《Blue Phoenix Academy》 *THE BLURB* He watched me and I didn''t know why, was he intrigued, disgusted? Caspian Raven was one of the most powerful at Blue Phoenix Academy. A muse, a prodigy of sorts. Following bravely after his father in becoming a warrior of the National Defence League, he was it. The most wanted, the most desired, the most valued. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Destined to marry the cr¨¨me de la cr¨¨me. Could that be...me? not usually. But like always, nothing is set in stone. No royal blood, no important lineage and definitely not meant to be anything special, But i''m here. Celeste Luxe at the #1 Blue Phoenix Academy. Demons were sent to Blue Phoenix Academy to gain notoriety and to finally control their powers. In a world where strength determines worth, how will our students navigate a school where reputation is the only currency? Many need this opportunity to finally make something of their family name while some are indebted to continue their previous legacy of power and success. Will they break under the pressure or come out on top without falling a social class or two... When information is revealed about the nature of the Angels and the backstory behind their banishing is spread, uprising occurs, and it becomes life or death to be the most powerful at blue phoenix academy. For who comes out on top has control and safety in a battle of hierarchies agendas and selfish desires. Chapter One~Blue Pheonix Academy "Fear is only as deep as the mind allows" ???????????????????????????????????????????????????? Celeste~ So today is the day. I looked at the letter in my hand, smooth, thick and branded with the logo of the one and only Blue Phoenix Academy. A prestigious institution, demonstrated in even the littlest of things, the gold of the exterior of the letter and it''s heavy, sturdy build show its integrity and standing in many many ways. Every demon who wields magic of any form from the age of 16 is enrolled into one of the magic academies. Although many start demonstrating signs of power from as young as 11, the magic doesn''t usually reach a meaningful high until around 16. Magic wielders are inherently dangerous, natural personal agendas and an um...difference in the morals of some paired with blasts of power able to kill instantly would obviously cause, well, chaos. And a lot of it. Not everyone was born with the same amounts of power, while the strength of an individual is highly dependent on their parents many unsurprisingly dedicate their lives to becoming more powerful, a pathetic, futile effort some would say, however a bit pessimistic in my opinion but I understood, because no matter how hard you trained or how many years you spent perfecting your craft there would always be someone who was just simply born better. an unfair life we live. Because of this difference many hierarchies formed based of power alone, your magic being your currency in this lifetime. The Monarchy obviously being at the top of said hierarchy, were extremely powerful, without going too much into fantasy it was told that the power of the royals represents something otherworldly, different from us. some suspected that their power originated from a deity far beyond our creator while others just believed that their strength was simply a result of very selective breeding and and their natural supply of powerful genes. Personally though, couldn''t care less. The royals usually stay out of the business of the commoners unless to do with laws and regulations and I like to return the favour. And, well, for the rest of us we seemed to have formed our own little bubbles of security. The powerful marrying the powerful and the weak with the weak. In my humble opinion the emphasis placed on how much magic one could wield was ridiculous in most aspects. With most aspiring to have menial careers which don''t involve combat in the slightest it made no sense to have such an emotional investment in something that does not serve you and yes while magic is needed for self protection, believe it or not there are in fact laws in place to prohibit someone from simply burning you alive if you say something they don''t like. That said, looking at the letter in my band I realise we sometimes have no choice but to play the dark game of society. "Yes! finally, i''ve waited my whole life for this" I heard Chloe squeal from her bedroom and for a second honestly debated playing dead. It wasn''t that I found her high energy annoying, but at 6:30am it simply wasn''t necessary. Like me, she would also be attending Blue Phoenix this year and while I was already over this whole experience I was actually happy she was coming with me. Growing up I had no real family, my parents died when I was young and Chloe was the only person I really had. we were friends in middle school and when my father passed after years of drug abuse because of my mothers death, her parents took me in and we have been Inseparable ever since. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. flooding into my room with enough energy to charge a laptop she squeals "Did you get yours?! I got mine just now, it took so long to come I thought it would never happen." smiling I responded "Yeah I got mine just now, was kinda hoping it would never happen though" she rolled her eyes. clearly unmoved by my lack of excitement she continued on. "But howww are you not excited? this is where our life starts Celeste! Where we meet our rich husbands, see how powerful we are and have the absolute time of our lives." I mean she was right. most met their future partners there and if we''re being honest the place was built for networking and climbing ladders of wealth. I was excited for that too, but there were so many technicalities that it made my stomach churn. if I was too powerful I would be stuck with a pretentious prick or would have to date someone "below" me as they say, while the latter was not too bad and finding a partner would not be impossible, the likeliness of a male being willing to compete with such competition was very low. males were usually the one with tendencies to date and to fall in love with those less powerful and women of course, date up. it was the typical rags to riches, girl is unfortunate and big strong man comes to save the day, and unfortunately the only realistically socially acceptable option for mixing of power. "No, no I am very excited" I tried to convince her but looking at the crease between her brows I see that it may have been a futile effort. "It''s just, I don''t know Chloe. So many things could go wrong at so many times" That wasn''t a lie. Maybe how unstable my childhood was made me so inadaptable to change and uncertainty but eh, I call it self preservation. I hated the thought of going into unfamiliar settings with unfamiliar people and i''ve displayed my belief that our parents should simply teach us to control and harness out powers, I mean we do take most of our traits from them. But either way I had to end up going; the cons of our powers won this battle as the fact that while the traits that are passed down are similar in style they differ in strength and how they choose to manifest themselves. A child may have a parent who wields something as vague as energy, the parent could be able to fire balls of energy, possibly mould them into different shapes if possible, the child could obviously, take on the exact same power or do something different like create an energy shield. Even those with the narrowest of powers like invisibility can pass on a different type of power, a person could also make the things they touch like their clothes invisible or on the other hand not be able to do things like making your body unnaturally quiet so invisibility was solid. These people would of course make up for their disadvantage with stealth but still a disadvantage nevertheless. The ways in which magic could differ was another prime reason people had to go to the academies. Chloe still keeping that enthusiasm said "Cheer up dark vadar, It will all be fine you do have me of course." she said so matter o factly. "That is true, but there is the fact that we may not go to the same Academy." It was a scary thought. Every magic holder had to also go to the mandatory Chamber Trials of Eden. They were an extensive course made up of 5 main parts, all assessing magic ability. The first part consisted of the physical trials. We would be tested on defence and attack mainly, with a side of how to work in combat together although this wasn''t that important at this stage as we were to be learning those skills. The second part was more Intricate, a one on one assessment of each power someone has and their ability to control it. This exam had more to do with the examiner assessing how far your powers could be taken and how far away you were from that goal pared with finding any bad quirks a power may have that could cause mass harm or that is simply too much for the wielder. In these cases a temporary removal of magic could be ordered until a later date. Chapter two~Chamber Trials Of Eden "confront the dark parts of yourself, and work to banish them with illumination and forgiveness. Your willingness to wrestle with your demons will cause your angels to sing" ~~August Wilson ???????????????????????????????????????????????????? Celeste~ ...In these cases a temporary removal of magic could be ordered until a later date. The Third examination consisted of one''s ability to engage in conflict without the use of magic. This on is pretty self explanatory, we are tested on an over reliance of magic because in their words ''magic can''t always save you'' they were right, a simple practitioner with a power to remove powers would equal defeat if one cannot defend themselves in any other way. The fourth test is a bit different from the others, it worked out your ability to withstand mind altering magic. Through trial and error they get a grasp on how many psychic attacks you could take and how well. Some have powers that could cause temporary confusion, memory loss or a complete alteration of reality, ones ability to defend against psychic attacks was dependant on their harmeas. This was the amount of psychic defence a person has. how much a person has was mainly completely random, with people with more strength only slightly averaging more harmea. The fifth trial was at a later date and is simply the overall ability of a student based on a holographic model that replicates combat identically. It was all a lot but necessary in a world as unpredictable as ours and these Trials determined what level Academy you went to. "Oh don''t be silly." Chloe rolled her eyes, clearly finding the prospect ridiculous. "While we don''t have similar powers we are very similar in strength, definitely not enough of a difference to make us go to completely different Academies." That was true. The difference in power between us was unlikely to make us go to different academies but there was still that chance. "Fair enough" I spoke. Happy with my agreeance she continued on explaining her excitement for this ''new world'' we were stepping into. "Honestly, the main thing i''m anticipating is meeting my future husband, he''s gonna be tall, hm, blonde or maybe brunette, oh! and of course super mega powerful" she firmly stated. I understood the excitement, climbing social ladders is currency I guess. Chloe came from an average family, her parents were community guards and while that title held some status it wasn''t nearly as impactful as working for the National Defence League or for the government or for the Royals themselves. Those were the ones who had power in their blood and their offspring would most definitely be at the most prestigious of Academies, unless of course, they were the unfortunate. She had a good amount of power and with her beauty, definitely had the potential to climb a class or three. Chloe was tall and built, quite the opposite of me, her combination of all shades of red hairs was folded in layers that fell just beneath her ear and while most our age didn''t suit short chic styles as much as they had hoped but Chloe was the opposite. The style looked as if it was made especially for her and suited her diamond face. Matching her hair she has a set of the most copper eyes i''d ever seen, probably a result of her powers but they were beautiful nevertheless. She was a star. She shined and would most definitely able to have her pick of suitable men. And boy she knew it. She would leave the Academies happy. With a good suitor and because of her charm and looks, more notoriety then she came with. Her parents weren''t the most important, so while they cared or should I say had an obsession about status like the rest, there was a limit to that. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Definitely lovely people, who would probably be surprised by the success of their daughter in dating. "Oh your gonna have a blast aren''t you." "Hell yeah I am, these are gonna be the best years of my life." One can dream. "Try not to make too many people addicted to you, we know what happens when that goes left." Of course her enticing beauty garnered a lot of males who were not willing to let her go. "And try not to catch anything, we don''t know where these people came from." She gave me an affronted look, as if to say my nose had grown six inches. I raised and eyebrow and she rolled her eyes. "Such a prude." I laughed and said "Just looking out for you." " So, What about you, Looking forward to finding your man" she chirped. "Not really, Don''t wanna be with an uptight weirdo or a lowlife, gotta find a sweet spot somehow." she giggled and said " It''s fine even if your more powerful or weaker then you think those looks of yours will get you exactly what you want" So optimistic. "But I don''t even know what I want." "You''ll figure it out eventually, now come, get some rest before tomorrow, you''ll need it." I willfigure it out in due time. Now however, I needed sleep. I woke up tired and groggy. I could barely sleep last night and I wasn''t really surprised. I was nervous about the Chamber Trials and couldn''t shake it quickly enough to get a good nights sleep. The trials would begin later, around 4pm and now I needed to get ready. I walked into the bathroom and gave myself a quick glance. My multiple shades of platinum blonde ringlets cascaded down my neck all the way to my waist. My hair was frizzy and definitely needed taming but not too bad for curly hair. My ivory skin glowed and my silver eyes shimmered against the sunlight that entered my bathroom.I did definitely show signs or tiredness but they could easily be rectified with some makeup. My short thick figure looked back at me in the mirror and I couldn''t help buy admire my frame. Full and curvaceous I had well above average breasts that were nicely placed in my light pink bra paired with thighs and an ass that could kill. My hips were wide and soft, creating a beautiful hourglass shape that fit my aesthetic perfectly. I turned and my ass protruded from my underwear in just the way I liked. My waist was toned, probably from training but still carried a nice weight to match my curvy features. I was beautiful, I knew this and just like Chloe I would probably have a good time at the Academy in regards to male attention. Sadly that wasn''t my priority. I showered and dressed myself, putting on sleek black jeans and a black shirt to ensure I had all the mobility I needed for later. My things were already packed and I would have everything I needed at Blue Phoenix so I was not too concerned about forgetting anything. Needing to eat and gain energy for today I went downstairs where I met Chloe again. She did have a brother and he was our age and coming to the trials with us too but like per usual, was no where to be seen. Probably somewhere manhandling his boisterous friends I dismissed the matter and met my best friend, and second parents at the table. "Morning Alphito."Saul greeted me. Alphito was a nickname given to me by my mother first, she called me it because of my white hair and eyes, replicating the goddess who had the same features. "Morning, how are you guys." "We should be asking you that! it''s your big day today." Amy, Chloe''s mum, exclaimed. "I know, i''m scared as hell, I mean i''d rather stay home to be honest but I don''t really have that choice do I." "We knew you would say that." Saul spoke "Listen, you''ll be okay, we all had to do this and i''ve given you everything you need to know about The Academies." He did. Knowing what was gong to happen did make things easier but the cunning ways of the department that controls the Academies makes sure that each year comes with a twist so there was always that to think about. "Mentally, I know i''ll be fine. But try telling my gut that, this anxiety is gnawing its way through me like a rat." they laughed at my dramatics and the sound of their voices couldn''t help but make me feel better. Chloe spoke and said "You''ll have me, always. we''re gonna give them shows they''ll never forget and make our destined mark on the world once and for all" "In the name of all that is holy I hope so." Rushing through the door with an ungodly amount of force came Chloe''s brother, Markan. Tall, slender and built just like his sister he was a sight to look at. With little to no body fat his muscles ripped through this tight shirt and his bad boy jeans gave him just the edge he needed to embody that roughness he has to him. Unlike his sister he kept his mane long, just slightly below his shoulders. While Chloe''s red hair gave an enticing friendly look Markan''s hair had the opposite affect, instead emphasising the darkness of his whole aesthetic. His deepset eyes peered at us with fiery passion as he burst through the door and spoke. "Hey guys, ready for today because I sure as hell am." Smiling and very confident in his ability, he looked as though anxiety didn''t know his name. And rightfully so, Markan was powerful and would definitely secure a good place at a good Academy."Not at all." I replied while Chloe said "Hellll yeah I am" he laughed. "Aw lighten up Celeste, you''ll be fine, you have nothing to be scared of your powerful. And if it''s suitors you''re worried about worry no further as all of your darkest desires stand right here in human form."He winked at me and while he was giggling along with the rest of them there was definitely truth in his flirtation. Chapter three~Defend and Attack "Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars." -Khalil Gibran Celeste~ ..."Aw lighten up Celeste, you''ll be fine, you have nothing to be scared of your powerful. And if it''s suitors you''re worried about worry no further as all of your darkest desires stand right here in human form." He winked at me and while he was giggling along with the rest of them there was definitely truth in his flirtation. He was cute i''ll admit. But when it came to being actual relationship material he was bottom of the barrel. His looks and power granted him a surplus of female attention, and while he didn''t become a womaniser or a complete player because of it, he still ravished in the attention he received and I had a feeling he definitely wouldn''t be ready for commitment any time soon. Not that I wanted commitment anyways, he knew this. Which is why he continued to flirt with me as he knew it wouldn''t hurt my feelings if he proceeded to speak to another girl as well. He was more of a brother figure to me than a potential partner and i''m glad I never had to deal with the awkwardness that came with having feelings for your best friend''s brother. A trope many loved but one that I just unfortunately couldn''t get into. "Oh please Markan, you may be hot but my darkest desires don''t usually consist of a boy who thinks that monogamy is a shade of brown." He chuckled, knowing it was very true. Over his antics his mother Amy changed the subject and said "How are you guys feeling about the Trial chambers of Eden" What an amazing question. To be completely honest, I was okay with the defence and attack parts. I was confident in my ability and it''s not like you could get seriously injured anyways. I was especially good at non magic combat. I never really wanted to completely rely on my powers to get through difficult situations. And while not many had the ability to take away someone''s power, the Angels are always watching. And they had a dirty little habit of using spells to remove Demon magic. They did this in their territory mostly. While small in numbers, the Angels had wards that could completely dismantle the magic of a Demon within a certain area and while still being able to use their powers, they were also more than good at hand to hand combat. Leaving Demons at a terrible disadvantage when dealing with them. Thankfully they weren''t the most aggressive creatures. More....Cunning I would say. The war between Demons and Angels began a long time ago, and it definitely wasn''t the type of war that had major emotional investment thousands of years later. Of course we still hated each other. If not by choice, our blood simply repels one another and goes as far as to causing illness if exposed for too long. I remember vaguely the story behind our feud, something to do with the past leader of demons sleeping with the ex wife of the leader of the Angels or something like that. I honestly wouldn''t be surprised if this all was caused by something so menial. Men are very prideful and emotional In my opinion, pair that with a society that put men at the very very top and destroys any place for a woman to rule or to even be in the government, ultimately, creates chaos. Apparently one of the Angel leaders upset someone otherworldly, our "creators" they call them, and got their powers stripped. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Over time the Angels became weaker and weaker. While seeming unfair, surprisingly while the Angels were going through their...um "tough phase" , we were also prohibited from using that to our advantage in regards to our war. We had to leave them alone. And we did. Not wanting to end up like them we listened, but they couldn''t take it. Couldn''t take the thought of always being inferior. Ignoring the commands from those above they used dark magic to reimburse what they believed that they deserved. Continuing to attack our cities, our towns. Those above grew tired of ignored commands, tired of the Angels, the ''Pure'' ones disobeying out of sheer greed and pride. They didn''t do anything. That was their punishment, all connection to our creators gone. The Angels didn''t succeed in their efforts, their lack of magic causing great disadvantage in battle. They grew smaller and smaller in size over the years, finding safety In their little covens instead. Now though, they bother us occasionally. sometimes destroying our buildings, preying on silly teenagers who venture places like the woods alone. When feeling extra spicy, assassinating some of our government as well though the Royals usually get left alone. We unfortunately couldn''t just take them out. While the Demon leader was too busy bartering with those above about them staying, The Angels were putting most of their time into building their defences. Born naturally constructed to defend with the gift of Shielda, did a great job at it. They were able to create wards that didn''t allow for our magic to work. That, among other things they''ve made to defend against us are the prime reason they are still standing. "I''m kinda looking forward to seeing where I rank to be honest" I didn''t really care what place I ended up I just needed to be in the same school as Chloe. With a hiss Chloe replied "Helll nahh I ''m scared as fuck for that" "Why, it doesn''t matter where you end up it''s not like you''re destined to be in the government or anything." "Yeah but stilll, it makes for an easy entrance into a rich family if i''m powerful." "Fair enough, wait so are those less notable then you just crossed off?" "Hell yeah they are, no point in going down, the only way is up my friend" She firmly stated. I giggled and Markan spoke "I''m nervous as shit. If I don''t at least get Into one of the top 20 schools it''s all over" While neither me or Chloe wanted to be anything particularly aspirational, Markan needed thrill. And that meant working for the National Defence League. There was practically no chance of him getting into the top positions at entry level, he would have to climb his way up once he got an ''in'' in order to even dream of being a top member. Thankfully for him, while his dreams were up there, he only wanted the lower end positions within the faction. He would still need to at least be in the top 20 schools. And that was a very very difficult process. Filled with positivity for her brother Chloe spoke and said "You''ll definitely do fine, top 20 isn''t the biggest reach in the world and you''ve been training since you were like 6 you''ll be okay." "I know, I just really need this to work out." I could see the desperation on his face, and I just really hoped it would all work out for him too. 4pm¡ªLater that day I peered through my bedroom window with Chloe perched up next to me. My room was the only room facing the outside and therefore the room we all decided to ponder in until the fateful time arrived for the coach to come. Not even there yet and I already have to meet and sit next to random people. Great. Me, Chloe and Markan all said goodbye to Amy and Saul early, knowing that we would all need a second or two alone before going for good. They said goodbye back with teary eyes and I couldn''t help but miss them already. They took me in when no one else would and they treated me like one of their own and I would forever be indebted to them because of it. Standing outside the door of my house I looked at the gold and purple coach in front of me. Flashy was an understatement. "Ready guys." Markan said. "Hell no." I replied Chloe just laughed and took one for the team as she was the first to step onto the Blue Phoenix Coach. I followed of course, with Markan behind me, we begun our adventure. Admiration boiled in me as I positioned myself in a lovely spot at the back of the coach. I assumed we were the last ones as there was no other vacant seats. Chloe and Markan were next to me with Markan deep in thought staring out of the window and Chloe at the aisle seat, appearing to be observing our competitors or maybe future husbands. Taking a quick look at them myself I saw them all, some deep in conversation with i''m assuming their siblings, while some, either only children or people who''s siblings had already gone the year before them or were to be going the yearafter them, sitting alone in thought. I couldn''t imagine how daunting it was to be going to this place alone. Looking at the two people next to me I was very grateful to have such loyal individuals by my side. Chapter Four~Chamber Trials:Day "The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall" -Nelson Mandela Celeste~ ...Looking at the two people next to me I was very grateful to have such loyal individuals by my side. 6pm-2 hours later Finally we were here. The coach trip took about two hours in total, not one toilet or lunch break. I guess we were being taught discipline early, although was pretty sure we would be served dinner at the camps. Chloe somehow managed to sleep for the majority of the ride. Between eyeing out her potential targets and listening to others conversations she was napping like a baby. I didn''t understand how though. Like all high pressure social scenes there were many characters at play here. I saw some who were reserved, in their own worlds. Some reserved but alert, analysing. And of course the loud obnoxious ones, whom by the end of the coach trip, wether travelling alone or with siblings, initiated conversations made jokes and perpetuated an amazing exterior of camaraderie even though we were all in competition. I mean I respected it. The ability to appear to be friends even though every thing else says otherwise. Markan on my right didn''t sleep though. He was like me, too deep in thought and way too nervous to even dream of the idea of sleep. His eyes were closed and while his facial expression didn''t show anything but calmness I knew there was a storm of anxiety boiling under there. *Please prepare to depart, leave all belongings behind as they will be brought to your assigned rooms for you. When ready, leave from rows starting at the front in an orderly fashion. Here we go. We all exited our rows when everyone in front of us had left and braced ourselves for what was to come. With Chloe and Markan by my side we stood, the magnificence of the towers in front of us peering from above. It looked more like a castle than it did a camp but in comparison to the mines sites of Blue Phoenix I guess this was modest. There were four main towers, all ridiculously large in both width and length. Gold and glue, their favourite colours clearly, cascaded down the buildings, wielding and turning to create the most intricate of designs. It was beautiful. The one who was directing the group, shown by his Phoenix uniform, guided us to the entrance of the building. Most of us were quiet, as to not cause offence or to make a bad look of ourselves in front of authority. News spread after all. The guide was silent as well, he didn''t tell us his names just met us outside the coach and led us to our destination. Weaving through the corridors we ended up at the dining hall. Filled with the most beautiful marble, the whole room screamed elegance. The chandeliers created the most beautiful shades of nude lighting, paired with the sparkly whole floor created an almost disco effect against the walls. It was here where the chatter begun. There was an open style buffet that we could take food from along with a dispenser of all types of drinks to choose from. And this was only the Trial Chambers, imagine what the Academy looked like. Stolen story; please report. The tour guide simply stated "You may eat, At 8pm you will be brought back to your rooms to rest before tomorrow." And left. I saw everyone that came before our coach eating and chatting happily, only some eating alone. Made me wonder what happened to all those that came by themselves on the coaches, I guess the pressure of friendship making caught up to them already because the majority of people seemed to have made their lifelong friends already. It was likely that the thought and harsh reality that we would be split up made it easier to speak to people as there was no real reason not to at hand. Chloe, Markan and I quickly made our way to the buffet where we chose our food. it was a vast selection of cuisine. I immediately headed to my favourite dishes which consisted of pizza, fried chicken, burgers, and chips. As this was an all you could eat style buffet, I would definitely be back for more. Maybe to grab foods that you couldn''t find in your local McDonald''s as we were at the one and only Blue Phoenix Academy of course. I sat next to Chloe and Markan who, with similar taste buds, both chose steaks and pastas out of the selection. "So, how you guys feeling, anyone caught your eye yet?" Chloe said "Is now really the time to be looking for your future husband, I mean, he could quite literally be hurling fireballs at you in about 12 hours." "Okay this time I actually wasn''t talking about my future man. Have you guys seen anyone who looks...hm...like a big threat to us in the competition." "I wasn''t really looking out for those sorts of things, I mean the Chambers of Eden were completely fair after all. I wanna know who''s gonna be cunning and manipulative when we''re at the actual academy." "I wanna know both." Markan spoke "Not that we will know though. We don''t know who''s powerful from who''s not aside from their lineage, and we definitely don''t know who''s gonna make it to the academy with us either." That was true. Speaking of lineage. "Have you guys spotted anyone who''s from a very powerful family yet?" Chloe beat me to the thought. I glanced around as non-suspiciously as I could, and while everyone was mostly average from my knowledge, there were definitely some people that stood out to me. Chimen Blake and Chilisa Blake. Parents are currently the rulers of japan. Powerful, structured. They''ve been in power for a very long time, unlike other nations who have had to outsource their new leader in more recent times, the Blake bloodline maintained their grasp on their position and are yet to give it up. The only people capable of doing that, them. Chimen Blake and Chilisa Blake. They sat, quiet and to themselves while everyone else talked. It was no surprise that they kept to themselves unlike the others who networked. Their parents were the same, did things by themselves, didn''t ask anyone for help. I was sure they passed on the same message to their offering as they demonstrated the aura of ''not needing you'' so very effortlessly. I also saw Judias Montgomery next to what i''m guessing was his family friend. The destined leader of North America. "I see a few, The Blake family and the Montgomery''s caught my eye." "Yeah, Judias was on the coach with us I saw him before, but Chimen and Chilisa weren''t." Markan replied. "The Blake''s are really mysterious, it matches their whole vibe though" Me and Markan nodded in agreement. "They will definitely be good competition, I mean they do have it in their blood of course." Said Chloe. "Not necessarily, there could be a runt in any of the families." I sure hoped so, it tended to cause a lot of drama among the rich. "Who do you think it would be?" I asked. I really didn''t know, they all looked so self assured. Definitely a result of media training. "Hm, maybe one of the blake''s, I don''t know for sure but i''m hoping it''s one of them. The amount of Chaos that would cause would be insane." She was very right about that. "Eh, I don''t know, their parents couldn''t possibly of let any of them become anything but a well trained weapon before coming here, even if their magic wasn''t up to par, their other skills would of been honed and toned to make up for it. I doubt any of them could ever be described as weak." Markan stated. Well that really put things into perspective. I guess no matter how much you try to deny it, the advantage that came with being wealthy and powerful was one that could not be ignored. *"Students, To your dorms. You should have received a digital map displaying the campsite and your individual rooms. Follow it and be inside your accommodation before 8:30pm." Well that was us. Me, Chloe and Markan made our way to our dorms, although it was a long journey because we kept on getting lost in this place. When we got back it was around 8:15pm. We were all well fed, curtesy of the amazing cuisine, and very exhausted from the trip. Situated right next to each other we said our goodbyes before we settled for the night. "Bye guys." Markan said before he swiftly entered his room. "Night, Markan" Me and Chloe said accordingly before hugging each other, saying our goodbyes, and entering our rooms. I didn''t know how the Trials worked so this could have very well been the last time we all saw each other, making that familiar twinge of loss strike me again. Well, at least the rooms were pretty. Chapter Five~Chamber Trials:Day II "Life is made of so many moments that mean nothing. Then one day, a single moment comes along to define every second that comes after. Such moments are a test of courage, of strength." ¡ªSabaa Tahir, An Ember in the Ashes Celeste~ ...I didn''t know how the Trials worked so this could have very well been the last time we all saw each other, making that familiar twinge of loss strike me again. Well, at least the rooms were pretty. I should definitely get some sleep though, I had a long day ahead of me. 6am- the next day I woke up to the sound of my phone buzzing on the dressing table next to my bed. I was hazy from sleep and I honestly didn''t even remember how I got to bed. All I remember was not even turning off the lights before taking a shower and falling into bed. I didn''t even seem to get dressed, clearly demonstrated by the fact that I was still in my pink towel from last night. *buzz buzz My phone continued to make noise as I continued to leave the message unopened. ugh just shut the fuck up for gods sake. ''Students, I hope you are all well and rested, it is necessary that you all meet at the dining room once again for breakfast, before your first trial. Good luck, more information will be provided after 8am'' Beep** -Chloe- "You awake? Did you get that as well, we gotta be there soon, come to my room before we go." -Celeste- "Okay sure thing, tell Markan to meet us as well." -Chloe- "I already messaged him, he''s with a friend of his, one of them seemed to of made it here as well, just me and you." I put the phone away, already feeling bombarded by the overload of information that was thrown at me so goddamn early in the morning. I had no time to thaw in my iritance, I needed to get ready and decide what clothing I needed for the first Trials. Looking at my new surroundings I realise that I had barely had time to look at the room I was situated in last night, I wasn''t surprised I had fallen asleep so quickly considering I hadn''t really been getting any sleep approaching this day. I didn''t manage to fall asleep on the coach either which was also no surprise to me. The closet was beautiful. Gold linings painted across the polished wood, the light from the tall windows illuminating the shimmer even more. The closet was large and surprisingly not filled with any of the attire I came here with, and instead replaced with clothing meant for battle. I mean it did make sense, I guess that meant that my clothes were somewhere being prepared to be sent to whatever academy I got into. Still, touching the black bodysuit I was eying, I wondered how they knew my sizing so perfectly. It was around 7am when I was showered and dressed for the day. I managed to tame my blonde ringlets into a nice sleek bun. I had to prepare for battle of course, and I didn''t really want my hair getting in the way of that. I absolutely opted for the black bodysuit, while basic, it had all the pockets it needed to carry weapons and it hugged my body in such a way as to not constrain me but still look sleek and tight against my skin. