The teacher's voice cut through the air: "That's enough." He turned and left the students behind, heading straight to the main principal—not the one who had admitted Louis to the school.
Louis's heart thumped as a portal suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Without hesitation, he stepped through—and found himself on the 18th floor, face to face with Principal Daniel Duskford.
The principal's eyes widened at the sight of Louis's black aura. So rare… so powerful… The energy radiating from him was unlike anything Duskford had ever seen. He spoke firmly:
"Use this power for good, no matter what."
Louis took the magical staff handed to him, its surface shimmering faintly. It felt like it had been forged just for him, resonating perfectly with his aura.
"A staff this rare… can I even control it?" Louis wondered silently.
Duskford added, "If you ever need anything, come to the 18th floor. I'll seal the other forbidden floors so no one can interfere, and you can train here safely."
Back with the other students, a small crowd had gathered around Louis, their curiosity burning in their eyes. But the teacher raised his hand, stopping them. "Stay in your places," he said, then began distributing magical staffs to each student according to their abilities.
Every three students formed a team. Louis found himself grouped with Lily, Charlotte, Nick, Lucy, and a student named Bella. He could feel the power of everyone around him, each aura unique, each thread of energy intertwining with the others.
I have to control this… I have to understand it… Louis thought as the teacher led them to the training grounds.
Days of intense training passed, leaving Louis and Charlotte completely exhausted. They collapsed onto their beds back at the dormitory. A voice boomed over the school loudspeakers: tomorrow would be their first mission after discovering their powers.
Louis's chest tightened. First mission… and I still don't know how to control this power properly… what if I mess up?
The next morning, the alarm blared. Anyone late would be expelled. Students scrambled, quickly dressing and rushing to the training field.
Their instructor,Eisel Yegar, stepped forward. "This is your first mission, so it will be simple. You will go into the forest and collect the Golden Mushrooms. There are only four in the forest. Don't worry—they're not deep inside, so the monsters will be weak."
Six hours. That was all they had.
Louis, Charlotte, and Lily set off on foot, the forest slowly coming into view. The trees loomed overhead, their shadows stretching long across the path. Every crack of a branch or rustle of leaves made Louis's heart race.
Lily, familiar with herbs and mushrooms, scanned the area with sharp, practiced eyes. "They should be near the stream," she whispered. Louis nodded silently, keeping a careful eye on the surroundings.
Small monsters attacked along the way, but they were weak. Just practice… just practice… Louis muttered, dodging and countering instinctively.
Finally, Lily spotted a mushroom and dashed forward. But the moment her fingers touched it, the ground erupted. A massive serpent shot out, its tail smashing down with enough force to send trees toppling and debris flying.
Louis reacted instantly. He shoved Lily out of the way, feeling the wind from the snake's tail whip past them. Lily's body froze, trembling violently. I… I can't move…
"Keep moving!" Louis shouted. Charlotte grabbed Lily's arm, pulling her along as they sprinted through the undergrowth. The snake's hiss followed them, a terrifying reminder that one wrong move could end everything.
"This… this is part of the test," Louis told himself, glancing back at the monstrous tail thrashing behind them. "That's why the time limit is so long."
Charlotte, his breath ragged and panic in his voice, muttered, "I… I don't think so…"
Tears streamed down Lily's cheeks as she cried, "I don't want to die!!"
Louis's eyes narrowed. "Quiet! We need to mislead it! Focus!"
They ran, hearts pounding, every step a fight for survival—and every second a lesson in control, courage, and the raw weight of their newfound powers.