The day had arrived.
Aiden stood among the hundreds of students gathered in the Grand Colosseum of the University of Higher Magic. The energy in the air was electric, a mix of anticipation and nervous excitement. Students murmured among themselves, eyes darting toward the massive gates that would lead them into the Arcane Dominion—a vast, enchanted battlefield where only the strongest and smartest would survive.
High above, a panel of professors and examiners watched from their elevated seats, with the University Head standing at the center. The trial was about to begin.
Aiden glanced at his teammates.
Elara stood tall, her silver hair swaying slightly in the breeze, her eyes filled with quiet determination. Beside her, Lyra Evern tightened the leather straps on her gloves, her air magic subtly swirling around her. Vael Darius leaned against his spear, his usual lazy smirk in place, but his sharp gaze showed he was already analyzing the competition. Xaleth cracked his knuckles, eager for the fights ahead.
This was their team.
And they were ready.
Professor Alistair, one of the examiners, raised his hand, and the murmurs died down.
"The Arcane Dominion Trial begins now!" His voice echoed across the colosseum. "Your objective is simple—collect as many Arcane Sigils as possible. These sigils are scattered throughout the domain, hidden in ruins, caves, lakes, and, most commonly, on other students."
The crowd stirred at that. Everyone knew what that meant—battles were inevitable.
"Teams who lose all their sigils will be eliminated," Alistair continued. "But remember—killing is strictly forbidden. Injuries, however… are expected."
Aiden felt a shiver of excitement run through him.
"This trial will last three days. The domain is vast, filled with different biomes, ancient traps, and roaming magical beasts. Survival will not be easy."
The massive iron gates groaned as they slowly began to open, revealing a swirling vortex of blue light.
"Step forward," Alistair commanded. "Your trial begins now."
Without hesitation, students surged toward the portal.
Aiden and his team exchanged a quick glance before stepping into the light.
The moment Aiden's foot touched the ground, his body was pulled forward at dizzying speed. The surroundings blurred into streaks of light, his senses overwhelmed by the sudden shift in space. Then—
THUD!
He landed hard on soft grass. The air was crisp, filled with the scent of damp earth and ancient trees. Around him, massive stone structures jutted out from the landscape, remnants of a forgotten civilization. In the distance, the terrain shifted—rolling plains, dense forests, and towering mountains stretched out as far as the eye could see.
The Arcane Dominion was huge.
Elara landed beside him, followed by Lyra, Vael, and Xaleth. They quickly got their bearings, scanning their surroundings.
"No one else near us," Vael noted, adjusting his spear. "We got lucky."
Lyra exhaled. "That won't last. Someone's bound to come looking for a fight soon."
Elara turned to Aiden. "What's the plan?"
Aiden frowned. His training with Takeda Renzou had taught him one thing—rushing in without a plan was asking for death.
"We need to secure a base first," he said. "A safe place to rest and strategize."
Xaleth grinned. "Sounds like you're finally using that brain of yours."
"Shut up," Aiden muttered, making the others chuckle.
The team moved quickly, finding an abandoned ruin nestled within the dense forest. The crumbling stone walls provided decent cover, and the overgrown vegetation made it harder to spot from a distance.
Inside, Lyra used her air magic to clear the dust and debris while Elara set up simple magical barriers to alert them if someone approached.
Vael leaned against a pillar. "So, do we go hunting for sigils or wait for prey to come to us?"
Xaleth cracked his neck. "I say we take the fight to them."
Aiden thought for a moment. "We need to play smart. If we get too aggressive early on, we'll become targets. But if we wait too long, we'll fall behind."
Elara nodded. "Then we do both. We secure one sigil first—test our teamwork—then return here and strategize."
"Agreed," Aiden said.
They moved out.
Not long after, they found their first prey—a team of five guarding a sigil near a crystal-clear lake. Their leader, a burly earth mage, spotted them first.
"Well, well," he sneered. "Looks like we've got ourselves some weaklings."
Big mistake.
The fight erupted instantly.
Lyra unleashed a burst of compressed air, sending two enemies flying into the water.Vael moved like lightning, spear spinning in fluid arcs, forcing another opponent to retreat.Elara engaged the earth mage, her magic weaving between offense and defense as she countered his attacks.Xaleth grinned as he crushed through an enemy's defense, landing a brutal punch that knocked them unconscious.
Aiden faced off against a fire mage, their flames clashing in bursts of energy. His sword, now infused with mana, cut through the fire with precision. He dodged, countered, and struck, finally disarming the mage with a well-timed kick.
Within minutes, it was over.
Their enemies lay defeated, their Arcane Sigil now in Aiden's hand.
Back at their base, the group sat around a small fire. The excitement of battle still lingered, but exhaustion was starting to settle in.
"You fought well," Elara said, nudging Aiden's shoulder.
He smirked. "You too."
Lyra stretched her arms. "We actually make a pretty good team."
Vael raised an eyebrow. "Of course we do. We're monsters."
Xaleth chuckled. "And this is only the beginning."
They all shared a quiet moment, the first of many victories ahead.
But deep down, Aiden knew—
The real battles were yet to come