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. It wrapped around my delicate curves and gave me and my breasts the security I needed to move however I wanted, which was a must considering I was more on the curvy side. Seriously, how did they get my sizing so right. Needing to hurry up, I didn''t bother to put on makeup, it would likely sweat out anyways so I didn''t really care. *Buzz -Chloe- "Hurry up, we have to be done eating by 8 and I wanna have time to talk before then, I think Markan is already down there." That was my queue to go. I left my room and walked to Chloe''s, which was only 2 doors down. She was waiting outside, I hugged her as we proceeded to walk quickly downstairs to the dining hall. Hopefully we didn''t get lost again. "I''m getting more nervous by the minute, I can barely contain my nerves." I got that feeling. "Honestly same, I just wanna get this thing over and done with so I can stop feeling like I wanna throw up." The anxiety was killing me slowly. "Oh, I don''t remember the Dining hall being this close." "Maybe because we got lost about four times last night." I replied. She chuckled "Oh yeah, good times" Everyone was wearing their given attire when we walked into the hall. It was interesting seeing how everyone mopped up, some really embodied the badass look, their physical quirks matching with their clothing, like Chloe who had cargo''s on which had orange and red details to match her fiery hair. They honestly hit the ballpark with this one. We made our way over to the buffet and got our desired food. I wasn''t really a big fan of breakfast, most definitely preferred dinner. Nevertheless, I got myself some toasted bread and stacked it full of the honey chicken they had on display, paired it with my favourite salads and dressings and got myself some porridge and a milkshake to start the day. Chloe''s plate was looking a lot more put together as expected, with the caviar and eggs on her plate it was clear that we had a completely different taste pallet. We were finished eating by around 7:45am. Markan was sitting with his friend across from us on another table, after they were done eating Markan sat down and joined us on our table. "Hey guys, how ya doing?" "We''re okay, just nervous as expected." Chloe said. "Yeah, same." I replied. "Me too, gosh, I was kinda confident before, I was almost certain we would all at least rank the same but I don''t know man, there''s a lot of people here." There definitely was a lot of people. **Attention students, please follow your appointed guides to take you to your first trial. Well there''s that extra information I guess. Talk about vague. All stationed at different parts of the hall, we rushed to where our guides were. Me, Chloe and Markan followed closely in the middle of the line towards the room he was taking us too. Half of all of us seemed to have split up, some of the other groups going in the direction to the other set of descending stairs. The staircase was long, and dark. Kinda scary to be very honest. Markan was behind me and Chloe, and we continued down the stairs until we were met with what looked like...outside? No, Artificial outside. There was short, fake grass planted within the ginormous box. the walls were white and seemingly never ending aside from the panels of glass at the near too which I suspected were for the magic apprentices to oversee us through. Everyone was in awe of the sublimity of the environment. The lights were bright and resembled the sun though not too overpowering as too hurt our eyes. I wandered what we were doing here- *Students, please listen closely as the information I am about to relay is very important. Firstly, welcome. I know that some of you may be scared and very nervous, I would like you all to understand that everything will be okay, there is no room for serious injury or foul play, your safety is our biggest concern and as per the contract you all signed, no abuse or bullying will be tolerated.** Please, they couldn''t of cared less about ''bullying'' it was well known that sometimes the ego of a powerful person destined for greatness was a terrible force, so there were many asshole kids at the academy, just waiting for some poor sucker to shit on. They didn''t do anything about it, the nobility and titles of these people meaning much more to them then the innocent. So it goes I guess. **For the first part of the challenge you will all be split by yourselves. You will go to your specific spot within this field and the walls will close, leaving you by yourself. Once this happens shortly, a series of animatronics will begin to attack you." Not too bad, at least they weren''t people yet. You must do your best to survive each round. As time goes on, the difficulty increases. The rounds end when the judges deem it appropriate, usually when you begin to seriously falter and sure failure is in prospect. You can also choose to tap out by simply expressing a desire to leave or through clapping your hands twice. Leaving intentionally does not affect the outcome of the rounds at it is purely based on the judges opinion and the round you reach to. The use of magic is permitted, weapons are not. Good luck, for any questions, remain at the front to ask me." Well then, that was it. Our faces were highlighted in a hologram above the square we were each meant to be in, everyone quickly made their way to their designated spot and waited for the Trials to begin. Chapter six~Chamber Trials: Day III "Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." ¡ªRalph Waldo Emerson Celeste~ ...*The use of magic is permitted, weapons are not. Good luck, for any questions, remain at the front to ask me." Well then, that was it. Our faces were highlighted in a hologram above the square we were each meant to be in, everyone quickly made their way to their designated spot and waited for the Trials to begin. The walls slowly closed. The air was tense as we all awaited our future. With a click the walls shut and we were left to ourselves. An opening appeared in the walls which I believed the animatronics would be coming from. I braced for, remembering all I had been taught about magic and readied for battle. While I was already at a disadvantage, being not the wealthiest person in the world, I had another disadvantage that would make this all a bit harder for me. Others had the privilege of being trained by the people that gave them the powers they had. With a decent idea of how their specific power manifested, it was easier for them to gain a grasp on their power, and possibly turn it into more ways to attack if powerful enough. Some even had powers that were identical to their parents. They could easily hone in on their magic and would easily be at an advantage during the Trial Chambers. I didn''t have that privilege. My parents had died when I was younger. My mum in a car crash and my dad from the drugs he took to cope with my mums death. They didn''t get a change to teach me anything because before the age of five I didn''t have any magic yet. I knew that they wielded ice, water and energy; they would show me all the time when we were playing with each other. That''s about it though, that''s all I know. The main powers that began to surface at around 14 were energy. I could create blasts of it that did decent damage and that I could aim relatively well. Most with powers that involved hurling damage did so with ease, it was one of the easier skills to learn. Amy and Sauk had taught me, it was a breeze to learn. Amy could hurl fire balls as so she taught me how to direct my energy into a ball to attack. **Three, two, one, Go. Round one begins." Suddenly, three metal figures came rushing towards me. They were about halfway to me when one of them hurls a ball of fire at me, it was decently fast but one I could definitely avoid. While I was caught off guard, their slow pace made it easy for me to gain control. Charging, I hurled three balls of energy at the figures. All of them tumbled over with ease, though I didn''t celebrate too early, I knew what was coming and I knew that it was definitely going to get worse from here. **Round one Complete, Round two begins shortly." Surprised that was all that was in round one. Definitely a tester round. Five figures came from the same spot to charge at me once more. This time one had a sword and two had hurled blasts of fire at me, this time both stronger and faster. Taking the risk, I decided to use a ball of my energy to counter the fire that was thrown at me. Luckily, the balls were thrown by the two who were right next to eachother, meaning that I could hit two birds with one stone. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. My power surpassed that of their flames and darted through the fire. Eliminating the heat and killing those who threw it. By the time I was done the other three were in reasonable distance to me. A quick splash of ice darts easily rendered them useless. They all laid on the floor unmoving and I awaited the next round. This one wasn''t too bad either but I could definitely feel the heat increasing. I took a moment to catch my breath before I heard. **Round two complete, round three begins shortly." Not wanting to take the risk of being of caught off guard, I quickly readied myself for attack. Suddenly, a blast of power hit me from behind, I stumbled but managed to stay on my feet as I turned around to look at the suspect. three figurines were charging at me and had clearly had time to do so as they were nearly right in front of me. Not wanting to use up all of my energy I swiftly released a shower of water to give some distance between me and the animatronics. the pause in their movement giving me enough time to manifest an ice sword and slice the heads of the three figures. They collapsed and fell to the ground and I noticed how heavily they fell this time. I had thought that each round would be the same for everybody. But from the way this was designed, it couldn''t be. The rounds increased too much in difficulty to be the same for everyone, what hurt me in this round would of killed someone who could of only survived the second. I was guessing it was to speed up this whole process and to not wear anyone down fighting multiple figures on a level that can''t challenge them. So we really wouldn''t know where we ranked until the last minute. Smart. I did a 360 to check for any more animatronic, from the direction they first came from, 4 more figures came at me with weapons. I hurled a blast of energy that they all managed to hurl back at me by all using their swords to deflect. I sent sharp ice balls at their hands, making one of their drop their sword. I hurled water to distract them and to make them loose their footing as I quickly grabbed the dropped sword. Before getting up completely I stabbed the sword through the knew of one of the robots, it fell to the ground as I stood tall and sliced the others head once again. **Round three complete, round four begins shortly I took deep breaths and braced for battle again, Spinning, I noticed the animatronics coming at me from all directions, while they were far, I sent shards of ice from my fingertips, accurately aiming for their necks, their power point. They were quicker this time so I only got down 4 out of the 8, I sliced the ones behind me as I spun, taking them all out. They dropped to the floor and I was satisfied. I was getting the hang of this. Unfortunately my sword broke. I guess the strength of the sword from round three didn''t match the strength of the soldiers from round four because they broke right on impact. Dangerous call. This continued on until about round 9. where the difficulty got increased to the point where every solider had a sword and was hurling weapons and magic at me. I didn''t tap out myself although I would have if they didn''t beat me to it. I guess they weren''t lying, whether you tap out or not doesn''t really matter because the judges weren''t letting you get seriously harmed and would probably tap you out the same time you planned to. I had a minute to catch my breath as the walls opened once again. Even though the Magic practitioners weren''t letting us get killed, minor damages still occurred. I wasn''t badly hurt. Just very damaged. A couple slices and spots that would definitely bruise but aside from that I was fine. Chloe and Markan seemed to have simlar injuries to me, I watched them as they stretched away their achey limbs and made my way to them as we were all leaving. "How do you think you guys did?" Markan was the first to speak. "So desperate to know where you rank, how about a how are you first?" Chloe replied I laughed and said "I don''t think we can compare ranks, the difficulty increased way too quickly for it to be the same for everyone." "I was thinking that too, they really didn''t waste any time upping the ante." Replied Markan "At all" Stated Chloe "I think I did okay though, I did my best after all, what else can we all do but that." Pray. "Exactly." Surprisingly it was already 10:30 by the time we were done. We had to wait for a few more walls to open behind us before we could go. When everyone was finished, we followed our tour guide back to the student section of the Campsite. Some went to refill on carbs and we all decided to follow, feeling peckish after the battles. Now was served lunch, with various breads and pastries to choose from, along with their famous display of all meats. I quickly built myself a chicken wrap and waited for Chloe and Markan who, per usual m, picked a dish that was multitudes more classy than mine. It was a long day. So after eating and exploring the parts of the building that were open, around 12pm, we decided to go back to our accommodation for today. We had rocky days ahead, and like everyone else, we were exhausted. Chapter seven~Chamber Trials:Day IIII "We cannot solve problems with the kind of thinking we employed when we came up with them" -Albert Einstein ~Celeste ...It was a long day. So after eating and exploring the parts of the building that were open, around 12pm, we decided to go back to our accommodation for today. We had rocky days ahead, and like everyone else, we were exhausted. When I got back to my room, tired but not as exhausted as when I got here, I took it upon myself to hop into the beautiful bath that they provided. I proceeded to go back to my room to retire for the evening and prepare myself for tomorrow. My body was bruised and worn by the time all the adrenaline had worn off and to be quite frank the only thing keeping me sane through all of this was the fact that my competition was going to be just as battered as me; well unless they had some sort of healing power of course. The bath washed away most of my physical troubles, allowing me to climb comfortably into my bed for the evening. The remnant of my mental issues being the only thing keeping me tonight. This place was weird It was everything I expected and more, it wasn''t the building or the institution itself that raised my eyebrows but instead the people. I watched the guides and they watched us. Constantly. I knew it was their job, their duty to watch over us at all times but I couldn''t help but wonder, if there was a deeper meaning to their presence. They were distant, authoritative but passive. I also wondered about the nature of this whole trials thing. Was it really fair? how could it be considering the state of the world today. It was no doubt that money could do a lot. But was there really a point in ensuring your child goes to the #1 Blue phoenix academy, I mean, it wasn''t like they got any meaningful special treatment. Those in lower academy''s were not trained worse or lacking in any facilities, the whole point of this place was simply to ensure no one was a threat to any members of the public due to a lack of education about their magic. It was a mandatory task, we needed to be ironed out and this was the place. The only real bonus that would be prescribed to anyone who forced their way into Blue Phoenix was the notoriety gained from being in such a position, or the lack of ridicule that would be faced if someone who was inherently meant to be powerful was at an academy that didn''t replicate their status. The administration seems very particular about the nature of the validity of these trials paired with the fact that the institution needs no extra funding would in fact lead me to believe that this was all 100% neutral. I hoped so anyways. I finally decided to allow myself to fall asleep, hoping I would catch up on the sleep I had missed and to regenerate my body a little bit. I woke up after a very long sleep, gave myself a very feline stretch to relax my tense muscles and got out of bed. in the midst of all of my thoughts last night I happened to forget to set my alarm. looking over I noticed that it was actually only 6am and that I would be okay for now. I did not know when the next trial would be or which trial they would choose for us next but i''d hoped it wasn''t another physical. Sadly my sleep only seemed to have rejuvenated my mind as my body was still stiff and sluggish from the previous battles. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. I looked on my phone and saw no new notifications so i''d assumed that they would hopefully start the challenge later to give us time to prepare. Before hopping into the shower I needed to message Chloe and Markan to see if they were awake as well. I didn''t get much time with them yesterday as we were all very tired from the trip and the fights. Obviously the ones who had a persona to upkeep let off no signs nor signals that they were bruised in any way shape or form. Waltzing and parading down the corridors in the posh attire they brought here. I knew they were drained like I was. I knew because they were powerful and that meant that they were trying harder than someone who is not. It was pure pride. Potentially ruining their bodies for the day''s after and sacrificing their comfort for social capital. It was all so sad wasn''t it. Shoot me if I become so shallow. Celeste-"Hey Chloe, you awake? we haven''t gotten any messages from the Academy i''m hoping that the next challenge is later in the day. My body is still so damaged from yesterday, how are you holding up?." And sent. I wanted to message Markan as well, to see how he was feeling and if he was ready for today. Celeste-"Hey Markan, how are you feeling? i''m still bartered from yesterday, hoping today is a bit lighter.a€? I put my phone down but left it on loud notifications so I didn''t miss anything important. Definitely needed to bless the bath with my presence today, I did not get the chance to properly soak myself in water last time, needing to hurry and get to bed but today I decided I was going to properly take my time to have a good soak. And I definitely needed it. After a long bath I got dressed into my underwear, I didn''t know what I had to wear today and I didn''t want to change into my normal attire to have to eventually change later. I looked at my phone to answer my messages. I had heard my phone buzz during my bath but I was in no need to rush as the specific noise that came with their alerts were different to ours. Chloe-"Hey i''m awake now, my body needed that rest I passed out as soon as I got here. I''m holding up okay, defo still achey all around. I hope the challenge is later as well, I need more time to marinate." She texted me back about an hour after I had messaged her. Seems like she was just as tired as I was. I opened up Markan''s message and read what he sent. Markan-"Hey beautiful, i''m okay just a bit worn out. I hope today is lighter as well, but low-key I just wanna get this shit over with now." I felt that. Walking over to my mirror I glanced at my appearance, I was visibly tired but makeup would be an easy fix for that. My hair was in loose curls, curtesy of the water it was a lot easier to deal with. Not wanting to leave it up to chance I put my hair in a sleek high bun, laid down my edges and went back to my bedroom. Hearing my stomach rumble reminded me of my bodily needs. The cafeteria was open from 6am, I don''t know when it would close but by this time it was around 7:45 and I didn''t wanna miss out that delicious food. Celeste-"So we''re feeling the same then. Wanna go downstairs and grab munchies? I don''t know what time it closes and I don''t wanna miss anything, the lord knows how hungry I am as well" Chloe-"Of course I do! i''m basically ready i''ll wait outside your door so we can go down together." Well that''s a plan. Chloe and I made our way to the tables before getting our food. Today I chose cornmeal porridge to fill my stomach and it was a splendid choice if I do say so myself. There was of course something prestigious on Both Chloe and Markan''s plate; Markan met us downstairs and he joined us at our table after greeting his other friends. The hall was way less crowded than it was yesterday, i''m guessing we all woke up at different times and that was why. There also did not appear to be anyone of higher prestige here. They probably all made themselves wake up extra early to leave a good impression. Sometimes I felt bad for them. Out of the many children of higher ups there has to be one who simply hated everything that came with the notoriety that they had. Constantly forced to walk through life as if everyone was watching, but they were, they were always watching, everyone was. Even me now I guess. Buzz** Well then. Here we go. ''Students, today''s trial will be at 4pm, it is a shorter trial based off your ability to do combat without the use of magic. All usage of magic is prohibited during this Trial. If anyone has issues with more, ''unkempt'' magic that hasn''t already been addressed, please continue with the trial. The watchers will be looking and will see any intentional magic usages. Please do not make this mistake. The trial will end by 9pm in which you will all get a chance to dine before heading to your quarters for the night. Good luck! More information will be passed closer to the Trial. Please make use of the range of facilities available for you in the meantime." Ah, networking session I see. Chapter eight-Chamber Trials Day IV "What doesn''t kill you can only make you stronger" Celeste~ ....''Students, today''s trial will be at 4pm, it is a shorter trial based off your ability to do combat without the use of magic. All usage of magic is prohibited during this Trial. If anyone has issues with more, ''unkempt'' magic that hasn''t already been addressed, please continue with the trial. The watchers will be looking and will see any intentional magic usages. Please do not make this mistake. The trial will end by 9pm in which you will all get a chance to dine before heading to your quarters for the night. Good luck! More information will be passed closer to the Trial. Please make use of the range of facilities available for you in the meantime." Ah, networking session I see "So, they want us to talk to each other." "Yeah, i''m not surprised they want us to network so badly, it''s how the world runs I guess." "Definitely, but honestly though, this whole thing is probably aimed towards the elites, they need this the most." That was a fact. "It''s all about building connections." "So, where are we going" Markan spoke, probably as exited to meet new people as chloe. "Hm, let''s explore." Not to my surprise, Markan found himself back with his group of friends by the time we made it outside. We didn''t do much exploring before we went to the garden area, only going to the gym and the lounge room beforehand. The hallways were filled with so many people, I guess no one wanted to go to their rooms today. Outside was beautiful. The grass was cut perfectly and evenly all throughout the area mirroring the bushes that were unsurprisingly cut with the same splendid precision. There was a confectionery of prestigious cakes and snacks for us to eat that I could see some lingering around. They also included tables, chairs and benches for us, how considerate. Although Chloe and I had just finished eating we were still a bit peckish, we headed towards the table to grab some food before sitting down. "This place is amazing." Chloe said as she gobbled down her food in the most un modest way possible. Looking around It was clear to me that even the people who came here who were initially very reserved were partaking in conversation, chatter flowed and drinks clinked as the time passed until Chimen and Chilisa walked in. There was a slight pause in conversation, not significant and only noticed by those who were already here and paying attention. Everyone''s eyes were on them. Looking professional as usual they both walked in with the type of elegance you would find in a ball. Chisila opted for a loose flowing skirt paired with their trademark black shirts. She had a small cute blazer to pair with the look and a nice set of clear heels to bring it all together; she was the embodiment of class. Chimen had similar attire, a black shirt with simple black trousers, he looked less put together than his sister because of the open, unbuttoned tops of his shirt however his natural grace still allowed for him to radiate the same elegance his sister did. The only other elite out here was Judias montgomery, parents who are the leaders of North America. He was chatting with who I presumed was his girlfriend next to him. Princess Latia. Although she was royalty, those who were not the direct children of the king or queen still had to go the the Academy. It was fundamental that we all learned how to function with the power inside us, the only people getting the privilege of training at home being the Monarchy. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. With more than enough funding to have a whole coup of magic practitioners to more than adequately train their offspring, it wasn''t necessary. They also didn''t need to network like we did; an abundance of suitors ready to marry within the monarchy. She was a beauty for sure. Her hair was a mixture of brunette with blonde highlights, she wore glasses, framed with gold, encapsulating her face in the most perfect way. She screamed expensive, no she reeked of it. She had close ties to those in line. Her parents being the Queens brother. She was their only child; a miracle baby after having trouble conceiving for years on end. Lingering around a seemingly unbothered Judias, she was the only one who didn''t really pay attention to the Montgomery''s when they walked in, one would usually be least to believe that because of her position of power she was unconcerned with those ''below'' her, this was not the case. She was known to be an attention seeker, she got it from her father; who despite many efforts was not powerful enough to be chosen for King. He carried that rejection with him for the rest of his life, always feeling a need to put down the Queen, her husband and their children in an attempt to make himself more important. To be completely fair it was a close call. The Queen and him were close in power but he lacked the Harmea that was ultimately responsible for his loss. I would be mad too. She took the trait of insecurity from him and it showed in her every action. She radiated insecurity and jealousy the same way she protruded wealth. With extreme vigor. She was known for...being a promiscuous individual. She''s had her fair share of boyfriends, obviously all powerful in their own right. And now it seems like the pin had dropped on her next target, Judias. It was very clear that she wanted to be perceived as important. I just couldn''t seem to wrap my mind around how someone who has such a standing in this society could possibly want more. Yes, she was in an awkward position, not ''main'' royalty but enough to keep the title but not really having any...purpose I would say. Those who closely surrounded the Queen were simply there to assist, be ears for the most vulnerable of secrets and to maintain a good reputation for the monarchy overall. Attending balls, dinners, charity events and more. Leaving a good impression for the public eye and covering up any mistakes made. You would think that that would be enough but no. Not for Latia. Never for Latia. She wanted more, the crown, the value, the power she would have from being Queen, or by having a chance to be. I mean it was true, she would be forgotten about in a couple decades or so, when the remaining two of the Queen''s children have kids for themselves, when the grandchild that is already here gets married and has children too. Suddenly the other bloodline isn''t as important anymore. She wanted to be something. And it was clear that marrying someone elite was her way to that goal, so it was no surprise that she has to give them all a try before finally deciding. Making informed decisions, good on her. She stood, ''proud'' and prestige as usual, looking into Judias'' eyes as if she''s never seen a tall blonde before. He was pretty. It was the only word I could really use to describe him. His lack of overt masculinity didn''t hinder his looks, instead, the touch of femininity made him glow. His hair nearly looked white under the sun, his skin glowed and resembled that of a greek god in its tone, his blue eyes squinted under the rays, glowing in between the lids of his eyes. He was lean in shape but it suited him well. Rather than looking too feminine he held a grace that reminded me of a polished statue that you couldn''t touch, too perfect for tainted hands. Not a blemish on his skin not a scar. He didn''t seem too concerned about the princess, most were bewitched by her beauty and couldn''t form a full sentence in her presence but he was fine. Some (mostly the very powerful) became like that once the reality of her desperation began to become very apparent. Though she would always shave suitors ready to bend to her every will. But of course she didn''t pay them any mind, too concerned with what didn''t serve her, what didn''t put her on a pedestal. "Beautiful isn''t she, such a shame she''s so ugly on the inside." Chloe remarked, seeing my attention on the princess. While also having a reputation of being passed around she was also know to ruin relationships to get what she wanted. Not many people liked that. "Honestly, could''ve really done something with herself." A chuckle formed behind me, before getting a chance to see who it was I heard "Right? how pathetic, given the world and still unhappy, she doesn''t even have run a country or anything, just be pretty and shut up but she couldn''t even do that." The brown skinned lady spoke as she laughed, grasping her stomach as she did. Chapter nine-Chamber Trials: Day VI "Success is getting what you want; happiness is wanting what you get." -W.P. Kinsella Celeste~ ....A chuckle formed behind me, before getting a chance to see who it was I heard "Right? how pathetic, given the world and still unhappy, she doesn''t even have run a country or anything, just be pretty and shut up but she couldn''t even do that." The brown-skinned lady spoke as she laughed, grasping her stomach as she did. "I''m Rain, by the way, nice to meet you guys." She stood behind us, short and curvy in a dress that flowed just below the large curves of her hips. "Hey girl! I''m Chloe and this is Celeste, so happy to meet you." "Hey Rain, nice to meet you too, come here by yourself?" "Yeah, I don''t have siblings, just me, what about you guys?" "I came here with my brother, me and Celeste aren''t related but we live together so she came with us too." "Ah, I see" "So, don''t like the pretentious princess either then?" I said "Hell nah, those prestige pricks are terrible people, they just shit on everyone they see as below them, especially her." Rain said with disgust as she spoke. "That is very true, they are assholes" "The only way to really escape is to go into a lower academy, where only the runts and normal people remain. What academy do you think you''re getting into?" Partly wanted to give her hope, but mostly just wanted to know her strength. She couldn''t be powerful by blood, she wouldn''t have degraded the elites otherwise. "Hm, well before I came here I was sure I would at least place in the mid to high ranks but after that first trial, lord have mercy on my soul. It was bullshit." Agreeing Chloe said "Yeah for sure, I wasn''t expecting it to be easy by any means but it was really intense. It was a mental battle to keep going as well as a physical one." "I mean, the only thing that''s comforting me right now is the fact that everyone else probably struggled as much as we did." Well, I''d hoped so anyway. "I guess you could say that. But by no means was this a fair challenge, those rich bastards had all the means in the world to train their children to be absolute weapons." That was very true as well. Chloe sighed "All we can do is pray and hope for the best, they''ll never care about true fairness, just hierarchies and agendas." "So do you guys wanna be anything important? or do you not care about how you place?" Rain asked. "I mean, I wanna help my parents out you know, they''ve done a lot for me." Couldn''t agree more, I would be in debt to those people for life. "But I couldn''t care about titles or status or anything like that so I guess I just wanna place high mid to high." "Same over here, her parents have done a lot for me and I wanna repay them." By the expression on her face, I could tell she wanted to ask about my parents or was at least curious, but it seemed she chose not to. Rain spoke and said, "Fair enough not too bad, Same here too, I just wanna do good and make something of myself you know, help people." A lot of people wanted to help people as well, mainly through being involved in the department that facilitated the league against the Angels. As demons we naturally detested them. Many have been harmed by them and if not, someone they love. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. "Well hopefully we all get into the same Academy, I would love to have you with us." "Yeah! we''re totally friends now. And stop saying hopefully. We will get into the same Academy by force." Rain chuckled at Chloe''s devotion to having her way. I had a good feeling about Rain, the usual apprehension I had towards the unknown was long gone and I had a weird knowing that I had found a good friend. "I hope we end up at the same academy too, I like you guys already, definitely my kinda people. Anyways I was gonna head to the sauna, you guys coming?" After a long sauna session with Rain and Chloe, it was around 3:00pm, the Trials were due to start in about an hour and I wanted to be early so as to not miss anything. The academy sent us an alert to prepare as well, shown by the emptying hallways. Rain''s accommodation was on the opposite side of the building to ours so she went the other way after we said our goodbyes. Me and Chloe returned to our rooms before texting Markan and checking up on him, He was with his friends in the gym and would meet us before 4pm. As my hair was already done I didn''t need to do much while getting ready. From my selection, I picked out black cargos and a plain tight-fitting shirt. Making sure I could move freely in the material I stretched, it was perfectly fine for combat and was lightweight enough for me to move around as I pleased. I walked over to the fridge and eyed all of the drinks they had stocked for us and sadly decided on water. While there were energy drinks that I was sure would give me the boost I needed, I was nowhere near tired enough for the energetic come down to be worth it and considering how long the last challenge was, the silly energy the drink would give me just wouldn''t be worth it. I took a swig of the branded water. "Damn is this shit made of gold," I said to myself after I downed the drink. Best water I have ever tasted. *Buzz Ah, well I guess it was time. *Students, please make your way to the same hall the first trial was in and meet your guide for this challenge. Further information will be given downstairs.* I met with Chloe and Markan when I left my accommodation, then Rain when we arrived downstairs. She was there before us and I could tell she was just as eager as me to get this whole thing over with. Markan looked pumped up and energised for the challenge, no doubt due to the gym session he had just before. From the speaker, the sound of the voice of the guide rang out. *Students, please listen closely. This Trial as you all know is the non-magic assessment, which means that no magic use will be prohibited during combat. As said previously, those with uncontrolled magic are mostly known to us, if you have any concerns about accidental magic usage during the trial, please speak to the guide before attempting to participate, failure to do so will result in an automatic failure. Thank you for your time, for any further questions please go to the guide at the front. Good luck.