Pete, immediately followed Alya and Thera out the door. "Yeah, yeah. You guys have fun beating each other up. We'll be off doing something actually interesting."
As soon as Pete left, the room shook slightly. The enchanted walls recognized the shift in purpose—and within seconds, the entire dorm transformed into a massive training arena. The beds and furniture vanished into the walls, replaced by an open combat floor lined with glowing glyphs.
Gregor rolled his shoulders, stepping forward. "Alright. No weapons. No tricks. Just skill."
Leo grinned. "Now we're talking."
He lunged first.
Gregor dodged, shifting into the shadows—but Leo anticipated it, catching him with a powerful strike that sent a shockwave through the room.
Meanwhile…
Out in the hall, Pete walked between Alya and Thera, glancing back toward the dorm. "Yeah… they're definitely destroying something in there."
Alya shrugged. "That's their problem. We, on the other hand, have a mystery to solve."
Thera grinned. "First stop—the forbidden tower."
Pete sighed. He already knew this was a terrible idea.
And yet, he still followed them.
Gregor recovered fast, rolling with the force of Leo's strike. His shadows coiled around him like living armor, absorbing the impact before he countered with a sweeping kick—one that Leo narrowly dodged by twisting mid-air.
Boom!
The floor beneath them cracked from the sheer force of their blows.
Leo grinned. "You're faster than I expected."
Gregor smirked. "You talk too much."
With a flick of his wrist, the shadows surged, forming jagged spears that lunged at Leo. But Leo didn't dodge—instead, he charged straight through them, his body moving with the raw instincts of a beast warrior.
Crack! He grabbed one of the shadow spears, shattering it with pure strength.
Gregor's eyes narrowed. "Tch. Show-off."
Leo lunged again—this time, his fist crackled with a golden aura, his griffin blood igniting his power. Gregor barely managed to block with a shadow shield, but the impact sent him skidding backward.
Gregor wiped his mouth. "Fine. No more holding back."
The arena dimmed as his shadow powers expanded, consuming half the battlefield in pure darkness.
Leo grinned wider. "Now we're talking."
Meanwhile, Pete followed Alya and Thera toward the forbidden tower, a looming structure on the edge of the academy grounds.
Pete sighed. "I can't believe I let you two drag me into this."
Alya smirked. "You could've stayed back and gotten punched by Leo."
"…Fair point."
As they approached, the air around the tower shifted. The closer they got, the heavier the atmosphere felt. The magic in the air was thick—ancient.
Thera fluttered ahead, landing lightly on Pete's shoulder. "This place feels old. Way older than the rest of the academy."
Alya ran her fingers along the metallic door, tracing the faded symbols. "This isn't just a normal lock. It's a ward. A powerful one."
Pete frowned. "Meaning…?"
Alya's eyes gleamed. "Meaning someone really doesn't want us in here."
Thera grinned. "Good thing that never stops us!"
Pete rubbed his face. "I already regret this."
Alya pressed her palm against the door. The second she did—
RUMBLE.
The entire tower shook. The runes lit up in a deep crimson glow, and an eerie whisper echoed through the air.
"Who dares disturb the Archive of the Lost?"
Pete gulped. Oh, crap.
Alya smirked. "Well, that was easy."
Thera grinned. "I think we just unlocked something really interesting."
Pete groaned. "We are so dead."
And then, the doors slowly creaked open…
The arena trembled as Gregor's darkness swallowed half the battlefield.
The shadows pulsed and twisted, forming jagged tendrils that lashed out like living weapons.
The air grew cold, the lights dimmed, and Gregor stood at the center of it all, his eyes glowing faintly in the gloom.
Leo, standing in the only patch of remaining light, rolled his shoulders and grinned. "Oh? So you do have some bite after all."
Gregor didn't answer. Instead, he vanished—a blur of shadow moving faster than the eye could track.
Boom!
