A week had passed since his arrival, but peace hadn't followed him into the academy.
Every sparring session ended the same way — shouts, bruises, arguments. Humans sneered at demons for relying on magic; demons mocked humans for their clumsy aura control. He'd watch in silence, eyes blank, saying nothing as they repeated the same mistakes he'd seen on battlefields drenched in blood.
When the week ended, he'd had enough.
They assembled at dawn, gathered before him in the courtyard. The sky was colorless, a sheet of gray stretched over the academy towers.
"Today," he said quietly, "you leave the academy."
Murmurs spread through the group — curiosity, excitement, fear.
Ryn's sharp grin cut through the whispers. "Finally. Real combat."
Airi crossed her arms. "You'd call dying 'combat'."
"Depends who's dying."
Their teacher ignored the exchange. His eyes were on the horizon. "A nest of corrupted beasts has been found in the Graven Cave. You will clear it before nightfall. Alone."
Airi blinked. "Without supervision?"
"Without me," he corrected. "You'll take what you've learned — if you've learned anything at all."
Ryn scoffed. "We've trained for this."
"Then prove it," the teacher said, turning away. "If you return alive, perhaps you'll understand what peace demands."The Graven Cave yawned open at the edge of a dead forest — a wound in the earth. Its breath reeked of damp stone and old blood.
They entered as the first light faded, torches hissing against the cold air.
Ryn led, flame hovering over his palm like a living eye. "Try to keep up."
"Your ego's going to get us killed," Airi muttered.
Kai stayed quiet, watching the faint glow of runes carved into the walls. "He's testing us," he said softly. "There's magic and aura woven into these marks. Both… unstable."
Airi frowned. "He made these traps himself."
As if on cue, the floor shuddered.
Light burst under their feet — a rune circle flashing with both gold and crimson. Kai shouted, "Move!" but too late.
The cave roared.
A wall of energy tore through the corridor, throwing them apart in a surge of force and dust.
When the light faded, they were gone — separated by stone and silence.Airi groaned, pushing herself up. Her sword flickered beside her, its edge cracked with residual energy.
"Ryn? Kai?"
Only echoes answered.
She pressed forward through a narrow tunnel, every step echoing. A faint growl rippled through the dark. Her grip tightened on her sword.
A shadow lunged.
The creature's claws hit the ground where she'd stood, missing by inches. It was small, fast, pulsing with corrupted magic. Airi slashed, but her blade barely cut through its hide.
"Damn it," she hissed. Her aura burned brighter — but so did the strain. The creature's speed forced her to defend, not attack.
Then she remembered Ryn's flames. How they'd moved — wild but fluid. How they'd burned through a barrier she couldn't break.
She inhaled sharply, her eyes narrowing. "Fine," she muttered. "I'll do it your way."
She shifted her stance, letting her aura flow lighter, less rigid — as if dancing with the air instead of forcing it. Her strike blurred.
The monster shrieked and fell.
She stood panting, sword smoking. A flicker of understanding glimmered in her eyRyn's torch flickered as he stomped through the tunnels. "Stupid cave," he muttered. "Stupid human girl."
He raised a hand to blast open the next wall — but the moment his flame touched the air, the ceiling collapsed.
He leapt aside just in time. Rocks crashed around him, sealing the path.
"Okay," he hissed. "No more fire."
He turned, only to find another problem — dozens of runes glowing beneath the floor. The wrong move could kill him.
He crouched, eyes narrowing, and noticed the faint traces of aura lines crossing through the runes — the kind humans used to channel energy evenly.
"Wait…" He studied them, biting back a curse. "These are meant to stabilize magic. To keep it from exploding."
He moved carefully, pushing a trickle of flame through one rune while mimicking the aura's steady pulse. The lines flared — then dimmed. The trap powered down.
He grinned, shaking his head. "Guess you humans aren't completely useless.Kai found himself in a wide chamber filled with broken armor and shattered runes. He recognized them — the same type his teacher had used during the war.
"This wasn't just a test," he murmured. "This place… it's a memory."
He touched one of the runes, and for an instant, he saw flashes — soldiers, demons, and something else in between. Something that screamed.
He pulled his hand back, trembling. "What are you, teacher?"They found each other at the heart of the cave.
Airi's armor was torn, her sword chipped. Ryn's clothes were scorched, his hair matted with dust. Kai looked pale but steady.
For a long moment, none spoke.
Then Ryn sighed. "So. Temporary alliance?"
Airi frowned. "Until we get out."
"Fine by me."
They moved together now — less arguing, more listening. When the final chamber opened before them, they were ready.The creature that awaited them was enormous — a fusion of demon flesh and human bone, stitched by corrupted energy. Its roar shook the stone.
They attacked as one. Ryn's fire flared along Airi's sword, turning her blade into a burning arc. Kai stabilized their energy with steady aura fields, keeping their power balanced.
The monster struck again and again — but for the first time, they weren't fighting each other. They were moving together.
When the beast finally fell, the cave went still.
Airi dropped her sword. "We… did it."
Ryn smirked faintly. "Guess teamwork's not completely worthless."
Kai glanced at them, a small smile ghosting across his face. "Temporary alliance?"
Airi sheathed her sword. "For now."Their teacher stood at the cave's edge, watching as they limped into the dying light.
He said nothing. But his gaze followed them — calm, unreadable.
Then a faint sound came from behind him. He turned to see a smaller monster, crawling weakly from the shadows.
Its eyes met his — and it froze. Fear swallowed every instinct in its body.
He crouched slowly, voice soft.
"Looks like they missed you," he murmured. "Don't worry. I won't hurt you."
The creature whimpered, bowing its head.
"Let me take you to a safe place," he whispered. "The place I was reformed."
The wind carried his words into the dusk, and for a fleeting moment, it felt as if even the world itself held its breath.