* Good luck indeed. Thankfully I didn''t have any uncontrollable powers yet, as was the case for most of us. The academy was positioned on the exact date when most people''s powers were about to reach a very intense upturn. This obviously meant that everyone''s ''true'' strength wasn''t revealed yet but the academy must be doing something right because they are right about the outcome. Those placed in their academy, although more than welcome to attempt to move a rank up to a different school, were almost always unable to as they were in the exact league they were meant to be in. These trials did a great job of assessing our strengths. I wished my friend Good luck before We all went to the same positions that we were in last time. The walls began to close once again and I braced myself for attack, not wanting to be caught off guard. I wasn''t as nervous this time around but still felt that anticipation boiling. *Students, to your right you will see an array of weapons that you are able to use during this trial, you may only pick one. You have five minutes to choose your weapon before the trials begin* Not missing a beat the weapons rose from the floor beneath that was so inconspicuous you could hide a body in there. On the white wall many weapons hung and laid on the cabinet, from nunchucks to machetes to brass knuckles there was everything a bloodthirsty serial killer would get hard over. I mean I''d be lying If I said that such an array didn''t get me excited either, Saul and Amy were well-versed in weaponry and taught it to me and Chloe as well. I knew exactly what weapon I wanted. Before I ran out of time, I grabbed the medium-sized dagger from the shelf, eyeing it and weighing it in my hand to assess it. It was relatively heavy and seemed to be made out of some sort of polished black stone, it was almost translucent and had edges as sharp as razors. I knew what I was looking for so I no doubt knew that I had chosen a good option. I took a step back as the array began to sink back into the ground again, fitting seamlessly back into the hole it came out of. Without a second to spare the animatronic charged from the dispenser they came from with two short daggers in either hand. Chapter ten-Chamber Trials Day VII Celeste~ ...Before I ran out of time, I grabbed the medium-sized dagger from the shelf, eyeing it and weighing it in my hand to assess it. It was relatively heavy and seemed to be made out of some sort of polished black stone, it was almost translucent and had edges as sharp as razors. I knew what I was looking for so I no doubt knew that I had chosen a good option. I took a step back as the array began to sink back into the ground again, fitting seamlessly back into the hole it came out of. Without a second to spare the animatronic charged from the dispenser they came from with two short daggers in either hand. I waited for it to get closer before I charged and sliced its throat. They didn''t seem to announce the rounds as they did last time, now instead just expecting us to be ready for combat. Two more came from behind. Stealth must have been included while making these ones because they practically made no sound while they running towards me. One held a long sword while the other had one small dagger, similar to what the last one had. Like last time, each bot was slightly better than the last. They lunged at me. I had to first deal with the one who had the longest sword. I was short/medium range this time and I had to find a way to work around that. The disadvantage to having a long-range sword is the lack of movement you have. Paired with the fact that the animatronics were probably heavy enough, made its attack slow. Slow enough for me to dodge it and attack its lower stomach. I dug my knife into its parts and slid it out equally as fast as it came in. I didn''t know what it took for one of these to die. They seemed to be a different type than the other ones and in the last challenge, what it took to kill they differed each round. Not taking any risks I quickly jumped back before assuming it was dead. It thankfully stumbled before dropping straight to the ground. Nice. I was a far enough distance away from the other one to be able to have enough time to attack it first. It has a shorter weapon than mine so I gracefully sliced its neck like I did the other one. By the time it had reached the later rounds, I was exhausted. Now, there were multiple animatronics, some with bows and others with throwing daggers. I was at my wit''s end but was proud of where I had gotten to. I knew I had done my best and that was all that mattered. I was slightly battered and bruised. More than last time definitely. I think they let them harm us more this time because it was the last physical test and there was the safety of there not being magic involved. I repeatedly dodged multiple long-range attacks from the bows and daggers they were using. They also had¡­Strategy this time. the ones who were long distance stayed behind and fired at me while the ones with swords and brass knuckles charged. Having to give up one of my daggers I threw it at one of the Animatronics that had a long sword. With the amount being thrown at me right now I didn''t have the time to plan a safe attack while also dodging the arrows and would definitely have gotten hurt again. Now only having one sword I did my best to attack without getting injured, i''d been running in circles to get some distance from the things and that seemed to work as they all ran at slightly different paces. as we were approaching a peak for them, that difference increased, most of them now running at a very fast pace. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Doing what I could, I had to focus on slicing the arm of the bot that was closest to me. When it reached out and attacked I jumped back to allow it to lunge and stretch more, extending its arm and allowing me to cut it off neatly. It didn''t drop to the ground but allowed me to use my other hand to get the dagger that was about to fall out of its open hand and slice its neck before stepping back once again. Its other hand nearly grabbed my hair before it fell but I quickly escaped, needing to focus on the animatronics that remained. I knew I had to take a bigger step back than I did last time, remembering that I also had long-range machines to deal with. Before I could even blink shots were firing at me. Thankfully I was in a position where some of the arrows and daggers hit the animatronics before me, two of them falling to the ground. Sadly, Two of them that had no daggers left charged, Replacing the stupid bots that fell before. They were far away though, giving me just enough time to stab the machines in front of me in the brain with my dagger. Once they were down the two from behind were relatively close to me. Before I got the opportunity to attack I had to duck down and dodge an arrow from behind. Now at the feet of the bots I had to instead slice and stab their legs so I didn''t get hurt. I pushed them back, putting their weight to fall backwards instead of into me as I fell back as well. I was now flat on my ass when a bow was launched in my direction, I rolled to avoid it and thankfully did. The bots that I had stabbed were still alive and now crawling towards me. I easily killed them and made my way to the last one standing. I was worn out and out of breath by now, needing to take a moment to rejoice. I swerved to avoid arrows as I slowly approached it. When I was at a close enough distance I threw the dagger that I took from the robot and hit it successfully, it stumbled for a second and I took that opportunity to lunge. It only had a bow and arrow so I could without fear of being stabbed. I didn''t manage to get to it before it fired at me again, I dived to avoid it and tacked it like a football player before I stabbed its brains. I thought I wouldn''t be able to make it through the next round but I did, not the one after that though. After waiting for everyone else to finish I listened to the announcement that we could leave and met up with Chloe and Rain. This one was easily way worse than the other, and like last time no one knew how well they did. "How did you guys find it this time, I think it was way harder personally," I said Agreeing, Rain said "Absofuckinglutely." Chloe nodded in agreement, visibly drained from the combat. Markan was as well, he decided to just go straight to his room after. The girls and I were gonna go to the dining room and get food before we went upstairs Thankfully they allowed us to eat in our rooms today. While I, on most occasions would be more than happy to sit and socialise with my friends now, I needed rest and I needed it now. I was tired and groggy and didn''t want anyone else to deal with the wrath of my miserability. Rain and Chloe seemed to be in total agreement as they also wanted to grab food and take their leave. We said our goodbyes to Chloe as we made our way back to our rooms. Before we approached the corner we heard voices to our right. "Shut the fuck up Judias, I do what the fuck I want when I want and there is nothing you or anyone else can do about it, if your not gonna give me what I want I''ll simply find it elsewhere." Me and Chloe gave each other a look as we ultimately decided that we were gonna eavesdrop. From what I''ve heard of her voice, I was pretty certain it was Princess Lat¨ªa that Judias was speaking to. "I don''t give a fuck about what you want Lat¨ªa, you made your choice when you decided to be a fucked up attention whore, everyone already practically considers us married, you have all the attention you need so why the fuck do you have to make things difficult and flirt with him." Well damn. "Because you don''t give a fuck about me-" "How do I not give a fuck about you, I''m the one who has to hide the shit that you do so they press don''t hear about it again-" "See, that''s your fucking issue, the only thing you care about is what everyone thinks of you and covering up your silly little dirty secret-" And just like that, I heard a loud thump and the sound of someone dropping to the ground. A shriek came from Lat¨ªa as she fell and she began to cry. "Fuck you Judias, FUCK YOU!" she screamed as she got up and walked off "No, Lat¨ªa I''m sorry, No come back!" What. The. Fuck. Chapter eleven-Chamber Trials Day VIII Celeste- "See, that''s your fucking issue, the only thing you care about is what everyone thinks of you and covering up your silly little dirty secret-" And just like that, I heard a loud thump and the sound of someone dropping to the ground. A shriek came from Lat¨ªa as she fell and she began to cry. "Fuck you Judias, FUCK YOU!" she screamed as she got up and walked off "No, Lat¨ªa I''m sorry, No come back!" What. The. Fuck. "The fuck was that?" My thoughts exactly. Chloe and I peeked around the corner to make sure no one was left behind, The hallway was clear and we were left alone to think about what we just heard. Continuing she pondered "And what dirty little secret could make someone put their hands on a princess, well to be fair, the important ones don''t really like her but her parents see powerful enough to do something." "Probably wouldn''t be worth it, his parents are the leader of North America of course, that''s a full-blown war and I''m guessing whatever Judias'' secret is is something they definitely want to keep as well." "Yeah that''s for sure, sounds like Lat¨ªa is hoeing around again," She joked. "Seems like he didn''t care about it either, maybe he''s In love with someone else or something." possibly. "I mean I''ve heard men who are in marriages that are secretly in love with someone else take out their anger on their partner, I wouldn''t be surprised if that was the case." Kinda felt sorry for her. "Yeah, That reaction was ridiculously unnecessary, he cared about his secret more than his girlfriend cheating on him." "We should get going now, it''s getting kinda late." It was around 10pm by now and I was as tired as a motherfucker. "Yeah let''s get going, this place gets kinda creepy at night." It sure did, they were nice enough to dim the lights for us when it got late, but instead of providing comfort it just made everything more scary. We arrived at our rooms in no time thankfully. "Gonna fill Rain in on the princess gossip later, i''ll text you when I wake up. Goodnight Celeste, love you." If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "Goodnight Chloe, love you more sister." And just like that, I was in my room again. I was starting to miss this place. I mustered up all the energy I had left to go into the shower quickly and change into my pyjamas. It was like 11pm by the time I was done. The academy had to allow us to start late again because I was too exhausted to even think about the next trial even if it didn''t involve combat. *Buzz buzz Damn. I forgot I set those silly notifications to extra loud, I knew I was really tired and didn''t wanna miss anything because I was asleep. I thought maybe they would make this challenge early to see our Harmea level while we were at a low psychic state. I dreaded the thought of that and prayed that I could get a few extra hours of sleep, it was only like 7am after all. *Students, please rest your bodies and get some sleep, there will be no trial today. We understand that you have worked extraordinarily hard these past days and we would like to let you know that we appreciate the efforts from you all. The next challenge shall begin tomorrow, more information about the nature of the test will be given closer to the trial. Until then, make use of the range of facilities available for your enjoyment. Have an enjoyable day." Ah, my prayers have been answered. Buzz* Chloe-"Hey girl did you hear the good news! we get to sleep more!" her excitement radiated through the screen. Celeste-"Yeah, never been so thankful in my life, not even on the other trial." Chloe-"I really needed this, I couldn''t really sleep last night I kept thinking about Judias and Lat¨ªa, it''s crazy what goes on behind closed doors. I even had a nightmare that he heard us and attacked us after, his eyes were black and shit; It was very hard to fall back asleep after that." Celeste-"Mhm. there''s definitely something about the whole situation that makes me so uneasy, it''s like a flip just switched in him. He''s never been known to be violent, while he is expected to be a ruthless ruler one day he was always more of the soft kind." Chloe-"Yeah! so fucking soft, I remember that time in the press when he cried at a charity event for animals, he''s done things like that many times. And it''s not like he has anyone to perform fur in that way, being so emotional would be a negative thing if anything so he''s definitely just like that." Celeste-"Till now." Chloe-"Mm, makes you really wonder what else is beneath his very polished layer." Celeste-"It does indeed, it seems that there is more that lies beneath the surface. Think we''re gonna uncover some ''dirty little secrets'' while we''re here?" Chloe-"Hell yeah, we''re irrelevant enough to sneak around but pretty enough to interfere without being completely blown off, I think we have this in the bag." Celeste-"Now, now, let''s not get ahead of ourselves here, these are powerful people we''re messing with." Chloe-"Ugh, don''t be so boring, nothing is gonna happen to us, plus they can''t just kill anyone they like for no reason they have people that need to believe they''re safe under their control." Eh, fair enough. Celeste-"Still, we don''t wanna get on anyone''s bad side, plus they like to manipulate and buy their way through life, they''re not like us so we can''t expect the same morality as we have." Chloe-"I guess you''re right, imma still keep my eye on things though. Rain just said that they''re all a bunch of assholes and that if they didn''t create the stupid hierarchy that they can barely fulfil the expectations of then this wouldn''t all be happening. Oh and also thinks that he''s gay or something." Celeste-"Well that''s Rain for you." she was funny as fuck. Chloe-"Yeah, imma go to sleep now though, I need to rest my body is exhausted. Night night Celeste." Celeste-"Night, Chloe" Chapter twelve-Chamber Trials Day IX Celeste~ Chloe-"I guess you''re right, imma still keep my eye on things though. Rain just said that they''re all a bunch of assholes and that if they didn''t create the stupid hierarchy that they can barely fulfil the expectations of then this wouldn''t all be happening. Oh and also thinks that he''s gay or something." Celeste-"Well that''s Rain for you." she was funny as fuck. Chloe-"Yeah, imma go to sleep now though, I need to rest my body is exhausted. Sleep well." Celeste-"You too." I woke up again around 11am. I was finally refreshed and ready to start the day. I wanted to explore and maybe find out the rest of whatever happened yesterday. I wondered how the couple would act today, but I highly doubted they would show any signs of issues in their relationship, especially if this was a for sure family partnership. Walking into the bathroom I looked at myself in the mirror to see what damage control was needed. As much as I was feeling refreshed, the outside of my body didn''t reflect that but instead gave clear depictions of my nearly 12-hour sleep. Needing to match the outside of my body to the inside I went and took a long bath to also relax my muscles. I felt as stiff as a rusty robot and damn I needed my oil. I ran the bath which thankfully had good enough water pressure to fill up quite quickly, but what else could you expect from the one and only Blue Phoenix. I, unfortunately, needed to wash my hair as well, the build-up of hair gel was getting treacherous and as much as I hated washing my hair in unfamiliar places I had to on this occasion. I had packed all of my Hair stuff but I''d wanted to save them just in case I couldn''t order them in time when I went to Blue Phoenix. I used specific things to tame my curly hair which made the whole process a whole lot easier but the catch was I could just find them anywhere. Not that I was some bougie princess who used expensive products, they were just sourced straight from Africa, they were #1 in the hair business and had great products because of their naturally rich land. After I came out of the bath I decided that going into the shower just to wash my hair was way too much effort, I bent over the bath and combed my hair through thoroughly before putting some shampoo on it. The whole process took around 1 hour as I didn''t style my hair today but instead left my hair out and curly. I personally thought that this hairstyle suited my hair the best, because of the curly layers it framed my face perfectly, paired with the blonde and blonde highlights that ran through my hair creating a hue that matched my skin tone beautifully. Well since I looked half great I might as well go the extra mile. It''s not like we were doing anything today anyways and Chloe probably saw this as a perfect opportunity to ''network'' or to find her future husband as she put it. So instead of the go-to makeup items I set out for quick easy makeup I grabbed my whole makeup bag and got to work. By the time I was finished with that, it was around 12:30. I was getting dressed and ready to start the day but I didn''t really know what I wanted to wear. The paranoid part of me still wanted to wear combat attire thinking that maybe they had a surprise Trial planned but that was unlikely because they would have also had to of done it in the previous years and while they had influence and power I doubted they would have been able to keep such a surprise secret a secret for that many years ongoing without someone slipping news of something, the higher-ups would have wanted to be prepared so they would of made sure they knew exactly what was planned and that didn''t really support the whole fairness of this whole thing. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. But also this place was very magic friendly, as this was the place to enhance everyone''s magic skills, magic use was very permitted in these walls. there wasn''t nearly as much legislation against the use of magic for any reason here. But having magic practitioners ready with powers that could strip yours in a second would do that. So there was the odd chance that I could end up in a fight of some sorts during my stay here but I felt like that was unlikely as well. It was very early days and I doubted anyone would want to make such a look of themselves, especially so early on because I definitely didn''t, and even I lacked most of the notoriety that made people hide behind their persona. So nothing would really happen today, there was no excuse to be the paranoid bunny I was being and I just needed to get on with it. Noted. I practically had to force myself to look away from the combat material and look towards my casual wear. My eyes darted around but eventually fell on the simple grey jeans and a flowy white shirt. I slipped them on and took a look at myself in the mirror. the jeans hugged my curves perfectly and made the outline of my hips sit nicely and perkily in my fabric. I turned around to look at my ass and admired how juicy and full it looked against the grey. The colour really highlighted the shadow beneath my ass which made it look even bigger than it was. The shirt didn''t really do anything for my breasts as they were barely showing in the seam of the buttons. It wasn''t tight on the waist either which made me look even curvier than I was, I didn''t mind it though, I had a waist that could kill and it didn''t need to be on display all the time. Plus, my hips already gave enough of an illusion of an hourglass figure so I didn''t look boxy or fat in my clothes. For my shoes, I just opted for sleek grey sneakers to match the jeans. I needed to text Chloe and Rain to see what we were going to do today, I hoped that they wanted more of a chill day today, I wasn''t the most social butterfly after all. "Yep, he''s definitely gay I just know it." After I was done in my room I went with Chloe to the other side of the building to go to Rains accommodation. This was also when I found out that net worth had a lot to do with what you were given here. Although our parents didn''t have to explicitly pay for our time here, their tax contributions were the decider for how exquisite the accommodations and such were. I assumed due to the luxury of this whole place that we would all be given the same things but as per usual of Blue Phoenix Academy, there was no limit to their Boujie endeavours and displays of wealth. They didn''t do it on a very individual basis though, you had to make a lot more than average to be moved to a higher-tier accommodation and Rain''s room was just that. Just from stepping foot into her accommodation you could see the size difference immediately, the walls were higher and the whole place was just spacier as soon as you walked in. Her bedroom was similar to ours in style just like the rest of her apartment but there were certain luxury elements that were missing from ours. She had an electronic toilet that flushed automatically and a soap dispenser to match. She also had a pantry that we did not have with snacks, drinks and fruits to satisfy any late-night cravings. The whole thing just made me wonder what the even bigger apartments looked like because if this was only tier one then I couldn''t imagine what tier three would even be. I also found out that to make things a lot easier they also categorised us here based on our parent''s performance when they were doing the Trials themselves, this meant that all of us had an opportunity to end up in the same place to a certain extent. Chapter thirteen- Chamber Trials Day X Celeste~ ¡­Just from stepping foot into her accommodation you could see the size difference immediately, the walls were higher and the whole place was just spacier as soon as you walked in. Her bedroom was similar to ours in style just like the rest of her apartment but there were certain luxury elements that were missing from ours. She had an electronic toilet that flushed automatically and a soap dispenser to match. She also had a pantry that we did not have with snacks, drinks and fruits to satisfy any late-night cravings. The whole thing just made me wonder what the even bigger apartments looked like because if this was only tier one then I couldn''t imagine what tier three would even be. I also found out that to make things a lot easier they also categorised us here based on our parent''s performance when they were doing the Trials themselves, this meant that all of us had an opportunity to end up in the same place to a certain extent. That was a good thing because I really wanted Rain, Chloe and Markan to come with me to the Academy. Rain''s mum was a business owner and a very successful one at that, she didn''t get into the details but she was more than financially comfortable. I wasn''t expecting someone like her to have such a standing, not that having a business gives you status it''s just that usually those closer to the top have more of that driving urge to climb even higher. An urge that Rain didn''t really seem to have, at least not to an extreme extent. I wondered if her mother was the same, she was the owner of the business so she would be the main person who would want more. Maybe Rain was just rebelling or maybe just didn''t want what her mother wanted for her, if anything. Now we were here, on her heavily cushioned couch sitting and talking about what happened yesterday. "I mean he is pretty definitely, but he has had his fair share of partners," Chloe stated. "Fair enough but that''s what they do sometimes you know, they hide what''s going on on the inside with having hella bitches and shit. Makes it easier to cover up." Rain rebutted. I chimed in and said "Well it''s definitely a possibility considering the context, he didn¡¯t care at all about her flirting with whoever that man was and she seemed to have a big issue with that. Maybe for all of the attention she gets from being with him still isn¡¯t enough if he doesn¡¯t even care about her. To everyone else, they are basically in love but she¡¯s the one who would be miserable in a loveless and maybe sexless marriage if he¡¯s gay. That¡¯s sad for sure.¡± ¡°So so sad, I would definitely flirt with someone else too, maybe not in the way she does because she just wants Judias to get mad but I would for sure have a little boy toy on the side to make up for what he¡¯s not giving me. I would never let myself get caught though, that¡¯s a rookie mistake. But again that¡¯s what she wants isn¡¯t it, for Judias to care about her.¡± I definitely agreed with Chloe, if I had to make do with a partner who doesn¡¯t love me just so I could marry someone on my standing I would definitely have a boy toy on the side as well. They wouldn¡¯t even have to be someone with notoriety just someone I wanted to fuck and that I maybe loved if it turned out that way. There have been countless affairs that have taken place this way. When the world was a lot more rigid and structured and it was actually life or death to be with someone in your social circle many would deter all of the sad downfalls of not being able to marry who they wanted to marry through having consorts. It was a great plan and worked well Indeed. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. They simply had consorts that they well¡­boned and loved on while they pretended to the world as though they were in love. The Royals were happy as were the government and the press didn¡¯t really have much to say as they were kept very secret. It was all fine and dandy until you know we all got bored of magic and r technology advanced once again. We had phones and cameras of all sizes which made keeping secrets even harder. There was also the odd consort who forgot their place and spoke up about who they were in bed with and that didn¡¯t go well with the rest of society. Sometimes the husbands and wives didn¡¯t even know of these consorts and that caused absolute chaos. That didn¡¯t stop anyone though, many still had consorts and I wouldn¡¯t bet on that stopping any time soon. Rain rolled her eyes at what she saw as the patheticness of the woman ¡°And again it all comes down to no amount of attention being good enough for the princess, she has it all, why couldn¡¯t she just shut up, get a consort and marry the rich guy like her parents want her to.¡± I¡¯d wondered what made her hate Lat¨ªa so much, maybe there was some bad blood there. ¡°Aw maybe she¡¯s just a hopeless romantic, you know how desperate she is for love, as a princess the world already expects so much from her she probably just wants someone who¡¯s on her side.¡± Yeah¡­her side. ¡°I mean her parents are barely on her side already, they hate themselves and in turn their offspring. So she¡¯s alone for the most part. The Royals could now care less about her and her family because they were just all too desperate to be at the very top, too ungrateful for what they came out with in a fair battle.¡± I added. ¡°Yeah, I guess, anyways though enough of them, where are we off to today, you heard the news, we have nothing planned so we might as well explore.¡± Rain spoke. ¡°Yeah come, talking about them was getting kinda depressing and plus we need to network, get to know some people!¡± Well, my prayers hadn¡¯t been answered this time because like I had guessed Chloe was well and up for a peak socialising session and Rain didn¡¯t seem too opposed either although from looking at the analytical expression on her face she was interested in more of a social examination rather than a socialising party. I decided to use my last lucky card and message Markan while Chloe and Rain conversed about what we would be doing, or hopefully not doing. He was downstairs and getting food when he replied to me and I suggested to Chloe and Rain that we should meet him and grab food as well as we all hadn¡¯t eaten yet. They agreed and we all went downstairs while I tried to figure out a plan to avoid socialising altogether. Seeing all of the people that I had a possibility of interacting with made me sick to my stomach, I didn¡¯t wanna fake smiles or fake laughs I just wanted to take the people I liked and hide them in a little bubble with me while we got through this whole endeavour but I don¡¯t think that would be possible for the time being considering my friends consisted of two very social butterfly¡¯s and a self appointed social analyst who was hell bent on seeing things for what it truly was. It was around 2:30pm by the time we got here and I was hangry and hell. I filled up my plate with whatever looked exciting to me which was just regular food I sat down on a nice table in the corner of the hall where Markan was, Rain followed and said her greetings to Markan who was stuffing his face with so much food he could barely say hi back. Her p¨¢llate was refined and had things on her plate that I didn¡¯t even know the name of, and I thought Chloe was prestige. While she and I both had our tries of 5-star food it wasn¡¯t something we regularly ate and that showed blatantly in the foods we ate. While Chloe was willing to eat more Boujie foods than me it was clear that she was just trying things out and seeing what she liked while Rain was well versed in whatever she had. It seemed to follow an actual taste p¨¢llate and she seemed to know exactly what she wanted and where to get it from, something that you would only know from experiencing Michigan star restaurants all the time. Chapter fourteen-Chamber Trials Day XI Celeste~ ...While she and I both had our tries of 5-star food it wasn''t something we regularly ate and that showed blatantly in the foods we ate. While Chloe was willing to eat more Boujie foods than me it was clear that she was just trying things out and seeing what she liked while Rain was well versed in whatever she had. It seemed to follow an actual taste p¨¢llate and she seemed to know exactly what she wanted and where to get it from, something that you would only know from experiencing Michelin-star restaurants all the time. Markan chimed in a little about the whole Latia and Judias situation and simply thought that staying with someone that you didn''t like just for social status was silly and that she was basically doing it to herself which was kind of true. By the time we were done, I was stuffed and wanted to crawl into my bed and hibernate again, the only thing probably stopping me was that it wasn''t as enticing as my bed at home. While it was luxury and all it just couldn''t compete with nostalgia. Markan and Chloe wanted to go and chill with their friends, me and Rain were left to decide what to do with ourselves and eventually decided on a session in the gym area. Even though we were worn out from all the battles before, we thought that we might as well get to know this place a little better and also scope out who''s a good opponent. We also weren''t gonna do any actual combat mostly just magic stuff so we wouldn''t ware ourselves too much. Blue Phoenix had a thing for creating chaos and I wanted to know who my competition was in this place. Every point counts and since I seemed to already be in a place of decent power I might as well climb the ladder a little bit myself. I wasn''t going to go out of my way to become something too special if I was already close to the bottom but if I had a fighting chance, we''ll, you''d sure as hell bet that I was going to take it. The gym was to the right of the hall. We weren''t going to change into another outfit we simply couldn''t be bothered and weren''t doing anything too drastic anyway. It wasn''t too long before we got to the room. Honestly even felt like a disservice to call it a room, the place could house more than 30 people with just the main section of the gym. Sleek clouded glass double doors were the protector of this piece. A vast array of high-end gym equipment was placed perfectly across the marble floors. Cardio machines were to the left of the room with more intense equipment placed on the higher floor on the right side of the room above a few small steps. This gym was big and I wasn''t surprised I could hardly see any people, aside from me and Rain there were just five others that were there. This wasn''t the only section of the gym and from what I could see there were four more doors that led to somewhere else. Rain and I were looking for the open spaces to practice magic, the other doors were for boxing practice, elemental magic and a large outside space for magic that needed it such as speed running. The last room was the one we were looking for, It was big and consisted of multiple sections of empty space to use magic in. There was also the option to use those animatronics that they used on us previously but I didn''t want to see their silly metal faces again, I was not over the work they put me through before and didn''t need a reminder of what it was like in combat with them so soon after getting my ass beat in the last rounds of the Trials. