Early at the break of dawn, birds sang loud and clear, greeting the beauty of light and nature.
Cole rolled off something that looked like a bed and stood up. Rubbing his eyes with the back of his hands, he fixed his gaze on a dark corner, blinked again, and suddenly shouted,
"Arrrrghhhhhh! Arrrrghhhhhh!"
Adam sprang up startled,almost as if chased by a wild beast and rushed toward Cole, who was now clinging to what looked like a fallen pillar.
Pointing a trembling hand toward the shadows, Cole shouted, "Goddammit! That thing's huge!"
"Come on, Cole, stop acting up," Adam grumbled, rubbing his face.
Barefoot, he bent down and peered under the bed. There, glaring back at him, was a massive rat nearly a foot long. It squealed and leaped at Adam's shirt, latching onto it like a swinging pendulum.
Adam kicked and spun wildly, trying to shake it off. With one final frantic twist, the rat flew across the room, straight toward Cole. Dodging the furious creature, Cole dove onto the bed with a shriek.
"Not on my body!" he yelled, burying his face in his hands.
Then he felt it ,a sharp, stinging pain on his backside. Slowly, he peeked between his legs… and there it was. The rat, its glittering eyes staring up at him, dangling from his below.
With a scream fit for a banshee, Cole bolted from the room and tore down the hallway, shouting,
"Please don't kill me!"
His cries drew attention from the other candidates, who stumbled out of their rooms, laughing hysterically at the spectacle.
Adam charged after him, wooden sword in hand. The crowd erupted in cheers.
"Here comes the knight to save his princess!"
Swinging the sword with all his might, Adam missed the rat but not Cole. The blow landed squarely on Cole's groin, dropping him to the floor with a loud, painful groan.
The rat squeaked furiously, leaping away as the crowed howled with laughter.
In the midst of the chaos, the Warden appeared, his face a mask of disbelief. Seeing Adam flailing at the creature, the Warden raised his hand and murmured a quiet spell. Instantly, the rat froze, then calmly scuttled down the hallway.
"What in the name of the Four Gods is going on here?!" the Warden thundered.
Silence fell. Within seconds, the crowd dispersed, leaving only Adam, Cole, and the furious Warden.
"Adam!" the Warden shouted .
"It's not my fault!" Adam blurted, explaining how the rat had attacked them. After a long sigh, the Warden relented.
"Fine. You two will clean the stables and tend to the horses. That's your punishment for this nonsense."
As the Warden walked away, Adam helped Cole to his feet. Cole groaned but managed a weak smile.
They peeked into a few nearby rooms, only to find everything perfectly normal. No rats. No mess. Just their room ,wrecked and chaotic.
A chilling thought crossed their minds: something strange was happening, and it seemed to be targeting them alone.
Then the bell rang.
Every candidate hurried down to the training grounds, the morning sun now casting long shadows over the courtyard.
"Starting now every candidate is and will be facing different disciplines. Duels , Orthodox books of war and magic , spirit and mystic beings lots more for survival." He said .
A tall man with sparkling armor f silver and black of the Octa sigil , facing the long crowd.