The first meeting of the Dread Reapers Club turned out to be as chaotic as Rynhara feared. The members were a peculiar mix of outcasts, prodigies, and unhinged personalities who made Rynhara's own "villainess" reputation look tame by comparison.
Rynhara sat at the long, worn table in the dimly lit clubroom. The air buzzed with an eerie energy that seemed to emanate from the club president, Nalia, whose aura screamed "final boss."
"So, Dragon Princess," Nalia began, leaning forward with a sharp smile. "Do you know what it means to be a member of the Dread Reapers Club?"
"I'm guessing it's not about gardening," Rynhara deadpanned.
Kaelira, standing behind her, snorted.
Nalia's smile widened. "It means you've joined the ranks of the most hated and feared students in the academy. We're not just a club; we're legends of infamy."
Axel, the pyromaniac first-year, cackled. "We're the ones parents warn their kids about. Don't hang out with the Reapers, they'll ruin your life!"
"Sounds like a great PR campaign," Rynhara muttered.
"Enough chatter," Grigor, the berserker, growled. "Let's see if the newbie can keep up."
"Keep up?" Rynhara asked, raising an eyebrow.
Seraphine, the necromancer, snapped her fingers. Several ghostly forms materialized, swirling around the room. "It's tradition. Every new member proves their worth in the initiation."
"And how do I do that?"
"Simple," Nalia said, resting her chin on her hand. "Survive."
The trial was set up in the training grounds, an underground chamber reserved for combat and magic practice. The walls shimmered with enchantments to prevent serious injury—but not too much, as the club insisted on "authentic experiences."
"Here's the deal," Axel said, tossing a fireball between his hands like a juggler. "You'll face each of us one-on-one. If you manage to impress us, you're in."
"Great," Rynhara said, twirling her scythe. "Who's first?"
Grigor stepped forward, cracking his knuckles. "Me."
The hulking berserker charged, his fists glowing with a fiery aura. Rynhara sidestepped his initial swing, countering with a swipe of her scythe. Grigor blocked with his arm, the blade sparking against his enchanted skin.
"Not bad," Grigor grunted. "But can you handle this?"
He slammed his fists into the ground, sending shockwaves through the arena. Rynhara leaped into the air, using her wings to gain height.
"Let's see how you handle this," she retorted, channeling lightning into her scythe. She dived toward him, slashing through his defenses with a crackling arc of electricity.
Grigor grinned as he hit the ground, steam rising from his singed armor. "I like her."
Next was Seraphine, who summoned an army of shadowy wraiths.
"Don't hold back," the necromancer said, her voice soft but menacing. "They don't like weaklings."
The wraiths surged toward Rynhara, their claws tearing through the air. She spun her scythe, creating a barrier of wind and darkness that repelled the spirits.
"Not bad," Seraphine said, snapping her fingers to summon a massive skeletal beast. "But how about this?"
Rynhara grinned. "Finally, a challenge."
She channeled destruction magic into her scythe, slashing through the beast with a single devastating blow. The skeletal creature crumbled, and the remaining wraiths vanished.
"Impressive," Seraphine said, her expression unreadable. "You're stronger than I expected."
Axel's trial was a fiery mess of explosions, but Rynhara outmaneuvered him by using wind magic to redirect his attacks.
"Cheater!" Axel yelled, laughing as he dodged a wind blade.
"You started it," Rynhara shot back, hitting him with a burst of water magic that extinguished his flames.
By the time she faced Nalia, Rynhara was exhausted but determined. The president didn't hold back, unleashing a barrage of forbidden magic that turned the arena into a battlefield of shadows and flames.
Rynhara countered with a combination of lightning and destruction magic, their clash sending shockwaves through the chamber.
Finally, Nalia called off the trial, her smirk returning. "That's enough. You've earned your place, Dragon Princess."
After the trial, the members gathered in the clubroom for refreshments.
"You're not bad, newbie," Axel said, handing Rynhara a steaming cup of tea.
"Thanks, I think."
Kaelira, who had watched the trials with amusement, leaned over. "Congratulations, Princess. You've joined the school's most notorious group. How does it feel?"
"Like I've made a terrible mistake," Rynhara muttered.
Nalia laughed. "Relax. We might have a bad reputation, but we look after our own. Stick with us, and you'll go far."
Seraphine nodded. "Besides, we're not as evil as people think. Mostly."
"Mostly?"
Grigor chuckled. "You'll see."
As the meeting wrapped up, Rynhara couldn't help but feel a strange sense of belonging. The Dread Reapers Club might have been the school's most hated group, but they were also a family—and Rynhara was now part of it.