Chapter 351 - Tackle the Unexpected

Wakefulness hit Kai like a wave smashing a kid against a steep shore. He groaned as the first icy breath clawed at his lungs.

Where… am… I…

His head throbbed, senses dulled and hazy. In the dark, he could make out nothing but blurry shadows—with just enough awareness to tell something was wrong.

How… did I…

Rough ground pressed into his cheek, the cold seeping into his skin, numbing him from head to toe. Was he lying down? Trying to grasp memories felt like groping through a muddy seafloor with touch alone. Had he hit his head? Fallen out of bed? With his Constitution, he must have tripped off a balcony to justify his current state.

Nothing seemed broken. He dragged his hands up beside his head and pushed himself up. The rough rock beneath his fingers wasn’t the smooth planks of his room, or any place he recognized. With effort, he eased into a sitting position, brushed sharp pebbles from his cheek, and rubbed his jaw to coax back some warmth.

Squinting at his surroundings, it wasn’t completely dark. A bluish glow cast the shape of blurry shadows. Faint groans tickled his ears.

Beasts…?

Urgency jolted him into a crouch, hands patting at belt and boots for weapons that weren’t there, then he raised his clenched fists—his ring gone too. The sudden movement made his vision swim with vertigo. Yet even in his confusion, the sounds didn’t match any beast he knew. They were too soft, almost… whiny.

Humans?

Kai rubbed his eyes. How had he ended up in a circle of unconscious teenagers? Had Rob or Flynn convinced him to join one of those parties to celebrate the end of the exams? The students’ Codex forbade alcohol and recreational substances on academy grounds, though rumors said that was Raelion’s most broken rule.

No, that wasn’t it. He wouldn’t have let himself get roped in before the mid-term Trials. And it still wouldn’t explain where he was.

What the hell did I do last night?

With each breath, the fog in his mind rolled back. He had been heading back from his meeting with Professor Thornwyn, lost in thought over her offer. Two months at Raelion, passing the basic and voluntary qualifications, had only highlighted the depth of his ignorance.

The pouring rain had soaked the gravel paths through the dormitories. Despite the risk, the crushing amount of subjects he needed made the free mentorship offer tempting. In no hurry to choose, he had planned to relax on his bed and strategize for the upcoming Trials in two days. And then…

Did I not make it to my room?

Hallowed Intuition should have warned if he were in danger, but he could recall no struggle. His memories simply… cut off.

That makes no sense. Unless… could they— No, they wouldn’t…

An annoying suspicion began to take form. His senses snapped into focus like a bubble had popped. A cavern arched overhead, water dripping from stalactites. Bluish moss draped the rocky walls. His hands ached from the cold, and the rising murmurs around him confirmed his worst predictions.

“I’m cold,” a girl stated with a tone that expected someone to solve the issue. “Where am I? Why is it so dark?”

“…not funny, Karvyn! Fetch a healer. My head hurts.”

“Who took my pendant?” A high-pitched voice grated on his ears. “Give it back now. Do you know who my grandaunt is? She sits on the Azure Council!”

“…can’t treat us like this. Why am I wearing a bracelet? Silver is not my color. Ungh! How do I take it off! My dress is already ruined! Do any of you know how much Dorman silk is worth?”

The jumble of confused mumbles soared as more students came to their senses, most speaking with the patrician clipped accent.

They actually did it… those bastards. This was supposed to be a cushy academy. I want my first free weekend back. I still had one day, you monsters!

Grinding his teeth, Kai suppressed the urge to curse and pushed himself to his feet. Within minutes, he had gone from washed-out dizziness to sharp and alert.

At a glance, fifty students lay curled or sprawled across the mossy cavern around a square block of stone. Several in brightly colored, feathered, and furred suits and gowns—likely leftovers from a party—the rest donned the familiar burgundy uniforms. Under the bioluminescent moss, there were a couple faces from shared lectures and several more that he didn’t recognize— probably from Fall Intake. The gold, silver and black trims divide them into Mana, Artisan and Martial Studies.

Did they combine the courses?

That shouldn’t have happened till the end of the first year.

As the chorus of demands and complaints swelled, he debated stepping forward to state the obvious and gain some silence. But a flaring light near the stone table solved his dilemma.

“Could you all shut up? It’s obvious we’re in the Trials,” a husky voice spoke. The blinding Light hid his tall figure, though his attempt at order only prompted more arguments.

“What? The Trials? They shouldn’t—”

“Tell me how to take off this ugly silver bangle.”

“Calm down, Patricia. It looks fine. I have one too.”

“It’s ugly!”

“The Trials weren’t supposed to begin till First-Day,” the high-pitched girl said. “I can’t do them like this. I don’t even have my wand.”

“Clearly, the professors thought it’d be amusing to start early," another snarked.

“There is precedent.” A scrawny boy from Artisan Studies staggered to his feet. “Thirteen years ago, the third-years started their Trials a week early. And nine years before that, the—”

“Ugh! Nobody cares, Norton! We’re already here. We have to deal with it.”

“Quiet,” Lantern-boy growled. The Light spell pulsed with painful intensity, causing more than a few angry mutters. “Let’s figure out the rules of the test and then you can do whatever you want for all I care.”