Leo barely twisted in time to block an incoming strike, but Gregor was relentless. Fist after fist, kick after kick—each one enhanced by the darkness. The force of their blows shook the entire dorm-turned-arena.
Gregor warped between shadows, attacking from every direction, but Leo's reflexes were razor-sharp. The warrior's griffin blood burned bright, his golden aura flaring with every move. He wasn't dodging—he was meeting every attack head-on, absorbing the impact, overpowering it.
Crack!
Leo caught Gregor mid-air, twisting him, and slammed him into the ground. But before the impact could happen, Gregor melted into the shadows, reappearing above Leo with a brutal axe-kick.
BOOM!
The strike landed square on Leo's shoulder, sending him stumbling for the first time.
Gregor landed smoothly, breathing heavily. "You're annoyingly durable."
Leo rolled his shoulder, shaking off the pain. "And you're faster than I thought. But..."
Before Gregor could react, Leo's grin widened. He slammed his foot into the ground, sending a shockwave through the arena. Golden energy erupted, forcing the darkness back.
Gregor shielded his eyes, the sheer force of Leo's power pushing against his own.
"You're not the only one who's been holding back," Leo said, his voice filled with pure excitement.
Gregor's grin matched his own. "Good. I was getting bored."
And then, they both lunged at each other one final time.
The moment their fists collided—
BOOOOM!
The shockwave ripped through the room, rattling everything inside. The magic of the dorm fought to contain the destruction, but cracks still spread along the enchanted floor.
And then… silence.
Gregor and Leo both lay on their backs, panting hard, covered in sweat. The magic of the room slowly restored itself, repairing the cracks, dimming the battle energy that lingered in the air.
For a few moments, neither of them moved.
Then—
Laughter.
Leo let out a deep, satisfied chuckle. "Damn… That was good."
Gregor, still catching his breath, grinned at the ceiling. "Yeah. It was."
Leo turned his head, smirking. "You might actually be worth sparring with again."
Gregor snorted. "I'll take that as a compliment."
Silence again. This time, it wasn't the aftermath of battle—it was the kind of comfortable silence between warriors who had tested each other and found mutual respect.
Leo sighed. "So. Rematch tomorrow?"
Gregor chuckled. "You're insane."
Leo grinned. "You didn't say no."
Gregor rolled his eyes, sitting up. "Tch. Fine. But only if you bring snacks next time."
Leo let out a full, hearty laugh. "Deal."
And with that, two warriors who started as rivals ended the night as brothers in battle...
In the forbidden tower..
The massive doors groaned open, revealing a dimly lit chamber beyond. Cold air rushed past them, carrying the scent of old parchment, forgotten magic, and something… ancient.
Pete shuddered. "Yep. Definitely haunted. Can we leave now?"
Alya ignored him, stepping forward with bright, eager eyes. "This place is incredible… It's like a sealed archive of lost knowledge!"
Thera floated beside her, running her fingers through the air. The moment she did, tiny motes of golden energy flickered to life, swirling around her. "This isn't just any archive… it's alive. The magic here is still awake."
Pete groaned. "Great. We broke into a place with sentient magic. That's never gone wrong before."
BAM!
A pulse of energy suddenly rippled through the chamber. The walls flickered with ancient runes, and a deep, echoing voice filled the air.
"Trespassers. Speak your purpose."
Alya held her ground. "We seek knowledge. Nothing more."
The voice rumbled like distant thunder. "Knowledge… comes at a cost."
Thera's wings fluttered. "And what cost would that be?"
Silence. Then—
The ground shifted beneath them, forming a glowing sigil.
Test of Worth.
Alya's eyes gleamed with excitement. "Oh, this just got interesting."
Pete buried his face in his hands. "I am going to die today."
Pete miraculously found a way to escape
At the door he said "don't worry I'll go call the boys"
"What a coward " said Thera
"Would the boys even be of any help?" said Alya
"We'll find out I guess " said Thera