The sun was still low on the horizon when Arven opened his eyes. Soft morning light filtered through the window of the dormitory, casting warm orange tones across the room. He stretched, feeling the lingering tension from the previous night slowly dissipate.
He decided to head to the courtyard before classes. Walking through the quiet hallways of the academy, he found Elara sitting alone on a bench, her red hair catching the morning light. She seemed absorbed, watching the breeze play with the leaves around her.
Arven approached cautiously. "Good morning," he said, sitting beside her.
Elara looked up, surprised, but then smiled. "Good morning. I thought you'd already be in class."
"Not before breakfast," Arven replied, pulling a small roll and a cup of milk from his bag. "And you?"
"I also needed a moment to myself," she said, taking a bite of her bread. After a brief silence, she continued, "Yesterday, during training… I felt our mana syncing in a strange way. It was like we were… connected."
Arven gave a small smile. "I felt the same. It's like our energies recognized each other."
The morning bell rang, and they stood, walking side by side through the academy's corridors.
In the classroom, Professor Darius stood before the students, arms crossed, his gaze sharp and commanding.
"Good morning, students," he began, his voice firm. "Today, you will undergo a field validation. It will be in pairs. You will enter the forest on the island, where monsters and obstacles will test your abilities. Your main objective: locate a rare plant that only grows here. This is also a test of cooperation, perception, and mana control. Be careful — the forest does not forgive mistakes."
Arven glanced around as the pairs formed. Some students were smiling, excited; others looked nervous. His eyes met Elara's, and she gave him an expectant look.
"Temaki already has a partner," she whispered quietly, relieved.
"Looks like we're going together, then," Arven replied with a smile.
She nodded, and together they followed the rest of the class toward the forest. The walk wasn't rushed — they navigated narrow trails, stepping over roots and stones, inhaling the damp scent of vegetation, listening to the constant rustle of leaves. Each step heightened the tension, as if the forest itself were watching.
When they reached a clearing, a sharp crack ran through the ground and the air, as if reality itself was splitting. Tiny fractures appeared in the air and the soil, glinting like shattered glass, scattering sparks of dark energy.
From these fractures, a creature began to emerge. Its form was unstable, made of shadows that writhed like black smoke, constantly breaking and reforming. Red eyes appeared and disappeared across its body, burning with supernatural intensity. It was as if it did not belong to this world, its very existence distorting the reality around it.
"Elara… watch out!" Arven shouted, gripping his black mana sword.
Elara didn't hesitate. Her black blades materialized in her hands, pulsing with concentrated energy. "Focus on its patterns! We can't let it dominate the battlefield!"
The creature lunged, each movement distorting the ground and air as if passing through invisible glass surfaces. Shadowy tentacles ripped through the space, and Arven had to leap back, dodging an energy blast that cracked the earth beside him.
"Now!" Arven shouted, concentrating his mana into a luminous orb and launching it at the creature's side. The energy cut through the air, striking the unstable shadow. Parts of its body shattered like glass, only to instantly reform.
Elara seized the opening. She leapt and spun, her swords tracing arcs of black light that struck the creature from the sides and above simultaneously. The being roared, trembling, but still hadn't dissolved completely.
Arven felt her mana pulse near his. It was as if their energies recognized one another. Every strike of hers flowed in perfect harmony with his movements, allowing him to anticipate the creature's attacks and strike its weak points.
The battle intensified. The creature roared and hurled tentacles through the air, each moving erratically, trying to tear reality itself further. Arven dodged one, while Elara blocked another, moving together in flawless coordination.
"One more, quickly!" Arven yelled, gathering energy in his hands. He released a concentrated mana sphere, which exploded against the creature, creating a shockwave that slammed it into the cracked ground.
Elara leapt and spun, her blades slicing through the creature simultaneously. One final roar echoed, and the being disintegrated into fragments of shadow and black smoke, disappearing as the fractures in reality slowly closed, restoring the clearing to its natural state.
Both fell to their knees, breathing heavily. Silence returned, broken only by the rustle of leaves and the pounding of their hearts.
"We did it… it's gone," Arven said, still watching the spot where the creature had emerged.
"Yes… but it wasn't ordinary," Elara replied, alert, her eyes glowing from residual energy.
Moving further, they finally found the rare plant, its soft glow standing out among the foliage. Both smiled, exhausted but satisfied. The mission was complete.
On the way back, the sun was setting, painting the forest in shades of orange and purple. The silence between them was comfortable, yet filled with unspoken thoughts.
"About what we saw…" Arven began, his voice low.
"Better not tell anyone," Elara said firmly, though a small, knowing smile tugged at her lips.
They walked together toward Class S's dormitory, aware that this day had changed something between them — and that some secrets would remain theirs alone.