“Why? Who put you in charge? Do you know who— ah! Turn off that light!”

“What should we even do? They gave us no—”

“Maybe look at the huge square stone and the enchanted band on your wrist?” The snarky boy snapped, the eyeroll obvious in his tone.

“Has anyone seen my pendant?”

“Obviously not. They must have confiscated any spatial artifacts for the test.”

“Why would they do that? That’s so unfair. I demand—”

Groaning out loud, Lantern-boy reached for the stone. His fingers barely brushed the square block when he jolted back with a curse, as if burned.

Where he’d touched, chains of purple runes flared across the block. A low rumble, almost like a cough, shook the cavern and silenced even the most obstinate bickering. The script spread over the polished rock until it glowed with power. Unable to contain the thrumming mana, wisp-like fireflies lifted from the arrays and coalesced into the figure of a man in an elegantly embroidered robe and a tasseled hat lined with silver clear.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

What the… Have I seen him before?

“Welcome, students.” The man brushed his lush beard with a bony hand as he surveyed the assembled group; only the faint purplish tint betrayed him as a projection.

Dumbledore’s twin? Have you returned?

Kai froze as the professor’s gaze landed squarely on him before sweeping the rest of the group amidst awed murmurs.

“Welcome to the Mid-Term Trials.” The wizened voice carried a hint of mirth. “I’m sure many of you are confused. I regret to inform you that this year’s tests have been brought forward. Circumstances don’t always wait for your readiness. How could you become worthy students of Raelion if we didn’t teach you to face the unexpected?”

His white mustache quivered with suppressed humor. Could the man actually see their expressions? “Be warned, any actions since you regained consciousness may and will be accounted for in your final score. But do not fret. To balance the hardship, this year’s rewards have been adjusted to be especially… bountiful. Credits of Merit and opportunities no sum of money can buy. Excel, and you may become a rising star of this academy. Perform poorly, and you may find yourself leaving its gates for good.”

He scanned the students till the dripping stalactites became the loudest sound. “To preserve the purpose of these Trials, I will keep explanations to the essentials. As you may have noticed, each of you has been provided with a bracelet on your right arm. The enchantments have been personally designed by the dean himself and crafted at no small expense to the academy. They will endure any force you may encounter during the Trials. However, history has taught us not to challenge our students’ ingenuity. For your safety, under no circumstances must you remove or tamper with it. Violation will result in immediate failure. Am I clear?”

Tense silence stretched beneath his gaze.

“Just so ugly,” Patricia whispered, earning a dozen sharp glares.

“Then let us proceed.” The professor snapped his fingers.

A tingle ran through Kai’s wrist. A line glowed around the bangle, circling the rigid silver band three times. More than ugly, the piece was starkly plain—a smooth band with no seams and cloaked from inspection.

“The bracelets have many uses for you to discover. I will reveal only one. The most important. You are currently in the underground tunnels sprawling beneath the academy grounds. The goal of this year’s Trials is simple: find your way out before the lines on your wrist fade to darkness. Failing to reach an exit in time will result in your expulsion from the academy.”

Like, no pressure at all.

“No matter how or what skills you have,” Dumbledore continued. “There are many ways to reach the surface. It’s up to you to manage your strengths and weaknesses. Aside from not inflicting permanent injuries to your peers, there are no other rules. You may tackle the Trials however you prefer. Team up or go alone. Follow the laid path or stray off. As long as you find the exit in time, you’ll earn at least a passing grade. Naturally, the faster students will be rewarded, though there are many other ways to increase your scores.

“The Collegium has done its utmost to ensure your safety. Yet, any Trial carries unavoidable risks, especially if you stray from the marked path. Natural hazards, hungry beasts, and worse things lurk in the depths. Should you become injured or unwilling to continue, channel your mana into your bracelet, and you will be extracted within ten breaths. Yes, I mean that. You may thank the dean for lending his mastery of spatial magic to your safety. Naturally, that will also result in failing…”

Kai stopped listening at the mention of Space Magic. Like any student at Raelion, he had heard countless rumors about the dean. House Astares was ranked the lowest among the Seven Great Houses, though they were the only patrician family to claim a line of Space mages in the whole Republic. Not every descendant was born with the affinity, and not all wielded it to the same degree.

If the dean is actually Blue…

He gawked at the silver bangle on his wrist. Had he really gotten his hands on an advanced spatial enchantment? And a long-distance teleport, no less? Only the Trial’s rules kept him from trying to pry it open.

They forbid tampering, but said nothing about a little peek…

The full brunt of Mana Observer and Mana Analyst bore down on the plain silver bracelet. The intensity of his focus built up the skill strain behind his eyes in seconds—he didn’t care. He just needed to…

Is this even enchanted?

No matter how hard he pushed, Kai couldn’t sense a speck of mana through the cloaking.

Who the hell designed this thing—oh, right…

Gripping his hands together to stop the urge to claw open the bangle, he forced his attention back to the projection. Split Mind and Mnemonic Mastery confirmed he hadn’t lost any crucial information; the academy had indeed confiscated his spatial ring till the end of the Trials, all in the name of fairness.

