The First Magus ripped through the air above the forest, a crimson streak against the deep green. His velocity shoved Kor’s student barrier, igniting it into a shimmering, golden shield that crackled under the strain. Stars, he’s fast!

  The conversation ended, but Lentus lingered, a warm, solid presence within him, a silent reassurance before sinking back into a slow, rhythmic mental pulse, akin to sleep. Kor sent a silent thanks for Viree’s rescue, a wave of gratitude towards the slumbering entity. He felt the connection fray, then snap, leaving him alone, suspended high above the world.

  The towering pines blurred into a solid sheet of emerald as they soared over the forest’s edge. The First Magus descended gracefully, setting Kor gently on the soft earth of the field’s border. A wide, almost manic grin stretched across his face.

  “Right then, time’s wasting! Still so much to see, so many aspiring mages to observe!” He winked, violet eyes flaring with energy. Then, with a surge of barely contained power, he shot upwards, a spectre of darkness speeding off over the towering pines.

  Kor watched him disappear into the vast blue, then scanned the field, noting the prevalence of exhaustion and dejection. Less than half of the students were still out. How many had actually succeeded? This entire ordeal, this so-called “expedition” was nothing more than a brutal, chaotic free-for-all.

  Several aspects of the test still gnawed at him. The sheer number of students, mostly Solarian, who had been willing to throw themselves into a fight, risking elimination, solely to take him down. Aside from Kelleth and Teneth, he had no particular history with them. The trio he’d defeated early on. One had even mentioned a bounty. With the way things had played out, it was likely that the bounty had been on his head.

  Kor moved through the sparse crowd, his gaze sweeping across the assembled students, half-expecting another attack, half-hoping to see a friendly face. It was probably for the best that none of his friends were back yet. He wasn’t sure he could explain any of this. Then he saw him.

  Golden-blonde hair amongst a row of field cots. “Marcus!” Kor’s heart hammered in his chest as he ran, boots sinking into the soft earth.

  Marcus pushed himself up, a thin, strained smile on his face. His usual easy charm was gone, replaced by a grimace. Kor gripped Marcus’s shoulder. “What happened?” He’d never seen Marcus like this, broken and defeated.

  Marcus winced, the forced smile fading. “Got ahead of myself.”

  “Tell me.” Kor kept his voice low, a soothing counterpoint to the thrum of defeat that permeated the field. Here and there, a student approached a professor, clutching one of the precious, iridescent Therastin eggs, but most trudged back empty-handed.

  Marcus spoke of venturing deep into the forest, seeking a Karex. Kor bit back a smile. He knew firsthand the folly of facing a Karex alone. It had taken a group effort to bring them down. Marcus had found several Therastin nests, but quickly encountered other students, primarily Solarians.

  “Jorek,” he said, the name a curse, “led the group. They were out for blood. Mine.” He’d fought, eliminated some, but then... “Darius, the second son of the Solarian royal family.”

  “They were all in on it. Even Laylee. She called out to me, a friendly face, and like a fool, I trusted her.”

  Marcus’ fist clenched, knuckles bone-white. He ground his teeth. “I should have known better.” His voice cracked, then steadied. “She hit me with something. My barrier was down. It went right through the badge. I can still... I can still feel it, Kor. Like a shard of ice spreading through my veins.” A shudder ripped through him.

  “Did it knock you out?”

  “No,” Marcus shook his head, “It went right through. When I realised what she’d done, I threw up my barrier, and eliminated her.” He stared into the distance, eyes clouded with pain. “Then Darius arrived with Jorek and the others. They... overwhelmed me.” He deflated, defeated.

  Kor’s voice carried a weight that pressed down on the air. “You weren’t the only one betrayed.” He unfolded his own tale. Ambushes, the treachery of Kelleth and Teneth, the brush with death at the hands of the second Karex. The sun dipped lower, its light spilling across the sky, painting the clouds in fiery reds and golds as his words hung in the fading daylight.

  Willem appeared, materialising silently beside them as Kor finished. “The Solarians were targeting you, Marcus,” he stated, his voice flat.

  Marcus winced as he sat up fully, swinging his legs to the ground. “What?” Kor frowned. “Why?”

  Willem inclined his head. “I haven’t gathered all the details, but the orders came from Darius.”

  “Do you have a history with him?” Kor asked Marcus.

  Marcus hesitated, gaze averted. “Not personally. My father has dealt with their royal family, though.” He clamped his mouth shut.

  Kor raked a hand through his hair. “But why me? I’m no threat.”

  Willem chuckled, a dry, rustling sound, the first genuine emotion Kor had ever witnessed from him. “Not anymore. Word’s spreading, Kor. They say you took down a Karex single-handedly, nearly killed a second.”

