CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The final checking did not take long. It was meant to determine whether they were fit for the long journey ahead, because everyone knew or at least assumed that this would not end in just a week.
Their mana and physical strength were assessed using a mana-stone, a crystal that indicated their capabilities. As it responded, it measured strength, speed, and endurance, its glow shifting with every reading.
Some stones shone steadily, controlled and calm.
Others pulsed unevenly, powerful, yet stable. No one spoke as the evaluations continued.
This was no longer merely a test of ability. It was a quiet measure of survival.
Their health was checked as well, even though it had already been done before. This was only to double-check everything, to avoid any accidents along the way. Royalty or nobility have their way for them not to participate in this expedition because the only reason they joined the academy is to stop the commoners who are more powerful than they are from having a higher position in government, it's all about politics.
Surprisingly, most of them join the said expedition, but to accommodate them, some are chosen to ride the fucking carriage, while most of us ride a horse. I do have a choice, but I don't like to sit like a fucking princess in that carriage.
"Despite your balance being your nemesis in previous lessons, you're riding a horse." I hear him saying, using his sarcastic tone, mocking my ability to ride a horse. I will not deny such a claim because it is true, but that's not the reason I will not answer such a statement; it's because of who is saying it.
"You have so much time on your hands despite being a team leader." I counter back. Well, I end up saying something in return to this man, Raiven.
"You'd be surprised at what a team leader can get away with without lifting a finger."
"Credits." I simply said.
I stood beside the horse, gripping the reins in one hand and the saddle in the other. My left foot found the stirrup, and I pushed off the ground, swinging my right leg over its back. I landed gently in the saddle, adjusting myself until I felt upright and balanced, my hands resting lightly on the reins, ready to move.
In my peripheral vision, I see his smirk, but it didn't take long for him to draw a thin line on his lips.
"You can say that. Don't go off wandering around by yourself, that's an order…from your team leader." I urge my horse to move forward to leave my so-called team leader.
The third-year class consists of three sections: Elysium, Aetheris, and Noctara.
Each class has 20–25 students, enough to form one main team per class. Within the class, students are divided into 4–5 squads, each led by a squad leader. Squad leaders are responsible for coordinating their members and reporting every movement or action to the team leader, who oversees the entire class team.
Elysium team leader is no other than Raiven.
Aetheris team leader is Xavier, his father, if I am not mistaken, is the general of the military.
As for Noctara, their team leader is Aurelia. If I may not sound condescending, she's a commoner, but her power is so immense it would be a crime for it to go to waste. She deserves a spot on Elysium but I heard she didn't accept such an opportunity.
Most of the students from Noctara are commoners or those who lost their nobility but are powerful enough…they have their term for them, the Fallen Blades. They are mostly the ones they send to the battlefield, the frontliners.
"On this expedition, we will be meeting some of the great mages from the Red Tower." Some of them strive to get a position on the tower, like my father, who became an archmage, who can, if he wants to be a grandmaster, but chose not to.
I can feel some of their head turning towards me. I didn't bother looking at them. I am well aware of what my father is, his influence over the empire.
---
"Fucking insomnia," I mumble as I try to close my eyes. We set up a fucking tent here in the middle of the forest. Even if I try to close my eyes to get some rest. At dawn, we will continue our journey, and it will be a hellish day. When I can't seem to get to sleep, I decided to get out of my bed.
"What a fucking bullshit!" I am hearing talking not far from our tent, so I follow the voices. From this distance, I saw Craige with another student, they are in front of the fire they made.
"Can't find your dreams?" I look at the girl who speaks beside me without warning, which makes my eyes widen a little bit. I don't know her personally, but her face seems familiar. I've only seen her during our physical training, where we get the chance to spar against the best from other sections.
It seems like she's one of the ones assigned to guard our base. It is divided into three rotations. Craige is the second one from our team, and from the first rotation, I haven't slept a bit. I smile at her—or maybe "smile" is too generous a word. It's more like a line I draw across my face, trying to pass it off as a smile, though I can't really call it one.
I was about to leave her be and go check on Craige when she suddenly grabbed my arm. I jolted away from her touch and gave her a sharp look.
"Didn't your mother ever tell you not to touch someone you don't know?" She gives me a smirk that makes my eyebrows meet, forming a crease on my forehead. When she realizes that she's smirking, she pretends to back away. In an instant, two cups of tea are in her hands, throws the other one, which sure gives a bang.
"I-I'm sorry…I thought…" she shakes her head at me. Surely, I will give him five stars for that dramatic act of backing away and stammering.
"What's happening here?" I hear Raiven's voice. Fuck.
"I was just offering for her to join me for a cup of tea, and she…" She points at the cup shattered on the ground. Oh great. Of course, Raiven would believe a stranger over me, he always does.
I clap my hands at her performance, stepping closer, just enough to intimidate her without getting too close. Then, swiftly, I slap her. The surprise makes her freeze. Before she can react, I snatch the cup from her hand.
I tip the teacup over her head, letting the hot tea cascade down her hair and shoulders, then throw the cup to the ground with a sharp crack as it shatters into pieces.
"There. I made your narrative come true. Be thankful I didn't make you a liar."
Fucking bitch.
I didn't hesitate to turn my back on them. That's when I noticed the other students staring at us, but I ignored them. I walked over to Craige, and he gave me a grin. He didn't even ask what had really happened.
"Just a little more, and you'll make everyone your enemy with all those slaps," he says. I shrug and snatch his cup of coffee.
