CHAPTER 266: BACK TO GEAR (6)

The air was cold enough to bite.

Mist curled over the academy courtyard, rising from the cobblestone paths and the marble fountains that slept beneath sheets of light fog.

The first rays of dawn cut through the haze, pale and sharp, turning the water droplets to glimmering fragments of glass.

Merlin stood in silence, hands in his pockets, breath faint against the morning chill.

He had woken before the bells, before even the sky had begun to pale, habit, more than anticipation. The stillness of dawn always felt cleaner, like the world hadn’t yet decided what it wanted to be.

And in that quiet, he could think.

’A cross-year unit,’ he thought, gaze lingering on the academy towers in the distance. ’A mixed team, thrown together for an undefined trial. They’re testing something beyond strength.’

He’d seen that glint in Morgana’s eyes. The gods might have used him as their stage once, but Morgana? She was setting something different in motion.

Footsteps crunched faintly over gravel behind him.

Leira Voss approached first, her stride purposeful, a faint sheen of dew clinging to her dark braid. "You’re early."

"So are you," Merlin said.

"I don’t like being surprised."

Merlin almost smiled. "Neither do I."

The others began to arrive soon after. Dain Corver was next, his uniform crisp despite his perpetually tired expression, staff slung over one shoulder. The twins followed close behind, Sil and Sera Ronne, their energy like twin sparks flickering in rhythm. Renn Alden came last, yawning, a faint trail of smoke curling from his fingers, his fire affinity leaking unconsciously with each breath.

They gathered before the transport platform at the center of the courtyard, a circle of runes embedded into the stone, glowing with low blue light.

Leira crossed her arms. "The notice said to meet here before sunrise. No further instructions."

"Which means they’re watching," Merlin murmured.

Renn smirked. "You make it sound sinister."

"It is," Leira replied flatly.

A chime echoed through the mist, soft, metallic. The runes beneath their feet brightened, spreading outward in lines of pure light. The ground vibrated faintly.

Then a voice, crisp, resonant, filled the air.

"Team S."

The mist parted as if cut by invisible blades, revealing a hovering projection of Morgana’s figure, eyes sharp and serene.

"Your trial begins now. You will be transported to the designated zone. Objective: secure and maintain control of the relay point at the center of the field until time expires. Opposition: two other mixed-year teams. Scoring will prioritize teamwork, adaptability, and restraint. Excessive damage or lethal intent will result in disqualification."

The image flickered once. Morgana’s gaze lingered, just for a heartbeat, on Merlin.

"Begin."

The platform flared with light.

Wind roared. The world fractured into motes of color.

Then—

Impact.

Merlin’s boots hit solid ground. He exhaled sharply, dust swirling around him. They had been dropped into what looked like a forest arena, artificial, but so vast and vivid it almost breathed. Trees towered overhead, sunlight slanting through branches heavy with mana-rich leaves. The air hummed faintly with power.

Dain straightened beside him, eyes scanning their surroundings. "Simulated terrain... but the mana here feels dense. They’ve reinforced the environment to respond to affinities."

Leira knelt briefly, touching the soil. "It’s alive. The earth here has resonance, it’ll react to combat."

Renn rolled his shoulders, fire crackling faintly along his palms. "Sounds fun."

Sera smirked. "Try not to burn the forest down before we start."

"I make no promises."

Merlin’s voice cut through the light banter. "Focus."

The others looked toward him. His tone wasn’t commanding, it was quiet, even, but something about it held weight.

"Our objective is the relay point. We find it, hold it, and adapt to whatever comes. No unnecessary fighting until then."

Leira nodded. "Agreed."

"Dain," Merlin continued, "you handle detection. I’ll support you. The twins, scout ahead, but don’t engage unless necessary. Renn—"

Renn raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess. Stay close and don’t explode anything?"

Merlin’s expression didn’t change. "...Roughly."

The fire-user grinned. "You really are as boring as they say."

They moved.

The forest stretched deep and uneven, roots twisting beneath their feet. The air grew heavier with each step, carrying the scent of mana-saturated earth. Faint sparks of color glimmered in the underbrush, ambient fragments of elemental energy, reacting to their presence.

Dain walked near the front, eyes faintly glowing blue as he extended his detection field. Threads of mana pulsed outward like sonar waves.

"Two groups," he murmured. "West and southeast. Both closing slowly. Probably the other teams."

"Which direction’s the relay point?" Merlin asked.

"Straight north."

"Then we move fast," Leira said.

They broke into motion, swift, quiet, practiced. Even without formal teamwork, they fell into rhythm quickly: Leira front guard, the twins flanking, Dain midline, Merlin covering the rear. Renn, predictably, drifted wherever he pleased but stayed within visual range.

The forest thinned gradually until it opened into a wide clearing marked by a glowing spire of crystal, the relay point.

Merlin slowed, eyes narrowing.

"Trap?" Sera murmured.

"Possibly."

Leira crouched low, scanning the treeline. "No visible runes or pressure marks."

Merlin extended his perception, the faint shimmer of spatial mana flickering around his eyes. For a moment, the world sharpened, every particle of mana, every disturbance in air flow, visible.

"...It’s clean," he said.

Renn stepped forward, smirking. "Guess we’re early then."

They took positions quickly, Leira anchoring the center, the twins setting up lightning nodes in a rough perimeter, Dain beginning a steady flow of amplification to maintain mana flow across the team. Merlin remained at the edge of the clearing, senses stretched outward.

Minutes passed.

Then the forest shifted.

Branches trembled. The air thickened.

"Contact," Merlin said quietly.

From the western treeline, figures emerged, the first opposing team. Second- and third-years by the look of them, their uniforms marked with red insignias. Their leader, a tall boy with a scar down his cheek, stepped forward with a grin.

"Well, well. The famous first-year, huh? Didn’t think they’d throw you in with us this early."

Merlin didn’t answer.

"You planning to just stand there?" the boy called. "Or are you waiting for us to come break your little circle?"

Leira’s stance shifted. "He’s buying time."

"For what—"

The ground split. A wall of stone erupted under their feet, dividing the clearing in two. From behind it, the enemy team surged forward, water and flame colliding in bursts of color.

Renn’s grin widened. "Finally."

Before Merlin could respond, Renn leapt, flames flaring around him as he launched forward like a meteor. His impact shattered the edge of the wall, scattering shards of molten rock.

"Dain!" Merlin called.

"I’m boosting him!"

Energy rippled outward as Dain extended his amplification field. Renn’s flames roared brighter, carving arcs of orange and white through the mist.

Leira slammed her palm to the ground, earthen spikes shot upward, intercepting an incoming barrage of water bolts. The twins moved in sync, lightning snapping between them like woven thread, each strike perfectly timed to exploit the fractures in the enemy’s defense.

Merlin stayed still at first, watching. Measuring.

Then—

He moved.