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Me and Rain decided that we were just going to practice a little on each other and also show each other what powers we had. I knew she worked with defence magic mainly and she liked to use weapons for attack like I did. She didn''t like the same weapons as me though as she told me that she usually opted for bows of sorts and the occasional long sword while I liked it up close and personal with sharp daggers. There were also only a couple of people in here while we trained which I was kind of glad for because it meant that no one really knew what I could do, the downside obviously being that it was the same for me. "You ready?" Rain said as she braced. Because of the powers that we had, we decided that it would be best for me to practice my magic offence on her defences. "I''m as ready as you are." "Then you''re very ready." I hurled a ball of energy at her before she had a chance to register what I was doing, I knew she was a good opponent and didn''t want to give her a chance to brace again after she spoke. Not like I thought she would do she dodged the ball instead of throwing up her signature shield. She had shown us it during our little girls'' talk, it was a hot topic because of the colour of it, it was unlike usual shields which usually had an oblique appearance no matter the colour. Rain''s one was different. It was iridescent and shiny as it glowed. It was beautiful and looked dainty despite knowing that it was not. The simplicity of her power didn''t match the boldness and loudness of her appearance as she looked as though she would have been someone that had more overt magic. "Going easy on me are you?" She chirped, clearly happy with her performance. I quickly hurled small balls of energy at her that she couldn''t dodge, the downside of being able to throw so many being that they were much weaker in strength compared to bigger more concentrated ones. It would definitely not hurt her if it was to touch her but it made sure that she couldn''t dodge this attack. She did what I''d assumed she would have done first and put up her shield, funnily enough, she didn''t know the limits to the strength of her shield yet or how long it would take to regenerate after it fell. Like most of us until recently we were all weak in power compared to our fullest potential so that meant that she didn''t have anyone who was strong enough to test her shield out. She would have also needed multiple people to try this with her to see if there was maybe a certain type of power that she was more susceptible to. I guess that type of training and knowledge was what we were here for. Not to my surprise her ability to put up her shield was more than honed in. She put up her with such speed it made the appearance of her sleek shield make sense as its agility was out of this world. While I didn''t know how strong I needed to be to be able to destroy her shield I knew that there was a demon behind the magic that happened to be very susceptible to wearing out. Although magic and man were separate it still took great amounts of physical energy to evoke magic and especially to keep it. While I was lucky enough to have a slight regeneration period between hits she didn''t. She may have to keep her magic up for minutes at a time or risk being caught off guard. It was just a matter of how much stamina she had. It wasn''t too long after that when she finally broke under my attacks, I kept to my plan and continued to throw small weak attacks at her so she was forced to use her magic, she was more than okay at the start but we all had a limit. She had realised the weak spot in her defences a little while after I had started my scheming and I could already tell that she was thinking of ways to hone that in even more. Chapter fifteen-Chamber Trials Day XII Celeste- It was just a matter of how much stamina she had. It wasn''t too long after that when she finally broke under my attacks, I kept to my plan and continued to throw small weak attacks at her so she was forced to use her magic, she was more than okay at the start but we all had a limit. She had realised the weak spot in her defences a little while after I had started my scheming and I could already tell that she was thinking of ways to hone that in even more. "Woah, that was intense." "Honestly I''m surprised at how long you lasted, I was starting to get tired myself." "I definitely need to get my stamina up, they''re definitely gonna pick up on that at the academy if they haven''t already." "Well, that''s what we''re all here for I guess" "Yeah when you think of it like that I guess your right" "So where do you wanna go now?" "Wanna take a look at the fighting chambers now?" "Hell yeah" Rain and I came out of the training hall and went to go and see the fighting chambers. The doors of the room completely opposed the rest of the building with its rough intimidating look. The door was black and had Chains which served no purpose but to add to the the dark aesthetic of the room and to maybe prepare you for the chaos that was inside. As soon as you stepped foot into the room you could feel the energy of blood and fighting. There were two small rings on either side of the room and one large one in the centre. It was crowded in here and where everyone was was beginning to make sense now. Everyone was either seated and cheering on who was fighting or standing up and saying their chants for whoever they believed would win. Although people were watching the two that were on either side of the room it was clear that the star of the show was who was in the middle. "I''m totally betting on Caspian, he''s badass as shit man." "Shit, I might lose all my money today." "Better luck next time pal, I told you Caspian was hardcore." "But Judias is all powerful and shit as well, and his parents are the leaders of North America why would he not win he''s had all the training in the world." In what seemed to be a rare money of silence I overheard the chatter of two guys who seemed to have bet on either one of the fighters Damn, we were starting this competition shit already. Seeing a fight was one thing but seeing a full-on battle with two very strong and notable individuals was a whole other story. The amount of mobile phones that were out gave me a sure idea of this being in the press by tonight. "YESSSSS!!" The half of them shouted while the others were clearly in disappointment at Judias getting a tough kick. I could barely see the other fighter through the crowd but I assumed that they weren''t someone who had parents that were the leaders of anything. We already had Chisila and Chimen Blake with Judias Montgomery and we were even lucky to be in a trial academy with them at that. We also would have known by now if someone of that high of a standing was here so my bets were on him being an assistant for a notable family. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Not everyone who was powerful wanted to get in with one of the world leaders or their offspring, not all of them wanted to be in the limelight. Some just wanted to be the powerhouse in the background. Being an assistant to a family was a privilege and a notable career in in of itself. There were many positions of someone that worked directly for the family but the main and most important one was simply being the main friend of someone important. As inconspicuous as that may seem they actually had a very important role. They would obviously be protecting the member and fighting with and for them if need be, they would also be a withholder of any secrets the family may have. They also, at times acted as an assassin depending on their skills but their main duty was simply to serve and help the chosen family. What was interesting about this role was while they were directly involved and on payroll from the family they were also independent individuals. They were needed more than the family needed them. They usually had parents who had the same career as they were already trusted, so they were usually longtime friends of the family. They were also so powerful that the Royals sometimes needed them. "FINISH HIM!" I heard rain shout from right next to me and it was clear that she was very hyped up and energised for the fighting match today. "Wanna go to the front?" it was more a decision than it was a question as she grabbed my hands and started making her way through the dense crowd of people. We were both quite short so we went to the front and were close enough to see both opponents in clear view. The man on the left was tall and had a very sturdy build, his might cascaded through the room and I was not surprised that the essence of his raw masculinity had everyone so turned up. His wavy, nearly black hair sat perfectly on his ears and his face and suited the frame of his face with manly elegance. He was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen. The sweat from his brutal attacks cascaded down his hard muscles and created a shine that would make a lesser woman drop her panties instantly. Maybe she was me because I was almost certain that my panties were attempting to leave my body right now. He had the most unique eyes I had ever seen, the left one was two shades of blue consisting of the deepest ocean blue intertwined with the most neon aqua blue there was. His right eye was orange and blood red which just added to the boldness of his exterior. At first, I thought that he had to have some sort of water power but by the shards of ice that were being constantly darted in Judias'' direction maybe it was an ice power that he had. Not that it had to be one or another, many water benders could make h20 manifest into ice but not all. It all depended on the power of the person and I could not help but wonder if the ability to use h20 overall was a secret power of his. He threw blow after blow to Judias and was relentless in his attacks, as harsh as it was he probably worked for him and knew that Judias would want this intense training. I knew this because while Judias was a very considerable opponent he was shaky, and manoeuvred this fight like he had already lost. It was slight but he didn''t fight like Caspian did, he moved with the confidence of sure success and it was what Judias lacked. I also knew this because due to the number of obvious slip-ups, Judias had paired with how technical Caspian was in regards to his skill, he refused to take the opportunity, and he refused to do the fatal hits. He couldn''t embarrass him and probably didn''t want to. He did just enough to put on a show and make sure that Judias looked strong enough but that wasn''t a hard task, and enough to win. It wasn''t unusual for the assistants for the family to be more powerful than a family member, I mean, you couldn''t determine how strong your kids were and there would definitely be outsiders that were stronger. Plus, they needed to be stronger. They didn''t have future countries to run or legislation to pass they just needed to be able to kill and defend when the time was right. The timer was getting closer to zero and that was when they both upped the anti, The fight got way more intense and It made me notice just how fast Judias was in his movements during this whole thing. While Caspian had the accuracy of...well an assassin Judias also had the agility of a feline. It was clear that his speed was inhumane and had magical advancements but he didn''t seem to have it on display today. Maybe that power of his was weak in that regard and that was the limit of his speed or maybe it was just uncontrollable. I could easily see how the magic of enhanced speed could create chaos. Not being able to correctly control your landing point and going too fast could cause damage. Also not being able to put a stop to the speed could cause issues as well but that was usually the first thing people trained. Chapter sixteen-Chamber Trials Day XIII Celeste~ The timer was getting closer to zero and that was when they both upped the anti, The fight got way more intense and It made me notice just how fast Judias was in his movements during this whole thing. While Caspian had the accuracy of...well an assassin Judias also had the agility of a feline. It was clear that his speed was inhumane and had magical advancements but he didn''t seem to have it on display today. Maybe that power of his was weak in that regard and that was the limit of his speed or maybe it was just uncontrollable. I could easily see how the magic of enhanced speed could create chaos. Not being able to correctly control your landing point and going too fast could cause damage. Also not being able to put a stop to the speed could cause issues as well but that was usually the first thing people trained. They seemed to have decided to stop the magic and move to physical attacks, they were throwing punch after punch at speeds that my eyes couldn¡¯t even register. ¡°Three, Two, One. And the winner is Caspian!¡± What proceeded was a series of shouting in respect for Caspians'' win and the other was again a series of disappointed ¡®awh¡¯s¡¯ from those who either supported or betted on Judias¡¯ win. The other people that were in the rings on the other sides of the room also seemed to have stopped fighting and the crowds that once surrounded them were now interested in Caspian and Judias. ¡°Ha, you owe me a thousand¡± ¡°Ah fuck you man¡± Poor him. I was right about Caspian and Judias being friends as they did a lovely handshake at the end of it and were walking out with each other as they left the ring. ¡°Everyone seems to be staying, who do you think is next?¡± I asked Rain. When the arguments from the betting subsided I could hear people talking about how much money they were going to put into this one. ¡°I don¡¯t know in checking now, it says that the next fighters are random and will be chosen from those who watched the previous battles.¡± Excuse me. It¡¯s not that I was scared to fight anyone, while I didn¡¯t know if there were limits and boundaries to what damage you could do while you were in here, I was a strong opponent and could defend myself quite well if I do say so myself. ¡°Well damn then, it seems we may have accepted something without knowing it¡± ¡°Yeah I was not prepared to fight today, I don¡¯t know how people still have the energy to fight battles after what they¡¯ve put us through in the last challenges.¡± Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Honestly. It was definitely for appearances though, again, nobody wanted to look worn out already. The chatter began to subside and I could see everyone looking at their phones. I went onto the Academies¡¯ page and went to the Fighting Chambers section. There was a wheel that spun and that seemed to have the names of everyone that was In here, there was also a video from a camera that darted right to everyone¡¯s face when the wheel met their name and for a split second I saw mine as the wheel span. Fuck me. The wheel picked up its pace and continued to spin as it darted to everyone in the room. They must have had the time for this while everyone was watching the fight because even I failed to notice the large cameras pointing at all of us from the ceiling. The dramatics of the place started up once again as the cheering and chanting intensified as the wheel continued to gain speed and then slow down. ¡°Ooooooooooooooo.¡± Everyone shouted in coordination as the wheel slowed even more. The arrow spun across names that I did not recognise intertwined with the one and only Caspian. Not to his luck the arrow landed on him and he was to fight once again. I didn¡¯t know if there was a rule about fighting twice in a row but by the looks of everyone in the room, it was determined. He appeared from the corner, shirtless and walking towards the ring. When he got in he threw up his hands and everyone cheered for him once again. He took a gulp of his water and looked at his phone as everyone else did. ¡°Wowzers, he has to fight twice in a row poor him. But I guess his opponent wouldn¡¯t be any more powerful than Judias and definitely not him. And I don¡¯t see Chimen or Chisila here so I think he¡¯s good.¡± ¡°Not that they would fight anyways, it doesn¡¯t really fit the whole vibe they have going for them. Would much rather focus on academics and I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they were at a chess match right now. Lat¨ªa just walked in and I¡¯m guessing the princess didn¡¯t want to fight either as she made sure she missed the part where we were being chosen for battle¡± Rain giggled and said ¡°Definitely in chess class, or maybe archery lessons. And the pretty princess definitely doesn¡¯t seem to want to get her hands dirty today.¡± ¡°Ooooooooooo¡± The crowd chanted again as the wheel slowed. I saw my name in between others and I silently prayed that I wouldn¡¯t be chosen. Forget what I said about not minding fighting before, after seeing what he was capable of any normal person would be apprehensive. ¡°Anddddd the chosen one is, Celeste Luxe.¡± Fuck me. Fuck me. Fuck me. It was just my stupid luck that I had to go up against him. I couldn¡¯t back out now as part of being able to watch the battle was having a chance to be the one in the ring. Everyone here seemed to be up and ready to fight at any given moment and it was clear that the majority which those who were here before did not come here to simply just observe. Women, men and all the In-between were hyped up and practically ready for war. If only I had known that before. The camera was pointed directly at my face and I tried my best to keep all composure. Not only was I intimidated by his raw power, his presence alone held weight. A weight that I could feel pounding in my chest. Everyone turned to me and Rain had an expression on her face that I could only interpret as ¡®Good fucking luck man, you¡¯re gonna need it.¡¯ ¡°Celeste!, Celeste!¡± They all shouted. Not honest in their support as we all knew what they were looking forward to. Me getting beat the fuck up. I tried my best not to look up at the Beast in the cage but my eyes just couldn¡¯t fight it. Now he was at the side of the cage that was facing me. He looked down at me like the predator he was, analysing, gaging. He smirked when my eyes met his. Chapter seventeen-Chamber Trials Day XIV Celeste~ Everyone turned to me and Rain had an expression on her face that I could only interpret as ''Good fucking luck man, you''re gonna need it.'' "Celeste!, Celeste!" They all shouted. Not honest in their support as we all knew what they were looking forward to. Me getting beat the fuck up. I tried my best not to look up at the Beast in the cage but my eyes just couldn''t fight it. Now he was at the side of the cage that was facing me. He looked down at me like the predator he was, analysing, gaging. He smirked when my eyes met his. Giving one last look at Chloe, her face a mixture of concern and encouragement, I braced myself and made my way toward the changing rooms. The room buzzed with energy as the crowd parted to let me through, their voices rose in a chorus of chants that echoed in my ears. Amongst the supportive roars, I caught snippets of conversation that crawled beneath my skin. Some people were dismissively muttering about how I didn''t stand a chance against Caspian, their disbelief palpable as they scoffed at the very idea of placing their bets on me. The thought stung, but honestly, I couldn''t blame them, if I were in their shoes, I would hesitate to put my money on someone like me against him too. As I stepped into the changing room, I was greeted by a calmness that washed over my nerves. The space was well-lit with bright fluorescent lights, rows upon rows of combat wear lined the walls, a vibrant array of colours and styles that offered an impressive selection which was on brand. My heart began to race again as I scanned the piles of equipment. Goddammit, how can my luck be so terrible. Jackets, arm guards, shin pads¡ªall specially designed for agility and toughness. Yet, my mind was made up. I was a creature of habit and found comfort in my routine I would definitely go for my tried-and-true black bodysuit. I reached for it, fingers grazing the smooth fabric as I assessed its quality. A quick stretch confirmed that it was made from the same advanced material as my previous suit, ensuring that it would offer me the range of motion I needed in the heat of battle. The last thing I wanted was to feel restricted or weighed down I needed to be light on my feet, ready to evade every strike, every move Caspian would make. This battle was far from ordinary, and I couldn''t afford any distractions, especially not something as trivial as uncomfortable gear. I slipped into the bodysuit, feeling the snug fit conform perfectly to my body. As I adjusted the straps and secured the final touches, I could feel the confidence welling up inside me. The battle ahead was scary as fuck, yes, but I was ready. I had to be. I wasn''t just competing for my own glory, this was a public affair and the depths of Blue Phoenix''s notoriety would mean that I was unfortunately now a number on a scale. Not that it wasn''t already coming, now, I would be compared, judged and matched with someone who they thought I was good enough for. All because I was about to be in the ring with someone valuable. People would judge the people I came here with too, the people I grew close to. We would be branded as weak, our names tarnished unless we prove otherwise, it was a sick game. I was fighting for Chloe, for Rain and for Markan. As I flexed my limbs, feeling the rush of adrenaline kick in, I couldn''t help but think that maybe, just maybe, I could prove them all wrong. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Or not. I exited my sanctuary and prepared myself for what was to come. It was daunting at the least but I had to do it. I didn''t have to win after all, I just had to not make a fool of myself but that might be a hard enough task by itself. The people not to my surprise were still buzzing with energy, the chanting continued and I made my way to the ring. Looking at him once again when I got through the dense array of people, he had just finished entertaining the energy of the crowd before he turned to me. Bold and confident he stood tall. His eyes faced me but it was almost as if he was looking straight through me, like I was nobody. I stepped out of my sanctuary, walls that had offered me comfort and solitude, and braced myself for what awaited. The atmosphere crackled with an intensity that was palpable; a storm I had no choice but to confront. It was daunting, to say the least, but retreat was not an option. I reminded myself that the goal wasn''t necessarily to just win. In fact, all I needed to do was avoid the humiliation of making a fool of myself, which, under the current circumstances, felt like it might be a colossal task in itself. Once I finally broke through the crowd, I spotted him. He stood in the centre of the ring, just moments after captivating the crowd with his entertaining presence. The cheers for him were magnificent, a testament to his established dominance and charisma. He had just completed a display of bravado that had sent ripples of excitement through the audience, and now, as he turned to face me, and the atmosphere shifted. There he was, bold and confident, commanding the space he occupied with an air of undeniable authority. He stood tall, showcasing an imposing stature that seemed to emphasise his strength and self-assuredness. His gaze locked onto mine, but there was something unnerving about his eyes. It felt as if he was peering straight through me, dispassionately assessing my worth, or perhaps my lack of. In that instant, the realization hit me before this crowd, in this moment of high stakes, I was nothing more than a pebble in his story, a mere spectator in the grand performance that he was making. Swallowing hard, I tensed my shoulders, even as self-doubt threatened to delete my resolve. I reminded myself that I was here for a reason, and regardless of the formidable Man standing in front of me, I had come way too far to back down now. The ring was a theatre for both victory and defeat I guess, and I was definitely the latter, and as I stepped into that spotlight, I was determined to make my entrance count, even if it meant I lost in the end. "The round begins in three, two, one" I braced myself for what was to come, he took the offence which I assumed he would and threw an ice shard right in my direction. The icy missile glinted as it sliced through the air, its trajectory unnervingly precise. I anticipated the strike and ducked just in time, the projectile grazing past me with a chillingly. The tension burned between us, filling the air with a palpable sense of danger. My heart raced as I braced for the next move. Already strategizing my response to his aggressive outburst. The anticipation burned, each moment thick with uncertainty and adrenaline. It was a dangerous dance where every move had the potential to tip the balance in our high-stakes confrontation. As I steadied myself in the face of his grace, I steeled my resolve, knowing that I had to navigate this treacherous situation with caution and cunning. I was going to manifest my energy into a whip, it was the only use of my magic that I deemed useful right now and probably my only hope. It was long distance enough that I could hit him without putting him into close distance to me and the only thing that would stop him shoving an ice dagger right into my arm. But I wanted him to let his guard down first. I threw my handy energy balls at him while he prepared to dart a bullet of his own. He dodged effortlessly and simultaneously managed to launch his shard at me as well. I attempted to dodge again but failed miserably as it grazed my hip before landing onto the walls behind me. I was guessing that he was trying to gauge my physical condition, my ability to regenerate and my pain tolerance. We all had increased abilities but not to the same level. He was just making sure my secret weapon was not being practically unstoppable damage wise, It would allow me to attack him without him knowing about just how healed I was, it would have caught him off guard. And oh he wouldn¡¯t like that. A slight flinch emerged from me when the dagger went through the outer layer of my skin, thankfully not doing too much damage it didn¡¯t cause too much pain, but now I guess he knew that I was capable of getting hurt. Poor me. Chapter eighteen~Chamber Trials Day XV Celeste~ He was just making sure my secret weapon was not being practically unstoppable damage-wise, It would allow me to attack him without him knowing about just how healed I was, it would have caught him off guard. And oh he wouldn''t like that. A slight flinch emerged from me when the dagger went through the outer layer of my skin, thankfully not doing too much damage it didn''t cause too much pain, but now I guess he knew that I was capable of getting hurt. Poor me. He took that as his own personal sign to attack once more, and this time, the stakes were raised. Unlike before, he was charging at me with a fierce velocity that sent thrills coursing through me. In his left hand, he wielded an ice dagger glinting in the light, while his right hand was balled into a fist, ready to deliver a fatal blow. The sight of his raw power made my heart race. That was my opportunity to manifest my electric whip and use it. It was gold and sparkled in an otherworldly way, it was energy in its purest form and as lightweight as a feather, yet overflowing with power. As he rushed toward me, I focused all my energy into my right hand and swung it, slicing the air with precision as I aimed for his waist. It was a strategic manoeuvre, I knew he had not anticipated this. For just a split second, I could see the flicker of surprise on his face, but it was fleeting. He quickly regained his composure, his instincts kicking in. With a practised grace, he attempted to dodge my strike, leaving his offence to the side to protect himself. That was smart. Smart as while he was durable as fuck, he truly didn''t know just how much damage my cackling energy could do. Ironically, it was a shame that by the time I had revealed my whip, he was already too close to me. He couldn''t completely evade my attack. The result was a swift, coursing line of energy that left a burning gash across his waist all the way towards his belly button. His surprise morphed into pain as he registered the injury. It brought a smirk to my lips. Finally, I took a moment to assess my own state. That''s when I noticed the throbbing pulse of pain at my hip. The dagger he had intended for me hadn''t gone to waste, it was slightly lodged into my side, hanging by the thread of my flesh. The pain surged through me, unrelenting. "Fuck," I muttered under my breath, the gravity of the situation sinking in once again. I would heal, but first, I needed to survive. This game of combat was far from finished, and I would be damned if I let this minor setback define this whole fight. He wobbled from the pain and I could tell that the gash was deep, I didn''t hold back, I didn''t need to. He was strong and I didn''t need to worry about causing too much damage, courtesy of the lack of very restrictive regulations and his raw strength. He had a different look in his eyes this time, one that I could only perceive as ''you''re going down this time'' I knew he wouldn''t appreciate being hit to such an extent. Whether or not the fight between him and Judias was planned to the tea or not, people would assume that It wasn''t. And that meant that me having the ability to cause such instant damage to Caspian while Judias could not, would make me look better, and more importantly, them look weaker. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. That wouldn''t go well. Looking at the facts, at this point I might as well back down. Either way, I lose, I do too much and I make a sure enemy of both Judias and Caspian. I lose and I make a mockery of myself and the people with me, I make myself an easy target at whatever Academy I end up at. I was now closer to the cage than before with Caspian planted in the centre of the ring. He was done steadying himself, the electricity of his adrenaline darted around him and I knew that he was about to attack. The dagger that was in me had fallen off by now and I was ready for him. He seemed to have decided to keep it long distance this time as he stayed planted right in the middle of the cage, probably because of my very unfortunate position with the chains of the circle behind me, limiting my movement and leaving me more helpless to the beast. Darting ice shards at a speed that was even faster than before he stood sturdy, His mind clearly working at 100 miles per hour he didn''t stop his attacks, no he was edging closer to me as his aim became even more precise, more powerful. It was becoming exponentially harder to dodge his high speed attacks. I watched as every ice shard parted the molecules in the air with a rigour that I could only take as an attack on my life, it was relentless. For this battle, I had to think on my feet, had to fight in a way I''d never fought before. I was at a major disadvantage in every possible way. He had fought like this before, while we usual folks were bound by laws that prohibited offensive magic usage for non training purposes, he was able to do this to train for his career. We couldn''t just fight for recreational purposes, we were ''untrained'' as we had not gone through magic education yet and rightly so we were prohibited from magic usage that could potentially kill someone, or potentially thousands. This was nerve wracking in a way I couldn''t even begin to describe. I had never had my life, my safety up for stakes in such a way before, never felt true adrenaline, true fear. I had to think. I had to. Before he got close enough to finally get that critical hit I threw an array of energy balls at him to stop him in his steps, he didn''t get hurt, of course, simply manoeuvring his body once again to dodge the attack. In this fatal moment, I used the whip that was still radiating energy in my right hand and used it as a shield for his bullets. I Swung the whip in a circle at such a speed you couldn''t even see it moving, just a ring of shimmering gold energy. I hoped and prayed that this speed and the strength of my whip was fast enough to stop some of his blows. All I needed was time to get on the other side of the ring. He was backing me into the corner and rightly so according to his needs, he was going to make a show, an example of me. By the time he was done avoiding my orbs and back on the offence, my whip was as fast as I could get it in the time that I had and it needed to be enough. Probably thinking that the whip was the only trick up my sleeve he darted the ice shard before he looked up to see what I was doing. To my surprise, the shard slowed before reaching the man made weapon and I had to assume that the build up of energy created an energetic barrier between his attacks and the whip. The rod was light, so it was fast, and it was picking up speed faster than I could blink. The shard reflected off my shield and back towards Caspian. He didn''t intend for this and neither did I. He was again, unprepared for this attack and the shard, now even faster than before came at him at speeds he was unable to dodge. It was going straight for his face but the little demon was quick enough to make an ice shield to soften the blow. It didn''t stop it completely, of course, the dagger went halfway through his hand before being released by Caspian. Taking his moment of pain to myself I manifested another whip in my left hand. My energy could move through itself and me so the second whip would have no problem attacking while the first one continued to act as a shield. Chapter nineteen- Chamber Trials Day XVI Celeste~ ....The shard reflected off my shield and back towards Caspian. He didn''t intend for this and neither did I. He was again, unprepared for this attack and the shard, now even faster than before came at him at speeds he was unable to dodge. It was going straight for his face but the little demon was quick enough to make an ice shield to soften the blow. It didn''t stop it completely, of course, the dagger went halfway through his hand before being released by Caspian. Taking his moment of pain to myself I manifested another whip in my left hand. My energy could move through itself and me so the second whip would have no problem attacking while the first one continued to act as a shield. Using this moment carefully I began to charge at him, not too fast as this was shaky territory. I had never done any of this before and definitely have never worked with my powers in such a way. It was hard to both spin one whip in a circle and still keep the other one manifested. I haven''t used so much energy at once either so I hoped that this would last long enough. I picked up the pace a little and was in range to attack him once he had gotten his footing. I attempted to slice his shoulder but was beaten by his agile build. He launched an even faster, smaller ice shard from the palm of his hand that managed to cut its way through my makeshift shield enough for it to slow down, like the predator he was, he took the moment and kept throwing shards of ice. While the individual shards were faster the rate at which he was throwing them was slower. Not detrimentally, but enough for me to know that he wasn''t the perfect warrior. We were all here for a reason after all. Fuck. Another one of his ice shards hit me again, this time was deeper than before and now right in the middle of my chest. Attempting to ignore the burning chill of his ice blade I launched my whip at him once again. This time, managing to create a small line down his chest. We were going toe to toe at this point and I doubted that any scheming or little tricks would even be able to manifest itself out of this impenetrable stand off. There was no room to move, no room to breathe. Now, my shield was down and I only had the slices of my whip to defend against his weapons. *Boom! Suddenly, the ceiling began to collapse and the room began to shake. I looked at Caspian whose eyes were still planted on me, I looked for any signs of the result of this originating from him but couldn''t find any. I was looking at him the whole time and he didn''t move an inch out of the ordinary. Finally breaking my stare as more chaos continued around me I looked up to see the mess that was within this room. That was when the screams registered to me and I finally heard the voices of the practitioners shouting for us to exit the room. I looked back at Caspian who had turned and was now looking at me again. By this point, we had realised that neither one of us was responsible for this mess and that we needed to get out. And fast. It was a struggle not only because I was in terrible pain from all of the shorts that Caspian threw at me, but because the adrenaline which was once the aid to my wounds was now my biggest enemy, wearing off and rendering me helpless to my torment. In a pathetic attempt, I limped my way towards the exit of the cage. Caspian, noticing my struggle came from behind me and helped me towards the door. His hand lay on my lower back as he guided my hand around his shoulder to brace on. I could see that he was hurt but was less than me. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. At first, I bristled at the unfamiliar touch but soon began to feel helpless to his warmth. In the fleeting moments of his presence next to my own, he sent shivers down my spine and not in the way he had before. Trying to ignore the desires of my flesh I continued to struggle my way to the exit. ¡°You okay?¡± His deep voice was a rumble of concern and desperation to escape this mess. Practically falling over my words I simply decided to give a firm nod to make up for my silence. We continued on as he brought me towards the practitioner who was awaiting us at the door. He rushed us outside of the gym area where we could see the true essence of what the fuck was going on. Aside from the loud crashing that interrupted the combat between Caspian and me, I didn¡¯t hear any other commotion. That was before we left the gym. I didn¡¯t see Rain anywhere and I assumed that the practitioners made it a necessity to get everyone out before anyone was hurt, if they hadn¡¯t been hurt already. The paintings that once cascaded the tall walls of the halls were not planted on the floor. The place was now a war zone and I had no idea who was attacking. The practitioner who was once assisting me and Caspian was now desperately listening in on his speakerphone and trying to help the remainder of us to safety. We were all basically helpless chickens in a sea of sharks and we didn¡¯t know where to run to. Among the series of screams and loud bangs, I heard magic being cast from outside the building. It was too loud to pinpoint exactly where it was coming from but I knew the sound well enough to know that there was a serious battle going on. It was part of the initial guide for coming here to tell us what to do in times of emergency. The land was not the magic-less place it once was and the scales were unbalanced in an array of different ways. It was known that in times of emergency, the public was to act out of self defence if need be. Knowing that we had the possibility of Angels attacking us at any given point meant that we had to be permitted to use our magic if we needed to without consequences. It was the same here, even more so now that we were basically watched 24/7 by people who wielded magic with the same ease as they breathed. Also because in times of great political distress, people or should I say political extremists tended to shake up things at the most important places to really get their point across. *All students are permitted and entitled to use their powers in times of self defence during this emergency, I repeat, all students are permitted and entitled to use their powers in times of self defence during this emergency. Just on cue, the speaker revealed what I already knew, which was that we were in deep fucking waters. While the world wasn¡¯t all peaches and cakes right now, I didn¡¯t know of any political arguments or agendas that would run so deep that would cause this kind of protest. The Angels were definitely a possibility but they hadn¡¯t attacked like this in hundreds of years and I doubted today would be the day that they decided to awaken from their shadows. I realised that in the midst of things Caspian¡¯s arm was still sitting nicely on my back. We were not huddled closer than ever and I was again, painfully aware of his touch on mine. Suddenly, a painting that was hammered into the wall that Caspian and I were leaning against collapsed onto his head as the floor shook once more. ¡°Fuck, what the fuck is going on I can¡¯t see shit.