I have no idea what Raiven did, and I don't really care to find out how he handled it. I expected our professor to scold me the next day, but nothing happened. Oh, I guess he saw through that bitch lies.
When I look at her, she immediately turns her gazes away from me. I didn't even bother hiding rolling my eyes at her.
"What a bitch!" I whispered.
---
"We're five kilometers away from the Red Tower." I look at the map I am holding. We decided to stop for a rest. The Red Tower is between the border of the Caelithra and the Ruins Kingdom of Aetheria.
I remember learning this about Aetheria.
During the great war, when everything was already falling apart, the King chose to run away and save himself. He left the kingdom without protection, and the people were forced to survive on their own. With no army and no one to lead them, fear slowly took over.
The people of Aetheria had no choice but to turn to something forbidden. They used old rituals and summoned creatures that were never meant to exist in their world. These were not gods or heroes. They were unknown beings, dark and powerful, hiding in places no one could fully understand.
At first, these creatures helped them. They drove away enemies and protected what was left of the kingdom. But the power they brought was too much.
It started to change everything.
The people became different. Some lost their minds, others lost themselves. The land also began to decay. The air felt heavy, the ground became lifeless, and shadows started to move in ways they should not.
In the end, Aetheria did not survive the war.
It became the Ruins.
A broken place filled with silence, where something still hides in the shadows. Some believe the creatures are still there, watching and waiting, never truly gone.
Then maybe it is true that this was when black magic began.
The magicians saw how powerful the forbidden chants were. At first, they believed they could control it, that they could use it to protect the kingdom and bring back what was lost. The power answered them, and for a moment, it felt like they had won.
But the consequences were greater than they imagined.
The magic did not follow their will. It grew stronger on its own, feeding on fear, on desperation, on the very people who summoned it. The more they tried to control it, the more it slipped away from them.
Soon, it was no longer magic they were using.
It was something else entirely.
Something alive.
And by the time they realized the truth, it was already too late. They could no longer take back what they had unleashed, and whatever came through the shadows was no longer willing to leave.
The two mages came to greet us and will guide us to the next kingdom, the Ruins of Aetheria. They told us that we would stay in a village near the Tower. The village is both far from the kingdom and close to it. The Tower stands at the border of the ruined land, where the corruption begins.
Only ruined villages remain.
That is where we will stay. We have a goal. It is to investigate, to observe, and to watch the village.
"Of all places. Why do we have to have our investigation in the Ruins of that Kingdom?"
Some of them complain when they find out that we will not be staying at the Tower, that we will not be learning the new chants that we have never known before. They are all stunned, or maybe I should say most of the noble kids are stunned by this news. They are the ones who complain when the two mages explain our assignment to us.
"If you don't like any of it, go home," the mage says. There is no joking in his words. That is what I admire about mages. They do not bow down to the whims of these nobles or to us, since I am somewhat part of that society.
Some of the others laugh when the complainers are left speechless. They are commoners, and they laugh freely. When they notice I am watching them, they stop, but they still hold their head high.
"How about we ask your team leader?" We all turn our heads to Raiven. I can see him from here, the side of his face. He looks at the mage, completely unbothered by whatever the mage intends to make him feel… or threaten.
"We are not aware that we will be staying in the said village. I think you overlook the importance of informing us beforehand before acting. But if this is approved by the headmaster, then I have no objection. Still, do explain the change of plan to us. Going to war without a battle brief of what we should expect is suicide—unless, of course, you wish, Red Tower, to annihilate us, the students. That would be disheartening to hear if that is the case."
I can't help but smirk with that response, that is very clever of him. I won't wonder why he's worthy to be the number one in our academy…why he's deemed to be the best mage of our batch.
"Professor, are you also aware of these changes?" I shout, turning to the professor. He looks at me and shakes his head.
"The headmaster didn't give me such instructions."
"Then this is all Red Tower's call. Are you ready for the consequences if anything happens to any of us? Especially since we have the heirs of every region and a…" I glance at the Princess. "A royal member."
Before the mage speaks, Rose is her name if I am not mistaken, the other mage, his name is Zenin, steps forward.
"The King ordered us to change the initial plan of everyone staying at the Red Tower. The discretion falls under the King. Are you willing to go against a royal decree?"
"You could have said that from the start. Instead, you just announce we'll stay in the village as if we have no say." Zenin looks at me. I see from here how his eyes turn dark for a moment. Seraphina tilts her head and lets out a sharp laugh.
"Seems we're forced to go along with whatever you decide, whether it's fair or not," I add to my previous statement. They all look at me. Some find me funny, and some find me courageous for saying that.
"Do you take us for fools?"
"Do you believe that you have the power to make us do whatever your whims may be?"
Some of them whisper and murmur, unable to speak back freely, but it is enough for the two mages to hear.
"Then crawl back to your beds," Zenin says.
"If you lack the will, leave. The rest, move."
Whatever we say does not matter. We either accept it or go back, but if we do, it is not the Red Tower whose reputation is at stake, but the academy and the honor of our families.
Rose smirks, clearly aiming her look at me. "Then lie there and do nothing, like you're used to."
I meet her gaze, unflinching. "Careful. The ones you call useless today will be the ones replacing you tomorrow."
Without breaking eye contact, I press my heels into the horse's sides. It shudders, then rises to a brisk trot, hooves striking the ground with purpose. The horse responds instantly to my command, moving forward with strength and precision.
"What?" Zenin taps Rose's shoulder and urges her to move forward. The professor who doesn't know what his reaction will be smiles at me as he nods his head, giving me approval of what I just said.