle them."
Gregor dodged and tried to shift into the shadows, but Pete anticipated it. He slashed the air, sending a wave of light-infused energy that burned away the darkness. Gregor stumbled back, wide-eyed.
Their mother clapped from the doorway. "Enough! Pete wins."
Pete grinned triumphantly. "Told you, Greg."
Gregor just sighed. "Fine, fine. But don't get cocky—beasts don't play fair like me."
Just then, the teleportation glyph reignited, signaling that it was time.
"Looks like fate is ready now," Pete muttered, stepping toward it.
Now Pete ran to the glyph happily without even putting on some clothes and appeared straight to the middle of the school, all laughed but at the speed of light Gregor noticed and trapped Pete in a shadow cage so he can change Pete barely had a second to realize his mistake before Gregor's shadow cage snapped around him, stopping him in his tracks.
The entire courtyard of Skyfang Academy erupted into laughter. Beastkin of all shapes and sizes—towering lionfolk, sleek feline warriors, feathered harpy scholars—were all howling at the sight of a half-dressed human appearing in the middle of their grand school.
Pete's face burned red. "GREGOR, YOU TRAITOR!"
Gregor, standing beside the teleportation glyph, smirked. "You should be thanking me. Imagine making your grand entrance buck-naked."
A massive wolf-headed instructor, clad in battle-scarred armor, stepped forward, his sharp yellow eyes gleaming with amusement. "Human, if you were trying to challenge the ancient traditions of our academy, this is certainly a bold way to do it."
The laughter doubled. Pete groaned. First day, and he was already a walking joke.
Gregor finally snapped his fingers, and the shadow cage dropped. "Hurry up and change, bro. First impressions matter."
Pete muttered curses under his breath as he scrambled to put on his uniform.
And then, as if fate wasn't done messing with him, a deep, growling voice rumbled from the entrance of the academy:
"Is this the strongest human they sent?"
Pete turned—and saw a towering beastkin, twice his size, stepping forward with crossed arms and a hungry grin.
Pete barely had time to adjust his uniform before the beastkin loomed over him. Leo Carpforbid—half griffin, half saber warrior—was massive. Golden feathers ran down his arms, and his razor-sharp fangs glinted as he grinned.
Pete took a deep breath. First day, and he was already being challenged.
Gregor whistled from the side. "Oof. Bad luck, little bro."
Leo cracked his knuckles. "What's wrong, human? You came here to fight, didn't you? Or did they send a weakling to represent your kind?"
The crowd oohed in excitement. Some beastkin murmured about how no human could possibly stand a chance against a hybrid like Leo.
Pete clenched his fists. He wasn't about to back down.
He took his stance, the glow of Lagrith flickering around his dagger. "Fine. You want a fight? Let's go."
Leo's grin widened. "Good. I like humans with guts."
With a burst of speed, Leo lunged at Pete, claws flashing.Just as Leo's claws were about to connect, a blur of motion cut through the air—SMACK!
Both Pete and Leo froze mid-air as a single pinky flick sent them tumbling back like ragdolls. The entire courtyard fell silent