¡± He got out his phone to text who I thought was Judias to see what was happening with him but as I peered over and stole myself a glance, all I saw was an unknown number as he typed profusely. I did the same, needing to check on Chloe, Rain and Markan to see if they were okay. I went onto the group chat where I saw a series of very concerned texts from Chloe and one text from Markan confirming his safety. He was situated upstairs with a practitioner and some others who were stuck in a room but aside from the obvious issue he was okay. Chloe was with him and okay too but slightly damaged by all of the falling debris. Celeste-¡°I¡¯m okay, I¡¯m just glad you''re okay, I was fighting when this all happened and I was already damaged enough from that so I don¡¯t need any more injuries.¡± Chloe-¡°Yeah, me and Markan were still with our old friends when this all started, we went upstairs to change and meet you guys to train but then this series of loud crashes happened and suddenly I was on the floor.¡± Chapter twenty-Chamber Trials Day XVII Celeste~ Celeste-"I''m okay, I''m just glad you''re okay, I was fighting when this all happened and I was already damaged enough from that so I don''t need any more injuries." Chloe-"Yeah, me and Markan were still with our old friends when this all started, we went upstairs to change and meet you guys to train but then this series of loud crashes happened and suddenly I was on the floor." Celeste-¡°I know it was crazy, the thing is though I can¡¯t find Rain. We were in the combat chambers when this all started but I was in the ring, she must have been rushed out somewhere because I can¡¯t see her anywhere.¡± I scanned the room once again to look for my friend but to no success because I still couldn¡¯t see her. Chloe-¡°She was telling me about the fight before this started. That¡¯s why we were on our way down. She has to be somewhere near, I tried to message and call her but it wasn¡¯t going through, I''m hoping her phone just died and that something hasn¡¯t happened because she¡¯s all by herself¡± *BOOM! An even louder bang travelled its way through the walls of the Trial Academy. Chloe-¡°Did you just fucking hear that oh my gosh!¡± Celeste-¡°Yeah I did, sounded even louder than the ones before. I hope Rain¡¯s phone is just dead too, it sounds like it¡¯s getting even more serious than it was before.¡± ¡°Celeste!¡± A hand grabbed my shoulder from behind, under high anxiety I darted my head around instantly to turn to the source. Thankfully it was only Rain. She hugged me while I was still standing with Caspian, who was also still distracted by his phone. She noticed his arm around me and gave me a questioning look. I simply shrugged under her stare and took to conversation instead. ¡°You okay, hurt or anything?¡± I said to her ¡°Nah I¡¯m good, just the same as everyone else, scared and fucking confused, who do you think is doing this shit? And fuck! Look at you, you''re the damaged one I should be asking you that.¡± I quickly texted Chloe to tell her that Rain was okay before continuing. ¡°It was mostly from the fight I didn¡¯t get hurt from the debris or anything, I¡¯m healing though I¡¯ll be fine. As for who¡¯s doing this shit, I have no fucking idea, I think the most probable answer is something to do with politics or some shit but who¡¯s to tell.¡± ¡°Damn though your injuries are kinda bad, terrible timing that¡¯s for certain. At least the hulk over there is pretty fucked up as well. Ugh, but this place is supposed to be protected. I didn¡¯t come here to be in a motherfucking war zone I just wanted to study, train and leave I don¡¯t care about all of this extra shit.¡± Couldn¡¯t agree more ¡°That makes both of us.¡± After about half an hour the chaos subsided and we were brought to the emergency theatre area beneath the ground floor. We were all now seated and just waiting for answers. I had managed to meet Chloe and Markan on the way there which I was more than happy about. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. That was also when Markan and Chloe told us that while they were in the room with the practitioners they didn¡¯t let them look out of the window at all. It wasn¡¯t the most abnormal thing to do in the world, I mean, we were all in immediate danger after all, But the way they described their complete demands for them to step back from the window made it seem like they had something else to hide. It wasn¡¯t unusual for the more powerful students t to step in during crisis and help to defeat an enemy. It also definitely wasn¡¯t unusual for them to not disclose who was attacking and was usually the first thing they did from what I¡¯ve read about the history of this place. It was definitely slightly unusual but nothing to cause a riot about right this second. ¡°Damn, so how long are we gonna be waiting here.¡± I heard strings of complaints from those seated behind and in front of us, I was in the same boat as them from being someone who was worn out already from fighting and being in whatever this was. I was tired as fuck and needed help of some kind for these wounds. Some of them were healing perfectly fine by themselves but the other deeper ones like the one on my chest were bleeding, bad. I couldn¡¯t hear anything outside of the room, assuming it was tightly enclosed. There also weren¡¯t any practitioners in here right now, they were probably outside guarding the place and doing some sort of damage control. We were sat here for at least another hour before a muffled voice from the speaker emerged. *Students, we apologise for the delay in information. As you all know there has been an attack at Blue Phoenix Academy Trials here today, thankfully, nobody was severely injured including all practitioners and ministers of the academy. The Damages are being dealt with as we speak and this place should be rebuilt once again by this afternoon. No damage was done above the ground floor therefore all property should be safe and well. The culprits of this crime were an opponent we were not prepared for, as you all know the Angels have not had an attack of such a level in years, and within those attacks, it was even longer ago that they touched an Academy of ours. We were not ready enough to handle such an event with the structure that we usually encompass and for that, we apologise humbly. All of your family have been notified of the event and any and all issues that have come from this will be solved before you leave here. For now, the only instruction we have is to go back to your sleeping quarters and remain above the first floor until further notice. The threat is eliminated so no need to worry, but to ensure damage control we need no interruptions. If you need food notify us through the app and room service will be available. Thank you all for your cooperation.* I hadn¡¯t even noticed it while I was listening to the voice of the instructor but a practitioner had come and assisted in healing the wounds that were not too severe with their healing abilities. They bandaged up the remaining wounds and asked if there was anything else I needed. I said no and they continued on their way before telling me to go to the doctor''s office when I got the chance to tomorrow. ¡°Wow, so it really was the angels, who would have thought,¡± Chloe muttered from beside me while Rain nodded in agreement. Everyone else also broke out In the same series of shocks that we did while we were guided to leave the hall row by row. Not to my surprise Rain and her conspiring mind was on their ass about what they said in that speech. Scoffing she spoke ¡°They sure were secretive though that¡¯s for certain.¡± ¡°Hell yeah, they were.¡± I agreed right along with her. ¡°Why the fuck would they just attack out of nowhere this all makes no sense,¡± Markan growled from his neat next to Rain. I knew that while Markan was tough in many aspects, this whole thing would throw him off completely. First, he had to deal with his nerves about performing well enough while he was here, but now the whole routine of this place was off and it just made what was already a shaky boat ride a full on storm at sea and I felt terribly bad for him. All of us had wanted the whole experience of this place and the actual Academy itself to be a smooth ride but we knew that we couldn¡¯t guarantee anything, this may just be the start of a very bumpy journey. Chapter twentyone-Chamber Trials Day XVIII Celeste~ I knew that while Markan was tough in many aspects, this whole thing would throw him off completely. First, he had to deal with his nerves about performing well enough while he was here, but now the whole routine of this place was off and it just made what was already a shaky boat ride a full on storm at sea and I felt terribly bad for him. All of us had wanted the whole experience of this place and the actual Academy itself to be a smooth ride but we knew that we couldn''t guarantee anything, this may just be the start of a very bumpy journey. "So, you and Caspian huh?" Chloe said. Rain told Chloe the debrief of me and Caspian''s slight encounter when we had left the gym. It wasn''t anything serious and I didn''t even know why they had bothered to entertain this topic. He was a man of very notable status and probably has a whole roster of women as rich and as powerful as him ready for him to marry. He had things to do and people to please and I highly doubted he was truly concerned with someone like me. "There is no me and Caspian, we all know he is on a whole different part of society from me there''s no way our paths align." "Hey, you don''t know that, I saw the way he was looking at you before the fight, he was eating you up with his eyes" Giggling Rain spoke. "No, no no there''s nothing going on at all." Chloe rolled her eyes. "Hm, whatever you say. You''re kinda lucky that the whole thing with the Angels interrupted your fight, now no one knows who''s won or lost." Yeah knowing this place they would never forget. I wouldn''t be shocked if they made us continue the match whenever we got the chance. "You were low-key beating his ass though, you definitely got a few good hits in, and that thing you did with your energy whip was so cool, I thought your secret trick was the whip itself but then you did that thing and spun it around, it was so fucking cool." Yeah, at least It didn''t look like what was really happening which was me practically shitting myself the whole time. "Yeah, I really had to think on my feet for that one. He was about to really do some damage with those ice shards and I couldn''t risk it." "As sexy as he is he''s fucking scary, just has that vibe around him that screams I could take you out in a second with no regrets." Rain was totally right, he was hot as fuck but just as intimidating. Chiming in Chloe said "It really made you look good up there, everyone was talking about how well you did and halfway through the fight some more practitioners came, I think they came specifically to watch you and Caspian in the ring it was kinda crazy actually. The crowd went wild as well, nobody bet on you even being able to do damage to Caspian let alone to the extent that you did, thing you made a name for yourself miss Luxe." Well, I''d sure hope fucking not. She knew more than anyone how much I''d hate that. I wanted to succeed at this place yes but sacrifice my peace all for some status? hell no. But now it seemed like I had no choice, I hoped that what Chloe was saying about the people and what they thought of me was just an over-exaggerated version of events and that I was not as exciting as she said they thought I was. I didn''t have the time to entertain this here, I mean we hadn''t even gotten to the academy yet and people were already forming opinions like any of us even knew what we were to the fullest extent. Stolen novel; please report. I didn''t want to be seen as a fighter, next thing you know your lined up for all kinds of matches, and then someone''s mother approaches you to work for their family or marry their son all for some stupid powers that I didn''t even do anything for. I wanted to make my own choices, be my own person, not bound to hierarchies that dictated who I should be with and who I shouldn''t. "Ah to hell with that, I couldn''t care less about what anyone thinks of me, my fame will die as fast as it came." "Maybe under normal circumstances yes, but it is The Caspian Raven we''re talking about here." "Well, he couldn''t be that important because I didn''t even know who he was before I came here." All I did was assume that he was a family friend of the Montgomery family. I didn''t really know who he was or where he came from but by the sounds of it, he was someone important. "Well no wonder you''re not as encapsulated by his touch as you should be. The Raven family come from a long line of assassins." Well, I got that part right I guess. Chloe continued on "The men in their family have a real knack for combat and in turn killing, they''ve been monumental figures during world wars and things of the sorts. Especially with the Angels." "Ah, I see" I said, trying my hardest to sound more concerned. "The point being he''s not just your regular assassin, he''s badass. He''s not in the press that much because his whole thing well, is being mysterious and inconspicuous. But the reaction he gets when he is seen is palpable, especially with the ladies. But from what i''ve heard about him he doesn''t date around much, doesn''t really speak to girls much either, but you, your the lucky one." "Lucky, unlucky, almost the same things nowadays." "Ugh" Chloe rolled her eyes at my nonchalance while Rain giggled. "Come on now guys, realistically nothing is gonna happen between me and Caspian, you said it yourself, he doesn''t date around much." "Whatever whatever" "You guys hungry though, we could get room service?" Rain spoke, thankfully changing from this dreadful subject. "Yeah but I looked already, they''re only delivering to individual rooms so we''d have to go back to our place." "Well damn, I guess i''ll see you guys tomorrow then." "Bye, Rain." Me and Chloe both said our goodbyes before retiring for the night. I was tired as hell from this whole mess, the only thing really keeping me awake was knowing that I didn''t have a physical challenge to do tomorrow. And to think, today was meant to be a break. Sigh. I was awoken by the chiming of my phone at around 7am. Ugh, it felt like I had barely slept and my body was as stiff as a rusty robot. *Students, please read for more information on the Angel attack yesterday. As you all know, the events that occurred yesterday were out of the ordinary to say the least. We still have no knowledge as to the reasons surrounding the time and place of the attack so we can only urge you all to be alert and ready to defend yourselves in times of crisis. As for the remaining Trials, the Angels shall not Interrupt your education, the Harmea Trial will proceed as usual today at 3pm, please be ready and at the hall for this time. Thank you for listening." Sill the same information. I had no doubts that they knew way more than they were letting on and Amy and Saul thought the same thing when they called in to check on me and Chloe after hearing the news yesterday. Aside from that I was hungry as fuck, my body clearly needed extra fuel after that fight yesterday because I was way hungrier than usual. I had messaged both Chloe and Rain but they were both still tired and going back to sleep. I still needed carbs though so that meant I was going to have to go down by myself. They were serving breakfast at this time as per usual. The dining hall was more packed than usual, probably because everyone wanted to converse about what happened yesterday. Chapter twentytwo-Chamber Trials Day XIX Celeste~ Had messaged both Chloe and Rain but they were both still tired and going back to sleep. I still needed carbs though so that meant I was going to have to go down by myself. They were serving breakfast at this time as per usual. The dining hall was more packed than usual, probably because everyone wanted to converse about what happened yesterday. I noticed more eyes on me than usual today, courtesy of my fight of course. I tried to ignore the eager eyes and just grabbed my food as best I could. I walked over to the array of foods and picked my usual plain meal. I sat down at a corner far away from the main tables and began to eat. My mind couldn''t help but wonder to Caspian, where was he? and why did I hardly see him throughout this whole thing until yesterday. I''d be lying if I said that my eyes didn''t begin to search for him the moment I went outside my room. To no avail though because he was nowhere to be seen. "Hey there, I saw your fight yesterday and I just had to come up to you to congratulate you!" The blonde lady who was now in front of me said in her high-pitched voice, clearly seeing me sitting by myself as an opportunity to speak to me. "Thank you, tried my best after all." I tried to fake engagement but all I wanted to do was sit and eat in silence. "Yeah, it was totally cool as fuck! You''re strong as hell! So what power is it that you have, electricity? Energy? just power?" Jesus fucking christ. "Just energy." 2:30pm After that interaction was just a series of people congratulating me, which was funny considering I didn''t actually win anything. And yeah that was another thing, I hoped to god that anyone else didn''t pick up on that. I didn''t have the mental power to continue that fight purely just for their entertainment. I was avoiding going to that silly gym area and it was for a reason. I haven''t seen Caspian since the fight either. Chloe and Rain exited from their slumber and met me downstairs to grab their food, Markan got here before them and was with his friends again. "So, you guys ready for the challenge today, what is it again the Harmea one?" Chloe said. "Yeah, I''m not too worried, we don''t have to do anything physically at least. Y''all ever tried any psyche training?" "Nah, don''t know anyone that I trust with powers like that. What about you?" "Yeah, my mum can convince people, mostly humans to do small things. Used it on me until I became immune so there''s that." "Lucky you, I''ve never done anything like that, would love to though but considering what challenge is next I shouldn''t speak too soon." The only experience I had with psychic powers was my own. Confirming my suspicions Rain said, "It''s not as fun as you''d think, depending on how weak or strong your Harmea is it can really hurt." A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. "Pain, ew no. Damn, and you thought physical challenges were enough, Harmea hurts too?" "I mean coming to think of it, it kinda makes sense you know, it takes a toll on your energy, it takes you further than the disarray you feel when your starving or how tired you feel when your sleep deprived, It''s a direct attack on your psyche." "Well when you put it like that it makes sense." *Students, please prepare as your next Trial awaits. All students must listen closely for information. This Trial is different from the last two, while they were both physical based challenges this one is instead about the strength of your mind. Some of you may have had experience with this kind of practice previously while some have not at all, what I would like to tell you all is that this difference in knowledge will not affect your place at Blue Phoenix Academy. Further instructions will be given to you by your instructor. For now, please follow the guide into the rooms down the hall. "Well, that''s us" "During this Trial, I will bring forward a few practitioners who have psychic abilities and they will attempt to use them on you. You must try your best to deter these attacks. Just try your best and don''t think about it too much." Don''t think about it too much, how helpful. "You ready?" It seemed like that wasn''t even really a choice considering she had already waved them over to come to us. I nodded anyways and waited for them to come. The first one will use simple Alay magic to try and make you do something. Alay was the magic that allowed someone to control what someone did, said, wanted, and remembered. We were in another all-white room again, they really seemed to love this insane asylum theme. The man who was standing up and peering from the left side of the desk placed an apple on the table. Okay cool. "For this first part I need you to simply not eat the apple, you don''t have any allergies or anything do ya?" I shook my head and the first man in the row stepped forward. He just looked at me and before you knew it I felt it. That overwhelming urge to eat the fucking apple. It consumed me, it took over every fibre of my being the desire was so intense I could barely take it, it was torture. My hand moved when I didn''t want it to, my mouth watered when I wanted it to stop, During this whole thing they must have placed a Timer on the corner of the table because I hadn''t noticed it before. I was at a minute by now but I didn''t know if that was good or bad, didn''t really care to be honest all I wanted was that apple. That fucking apple. I lasted about 3 minutes before I gave in and ate it. I didn''t know if the practitioner upped the magic or if the desire increased with time itself but it just got more and more intense as we kept going. First I wanted the apple, then I needed it. After that they made the second practitioner try to make me say something. This one was weird, it was hard to make someone say something they didn''t want to say, so hard that it couldn''t just be a power on its own. The whole premise of that skill was putting someone in a different state of mind, a trance of some sort. With that one I lasted about 2 minutes, the instructor who had been here the whole time was wacky and weird in her appearance with her red Chucky the clown-like hair so it wasn''t a surprise that her looks matched her personality. The task was to not say I''m an ugly loser which, of course I would have had to of said at the end. I think part of the reason I gave up so early was because in my fight to not say those words, she was giggling at half finished sentences which ended up making me laugh too. They tested my ability to remember what I actually saw next. They showed me a video and a practitioner came and used his magic on me, this time I could barely feel the effects. I didn''t even know if he had done anything. I told the instructor what I had seen and she''d left it at that. I didn''t even know if I had done it right or not but I guess only time would tell. "That''s all for today, there are no immediate issues with your Harmea or your psyche overall, you''re free to go." With that, I''d left. I was too focused on the challenge ahead to even realise how fucking drained I felt. My body felt as if it weighed a thousand tons and my head felt so cloudy I could barely think straight. I noticed that not everyone had finished at the same time, people were leaving but not in the crowds they came here in. I messaged both Chloe and Rain but they didn''t reply, I assumed that they were just still finishing off their Trial so I went about my day. That was until I saw him. "Celeste?" Chapter twentythree-Chamber Trials Day XX Celeste~ With that, I''d left. I was too focused on the challenge ahead to even realise how fucking drained I felt. My body felt as if it weighed a thousand tons and my head felt so cloudy I could barely think straight. I noticed that not everyone had finished at the same time, people were leaving but not in the crowds they came here in. I messaged both Chloe and Rain but they didn''t reply, I assumed that they were just still finishing off their Trial so I went about my day. That was until I saw him. "Celeste?" This time, instead of his attire that I saw him in before which consisted of shorts and no shirt, he was in a simple black shirt and black jeans. The two at the top which were unbuttoned added to his bad boy persona and made him look that bit sexier. "Yeah, hi." I tried my best to formulate a good response all while trying not to seem as unnerved as I actually was. "Are you okay? the fight was kinda rough and then we had the whole Angel thing after." "Yeah i''m good, just kinda beat down but that''s expected." He took a moment to himself, analysing me. It felt like that moment in the ring all over again, like he was looking through me. "Yeah, can you keep a secret." That changed though because this time it was like he was looking into my soul, trying to find answers. "Depends on what the secret is." "You will keep this to yourself, it doesn''t cause any harm to you." That was more of a deceleration than anything. Not that I wouldn''t abide, if what he was saying was true then it was perfectly fine and I would keep his little secret. Or maybe i''m just more intrigued by this whole thing than i''d like to admit. "Sure." Not a yes, not a no. I really wasn''t gonna say a word but for some reason I felt an urge to not let it seem like I was just a doormat in this encounter and that I would just listen to his every word. "There''s a good chance the Angels are gonna attack again, I fight was intense so your gonna stick with me for the next few days." Well, that wasn''t what I was expecting to hear. "Just until we make it to the actual academies of course, they have better protection there." He said everything so matter of factly, It was like a steel wall between his outer exterior and whatever was going on in there. So, the Angels are going to attack again it seems. I didn''t really know what to do with that information but take it in. I was gonna tell Chloe because I knew that she would protect this with her life. I knew why he''d wanted to keep this on the low, this was obviously something he found out from the career that he''s destined for. Still assuming Judias is the one he''s close with i''d be right in that belief. So he was planning to protect me because he felt bad because of the fight. I mean he did really put his all into it. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. "Oh, thank you for the offer, that however, won''t be necessary." I wasn''t disagreeing for no reason. I just simply didn''t see the point in having protection when I could defend myself perfectly well by myself. It was better to be alone then have an incoherent team, you could really end up in a power battle within a power battle if your not careful. Powers already added an extra layer of instability, that didn''t need to be emphasised by a lack of coordination because of a lack of trust. It just wasn''t needed, I wasn''t in that bad shape and I was strong enough. His face held his same stern, neutral look it had the whole time. There wasn''t a pause in his stride, not an emotion on display. "You''re going to need to reconsider." Again, he spoke as if it wasn''t even an option for me to disagree, like the idea of him being wrong or this conversation not going in the direction he desired was an experience that could only take place outside of this universe. "Sadly, I don''t think that''s going to happen." I stayed nice, I wasn''t going to poke the bear for just any reason now was i. "Then you''d be a very stupid girl, are you a very stupid girl?" And just like that I take back what I said. who the fuck was he talking to. I leaned against the cool stone wall of the hallway, I was getting tired even just standing there and I needed to brace on something. Arms crossed tightly over my chest, I tried to project confidence despite fatigue weighing me down. "You think calling me stupid is going to change my mind?" I stayed calm, I didn''t wanna be seen as emotional unstable right now. I would never let him know he could get to me with such childish tricks. Caspian stepped closer, his intense gaze piercing through the dim light of the corridor. "It''s not about changing your mind, Celeste. It''s about keeping you alive." He sounded more serious this time, I didn''t even know that was possible but it was. "Alive?" I scoffed, a bitter laugh leaving my lips. "You think I can''t handle myself? I''ve been training for this just like you have. We all bleed the same and we all have the same amount of protection here. They would never let anyone just die here, even if they didn''t care about me as an individual, their reputation is their life. " He shifted, his posture rigid, almost challenging. "And yet you could have gotten beaten up in your last match. You think the Angels care about your training? They''re not here to play fair." "You don''t know that first of all, secondly you could very much say the same thing about you, they don''t care about your training." I rolled my eyes, pushing off the wall when his face didn''t seem to be reconsidering his position like he should have been. "I can''t just hide behind you. That''s not who I am. I won''t be a damsel in distress." "Oh we can definitely continue the match if you believe that, i''ll hold you to that." He grinned and I think something on my face showed my regret towards the sentence I just spoke because the amount of amusement he got from challenging me was indescribable. Continuing on he said. "Damsel or not, you''re not invincible," he shot, voice low but firm. "You need to understand the stakes here. You want to survive this? You''re going to have to trust me." "Trust?" I echoed. "You''re asking for my trust after being in a ring with you? I barely know you, we both know that''s not gonna work. One of us would of had to of been a naive idiot for this dynamic to work and considering you eye everyone, including me, like a threat to your very lifeline that could harm you at any chance, I don''t think your taking one for the team." Caspian''s jaw tightened. "I''m not saying your weak. You''re stronger than most, but even the strongest can fall. I''m trying to help you." His expression hardened. "There''s a war brewing, Celeste. We''re not just fighting for reputation here; it''s life or death. You need to see beyond your pride." I swallowed, feeling the weight of his words in the pit of my stomach. I don''t know what it was about the tone of his voice but I couldn''t help but be inclined to listen to him. "So what''s the plan? You protect me, and I just follow you like a lost puppy?" "Not a puppy," he said, an edge of frustration creeping into his voice. "A partner. You fight with me, not for me. But put aside your stubbornness for a moment." I raised an eyebrow, weighing my options. The stakes had never felt so high. "Fine. But I''m not going to be your sidekick, Caspian. We fight together, or not at all." He nodded, a flicker of something, respect? crossing his face. "Deal." Chapter Twentyfour-Chamber Trials Day XXI Celeste~ "Not a puppy," he said, an edge of frustration creeping into his voice. "A partner. You fight with me, not for me. But put aside your stubbornness for a moment." I raised an eyebrow, weighing my options. The stakes had never felt so high. "Fine. But I''m not going to be your sidekick, Caspian. We fight together, or not at all." He nodded, a flicker of something, respect? Crossing his face. "Deal." Well that was that then. After that, he got a call and went about his day. I was still so confused about this whole thing. I knew that like me, he didn¡¯t trust me, I wasn¡¯t going to press for more information that I knew I wasn¡¯t going to get. I didn¡¯t think he was lying though, not that I had any way to tell if he was ¡®protecting¡¯ me for his own personal gain but from what I knew I didn¡¯t see a path for this to be part of some elaborate plan, even though I knew that the elite played dirty. Maybe he just felt bad about the fight considering I wouldn¡¯t be fighting at my best if it came to it because I was partly damaged. I had also noticed that while we did quite equal damage to each other during the short time that we fought, he had recovered well, better than me. I couldn¡¯t see exactly where I had hurt him because he was no longer topless but I had noticed that the marks that once laid on his body were no longer there. I decided that there was no point in pondering on something that I didn¡¯t have enough information about so I was gonna let my mind rest and just relay this all to Chloe once she finished her challenge and we were both well rested. I continued making my way back to my apartment I was still so exhausted. Every second I spent away from my bed felt like a stab to my soul. ¡°Wow, she¡¯s a beauty isn¡¯t she.¡± I was one hallway away from my room until this girl stopped me. She had olive skin and dark long hair that travelled all the way down her back and stopped at her hips. She embodied elegance as she stood before me. I barely had time to register the sarcasm and pessimism in her tone before she spoke again. How did people already have so much energy for conversation right now? Did we not all do the same Trial? Vice and condescension rolled off her tongue like water. ¡°Heard about you and Caspian¡¯s fight. Bet you really feel like the shit now don¡¯t you, no hate though, you did well so fair play.¡± How was I even meant to respond to that. I didn¡¯t want to say thank you to the sarcastic bitch but I didn¡¯t want to cause a whole riot either. Who even was she, his girlfriend or something? ¡°Oh, thanks.¡± Deciding that she wasn¡¯t even worth the fake emotion I would have to relay, I simply kept my nonchalance and kept it moving. I had places to be and if she thought that she was important enough for me to really stand here and listen to her spew her bullshit hatred then she had another thing coming. I watched her face go from the egotistical mess that it probably usually was to a surprise towards my lack of care. I didn¡¯t know why though, if this was a petty argument about Caspian or her wanting him than she had to realise that not everyone cared about the silly pedestals they put people on. I didn¡¯t know him and I didn¡¯t need to, there was no brilliant opportunity to seize here or a King himself approaching me. He was just a man. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°I saw you guys talking earlier as well.¡± ¡°Very perceptive, where did you learn that from then?¡± ¡°If you think he really wants someone like you then you need a reality check.¡± Sorry, who the fuck was she talking to. ¡°Someone like me?¡± Now she was really taking it to the next level. ¡°You¡¯re nobody, Celeste.¡± okay and? ¡°I suppose so.¡± I took a pause. ¡°So, this notoriety of yours, that I¡¯m supposed to want, it landed you where? Oh, having to keep the ¡®nobody¡¯ away from your man because whatever it is you have just isn¡¯t good enough to keep him. If choosing between being me and you was ever an option just know that I would rather shit in my hands and clap before ever even thinking about being in your miserable shoes.¡± She was stunned at my response. She expected me to care, to want for Caspian like I needed water, to be just as desperate as she was. That just couldn¡¯t happen though, I barely had a loving bone in my body let alone a desperate one. If she wanted an actual petty argument then she needed to start elsewhere. I was not the one. She ignored most of what I said, still doubling down on my suspected involvement with the man. ¡°So you really think he wants you huh?¡± ¡°And if I did so what? even if I was the biggest Man-Clown on earth I would simply be just as pathetic as the one who had to facilitate an argument to keep their man, you.¡± I instantly felt regret at saying the first part of that sentence. This whole thing would definitely be relayed back to him once this was finished and I didn¡¯t want that because I basically just insinuated that she was right in thinking that I was involved with him. Fuck me. She softened her once sharp expression and spoke again. ¡°I¡¯m not doing this out of jealousy, I¡¯m simply trying to help you. We¡¯re destined to marry, you know how parents are, and you know how much this society cares about who the elite end up with. It¡¯s not going to be you, it was never going to be you.¡± So she¡¯s taking a nicer approach. It seemed that she figured out that simple intimidation wasn¡¯t going to win her any medals today. ¡°Who said I wanted it to be me, not everyone¡¯s as desperate for a man as you are.¡± And the softness was gone again. This time she looked at me as if I had told her that I had killed her whole family in a house fire. ¡°A man? You mean the Caspian Raven. Me and you both know that he¡¯s not just your average man. I see the way he looks at you and I see the way you look at him. Don¡¯t try to gaslight me into thinking that I¡¯m crazy. This all started in the ring and it¡¯s gonna end now, you guys are messing around and it¡¯s gonna stop.