How is it my fault if the peasants and broken nobles can’t afford one? All my stuff was in there. Like, really, where is my fairness tome?

The first time that they addressed the patricians’ blatant privileges, it had to be something that screwed him over so badly.

“…if there are no questions,” Dumbledore concluded his speech, ignoring the raised hands, his beard quivering again. “You may begin. The timer is already counting down. Best of luck, students.”

The projection burst into a swarm of purple fireflies that streamed toward the three tunnels leading out of the cavern. The runes on the altar had yet to fully dim when chaos erupted. Students scattered like headless chickens, shouting over one another; three patrician mages commandeered teams, trying to boss any commoners and Martial students into their parties; and the smaller Artisan group quietly clustered in a corner.

“You, line up here to join my team.” Highpitch-girl curtly gestured, standing tall in a flowing gold and crimson dress. “I only need ten people. Five mages, five bodyguards. No weaklings. If there are too many, you’ll have to fight it out among yourselves…”

“…You and you, come with me. My grades are higher than Marinna’s and Trislan’s. I’ll lead you out faster.”

“Who cares about paper grades? We’re in a Trial,” Trislan—the snarky voice—called. “They’ll get you all expelled. You three, come here. What are your affinities and highest skills?”

“Why did they have to make this bracelet so ugly…”

Blessed Spirits, grant me strength.

With a time limit and basically no information, Kai could see many advantages to joining a group—none of them large enough to make him deal with this shit. Judging by the static lines on his bracelet, the Trials would last at least three days. If he had to spend that long dealing with their petty politics, he risked ramming his head into a wall.

Maybe I’ll run into a more reasonable bunch later on.

Kai stepped to the edge of the crowd, trying to tune out the noise. The combined courses counted thousands of first-years. There was no way the academy had built individual routes for sixty or more groups. He was bound to encounter more students deeper in the tunnels. If his Luck held, he might cross paths with one among Flynn, Rain or Valela.

Alternatively, he could call upon darker and fluffier powers.

Hobbes? Are you there?

The lazy paw of acknowledgment graced his thoughts. Did the academy think that unjustly confiscating his ring was enough to stop him? Whatever anti-cheating measures the professors had devised, they couldn't have accounted for his secret ace.

No, Hobbes. I did not get myself kidnapped again! I— Yes, I did get knocked out and woke up in a foreign place. But this is entirely different… How? Well, for starters, I’m in no real danger. There was no way I could have avoided it. It was a setup by the academy and— No, these aren’t just silly human excuses! Fine, alright. Just come here or don’t. Yes, I know the humidity down here doesn’t agree with your fur…

Kai raked a hand through his hair, patiently withstanding his familiar’s slew of demands and complaints.

Wait a second… How did you know about the humid tunnels? Hobbes… Are you already down here? No, you can’t lie to me. You didn’t just guess or wander down here by chance. Aww! You were worried about me, were you? C’mon, I won’t ruin your dark reputation. I won’t tell a soul. No, I don’t believe you were looking to check on Flynn to grab a snack. Okay, okay. Maybe not the whole reason.

Kai chuckled as a harrumphing and embarrassed cat tried to forcefully shut their bond. Such a cute grumpy. He really wanted to snuggle with him now.

Love you too, buddy. Just come back once you get your snackies. Yeah, yeah. I know Flynn only offers your just tribute. Still, he spoils you rotten. Don’t be too late.

Lips curved into an unavoidable grin, he let the disgruntled fluffball snap the connection. No doubt Hobbes would soon come around—he couldn’t resist playing the knight in shining armor and lording the rescue over his helpless human servant.

Better I make myself scarce before those three try to recruit me.

Wisps of Light and crackling Fire illuminated the cavern, making the three dark passages stand out on the far wall. Each tunnel bore a distinct symbol: three crossed spears, a key with six locks, and an hourglass.

Musing on their possible meanings, Kai skirted the mossy wall toward them. If he couldn’t puzzle out their significance, he’d just have to rely on his Favor. No choice could be too bad at the first branching.

He had skulked the distance when a group of students cut off his path. His body tensed, but no one was paying him any attention. They all crowded around a pale youth, squabbling in a tight circle without daring to touch him.

“Let me join your team! I can cast Light Magic.” A brunette girl sweetly batted her eyelashes, shoving another petite girl back. “I promise I’ll be helpful.”

“She’s lying. Her Light spells are mediocre. Mine are much better. I’m a Water Shaper. I’ll be very useful—”

“What use has he for your cantrips when he’s better than both of you combined? Please, Master Blackwoods. Let me lend you my sword in this Trial.” A stout boy puffed out his chest, flexing his biceps.

“Shut up, Ken. He already said no to you. You don’t even have a sword. I’m much better with—”

Amid them all, the subject of their attention said nothing. Alden walked forward with an aristocratic bearing, his face set in an icy scowl, doing an impressive job of ignoring the sycophants.

That explains why he doesn’t like to share his name.

Faltering, Kai briefly debated dashing toward the tunnels and ignoring the patrician’s plight.

Oh, dammit.

He headed toward his helpless roommate.