¡± What the fuck. So her evidence is not only based on a simple conversation but also a fighting match? A bloody fucking fighting match is why she thinks we¡¯re ¡®messing around¡¯. I mean how Insecure can Insecure get. ¡°Listen to me and listen to me very closely, stay the fuck out of my life and mind your business when it comes to me and Caspian.¡± I regretted that as well because there was definitely no me and Caspian. But I just couldn¡¯t seem to fight the urge to irritate her further, I mean the mere sight of me and him together sent her spiralling, is it my fault that I want to see how low we can really go? I personally didn¡¯t think so. ¡°No. He is mine, it is written in contract, and you, Celeste, will stay the fuck away from him.¡± ¡°No.¡± It was as simple as and she was going to have to accept that. Although I was blunt in my intentions to continue involving myself with him she still looked determined. ¡°Okay fine, we shall do this another way.¡± And with that, she spun on her heel and left. What the fuck had this day been Now I felt even more drained than before. I had made it back to my room, thankfully with no further interruptions and just jumped into my bed. I took off my clothes lazily while I was still lying down, I dropped them on the floor and practically dragged my feet to the shower. I took about 5 minutes, I couldn¡¯t be away from my bed for any longer and I needed sleep, and now. *Buzz No, no, no. That better not be the fucking Academy with their notifications. Chapter twentyfive- Chamber Trials Day XXII Celeste~ Now I felt even more drained than before. I had made it back to my room, thankfully with no further interruptions and just jumped into my bed. I took off my clothes lazily while I was still lying down, I dropped them on the floor and practically dragged my feet to the shower. I took about 5 minutes, I couldn''t be away from my bed for any longer and I needed sleep, and now. *Buzz No, no, no. That better not be the fucking Academy with their notifications. Thankfully this time I was just Chloe telling me that she''d just finished her Trial and was on her way up to go to sleep. I told her that tomorrow before she did anything else, she needed to come to me because I needed to tell her something. She''d asked me if it was urgent and if she needed me to come now, at first I debated it but eventually decided that there was no point. I didn''t think that it was that drastic and we were both weak and tired as hell so I called it a day. I had also messaged Rain to see how she felt after the Trial, she was definitely drained as well but not as much as us. She told me that it was fine and that It didn''t guarantee that we did badly it was because it was our first time with psyche magic so intense. That made sense so I didn''t worry too much about that. Finally, after a very very long day and silly events that weren''t really meant to happen, I got myself into bed and went to sleep. ¡°I see, so what you¡¯re telling me is that Caspian and you are destined to be and a filthy bitch is trying to come in between you guys? Where is she, bring her to me now.¡± So after a long sleep yesterday, I woke up and did my usual morning routine before Chloe came to see me. See now where I went wrong was thinking that she was going to take this seriously. ¡°There. Is. No. Me. And. Caspian.¡± What was she even talking about, all we did was have a fight. I mean for god''s sake, was combat the new sex or something? ¡°Oh come on, haven¡¯t you realised it by now, he totally had the hots for you during the fight and now he¡¯s making up excuses to be around you, I think our little Raven has a crush.¡± Chloe practically sang her words as she spoke to me. It was ridiculous, one silly fight and I was married. ¡°He couldn¡¯t have made this whole thing up just to talk to me, I¡¯m not the damn queen I can stop for a conversation.¡± ¡°Yeah, even if what he was saying is true, why are you the only one who needs protection? What about all of the weakies in this place that he could have easily made his fateful saviour moment with.¡± ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t really know the answer to that, maybe he just feels bad because of the fight and stuff, I mean I did get pretty hurt and he healed faster than me.¡± I wanted to fully believe the words that were coming out of my mouth but she was very convincing. ¡°Hm, that could be true. But how much empathy can a cold blooded killer really have, he cared little enough to get in the ring with you so¡­¡± ¡°And this is the cold blooded killer that you want me to date, someone with no empathy?¡± I didn¡¯t really know what to say at this point to make her realise how ridiculous her claims were. I opted for showing the clear and very valid reasons that we should not be together. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°He¡¯s not even on my tier, not that I¡¯m insecure or care about that sort of thing but he does, everyone does.¡± That had to get through to her. ¡°And so what, it¡¯s not like you¡¯d be the first to climb ladders, people do it alllll the time.¡± ¡°But rarely with people like him.¡± He was different. His dangerous position meant that he had fans, people were both terrified and enthralled by him and that bred weird parasocial relationships and obsessions that I just didn¡¯t have the time for. I didn¡¯t pay attention to the news that floats around a lot but if he was as important as they made him seem then I knew that everybody wanted a piece of that, and that just didn¡¯t sit right with me. He was bred for someone. And someone was bred especially for him. And that wasn¡¯t me. ¡°So whattt, the rich marry the poor people care and they move on, what would be so different about this? More complaining? Wow Celeste, I didn¡¯t remember you always being so sensitive.¡± ¡°Sensitive? I¡¯m not sensitive I¡¯m just realistic. We haven¡¯t flirted, there is nothing going on. The likelihood of him and I ending up together is practically zero. Even if you convince me that I¡¯m lying and that I¡¯m head over heels for someone that I barely even know, who¡¯s to say that she isn¡¯t right? That they¡¯re meant for each other and even together now?¡± ¡°They¡¯re not, or she¡¯s just extremely insecure. Either way that would be a shambles of a relationship, if you could even call it that. She would compare nowhere near you. But fine fine, there¡¯s nothing between you and Mr Raven.¡± I obviously didn¡¯t believe that she thought that. ¡°But for the things she was saying, I think they¡¯re just empty threats, to be honest.¡± So did I, I didn¡¯t really get any vibes from her but jealousy and insecurity. ¡°Same to be honest, she¡¯s just an insecure bitch. Don¡¯t know why though, she¡¯s pretty.¡± ¡°Eh, pretty doesn¡¯t mean anything if you¡¯re a beast on the inside.¡± Ain¡¯t that right. It was only around 6:45am by this time. We all both started and finished the last challenge quite early and we didn¡¯t have anything else to do after it so we did what we wanted. Most of us were tired like me and Chloe so had an early night. We had plenty of time to sleep now, even at 6 in the morning, I was well rested. Nothing like a good routine to make you an early bird, not that it would last long. Rain eventually came and we chitted and chatted while we waited for the one and only Blue Phoenix Academy notification. *Buzz Buzz *Students, I hope you are all well and rested. Please listen closely for important information. The threat of the Angels has not yet subsided, while the immediate threat is not here, please know that that could change at any given time. Stay alert, and stay in groups. From this moment forward, all students can either be in crowded areas alone, or in quiet areas with more than one person. Adhere to this for your own safety is not always guaranteed. Now, the awaiting trial is the last and the most important assessment. None of you should be experiencing any devastating or detrimental symptoms from the previous Harmea challenge, if you are, please go to the infirmary. The Trial awaiting is a one-on-one assessment with one of our practitioners. The test will be made unique to your skills and magic capabilities. The test starts from 9:45am onwards. Please meet in the hall for this time. Further information will be given from your personal practitioner. Thank you for listening, good luck!¡± Chloe spoke. ¡°Oh yeah, the most important one so far. How are you feeling about it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know to be honest, it¡¯s scary not knowing what you¡¯ll have to do.¡± It was the most up close and personal Trial. ¡°You¡¯ll be good, they simply just attempt to stretch your powers in ways you probably hadn¡¯t even thought of yet. The point of it is to demonstrate your best. They force everyone here to put their best foot forward.¡± Rain¡¯s knowledge was so comforting in times like these. ¡°Ah I see, have any ideas about what they¡¯ll do with your shield?¡± I questioned. ¡°Hm, maybe they¡¯ll see if I can change the shape of it or something, that would be cool¡± While our parents could assist in developing the powers that were identical to theirs, they had no telling if you had something inside of you that allowed you to, for example, blast fireballs instead of just forming a flame in your palm. They knew how to facilitate the feeling of developing fire from a palm but had no clue whatsoever as to what throwing a flame would even consist of, how to make it come fully out from the palm, what making that energy move out from the skin would feel like and how you should direct the energy so it executed safely. That¡¯s what we were here for. Chapter twentysix-Chamber Trials Day XXIII Celeste~ While our parents could assist in developing the powers that were identical to theirs, they had no telling if you had something inside of you that allowed you to, for example, blast fireballs instead of just forming a flame in your palm. They knew how to facilitate the feeling of developing fire from a palm but had no clue whatsoever as to what throwing a flame would even consist of, how to make it come fully out from the palm, what making that energy move out from the skin would feel like and how you should direct the energy so it executed safely. That''s what we were here for. "Wanna go eat or something, we need to before the next Trial starts, we don''t know when it finishes." Chloe and Rain both agreed and we made our way downstairs. It was relatively busy as per usual. There were still more looks in my direction than I''d hoped for but I would have to deal with it. We did our usual routine of grabbing food and sitting down in the quietest area. I haven''t seen Chisila and Chimen for a while but they were here, and looking as prestige as can be. Lat¨ªa was here too, and to my surprise, she was with the insecure bitch from before. "Guys, that''s the one who spoke to me in the hallway." They both turned discretely to look at who I was talking about. "She really is pretty, too bad she''s so pathetic," Chloe said. "Honestly." "You know it really makes sense that they''re friends." "I absolutely second that." Rain chimed. We spent the rest of the time we had before the next Trial eating and talking to each other about menial things like what we thought the Academy was going to be like. *Students, please listen closely for your final and most important Trial is about to begin. For this assessment, you will be asked by one of our practitioners to bend the will of your magic in ways that they have never been made to before. This is a very personal assessment, one that is based on your individual powers from what we have seen from you so far. This will take place in the individual Chambers, good luck to you all! And thank you for listening, please follow the guide towards your appointed rooms.* And with that we went. I thought that the other Trails were going to be the peak of my anxiety but it would appear to be that this one was the most intimidating of them all. We walked to a completely different section of the academy this time. The walls were different from the theme of the last section of the hallways, these ones being dark and carrying a weight that I could only describe as ancient in its energy. The ceilings and their chandeliers towered over me as we continued through this maze. We finally came to a point where there were a series of doors that led to where we were meant to be. Each door had a number and a letter attached to it, every one of us was appointed a room with their practitioner who I assume had been watching them since the beginning of the Trials. When it was my turn to leave the queue, I said my goodbyes to both Chloe and Rain before going into the black door. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. "Hi there, I''m your practitioner for this Trial, I''ve been watching you and your powers since the beginning Celeste, I must say, you are a unique one." The woman who I assumed was of Indian descent stood in front of me with her black and emerald green hair, while it was a bold colour that I didn''t think had anything to do with her powers, it suited her brown skin perfectly. The streaks of green laid at the fronts of the hair in a money-piece style with the whole underlayer being the same emerald colour. It was styled in a cute bob that sat right at her shoulders and it fit her wacky aesthetic perfectly. She talked of me as if I was a science experiment in some sort of lab, I didn''t take it personally through, you had to be experienced to be in such a position and I didn''t mind that that made her focus on the powers instead of the person. "Thank you, um, what is exactly unique about my powers if you don''t mind me asking." She smiled at me, "Of course not. Your energy, that''s what you wield right?" I nodded. "You can manifest it into a whip, and balls of energy?" I nodded once more. "Do you know where this energy originates from?" She asked me. I didn''t know the answer to be completely honest. From what I knew my mother wielded electricity, I didn''t know what powers my father had. From what I''ve heard he wasn''t a nice person so people stayed away, I didn''t remember much of him or my childhood before Amy and Saul. It made training for and understanding my powers more difficult but I would learn just like everyone else in the end. "My mother wielded electricity from what I knew and I do not know as to what my father''s powers really were, I don''t feel like my energy comes from electricity and I can tell because lights have never gone out or anything. I don''t know where the energy comes from." Where my energy came from isn''t something that I had thought about until now, it made sense though, it all had to come from somewhere. "I see, your energy has the appearance of energy gathered from electrical sources but doesn''t act in the same way if you look closely. Pure electricity cannot be controlled in the same way other powers do. The price for the energy source not being internal and therefore practically unlimited, and electricity being so powerful and damaging means that it''s hard to centre attacks and the electrical energy overall. Your powers don''t follow this rule so yes, I agree that this does not come from an electrical source. Does your power feel more external or internal?" The thing about all of this as well was how fucking different powers can be. We might not see an air bender who can blast wind in a line for decades on end but have one who can instead change the whole trajectory of wind for a city but with no real direction of wind energy. Power sources could be nuanced as well, they can be internal and external at the same time which is crazy, some people even have the ability to change where they get the power from which makes them absolute powerhouses. "I don''t really know." It was hard to tell honestly, "The only thing I felt when I was harnessing my power was my hands tingling and burning sometimes." I had no clue what that meant though. The woman''s hand lay on her chin while she theorised further. "I see, that''s very common for those with powers so that''s no real indication towards anything. When you used your powers first and started to feel drained would you say it was a short or long time?" "Hm, it didn''t really take long, I had to practice endurance." "Okay. I think we should proceed as usual, I have a few things I want to test out with your energy." She walked towards the glass box that was in the middle of the room. I assumed its purpose was to keep any magic that was fired contained safely while they were in practice. "Step in, I''ll be here at the front, you''ll be able to hear me from outside." I followed her instructions and made my way into the centre of the glass container. She took a seat in the chairs that were placed in front of the tables in front of the box and looked at her sheet of papers. "Now, can you manifest your energy whip for me." I followed suit and did what she said again. The whip departed from my palm, I gripped it as I usually did while it cascaded down to the floor. "See, it''s like a perfect, thick line of golden energy, it hums but it doesn''t crackle. Couldn''t possibly be electricity." "How much of your energy does this whip of yours take, you didn''t use it much in the first two Trials." Wow they really took note of everything. Chapter twentyseven-Chamber Trails Day XXIV Celeste~ I followed suit and did what she said again. The whip departed from my palm, I gripped it as I usually did while it cascaded down to the floor. "See, it''s like a perfect, thick line of golden energy, it hums but it doesn''t crackle. Couldn''t possibly be electricity." "How much of your energy does this whip of yours take, you didn''t use it much in the first two Trials." Wow they really took note of everything. "A lot, I noticed that pretty quickly." She wrote something down and then asked me another question. "And have you tried to manifest your energy into anything else before?" "Yeah, kinda, my parents weren''t around to show me how that movement of energy is meant to feel. The only thing I could end up creating was that line. It started off shorter to begin with but I trained to make it longer." "And do you feel like you could make it even longer now?" I looked at the whip in my hands. I hadn''t tried to make it any longer than this point because it fulfilled its purpose of being a whip as a weapon and after this length, it would just become pointless. I still tried though, I went through all of the motions I felt before when I was trying to make it longer. It was hard to describe but it was like the extra length was already inside of me and I just had to push the whip out from my palm like I was giving birth. Once it was out it was easier to get it back to that same length and with enough practice, I could make it get to that point without even really thinking about it. The golden rod grew about an inch and a half with my full efforts before stopping. "I see, and once you get it out I''m assuming it''s easier the next time?" I nodded in agreement and she wrote that down as well. "And it doesn''t hurt or anything?" "Nah, it''s just like a pressure of some sorts." "How easily can you retract and protract your whip during combat or just a regular day to day." I didn''t know that either, "Um, so my whip just like takes so much of my energy away that I didn''t really bother to develop it more than it is. I can just retract my whip at the same speed I put it out." "I see, can you try doing it faster for me, and without allowing it to go back in all the way if you can." While I needed this length of my whip as an immediately attainable weapon I could see how a short version of it would make good use in short-distance combat. I retracted my whip, thankfully I didn''t feel any pull back from within me when I didn''t allow for it to go all the way in, I pushed it back out and confined this, It would seem that this particular aspect of my magic was easy for me to train because I had no issues doing this and I was only getting faster and faster as I continued. The downside being that my energy was draining, and at an exceptionally fast rate. I wasn''t surprised because I hadn''t done this before but I was still appalled by the way I was starting to feel. "Um, it feels pretty easy for me to do this but it''s taking a lot of my energy." Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. "Okay, you can stop for now." Not doing what I thought she would she turned around and screamed for someone to come. "Jared!, I need you!" She shouted louder than I thought her small body was capable of. A man came from the door that was behind where she was sitting. He was short, like very short at around 4 foot something. He wore the most circular glasses i''s ever seen and resembled a short wizard. "Here!" he said before waiting for her command. "Cut the rod with your sword, not too hard just test it out first." He walked into the box with me and took out a Swiss knife from his pocket. "This may or may not hurt so prepare, I don''t wanna catch you off guard or anything. You ready?" The bashful man spoke to me with compassion as he readied himself to use his weapon. "Thank you for making sure, yeah I''m ready." I hadn''t thought my whip had been hit before, it was either that or It just didn''t hurt when it did. He kneeled to the ground, to the tip of my rod and cut. "Fuck!" I audibly screamed when the metal grazed my energy. It was unlike anything I''d ever felt before, It wasn''t like a graze or scratch it felt like it touched my soul. The pain wasn''t the worst thing I''d ever experienced but it really made me wonder what I would feel if the knife went all the way. He retreated at my pain with an apologetic look in his eyes. "Okay, that''s enough of the knife, how did that feel?" He left the box and I spoke. "Like my soul was on fire. Never experienced anything like it." "I see. Jared! Use your electricity on her whip." She shouted again even though he was right next to her and I was starting to see where his reserved nature originated from. He followed her direction and went back into the box with me to use his magic. "Ready again?" "Sure." He pointed his finger and a blast of what looked like lightning struck out from the tip of it. It was more controlled than anything I''d ever seen of that nature. The irrationality of the nature of electricity that was confirmed by the practitioner did not correspond with the way in which the single line of power moved. It was direct, it was controlled. It still crackled and split like it normally would but it was way more centred than usual. It would seem like our innocent little friend here was definitely here for a reason. That kind of control only came from someone who had taken years to harness their skill and was born with the strength needed for that kind of power. At first, he targeted it towards the glass, which actually seemed to just...eat the magic that was being directed at it. He then turned it towards my whip. I flinched in return as a response to the previous pain that I''d felt when he used the knife on me but to my surprise, the electricity floated around the whip like it was water and oil. "Up the dosage." She spoke from her seat. He gave me a warning look and blasted his electric energy from his whole hand. The lines that crackled were much thicker this time and in turn less directed. The energy still danced around mine like it did before. "Okay, stop." He stopped and walked out of the box once again. "So your energy does not seem to combine with other types of energy. I''m going to assume that your energy originates from somewhere inside of you. You will practice how to endure this." She flipped to the other side of her sheet and she began reading what she wrote. "Okay, now for your energy balls, have you ever tried to manifest those into something else?" "No, it was the first power I got and it was almost like it had the blueprints for me. It was just a matter of filling the space of the balls that it gave me with energy and then they formed for me." "So probably the power that''s closest to you, the one that''s like second nature." I nodded at her description. "And how big can you make these balls?" Now that I''ve tried. "Obviously the bigger they are the more energy they take. I''ve managed to get them to around the size of an exercise ball but it took so much energy I nearly passed out the first time. I can do it now with a little less of a cost but it still takes a huge toll." "Can you demonstrate that now?" I felt my palms begin to buzz like they usually did when I did this. The empty balls were there they just needed to be filled in the palm of my hand. I used my energy to fill them to the biggest size that I could, It was even slightly bigger than the last time I had practised which was not long ago. I guess they weren''t lying when they said as soon as you get to this age, things develop very quickly. I held it in my hands but did not fire them. "I didn''t expect you to be able to hold them so easily, does it take energy to keep them formed?" "No, just creating them" Chapter twenteight-Chamber Trials Day XXV Celeste~ I felt my palms begin to buzz like they usually did when I did this. The empty balls were there they just needed to be filled in the palm of my hand. I used my energy to fill them to the biggest size that I could, It was even slightly bigger than the last time I had practised which was not long ago. I guess they weren''t lying when they said as soon as you get to this age, things develop very quickly. I held it in my hands but did not fire up them. "I didn''t expect you to be able to hold them so easily, does it take energy to keep them formed?" "No, just creating them" "Okay, that''s enough you can let it go now, actually can you absorb the energy ball back into your body." I''d never tried, all of the times when I was permitted to use my power were when we were in an open environment, so I had no need to absorb them back in. The energy that once filled the ball now began to fade away back into my body, it was almost the same feeling when I was creating them but it was just in the opposite direction. I felt myself regain the energy that I was going to lose once I released the biggest ball I could create and it felt good. "Okay great. Jared! Come and do the same thing you did to her whip." He came from the little corner where he was playing what I assumed were games on his phone and met me inside the box. He took out the same Swiss knife and I created my energy ball at the practitioner''s demand. It hurt all the same as it did before, she''d asked me if there was any difference in the type of pain and I told her that it was practically identical. He used his electricity after that which also had the same reaction that I did before. It manoeuvred its way around my ball like it had its own atmosphere. He left once again and I was left ok the box with the woman''s pondering eyes. She said that she would get back to the interesting stuff later and proceeded to do a bunch more things that were more on the menial side such as the speed of my firing, my accuracy and the damage that they were able to do. "Can you make the energy balls more concentrated?" "I don''t know, I don''t know what that feels like." "Try to fill the ball more slowly, it''s a trick that''s helped people with powers that may be able to be concentrated more." I did, I filled up the empty space as slowly as I could when I eventually finished creating one of the same size I did before, it was way more powerful and measured up amazingly on the meter that was measuring the damage and amount of energy that was produced overall. "Well done Celeste, that was great." The woman smiled at me while she clapped her hands softly in congrats. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. "Thank you, it was way easier than I thought it would be." The next couple of things that she asked me to do was see how fast and how hard I could swing my whip. She told me that was more of a physical thing and it would be something I would definitely be tasked with having to train, to show my dedication to progressing my powers and to being a notable student at the Academy. "Your whip does a decent amount of damage, do you think that you would be able to make it more concentrated like you did with the energy balls?" "I''ll give it a try but I don''t think that It will be as easy as before, it''s a whole different feeling." I began to manifest my whip, I did it slowly, just as I had before and measured it against the glass. To my surprise it was more powerful than before but it wasn''t as big of a difference as the two balls from before. "Your lack of belief in yourself holds you back, you focus too much on what you lacked and not enough on what you have." I think I knew what she was referring to. +FLASHBACK?~?Eleven years old~ Blasts of fire escaped from Chloe''s hand and It was so cool! I loved the way It looked and at night especially, the burning red was so pretty against the black sky. "Mommy look! I''m doing it faster!" She squealed as she ran into Amy''s arms, she planted kisses all over Chloe''s face and told her how proud she was that she could do it so well. I was proud of her too! Her powers were amazing I would love to be able to have fire like her. Saul turned to me and picked me up into the sky while spinning me. I giggled while I flew in the air. "Your turn next Celeste, throw your energy balls into the sky as well." "Okay but make sure you''re careful guys, we don''t want anyone getting hurt okay?" Saul said, "Of course honey." Amy turned to me and waited for my response. "I''ll be safe Amy!" Saul put me down while Chloe and Amy went to the side to not be in the path of my power, they used to have to stand way further but now that I was older they trusted me more, that meant that Chloe finally got to watch me use my powers too. I looked to Saul for approval to use my magic and everyone watched as my blasts of energy escaped from my hands. I was nervous and shaky because I didn''t really get to see my parents use powers like mine and Saul and Amy didn''t really know what to do with mine so I had no proper practice. It was a wobbly start but eventually, I was throwing straight blasts of energy balls into the sky. "Woooo!! Amazing Celeste!" Saul screamed from behind me. Chloe joined in and began screaming while she ran up to me. "Be careful baby, make sure her powers are all away first remember?" She jumped in my arms anyways and began screaming about how much she loved it "Celeste the balls you made were so pretty in the sky, I even love them more than mine!" "Thank you Chlo Chlo!" We were buzzing with the same energy for the rest of the night, It was so fun and I couldn''t wait to do it all again next time! ~~Present Day. "Yeah, I get where you''re coming from, I''ll work on it." "You''ll have to, with powers like these you''re making your way right into a good Academy." "I sure hope so." She flicked around the sheets of paper that were at her desk before stopping on a blue sheet. "So do you have any Psyche powers?" "Yeah I do. I can make people see things that aren''t there." Thankfully Chloe''s parents had no issues with Harmea powers and let me practice freely as long as I was responsible. "Okay. Jared! Go and get the test dummies!" He squirmed off at the sound of her orders and returned with a lineup of 5 people. "This line of people are individuals with different levels of Harmea starting from weakest to strongest. Max, go on and step into the box." The brunette man walked into the glass room and stood in front of me. "Now, what exactly can you do?" "I can make people see things, like actual objects or people or weather or just anything that isn''t actually there. The most I make it last for is usually for about 40 seconds." "Okay, you may use your power on him." Chapter twentynine-Chamber Trials Day XXVI Celeste~ "Okay. Jared! Go and get the test dummies!" He squirmed off at the sound of her orders and returned with a lineup of 5 people. "This line of people are individuals with different levels of Harmea starting from weakest to strongest. Max, go on and step into the box." The brunette man walked into the glass room and stood in front of me. "Now, what exactly can you do?" "I can make people see things, like actual objects or people or weather or just anything that isn''t actually there. The most I make it last for is usually for about 40 seconds." "Okay, you may use your power on him." This use of magic felt totally different. The usual sparks of energy that I feel within when I use that power are not the same as when I use my Harmea power. It comes from the mind, it was like I was sending a direct telepathic signal to the person I was using my power on. Using Harmea powers didn''t actually take up any energy unless the person fought back, instead the downfall of it being that you couldn''t actually just tap into everyone''s mind. It was due to a lot of factors, some people had personal Harmea levels that were weak and very susceptible to being manipulated. Others just simply didn''t align with the frequency that I was at and it didn''t allow for me to access their mind like I usually could. Our direct powers already came with their niches but Harmea was a totally different ball game. Most didn''t bother with the technicalities and just took it for what it was which was just a 50/50 chance of really being able to use those powers properly on people. Now this average went up depending on how strong your Harmea was; some people were more Harmea heavy with having more Harmea power than actual magic. The real kicker was that even those who had weak minds, the ones who could be manipulated so easily may just have strong Harmea power themselves, and do you know what happens when you''re already tapped into that psychic link? They can turn their powers on you in an instant through that same like, without even being able to see or hear you. "I, I see water all around me, like an ocean." This was me using my powers on the weakest one at the highest level. He didn''t look as concerned as someone who was now placed in a whole new environment should, but I''m guessing that he''s had much practice with this over the years and that my silly water trick was probably the best thing someone has made him see. "Are you able to be present in here, or are you completely surrounded by ocean?" She asked him. "I''m completely surrounded. This looks like real life." She turned to me. "How long can you keep this up for?" "There''s no resistance from his mind so as long as I can stay awake for." She grinned. "Okay then, next person. Keep the imagery the same for consistency." When I let my magic down she waved for him to leave and allowed the next man to come to me. I did the same thing, this time I felt the barriers between his mind and I, but I was able to worm my way through and start my hallucination. She questioned him. "What do you see?" This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. "I see an ocean, very clear image, feels very real." "No inconsistency?" Those could be things like gaps in the image or things that made it look less real. The whole point of the power in combat was to distract your enemy and keep them contained and unaware of their real surroundings. "No, not at all." "Okay, repeat." I did the same thing with the third person in the line. It was again, more difficult but I did it end the end with no inconsistency. The fourth woman was a bit of trouble, I had issues first with linking to her mind and then with creating a detailed image. It was about 95% accurate because there were no detrimental faults like actual gaps of real life within the image but it was not as detailed as the previous two. She allowed me to switch the image to something less detailed than the ocean I pictured and I chose a simple dark room which I presented perfectly. She''d also tested my ability to hold onto the link when their mind was fighting back but with the four so far it wasn''t that difficult of an effort. "The next person please." I attempted to use my Harmea power on this person but I just couldn''t reach them. It was cloudy, I couldn''t see the straight line it was all complicated. None of us knew if it was because of her and I being incompatible to the mind or if I was just not strong enough to reach her. "Backup number five! come please." The replacement woman came through the door and stood in her place. "Try again." I did, this time I was able to see but it was still so hard to touch that link. I struggled and struggled until I found a tiny little opening that I could put my images into. When I did though, I knew that this was it. I could barely formulate a basic image while I was in her mind let alone an ocean. The most she saw was black but she went in and out of that and could see me and everyone else clearly for half of the time. "Okay, that''s the end of the Harmea section. Please note that you and your peers were not given an equal selection of the Harmea power of those who came here today. It is unlikely any of you will be able to compare." "Yeah, that seems to be a common theme." "Blue Phoenix does not want anyone to get upset about their result and lose faith, or in other cases lose their tempers. It''s better this way, you will all know your result sooner than you think though." She spoke as if she owned the institution her dammed self. But I guess she was right, with the way people cared about hierarchies, it would be absolute chaos in here if anyone knew how they were placed. "Yeah I guess you''re right." "Okay, you are done for the initial assessment today. Please enjoy the rest of your day. You may, however, be called at a later date to clear up or explore anything to do with those powers of yours." She cleaned up her table as she readied to leave herself. "Sure thing." She turned to me once again and spoke, "Oh, and Celeste?" "Yeah?" "Work on that confidence of yours, you''re gonna need it for the Academy you''re going to end up at." She grinned like someone who knew something I didn''t, that checked out because she definitely knew something that I didn''t, and there wasn''t anything I could do about it. "But it hasn''t been decided yet?" "Number #7 Blue Phoenix, Number #1 at Blue Phoenix, Meh, when you''re in the top 10 who even cares." Yeah I didn''t really know how to respond to that. "Well you seem confident." She giggled. "When you do this job long enough you get a gist for calling what place students rank. Plus, the practitioners are all the rave about your power, they''re very intrigued so you''ll get bonus points there." She winked at me and all I could do was gawk. What did she mean they were interested in me? For what exactly? "Um, right. So why exactly are they so interested, they have a lot more notable and powerful people to concern themselves with do they not?" The same glint of amusement shined from her eyes. "Well of course Celeste, that''s why you''re so amazing, new blood, fresh meat you know? Especially after that fight with Caspian, everyone wants to know who you''re walking out of this place with." Chapter thirty-Chamber Trials Day XXVII Celeste~ She giggled. "When you do this job long enough you get a gist for calling what place students rank. Plus, the practitioners are all the rave about your power, they''re very intrigued so you''ll get bonus points there." She winked at me and all I could do was gawk. What did she mean they were interested in me? For what exactly? "Um, right. So why exactly are they so interested, they have a lot more notable and powerful people to concern themselves with do they not?" The same glint of amusement shined from her eyes. "Well of course Celeste, that''s why you''re so amazing, new blood, fresh meat you know? Especially after that fight with Caspian, everyone wants to know who you''re walking out of this place with." "I really didn''t expect to be anyone this early on." It was weird, and I definitely wasn''t for it. I wanted to go back to my peaceful little life and leave the academy just as inconspicuously as I came but with good qualifications. "That''s why you have to prepare." She flashed me one last smile that told me that I wouldn''t be getting any more information out of her, not that she said anything too interesting aside from me catching the eyes of the practitioners. We walked out of the door and I was finally allowed to check my phone. Jesus, it was already 7pm? How did the time go so quickly. I guess time flies when the adrenaline kicks in. I saw two notifications from both Chloe and Rain who had already finished their assessment and were in the cafeteria. On my way there I saw a few people who must have finished the Trial at the same time I did, it wasn''t many though. The hall was just the same with only a few people to spare, the assessment really was personal because we all had different things we needed to work on that were sometimes more simpler than the others. I grabbed my food which consisted of the Indian food that was my go-to, what other reason would one have to detach from routine other than doing the last Trial here at Blue Phoenix? I searched for Chloe and Rain in the crowd, they were easy to point out because it wasn''t as many people as usual. Among them all I saw a few familiar faces like Chimen and Chilisa along with Lat¨ªa, who didn''t happen to be with the girl from before. I walked over to my friends and greeted them before sitting down. Needing to know I asked, "How was the Trial guys?" Chloe spoke and said, "It was weird, it was odd having all of the weak spots in your powers pointed out but it really put it into perspective how much work we''re going to do at the actual Academy." Well, I didn''t think of it like that. "Yeah, it was kinda different for me, they expanded my powers in ways I never knew they could. This place is more valuable than anything the people we actually get our powers directly from could teach us." She had an expression I could only describe as starstruck while she described her experience. She must have learned a lot about herself during it, at least I''m not the only one who had a bit of a weird time. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "What did they make you do?" I was genuinely curious. I didn''t know of any other powers Rain had aside from her shield, she could very well have some but I didn''t think so. "They made me expand my Shield so much, they made me realise my shield wasn''t just a part of my arm or hand but my whole body. It came from within, That also allowed me to deflect some hits by sending the energy back, that was way harder though. But damn, it was enlightening to say the least." "That''s so fucking cool, how did you manage to improve that much in one session? they probably count that towards our ranking too, if so, you''re at the top for sure." I was so proud of my friend, no wonder she felt like she was practically brand new, she basically discovered a part of her soul. "Yeah I didn''t even think of that, they sure sneak in ways to test you, I heard they might even call some people back to further assess them. They''re really thorough with this whole thing but I''m glad." She really had a whole new outlook on this place. I was happy for her. "What about you Chloe what did they make you do?" She had the most excited expression on her face, she was practically jumping in her seat and definitely looked like she was burning to tell her story, and it was so adorable and typical of Chloe. "They taught me things that I didn''t even know was possible. I really did believe with my whole heart that I wouldn''t be shocked by things like this because of how common my power is but boy was I surprised today. They told me that I could actually increase the heat of my fire from inside of me, I tried and tried again but it just didn''t work. She didn''t want to give up though and by this point, I think it had been hours and I was so over it. I got kinda angry when he kept telling me to throw the balls over and over again and they weren''t getting any hotter but it was then that it happened. I hit the glass again, I didn''t even know I did something good until I saw her squealing in her seat. She told me that sometimes, very rarely a firebender''s ability to control the heat of their flame is dependent on their emotions. She saw something inside of me and brought it to life." She looked just as Rain previously did when she was telling her story, in awe. "But you know I was thinking, it''s kind of a waste considering I''m not really an angry person, I mean, what if I have to fight someone who was my friend and I just can''t do enough damage because I feel bad or something. That''s kinda shit you know." Me and Rain chuckled at what she chose to to focus on during all of this. It was just how she was though. She continued on. "He told me that I had to find my flame within and that everything would fall into place after that. He was kinda cute as well I don''t know if he was flirting with me but I''d sure hope so." "Now, now let''s not create too much drama too early, try to keep your panties on for now." Rain spoke while she tried to contain a laugh but was failing miserably. "That''s cool as hell though, I didn''t even know that fire benders could do things like that and you would think we would considering how popular the power is." "Right?" Rain chimed in. "But I''m so happy for you, you improved a lot as well you might be heading to number one, don''t forget me when you''re rich." I joked Chloe laughed and said, "Don''t be silly you''ll be right there with me. But we have waited long enough now, how did your Trial go." Chapter thirtyone-Chamber Trials Day XXVIII Celeste~ "That''s cool as hell though, I didn''t even know that fire benders could do things like that and you would think we would considering how popular the power is." "Right?" Rain chimed in. "But I''m so happy for you, you improved a lot as well you might be heading to number one, don''t forget me when you''re rich." I joked Chloe laughed and said, "Don''t be silly you''ll be right there with me. But we have waited long enough now, how did your Trial go." I began to tell her all about what happened in my Trail, I told her about the whip and the energy balls and what she said about my power being unique because it comes from me like firebenders. "And she said something at the end that was really weird as well, she was telling me about how the practitioners were intrigued by me and they knew about the fight with Caspian, I knew that I had a few watchers because of the fight but I didn''t even know it was that bad." "Well of course, it was the performance of the year." "Kind of a stretch but if you can''t beat em join em. Anyways after that she kinda just told me a few things about myself that I didn''t know before, basically consisting of me holding myself back. It helped me, especially when I was improving." Chloe replied, "I''m so proud of you, and she''s so right you''re definitely gonna end up in one of the top academies." "Thank you, all we can do is hope for the best." "What''s there to hope for, you''re basically guaranteed to be successful or at least in a very good place, just like Chloe and me." Rain said. "Yeah, it''s just so hard to believe." With the amount of variation that we all had amongst our magic, it was hard to tell who was powerful and who was not without an obvious demonstration or notoriety. All of our powers were a bit shaky and as being only students we were not permitted to use magic in any way unsupervised unless we were here. "I''m happy for us though, we''re going to great places" I continued on. "Do you think any of you are gonna get called back tomorrow, I can''t see what else they can explore that isn''t just actual training-" "Celeste." A deep raspy voice echoed from behind me "I need to speak to you." I instantly knew who he was. He was standing directly behind me, he sounded a little more serious than usual, I didn''t even know that was possible but alas here we were. I turned to face him. He stood above me with his arms tightly crossed on top of his chest in a way that flexed his muscles in just the right way, His hair was messier than the last times I saw him but it being dishevelled only added to his rigour. Chloe and Rain''s facial expressions were neutral but I knew that they would have a whole lot to say about this after. "Okay, where?" "Come." He began walking as I trailed behind him. We walked along the hallways until we found a secluded spot where we could talk privately. I knew that this was probably gonna be about what happened with that girl but I didn''t care because I was most definitely in the right. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. He leaned on the wall and after a long pause and a deep breath he began to speak to me. "Anastasia came up to you?" So that was her name. I couldn''t read the expression on his face, I couldn''t tell if he was about to berate me or her but I guess we were here to find out. "Yeah, she did, do you know what she said." "No, she just said that the girl that I had a fight with, said that we were in an entanglement, she then started complaining about my choices in women." He didn''t give off the vibes that he even cared about little about her ''complaints''. Neither did he sound completely thrown off by the fact that he was being accused of being in an entanglement so I actually didn''t think he gave a flying fuck about her, go Caspian. "I see, I didn''t say that we were in an entanglement it was rather something along the lines of so what If I was." "Oh, so you poked the bear a little I see." There was clear amusement in his voice when he spoke of my actions, it was clear that he found this more entertaining than he did a cause for concern. "I did not ''poke the bear'' I simply told her to mind her business." Which she should have done anyways. "You sure? Maybe there was a little bit of subconscious jealousy there." The same glint of humour still lingered in his eyes. "There definitely wasn''t." "Me and Caspian huh?" Well, that was my fault, I should have known better. "Not in that way. And you told me you didn''t know what I said." "No, I told you I didn''t know what she said." Ugh, It was basically the same thing. "Either way I didn''t mean what I said like that. So I''m guessing she''s not your girlfriend?" "Wouldn''t you like to know." Admittedly It was funny that he caught me out a second time with this but I couldn''t deal with his games any longer, I turned and began to walk away before he said my name. "Celeste." My stomach did numbers when he said my name like that. "There''s an issue." I turned back around. Although I didn''t sense anger, his face became slightly more serious now. "See, there''s still an issue." I knew from the tone of his voice that this was gonna be a whole different mess, what the fuck had I gotten myself into now. "Which is?" His apprehension to saying what he was about to say made me feel just as uncomfortable as he was, the hallways felt a lot smaller than before. "We did have a contract though." okay. "Right." He was slow with his words when he replied. "Listen, I never planned to talk to any girls in that way when I came here. I have jobs to do, I wanted to come here, and leave as fast as possible. I signed the stupid fucking contract with Anastasia because I knew that. Obviously I don''t have any emotional attachment to Anastasia, but see I owe Judias, and Anastasia knows some things that would say, break things apart if she doesn''t get what she wants, which is me. It would expire when Judias inherits part of what his parents have which is when he leaves Blue Phoenix. Another part of signing the contract was that I could not only be an assistant, but an assassin if I had someone that I''d wanted to marry." He took another deep breath. " I ignored all potential offers until I found one that I could break, Judias could pull a few strings from his newfound position and she would be banished for attempting to defame him and all would be good. Until you." Oh, I see. "A while ago Lat¨ªa convinced Judias that Ana was gonna tell his secret unless he makes me sign a contract to marry her. Judias has a few tricks up his sleeve though, when the secret is released it was always going to be on Lat¨ªas time because that is her man, so he convinces Lat¨ªa that Anastasia was flirting with him and trying to break them up by revealing it because if she can''t have what she wants then neither can she. She half believed it so now she''s taking the evidence from her and just keeping it for herself. She only cares about herself so giving her friend the option to marry me was just a fun thing they did because they could, not out of loyalty or anything. The only issue now is that my job is going to get taken away. I could have let that one slide if that was just the case though it would have only had been for a couple of years. She¡¯s now threatening to release our marriage contract and the voice recording of your conversation to try and say that we were childhood lovers but I betrayed her out of temptation for you.¡± Even as someone who found the essence of reputation and hierarchy so very stupid. The guilt I felt because I knew how bad this was was indescribable. Chapter thirtytwo-Chamber Trials Day XXIX Celeste~ "A while ago Lat¨ªa convinced Judias that Ana was gonna tell his secret unless he makes me sign a contract to marry her. Judias has a few tricks up his sleeve though, when the secret is released it was always going to be on Lat¨ªas time because that is her man, so he convinces Lat¨ªa that Anastasia was flirting with him and trying to break them up by revealing it because if she can''t have what she wants then neither can she. She half believed it so now she''s taking the evidence from her and just keeping it for herself. She only cares about herself so giving her friend the option to marry me was just a fun thing they did because they could, not out of loyalty or anything. The only issue now is that my job is going to get taken away. I could have let that one slide if that was just the case though it would have only had been for a couple of years. She''s now threatening to release our marriage contract and the voice recording of your conversation to try and say that we were childhood lovers but I betrayed her out of temptation for you." Even as someone who found the essence of reputation and hierarchy so very stupid. The guilt I felt because I knew how bad this was was indescribable. He would be berated by everyone, how can he be trusted if he betrayed his own partner? I couldn''t imagine what his parents would say, or Judias'' parents. Even the Royals would have been brought into this because she''s Lat¨ªas friend. This was bad. "Firstly, I''m very sorry that I said what I said. I really didn''t think that something as little as that could possibly cause something like this." "It''s okay it''s not your fault. She''s a manipulative bitch who will do almost anything to get her way. It''s okay because I can just say that while we did have a contract, we were not in a relationship. There are no romantic pictures, not a single date. But she''s a princess'' friend, they''ll still talk. And I still have a job to do which depends on me demonstrating loyalty." So he needs another contract. "I need something that makes what ''I did'' okay, and acceptable without tying me into something I don''t want to be tied into." "Yeah I''ve read enough romance novels to know where this is going." He chuckled a little. "Yeah, this isn''t that type of thing though. It''s easy and comes with no complications, all we have to do is pretend that we met here and fell head over heels because of that fight or something and that we''re gonna get married later. Which we won''t because you don''t care for my status and I don''t care for anyone." So, I have enough power to make this whole relationship palpable, but not enough status to stop him from divorcing me or breaking the contract if he chooses to. Not too bad. "I see, so what happens if we actually fall in love throughout all of this." "Are you saying that because you''re already halfway there? I get it, I''m not easy to resist." He said playfully. "Hey, no. I''m just being realistic, I think we both know how this usually goes." I wasn''t that naive. I wasn''t going to claim that I was some sort of superhuman with no feelings whatsoever. Pretending to be in a relationship could definitely facilitate real feelings and I didn''t have the time for that if there was no way out. Stolen novel; please report. "I''m not an asshole, if one of us happens to fall in love then we can just call it off, say that my parents have someone else for me. I just need a valid reason as to why I was so ''dishonest'' towards Anastasia if she releases what she recorded. After that, it''s fair game." Hm. Okay then. "And even if both of us happen to fall for each other so what? Great, I have a wife and you have me. It''s all good." The ego of this man! "Like me having you is such a privilege huh? I mean I would say that I''m the one that would be settling in this dynamic but each to our own." He just thinks he''s the centre of everyone''s universe doesn''t he. "Oh, and why''s that?" He questioned. "There''s a lot of nonsense that comes with being with an assassin you know, not knowing if they''re safe, if they''re doing anything behind your back. It''s just a whole lot. Plus there''s a lot of emotional baggage that comes with having a career path that involves killing people." His blue and red eyes stared at me for a second before he spoke. "Fair enough, it''s true, it''s a career that comes with a lot. It''s definitely not for everyone. But that just makes this deal even better." "I guess you could say that." It was true. "So we have another deal then?" "Yes we do." The conversation lasted longer than I had realised. It was already late when we finished the last Trial so by the time we were done, Chloe and Rain had already made their way back to their rooms and were heading to sleep. I did the same, with thankfully no interruptions from weird females on my way there. With all of the excitement from the Trial and the conversation with Caspian, I hadn¡¯t even realised how tired I was. I passed out as soon as I came out of the shower and fell asleep in my towel once again. *Buzz What the fuck, we didn¡¯t even have a Trial today. There was no reason as to why I should be awoken by the sound of my phone at 7 in the morning. Although the Academy sent a message about being aware of the potential to be called back for further examination, it was not the notification that set my phone off. Chloe-¡°Hey girl, I set my alarm bright and early today just for you xx¡± Rain-¡°Where¡¯s the teaaaa?¡± Chloe-¡°Don¡¯t ignore, you know what I¡¯m here for.¡± Rain-¡°Caspian and Celeste kissing in a tree k.i.s.s.i.n.g.¡± Chloe-¡°We shall all meet at 8:30am in Rain¡¯s room. Be punctual people.¡± Rain-¡°It¡¯s raining it¡¯s pouring Celeste¡¯s love life is boring, till Caspian wakes her up and fucks her till the morning.¡± It was a catchy song but that wasn¡¯t the point. There was nothing between me and Caspian and even if there was, they should have been trying to deter me from him at any chance they could get considering who he is. They most definitely weren¡¯t going to believe me after they heard what he proposed to me but to hell with it all. I got ready even though I was already exhausted from the future conversation that I was going to have with them and went into the shower. I was thankful that we were finished with this whole Trial thing. It was something that was built up for all of us as the most important days of our lives, it was hard to hear that constantly and still be calm while you were here. My body was relaxed in ways I didn¡¯t even know it needed to be, and my muscles lost the tension that I didn¡¯t even know it had. I finally felt at peace. My path was already made for me and there was nothing I could do about the outcome of my rank at this point and It gave me the space I needed to finally breathe. I defined my curls and did my hair in a nice updo that would keep it out of my face for today. I put on a casual outfit that consisted of a nice halter top and denim jeans to go with it. Making sure I didn¡¯t forget anything I needed I looked around before heading out of the door. There was hardly anyone out at this time, I guess there was no reason to keep up appearances if we would all be separated and with thousands of new people soon. Chapter thirtythree-Chamber Trials Day XXX Celeste~ I defined my curls and did my hair in a nice updo that would keep it out of my face for today. I put on a casual outfit that consisted of a nice halter top and denim jeans to go with it. Making sure I didn''t forget anything I needed I looked around before heading out of the door. There was hardly anyone out at this time, I guess there was no reason to keep up appearances if we would all be separated and with thousands of new people soon. Both Chloe and Rain were waiting for me at the door when I arrived, they were up bright and early, ready to hear the juicy details of our conversation. As much as I disliked that they believed in the potential of a me and Caspian, I was happy to tell them. I wouldn''t mind a second and third opinion on this. It was a weird, complicated situation and I was already apprehensive about it. "Heyy, come in come in we''ve been waiting." Rain smirked while Chloe brought me inside. "Of course you have." I rolled my eyes and tried to contain a smile as I walked through the door. They both rushed to the couch, so eager to know what this was all about. "So, tell us absolutely everything." Rain said. Chloe''s red eyes peered at me while she waited for my response. I told them the whole situation, and they were in utter disbelief that she was such a manipulative witch. I mean we all knew that some screws were clearly loose but none of us believed that she would take it this far. "Well we were wrong about one thing, the bitch is actually psycho." Chloe mumbled while she tried to make sense of the whole situation. "Yeah that''s for sure." Rain said, with a similar expression on her face. "The whole thing is all very weird and I''m definitely apprehensive. Part of the reason I even agreed was because in this scenario I didn''t really have anything to lose. I''m not on the same pedestal that he is so I could never fall as far." They uttered noises of agreement while they were still lost in thought. "And trust me guys, we''re not doing the whole being stupid enough to not consider the possibility of feelings in this equation either. We spoke about that and we simply just have to stay with each other long enough to make his whole marriage situation way less worse." I was nervous for their answer, this was no longer just a game of me and Caspian''s potential, this was real life. Rain spoke, "Well this is a pretty fucked situation you''ve gotten yourself into Celeste. I mean, forced to pretend to be in a relationship with someone because they weren''t careful, I don''t know if that''s fair." It was both settling and unsettling to experience the actual advice that they give, their usual essence of bubbly optimism, sarcasm and sexual innuendos were stripped when things like this became kinda serious. "Ah, I don''t know. I said what I said to Anastasia kinda intending to give off that message if I''m being completely honest." It wasn''t his fault that she was manipulative as much as it wasn''t mine. "Yeah I understand, still though, if this affects you negatively in any way you should just call it quits. You owe him but not enough to sacrifice your peace or anything like that, at the end of the day he was the one who decided to sign a contract with just anyone." Rain quipped back. It was clear that she was not the most open to this kind of agreement, and rightly so. These were very unknown territories. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. "Yeah for sure." I meant that too. "Do you think this could go wrong in the love department?" Chloe spoke, of course changing the conversation to love. "No because the department doesn''t exist." "Oh don''t give me that, even you and Caspian spoke about the possibility of it." Sigh, I guess I would have to entertain this topic for a little while. "I highly doubt anything will arise from this. It would be short-lived and vague. Plus, our lives do not align at all, it''s a culture clash to the fullest extent." "Oh but they do. Very much so actually, you''re powerful he''s powerful, you guys are both here for the next few years. I''m seeing some similarities between you." "Even if we were the perfect match on earth nothing is going to happen, he''s not interested. He barely wants a fake relationship with the princess''s best friend let alone some average nobody." I didn''t have any issue with the last part and would actually much rather keep it that way, they knew this which is why I didn''t understand why- *Knock knock A knock at the door interrupted my train of thought as well as our conversation. I looked over to Rain who had a facial expression that told me she didn''t know who the hell was at her door. We both looked over to Chloe who shrugged her shoulders, clearly not having invited anyone over either. Rain walked over to the door and looked through the spy hole. "Looks like one of the practitioners, they have the same purple garments that they have. I don''t know why they''re here though." *Knock knock! "Damn, they''re adamant. Should I open it?" "Yeah." Me and Chloe said in agreement. She pulled open the door to meet the man who stood in front of us in his gown. His skin was darker than I had ever seen, paired with the purple irises of his eyes created a very ethereal look for him. I didn''t know if the colour of his eyes was a result of his power but I assumed that was the case."Hello, according to my knowledge Celeste is here, would I be correct?" His teeth also had an otherworldly glow as they shimmered and shined a soft purple haze in his mouth. He was looking directly at me when he spoke of my whereabouts. I didn''t know if he was being condescending or not but I was gonna take the less pessimistic approach and believe that this professionalism was a quirk of a serious practitioner like him. Chloe and Rain turned to me. "That would be me" "You need to come with me please. Orders from the academy." He held up the sheet of paper that was in his hand and showed it to me when I stepped forward. I guess I was going with him. I gave an awkward goodbye to both Chloe and Rain before walking out of the door. I wondered if this was about the assessment, I knew that there was a possibility that we could get called back but I had a feeling that it wasn''t about that. "Is this about the assessment?" He paused for about 15 seconds before he answered. "No." Well okay. We walked along the corridors until we came across a very vacant section that was locked off with a door buzzer that had to be opened with his ID. We walked through the doors and met a part of the Academy that was strictly for the Teachers. The walls were white marble from floor to ceiling and I''d be lying if I said I didn''t think it resembled an insane asylum or a hospital more than it did a place to reside. I saw a few other practitioners on the way, they gave me weird looks as I walked past but I didn''t dwell on it. We weaved our way through the hallways until he brought us to a room. The door was just as white as the walls were and had the same entry system as the other one. He tapped his ID as we both walked into the room. It was small and dimly lit with a single light bulb hanging from the ceilings above the table. "Take a seat miss Luxe." Oh we''re using second names now. I took his instruction anyway and took a seat on the chair. He did the same and took a seat on the chair opposite to mine. He was still for a second while he was centring his thoughts. "So, do you have any idea why you may have been brought here today?" I answered honestly. "No." He took another deep breath, what is with this guy and his dramatics. "Okay, we have reason to believe you have involvement with the Angels, you''re familiar with them I presume?" I had just as much knowledge about the Angels as anyone else, I had no idea why he was questioning me out of all people about this. Chapter thirtyfour-Chamber Trials Day XXXI Celeste~ He did the same and took a seat on the chair opposite to mine. He was still for a second while he was centring his thoughts. "So, do you have any idea why you may have been brought here today?" I answered honestly. "No." He took another deep breath, what was with this guy and his dramatics. "Okay, we have reason to believe you have involvement with the Angels, you''re familiar with them I presume?" I had just as much knowledge about the Angels as anyone else, I had no idea why he was questioning me out of all people about this. "Yeah, just as much as anyone else." "I see, have you ever interacted with one personally?" "No, I have not." "Have you ever met someone who has interacted with them personally?" He said. "No, I don''t think so. Not anyone who didn''t interact with them the other day." "Did any of your peers interact with the angels that day?" "No, not to my knowledge." He took a break after this one and looked at his notes on his sheet of paper. "How well do you know Caspian Raven?" Caspian? Why was he asking about him, what did he have to do with anything and why is this happening now right after we had that conversation? And most importantly, how the fuck did I answer that? We were meant to be in a fake relationship right now but I didn''t know if I should go with that story or the truth about him basically being a stranger. "I met him after our fight, we have had a couple of conversations after that." I tried to keep my demeanour as calm as possible. It wasn''t that I was lying, it just wasn''t the whole truth. "What were the topics of the conversations?" Well that was personal. "Do I really have to answer that?" He just looked at me from his seat. His hands intertwined and face as hard as steel he spoke once again. "I cannot force you to do anything you do not want to do at this stage, however, it would be in your best interest to give us all the information we want to clear your name." "Clear my name of what?" It just all wasn''t making sense and there were so many other factors to consider. Was this about the fact that first, he had wanted to protect me from the Angels? he was vague and mysterious when speaking about the situation and gave me no idea as to why he absolutely had to aside from the fact that I was heated down. Maybe that was what this was all about. "We have reason to believe you have had involvement with the Angels." He simply just stated what he had said at the start, it wasn''t helpful and his secrecy was just getting me more and more agitated. "You said that already, what reason do you have to believe that?" It was getting more and more tense as time went on. "They seem to be very interested in you." He cocked his head to the side as if he was examining me, analysing my facial expression while looking for any signs of deceit. What could they possibly be interested in me for? I haven''t done anything spectacular and I definitely wasn''t anything special. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. "I have no idea why that would be the case." "Is Caspian a partner of yours of some sort?" Back to the assassin I see. "That''s very personal." He stiffened at my aversion to his digging. He and I both knew that he had no real right to be asking me these questions, that''s why he didn''t press as much as I could tell he''d wanted to. Who you ended up with was a peek into your social status and a very important thing in this society, especially in this place. I highly doubted I was the only one who had a proposition like this. Fake relationships for publicity happen all the time among the higher-ups, and real relationships could come at any time. Through parental assistance or family ties, this was all very private and he was way out of his mind for thinking that I would give up this information so quickly, especially when he was being so damn cryptic. "Okay. That will be all for today." I could tell he was irritated as he collected his notes together. "You are not in any immediate trouble, if what you''re saying is the truth then you need to stay alert, I highly doubt you will be put in any position to have to defend yourself but still, this angel war isn''t over yet." "Okay." I didn''t really know how to respond to that so I just chose the simplest option. "Oh, and, it''s not necessary for you to repeat any of this conversation to anyone." He phrased it as a suggestion but I knew from the darkness behind his voice that it was more of a command. "Come, I''ll walk you out." He said those words a little more nicely as he made his way to the door of the room. I followed after him and we made our way back to the corridors we once came from. "Your way out, thank you for your time miss Luxe." He stood within the restricted part of the building and left the door open for me to walk through. I went and couldn''t respond back because by the time I had turned around the door shut and disappeared before I got the chance to. "Fucking hell," I said to myself out loud. Sometimes I forget that this is an actual magic Academy and not just a building. Now I needed to decide what to do next, I was instructed not to tell anyone about what had happened but there was no way I was going to be blind-sighted if anything suspicious was going on. I needed to know what that was all about and if my involvement with Caspian was causing it. So now I had to find him. Funnily enough through all of our interactions we still hadn''t managed to exchange phone numbers, he just spoke to me when he saw me in the corridor or the dining hall. I checked my phone and it was 10:30 by this time. I was gonna check the hall first to see if our lovely assassin was anywhere to be seen. I walked back to the hall which took a while from the deepest at darkest corners of the academy. When I got there and looked inside I saw a few people, Anastasia was one of them and she was alone this time. She glanced at me but I didn''t hold eye contact any longer than I needed to. Chimen looked as though he had just finished eating and was heading out while Chilisa was nowhere to be seen. A few other randomers were sitting and eating within their friendship groups but there was no Caspian to be seen. After a few more looks around I called it quits and moved on to the next area. I was gonna go to the gym to see if he was in there like he was a couple of days ago. I didn''t wanna go back in there and I hoped I was there late enough to avoid any combat but I had to look for him either way. I turned right and made my way to the training area. He wasn''t in the actual gym, it was pretty vacant aside from one or two people, I went Into all of the other rooms as well and he wasn''t in them either. The only one left being the combat area. Here we go again. I walked through the daunting doors of the room and was greeted with a crowd once again. It was a lot smaller than last time but more packed than any other room I had visited at this time. I searched for him among the crowds but there was no Caspian. I gently nudged someone who was in front of me to ask them if they had any idea of his whereabouts, they said he would be fighting again in 3 minutes and that he was in the changing rooms so that was that. I would wait until after he had finished his match to speak to him about what the fuck was going on. I moved myself further towards the centre ring I knew the star of the show would be inside. "Oh hey it''s you from last time, come back for round two?" The man standing with his group of friends joked with me. I laughed it off but nothing was really funny, I barely made it out last time and even though I held my own in the short time, I knew that if It had continued it would not have worked out in my favour. I had a nice position at the front of the stage, close enough to see all of the action. Chapter thirtyfive-Chamber Trials Day XXXII Celeste~ I moved myself further towards the centre ring I knew the star of the show would be inside. "Oh hey it''s you from last time, come back for round two?" The man standing with his group of friends joked with me. I laughed it off but nothing was really funny, I barely made it out last time and even though I held my own in the short time, I knew that if It had continued it would not have worked out in my favour. I had a nice position at the front of the stage, close enough to see all of the action. For some reason I was so nervous to see him, I don''t know if it was because it was the first time I was reaching out or because of the situation at hand but my heart was racing. The energy in the room didn''t help either and just added to my apprehension. "Caspian! Caspian! Caspian!" They all cheered for him, urging him to come out of the changing rooms once the door opened just slightly. He walked out, topless as expected and made his way to the centre of the ring. He put on a show for the audience and he usually did, hands in the air and flexing his muscles in all the right ways he was absolute perfection. The position within the crown that I was once happy with quickly changed to feelings of wanting to escape. It was at this moment that I realised that his field of view would be in my direction, he would definitely see me. It was too late to go back now and it would only make things weirder if I left. Hopefully, he remained preoccupied with the audience and the fight enough to not see the white haired girl in the front rows. "Andddd give it up for Caspian!" The crowd cheered even louder after that one, Caspian opened the water bottle that he''d grabbed from the floor and poured it all over himself, feeding into what the crowd wanted. The droplets surfed down the smooth cuts of his muscles and it highlighted them in a way that made him look angelic under the lights above him. His blue and red eyes glinted under them giving him the most spine-chilling appearance that somehow just managed to make you want to drop your panties even more. What was wrong with me. "Jemar! Jemar! Jemar!" They called for who I assumed was his opponent this time though it was nowhere near as loud as the way they were shouting for Caspian beforehand. When he was done and all soaked he shook off his hair and looked into the crowd. His blue and red eyes pierced through mine as he made eye contact with me. It was subtle but I noticed a pause in his demeanour before he continued preparing for the fight. The look just made me even more nervous than before but I had to move on from it. His opponent exited from the changing rooms into the ring. He was tall and lean but still had muscle, he had a short brown buzz cut that glowed against his skin the same way his golden brown eyes did. It was weird to say but I''d never seen such a brown brown before. He didn''t do the same theatrics that Caspian did, probably because he knew that the crowd was not here for him but for Caspian instead. That made me wonder how he even got into this position in the first place, don''t get me wrong he absolutely looked like he was meant to be here with his tattoos and dangerous demeanour but I didn''t know him to be a person of high status. They were usually the ones to engage in fights like this where there was a limit to how much someone like Caspian, who would rather have the trust of higher-ups, would hurt them. It also helped that nobody could blame them for losing the fight because he was trained through and through to be a weapon. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Was he chosen randomly like I was or did he sign up for this, I couldn''t think of any reasonable reason as to why any normal person was but maybe that was it, he wasn''t normal. I noticed again that Caspian took one last look at me before the round began. "Three!, Two!, One!, Begin!" They really didn''t waste any time, did they. Immediately Caspian and Jemar began sparring in the ring, they were throwing blasts after blasts of power at each other until Caspian eventually won. It was a bloody, gory fight but the crowd that was in here enjoyed it to the fullest. They both left the ring, Jemar with some assistance from someone and Caspian by himself back into the changing rooms. I decided to walk over there and wait outside the door since people were leaving now that Caspian was done. He was in there for about ten minutes until he came out. ¡°Ah, Celeste, to what do I owe the pleasure, come back for round two?¡± He laughed as he taunted me. More importantly, he was way too upbeat to have known anything about the conversation I just had because if he did I doubted he would be smiling so much, I think he noticed something in my expression that said not today because soon after he said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, are you okay?¡± ¡°I need to talk to you, like right now.¡± He looked around, but there were only bunches of people waiting for him to come to them surrounding us. He took my hand and brought me inside the changing room that he was just in and locked the door behind us. ¡°What is it, what happened was it Anastasia again?¡± ¡°No, someone took me for an interrogation.¡± He stiffened. ¡°One of the practitioners?¡± ¡°First of all, you cannot tell anyone that we had this conversation, you need to promise me.¡± I was scared as hell that this was all gonna come back to me and I would be even worse off than I was now. ¡°I promise you no one will hear a word about what is said in this room today.¡± I guess that was all the reassurance I could get today. ¡°Yeah, one of them, they said that they have reason to believe that I have involvement with the Angels.¡± ¡°I see. What else?¡± I tried to read his face but he didn¡¯t give off anything that I could grasp. ¡°They asked about my involvement with you, asked what our conversations had been about.¡± ¡°And did you answer?¡± He replied to that one very quickly, I could tell exactly what he didn¡¯t want to hear. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t tell them. I asked if it was necessary and they just advised me that I should listen but, I didn¡¯t, it was personal, I told him this.¡± He let go of the breath that he was holding in and sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t think anything is gonna happen to you, you¡¯re obviously not conspiring with the Angels that¡¯s ridiculous they¡¯ll know that soon though.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that.¡± ¡°There was obviously more to me ¡®protecting¡¯ you than just me harming you before the attacks. Because of who my parents are and who I am I have close ties with people who are valued in this society, I know a lot. I heard that the Angels are beginning to harvest the powers of those they can get and effectively use for themselves, that¡¯s why it¡¯s so different. It¡¯s no longer random or political attacks but targeted ones. We don¡¯t know the criteria for who they want to take but we know that they can¡¯t use just anyone. After the attack, I got a few names that they were interested in, yours was one of them. I don¡¯t know what it is about you that makes your power so desirable but they want it, and bad. That¡¯s all I know.¡± Well fucking hell that was something for sure. ¡°Okay, so somewhere along the lines they must have misinterpreted what they had found?¡± ¡°Yes, for sure but that¡¯s not an issue. They will find out by tonight I presume if they don¡¯t already know. It may well be that they just wanted to cover all corners and find out some information about us in the process. These are trained people, whatever you may have seen or whatever emotions they make have presented to you in the room could all be a lie.¡± ¡°He was really angry in there.¡± He smiled, he seemed more relaxed now that he knew everything. ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s very few things a simple student could do to irritate a whole institution, even if you were the Angels¡¯ number one comrade they have more than enough resources to take you out, it wouldn¡¯t affect them that badly they¡¯ve dealt with this before.¡± ¡°Okay. So there¡¯s nothing I need to worry about?¡± ¡°Not at all, you¡¯re good.¡± Chapter thirtysix-Chamber Trials Day XXXIII Celeste~ "He was really angry in there." He smiled, he seemed more relaxed now that he knew everything. "Yeah, there''s very few things a simple student could do to irritate a whole institution, even if you were the Angels'' number one comrade they have more than enough resources to take you out, it wouldn''t affect them that badly they''ve dealt with this before." "Okay. So there''s nothing I need to worry about?" "Not at all, you''re good." He gave me a comforting look as I worked through my previous near mental breakdown. I was glad to hear that the situation was not as serious as I had thought but to replace it was just a situation which was just as worse if not more. ¡°What the fuck, the Angels want me?¡± ¡°Yeah, I have no idea why though, they want me to apparently but I am higher up and involved in politics so that was always a concern.¡± ¡°What am I mean to do about it though.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be harmed, this place is very safe. Plus, you have me as a security guard and as a boyfriend now.¡± He winked at me and I couldn¡¯t even believe that he had the audacity to flirt with me at this very moment. Affronted I spoke, ¡°Can you not, this is a very serious moment I don¡¯t have time for your games.¡± ¡°Please, you don¡¯t think I see the way you look at me. Especially when I was in the ring before, you were eating me up with your eyes weren¡¯t you?¡± He spoke with raw confidence, the type that said I¡¯m one hundred percent right and there¡¯s nothing anyone else can do about it. That didn¡¯t mean I wasn¡¯t going to object. ¡°No, whatever you saw was incorrect.¡± He edged closer to me, eyes piercing straight through me. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me Celeste.¡± I stilled, admittedly he made me very nervous. Although we had spoken numerous times by now I still couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that I got when I was around him. ¡°We have to keep this professional.¡± Was all I¡¯d managed to say while working with the emotions bubbling in me. ¡°We do?¡± He coked his head with one arm crossed over his chest and the other one holding his chin. I took a deep breath. ¡°Yes, we do. It will just make things more complicated.¡± A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.The way he looked at me, the way he spoke to me, it was turning lights on in all the right places and I hated the lack of control I had over my own body in his presence. ¡°Or more realistic?¡± ¡°I think I¡¯m a good enough actor already actually.¡± ¡°Oh yeah?¡± He continued making his way closer to me until we were only a couple of inches apart, at this distance the only thing I was able to do in response was nod. ¡°Show me.¡± In a millisecond our lips were interlocked in a frenzy of passion and pure lust. He kissed me like his life depended on it and I did just the same. He had me pushed up against the door that we came in through, touching me and feeling me in the most sensual of places. My body vibrated with lust, desire crawled in my very veins. As the time went on, it was getting harder and harder to contain myself. It was like my body was on autopilot, without actively thinking about it I grabbed him and brought him even closer to me. He grunted in response and just kissed me even harder. Our breathing got heavier and the kiss got even more intense than before even though I didn¡¯t think that was possible. ¡°Are you sure you want this?¡± He took a moment to stop and step back, one glance at his eyes and the lust that laid beneath them threatened to overpower me right there and then. There was nothing I wanted more than to have him right now. A breathy ¡°Yes.¡± was all I was able to muster out in the midst of such thrills. There were people outside but I didn¡¯t care, they couldn¡¯t hear us through the thick walls and there were more than enough changing rooms for use. His hands began exploring, touching my breasts and nipples with such delicacy it sent tingles coursing through every inch of my body. He rubbed up against me as we continued to kiss, his dick rubbing against me as he did. I¡¯d be lying if I said that the size didn¡¯t already overwhelm me, it was long and thick from what I could tell and definitely something I would have trouble taking. I felt myself getting wetter and wetter as this continued on and soon enough I was the desperate one. ¡°Just put in it.¡± I practically moaned as I urged for more. ¡°Be patient for me baby¡± His voice rumbled in my ear before he began kissing on my neck. I shivered in his arms. His hands travelled down to my pants before he took them and my top off. His hands went back to my panties as he caressed the outside of them, teasing my clit as he did. With an index finger, he gently put it in and slid across my pussy from my clit all the way down to the opening of my pussy, he sent waves of pleasure coursing through me but I was tired of the teasing. I reached down and grabbed his fuck through his pants and had a good feel of his member. ¡°Mm,¡± he moaned as I felt him. ¡°Be patient.¡± He tried to sound serious but lust enveloped his voice. Soon after he slid a finger into my sleek pussy, slowly, still teasing. It was almost unbearable. He used one finger to penetrate my pussy as I moaned in his ear. ¡°More!¡± I said, desperate for more of him. I felt him smirk against my cheek, he slid the other finger in and fucked my pussy slow and deep while I trembled under him. Even though we had barely started, before I knew it I was cumming on his fingers, shaking and twitching in pleasure as I did. Chapter thirtyseven-Angels Lurking Celeste~ Soon after he slid a finger into my sleek pussy, slowly, still teasing. It was almost unbearable. He used one finger to penetrate my pussy as I moaned in his ear. "More!" I said, desperate for more of him. I felt him smirk against my cheek, he slid the other finger in and fucked my pussy slow and deep while I trembled under him. Even though we had barely started, before I knew it I was cumming on his fingers, shaking and twitching in pleasure as I did. "Already baby?" He teased as he took his fingers out of my pussy. "You''ve needed this haven''t you?" An airy "Mhm" was all I was able to get out in the aftermath of my orgasm. He was patient and waited for me to recover while planting soft kisses all over my body until I was ready. He took off his clothes and revealed all of his length. His dick stood tall and proud, leaking precum as he got hornier and hornier. He took my hand and placed it so It was circling his tip "You like that?" "I''ll show you just how much I do." I got onto my knees, looking up at him as I held his girth. Desire burned in his eyes as a teased his dick, licking slowly from base to tip and occasionally sucking the top. He groaned, I knew it would only be a matter of time before he couldn''t take it anymore. I put his length into my mouth, caressing his tip with my tongue on every stroke. He moaned as I went deeper, his dick fucking the back of my throat as I sucked even harder. "Mm, Celeste." He moaned my name and it was like music to my ears and waves of pleasure to my pussy. I knew from the way he was twitching and moaning after every stroke that he was getting close. "Fuck I''m gonna cum." He grunted as I sped up even more. I sucked him dry as he began to come all down my throat. I enjoyed every second of it. There was no rush to go any further than this so soon so after we had both recovered from our orgasms we cleaned up. I was sitting on the ground as I got dressed while Caspian put on his shirt. He looked at me from above and I could still see shimmers of lust lingering in his eyes, "That was the best sex I''ve ever had." "I''d say the same myself." I grinned as I reminisced over the feelings he gave me. "When are we doing this again?" "Whenever we get the chance to." I meant that. I would take every opportunity I could get because those hands were talented, and I couldn''t wait to find out what other skills he had tucked on his shelf. "What about if we go to different Academies?" I completely forgot about that. "Well we have to stay in contact anyways because of our marriage contract. We could still keep in touch." My heart felt a little heavier in my chest and I didn''t know why. "Yeah we could." It was nearly the end of the day now. After that I went back to my room after I''d realised I had another dilemma to deal with. To tell Rain and Chloe or not? I didn''t know. On one hand, I knew that they wouldn''t tell a soul willingly, but that was the thing, there were many ways to make someone do something they didn''t want to do. But it''s not like the Academy could just force someone to go under a spell or Harmea. They needed at least a little evidence of malpractice, looking into someone''s mind didn''t have a contents page. You saw what you saw and it was non-retractable. Nobody, not even the elites wanted everyone to have the power to look into someone''s mind or gather their secrets without their consent, someone high up probably found that one out themselves and was forced to change it for everyone. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Aside from that, coming to think of it I didn''t think that it would be necessary. There was at least one person who knew that the Academy were ''temporarily'' on my case for the time being. I didn''t know if I needed the extra minds for this one just yet. If things escalated I would confide in them but for now, I''d rather go with the impression that what happened wasn''t nearly as personal as it felt. I didn''t want to lie but I just ended up telling them that they asked me about how my powers felt when they left my body and all that stuff, they didn''t press the matter any further so the purpose was served. We went to get dinner after that and talked a little about what happened between me and Caspian, they weren''t shocked at all and just said that it was a matter of time. I couldn''t really argue with that because it already happened. We went back to our rooms after that and now I was left with me and my thoughts. It was like 9pm at this point, many hours after me and Caspian had been together but I couldn''t stop thinking about him, the memory of us lingered in my mind like perfume and I just couldn''t escape it. Chloe would tell me that I was in love and that we would be together eventually but I just couldn''t get with that. Not for a very long time at least. I rolled over in my bed and tried my best to get some sleep but I couldn''t, I couldn''t escape the thoughts of what happened. I decided that maybe some sexual release would solve my issues, I mean, the last time I really got any was years back with my first boyfriend, It had been a while. I turned on my back and started exploring my body the same way he did, gently pinching my nipples while caressing my full breasts, I felt myself get wetter and wetter as I pictured the time that he spent inside me. With my right hand, I travelled down and slowly started rubbing my clit, it pulsed and throbbed as I imagined what would have happened if things went further, if his dick ended up inside me. I burned for release as I slipped my fingers inside of me, getting wetter and closer to orgasm with every pump. I came not long after, my pussy throbbed as I moaned softly, riding my orgasm wave after wave. *Buzz buzz Here we go. I grabbed my vibrating phone from the dressing table next to me to read the message from who I assumed was the academy. *Students, we are glad to inform you that your time at the Trial Academy is over. Your results will be processed shortly and you will be passed over to the next institution. In the meantime, please make your way to the coaches outside the building where you will be escorted back home. After that, your placement and all relevant information will be given to you in the post. Thank you for your stay here at the Trial Chambers. We hope you enjoy the Blue Phoenix Academy just as much!* THREE DAYS LATER. "I''m gonna miss you guys so much." Amy was crying while Paul comforted her in his arms. "Mum, we''ve done this already it''s just the same thing but for longer this time," Markan remarked. "It''s not the same thing, I''m not gonna see you guys for forever." She said, trying to keep herself together as best she could. Chloe gave her mum a hug as did I. It was the day that we would be leaving again. Our letters would arrive any minute now and that would be us gone. It felt even worse than last time, I thought I had already processed what leaving was like but now that I was confronted with the reality of being away for years it hit me even harder. "Make sure you guys stay safe, and stick together if you can especially because of all this Angel stuff." They were so worried about us ever since that all happened. They''ve lived a long time so they knew the Angel threat more than any of us did. They thought it was so out of the ordinary for them and believed that there had to be some kind of reason why they chose to do what they did. They were right considering what Caspian had told me. The Angels were targeting people with powers they could harvest for their own strength, I wonder what changed. What made them able to do this now. *Knock knock Amy cried even harder and I''m pretty sure I saw a few tears escape Saul''s eyes. He gave his last words of encouragement before the news hit us "Good luck guys, just remember this doesn''t define you." Chapter thirtyeight-Monsters Returning Celeste~ It''s not the same thing, I''m not gonna see you guys for forever." She said, trying to keep herself together as best she could. Chloe gave her mum a hug as did I. It was the day that we would be leaving again. Our letters would arrive any minute now and that would be us gone. It felt even worse than last time, I thought I had already processed what leaving was like but now that I was confronted with the reality of being away for years it hit me even harder. "Make sure you guys stay safe, and stick together if you can especially because of all this Angel stuff." They were so worried about us ever since that all happened. They''ve lived a long time so they knew the Angel threat more than any of us did. They thought it was so out of the ordinary for them and believed that there had to be some kind of reason why they chose to do what they did. They were right considering what Caspian had told me. The Angels were targeting people with powers they could harvest for their own strength, I wonder what changed. What made them able to do this now. *Knock knock Amy cried even harder and I''m pretty sure I saw a few tears escape Saul''s eyes. He gave his last words of encouragement before the news hit us "Good luck guys, just remember this doesn''t define you." I took his words on the chin as I prepared myself for what was to come. I thought that I did well but no one knew how they placed, not even the higher-ups. I decided to cut my losses early and remind myself that there''s a poor fucker out there who had to hand in a letter to their parents who own a continent and tell them that they weren''t strong enough to get a high place. There were people today who were so egotistical they couldn''t comprehend the idea of them not being number one and thank fuck that wasn''t me. I could cope with being average. Markan was the one to open the door. Unsurprisingly he was the one who was lost excited to receive his letter, i''d watched him throughout the whole thing let his anxiety about his place nearly ruin him. He was so overrun by his thoughts he just took to training most of the time. I was glad that it could finally be over for him, and I prayed that he got the result he deserved. He needed it the most. A man in a tuxedo stood before all of us, he wore purple and indigo, representing the academy and looked as polished as ever doing it. "Your letters sir." With one hand he held a briefcase, gold and Amethyst incremented into the design. It contained three letters with all of our names stained in gold at the front. We took them from his possession and with that he turned on his heel and strutted away. My heart was pounding in my chest as I held mine and I could tell Chloe and Markan were just as nervous as me. "You ready guys?" I asked, and in unison, they nodded their heads. Markan ripped his open first, then Chloe then me. *Hello, Celeste, we are happy to inform you that due to your prestigious performances at the Trial Chambers and the predetermined potential of your attributes you have placed {Number #1 out of all of the Blue Phoenix Academies}* What the fuck. My hands shook as I read the letter before me. Number fucking one. How did that even happen, I know that I did well but this well! I would never have even dreamt of it. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. "Number one!" Chloe shouted from her spot in the kitchen, I looked up and tuned back into my surroundings. Markan was practically shaking, I didn''t know if that was a good or bad thing because he hadn''t announced his results yet. "What did you get?" "Number- number one." He said in utter disbelief. I was just as shocked as he was and by this point in complete denial about what had just happened. "Don''t joke with me like this guy, you have to be lying." I looked to Amy who was just as shocked as we were, "There''s no way you guys placed that high, I don''t even know anyone personally who placed that high." "Could it be some kind of mistake, an error in the system?" I asked them. "I''ve never heard of any errors like this, it would be unlikely from them, they take this all very seriously. And even if it was you would be moved to where you''re meant to be eventually." Saul spoke, and while what he was saying was the most probable he sounded as if he didn''t even believe the words that were coming out of his own mouth as he spoke. "This is crazy, absolutely crazy," I said to myself as I processed my reality. "We''re gonna be in school with the elites," Markan spoke from his bubble of surprise. "So many opportunities." he murmured, utterly in awe. "Wait we don''t have long before we have to leave." *Knock knock Just as Chloe spoke they came to our door urging us to come out. We knew the protocol, we needed to leave as soon as possible so we said our very emotional goodbyes to Amy and Saul as we took off. There''s coaches were way bigger and more elegant than before, I didn''t even know that was possible considering the ones they sent last time but what else could you expect. Even in times of success I couldn''t help but pray that I didn''t have to sit next to a prestigious asshole. If I heard anyone talk down on those who were below them for any reason I wasn''t so sure I''d be able to contain myself. I climbed up onto the steep stairs and made my way into the vehicle. There were many students of different backgrounds, some looked as though they hadn''t expected anything different to happen today while some looked like they were once dying and this was their last opportunity to be something in this cruel world. I sat in seats towards the back of the bus with Markan and Chloe accompanying me in their seats. "Who the fuck are you, get out of this seat I wanna sit here." She couldn''t have been talking to me? I looked up only to see a short-haired platinum standing over me. She looked like a lightbulb with her white hair and even paler skin. "No, move." There was no way I was going to be tormented in this place because I was afraid of a little confrontation. Both Saul and Amy told us to not be afraid to tussle a little during our stay, especially if we made it into a good Academy. These people genuinely viewed us as shit on the street to them. It was one thing being in the presence of them at the Trial Chambers when all eyes were on them but in what they believed to be their territory? They were one hundred times worse. "Excuse me?" She said, even louder than before clearly wanting to cause a scene in front of everyone. "You heard me." I didn''t have the time for this. I was riding a high that no one could take away from me, I was meant to be here and this was my fucking seat. "Who do you think you are, ugh. You little nobody''s always do something that makes your parents proud for once and forget how to act, don''t forget your place dog." By now most of the Coach was silent, I didn''t know who this girl was or where she came from but she clearly believed that she was of some sort of special ranking. She believed that her social status granted her special treatment, unfortunately such currencies aren''t accepted everywhere and on this card machine? Fake social prestige l wasn''t being taken here. "You''ll be kicked off your high horse in a minute if you don''t get the fuck out of my face." She laughed. "Oh? What are you gonna do if I don''t?" Remind you of what you are. "What have you done apart from being a status-sucking leech for your parents huh? Do you think your parent''s work makes you something? It doesn''t. The only thing you got is their blood, and you better watch yourself because we''ve seen how that amounts to fuck all." She took a pause before she responded, clearly struck by what I had just said. Chapter thirtynine-Rude Awakening Celeste~ She laughed. "Oh? What are you gonna do if I don''t?" Remind you of what you are. "What have you done apart from being a status-sucking leech for your parents huh? Do you think your parent''s work makes you something? It doesn''t. The only thing you got is their blood, and you better watch yourself because we''ve seen how that amounts to fuck all." She took a pause before she responded, clearly struck by what I had just said. "At least I have something to leech off, good luck building from being shit on the street, thank you mum." She said the last part sarcastically, laughing with who I assumed were her little minions. *Please be seated before the coach takes off* The driver''s voice rang out from the speaker, she looked at me, waiting for me to get up and move just so she could sit here. "I came from nothing and where am I? Oh in the seat you''re meant to be sitting in, for shit on the street I seem to be doing very well for myself don''t I?" She grew more and more affronted with every word I spoke and I couldn''t help but find amusement in her fragile ego. "I don''t have the time to argue with someone who is literally less than me, I''ll make your life at the Academy hell if you don''t watch yourself. That goes for you and your peasant committee too." And with that, she walked to the next free seat. I knew this would happen but I didn''t care, I refused to have a miserable time for the next years just because some were delusional enough to believe that at 18 they meant something in this world. "You definitely won that by the way," Chloe said from the seat next to me and I couldn''t help but smile, the next few years were gonna be fun, I''d make sure of it. Holy fucking shit. "And I thought the last place was extravagant," Markan said to us. "Honestly, this is even better."It really was. The place was at least ten times larger than the last one. It was more modern but still had castle-like features from what I could tell from the outside. The walls were huge and I guessed that the whole building was at least four stories tall. Everyone had just left the coach, and we were following the guide towards the entrance of the building but he stopped right at the door. "Quiet down everyone and listen closely. This place is not like the last one, you will have more independence than you have probably ever had in your lives, be responsible. Your phones will have most of the information you need if you have any problems and a practitioner isn''t present then there is a response team that you can message. There is also a map on there that you can reference to find your rooms. Good luck." He didn''t go through the door after that like I thought he would, instead, he walked back and went around the side of the building to god knows where. Markan and Chloe gave me a confused look, I felt exactly the same. Some went through the door themselves while others looked just as confused as we were. But I didn''t think he was coming back to save us from ourselves so, "Probably just making sure that we know we''re for ourselves in this place, gotta take the lead you know." This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. "Maybe, could have given us a heads up though." With that, we walked in like the rest of them had decided to do by now. What was revealed to us when we opened the door was nothing less of a masterpiece, Amethyst spread on the walls in intricate little designs that created even bigger ones. Gold dusted on every surface paired with platinum that gave the seams of the walls a bright and airy feel. "So fucking beautiful," Chloe remarked from right next to me. "Should we find our rooms now?" "Yeah come guys," Markan replied. We looked at our phones for the map, all of us had requested to be close to each other so I was glad to find that we were only a few doors away from each other. We were on the left-hand side of the building so we made our way there to see where we would be staying for a while. Chloe''s hand ran across the walls as we made our way like an excited child, Markan''s eyes were filled with wonder and I just couldn''t shake the feeling that this was gonna be a wonderful time for all of us, a new start. Every block of the building seemed to follow a different design, ours being mainly rose gold and quartz. We checked to see if our rooms were basically identical like what they were before or if they were any different. They followed similar layouts but regarding the design of the place, totally different. We got to choose vague preferences of what we would have preferred and they seemed to have a bigger impact than I thought because Markan''s room was practically a man cave. It resembled what I could only describe as a house for Batman with its dark design. While me and Chloe both had lighter feels to our room he clearly chose the closest thing to oblique because his room was a cave. It was cool though I''ll give him it, the LED lights that he planned to put up would make an amazing contrast. *Buzz buzz All of our phones rang at once as we received a message from the Academy. *Please remember to check your timetables for all of your sessions.* "So we''re starting already, damn" They were really throwing us straight in with the sharks here but I didn''t mind, I made it here and I couldn''t wait to show them who I was. "Nothing for today but it says I have a class tomorrow at 10am, what about you guys?" "Same." Me and Markan said together. "I don''t think we''re in the same rooms though," I looked over to his phone, his room number was different than mine but only around the corner on the map. Chloe looked at his as well, I glanced over at her phone and saw that they were in the same room. "Yeah I''m not surprised, you guys are siblings after all." "Yeah, similar powers I guess," Chloe remarked. "Should we get food or explore?" "How about both?" After our little adventure, we went back to our rooms to retire for the night. Markan was obviously most excited about the training areas, while I was most excited about the history of magic in general. The food was as pristine as usual, and by the time I left this place, I would no longer eat like a five year old but would instead have a refined taste p¨¢llate. I was tucked into my sheets with me and my thoughts once again, I missed Rain. It was sad that we didn''t end up in the same place but we always knew that it was a possibility, she still did very well and ended up at number #4 so she was pleased. I hoped we could still keep in touch. For Caspian, I hadn''t heard from him since we left. Our little escapades made a great show for the Trial chambers so everyone believed that our love story was natural and Caspian got to save his reputation. I didn''t know where he placed but I''m sure I would find out from somewhere. I didn''t know exactly who the elites were that went to this Academy but of course, there was a list for that. There were actually ranking systems for all students too, and a lot of them. The top boys the top girls the top for any ethnicity that had enough people to rank, the top out of the elites and the top of those who, of course, came from nothing. I decided that it was about time to see the list of everyone with notable parents here so I could at least get some background knowledge to use in an argument. Oh, they had pictures for some of them too? Even better. I knew exactly who I was looking for first, that bitch who tried to start something with me on the coach ride. Andrea Johnson, daughter of Cara and Joel Johnson, the leaders of Australia.