  A blush crept up Kor’s neck as he felt the weight of appraising gazes from the surrounding students and even from some of the professors. The bookish Lexican had somehow become a force of nature. “I, uh, well...” he mumbled, “others helped.”

  Willem raised a skeptical eyebrow.

  Marcus barked a laugh. “By the Void, Kor! You’ve been holding back around us, haven’t you?”

  Kor shrugged, a sheepish grin tugging at his lips. “After they started calling me ‘snowflake boy,’ I figured I’d play along.”

  Marcus’s grin broke through, a flicker of his old self resurfacing. “Looks like you surprised them.” His laughter spilled out, genuine and unrestrained.

  Kor grinned back, then his expression sobered. “I didn’t think Kelleth and Teneth knew, though...”

  Willem’s voice sliced through the air, sharp and deliberate. “I think their reason for attacking you was simpler.”

  “Revenge. Lexicans are supposed to be weak. Losing to Marcus was bad enough. But a bookworm like you? Teneth’s ego couldn’t handle it.”

  “Do you think they planned this all along?” Marcus asked, his speech tight.

  Willem shrugged. “Possible. For many Solarians, their planet comes first.”

  “Was it just them?” Kor scanned the field, a knot of unease tightening in his stomach. “Laylee wasn’t even Solarian... Are there others?” The question hung in the air.

  The last stragglers stumbled from the forest’s edge, their exhausted frames silhouetted against the fading light. Eight hours. The expedition was over. Professor Oak, his face a mask of weariness, positioned himself before the assembled students and staff. Magic swelled his voice, making it boom across the field.

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  “Results,” he barked, each word clipped and precise. “The Highest scores for potent magical items: Mira, 100 credits; Aeolian, 90; Serris, 90; Darius, 90; Viree, 80; Talen, 80; Kelleth, 80; Willem, 75; Marik, 75...”

  Warmth bloomed in Kor’s chest. Even despite the situation he’d left her in, Viree had still emerged victorious.

  Before Oak could finish, a figure materialised in the air above them. The First Magus alighted fluidly, landing beside the professor. He leaned in, whispering something inaudible to Oak. The professor slumped, his shoulders sagging. He gestured towards the other professors, but the First Magus merely shrugged, a nonchalant gesture that spoke volumes. Oak sighed, his usual rigid posture softening with resignation, and stepped back.

  “Magnificent! Simply magnificent!” The First Magus’s voice, amplified to a roar, echoed across the field. His violet eyes, gleaming with a disturbing intensity, raked over the students. “Six of you perished today,” he declared, his tone unnervingly jovial. “A new record! Proof of this challenge’s glorious intensity.”

  A ripple of murmurs and gasps swept through the crowd, but the First Magus pressed on, either oblivious or simply uncaring. “Over two-thirds of you scored nothing. Also a new record. To balance the ledgers, to reward you for such splendid entertainment, I’m awarding ten extra credits for each student you personally subdued.”

  The field exploded. Shouts and cheers erupted. Kor grinned at Marcus, who returned the gesture. How many had he taken down? Amidst the forest’s chaos, it was hard to be certain, but he could recall at least five clean knockouts.

  A female professor, her face pale with a mixture of anger and disbelief, stepped forward. “First Magus, with all due respect, you can’t just decide this on your own! It’s against protocol. The scoring system has been in place for decades.”

  Another professor, this one male, nodded in agreement, his voice tight with barely suppressed fury. “This undermines the entire structure of the trial! It’s meant to test magical item retrieval, not just reward brute force.”

  A wave of heat, like the blast from an open furnace door, pulsed from the First Magus. The air shimmered, and a visible ripple of power spread outwards. The two professors recoiled, their protests dying on their lips. Suddenly silent, the other professors who had been about to object stared, a mix of fear and awe reflected in their eyes. The First Magus, unfazed, simply smiled, a cold, unsettling expression. He allowed the silence to linger for a beat, letting the implications of his power sink in, before raising his voice, effortlessly cutting through the residual murmurs of the crowd.

  “Conflux Academy exists to forge wizards capable of defending our society,” he proclaimed, each word ringing with power. “And with the voidling incursions escalating, I am delighted by this year’s display of raw talent. I daresay some of you would challenge our best second-years already.”

  His gaze flickered, briefly touching Mira, Serris, Aeolian, and then, to Kor’s astonishment, to himself. A jolt, a mixture of surprise and something akin to pride, shot through him.

  “Full results will be posted back at the academy,” the First Magus continued. “However, the top four, each having slain a Karex, are: First, Mira with 220 credits; second, Darius with 210; third, Aeolian with 190; and fourth, Kor with 170 credits.”

  The field became a hive of motion, students buzzing with conversation. Many pointed towards the named four, but Kor caught snippets of his own name whispered nearby.

  A murmur rippled through the crowd. “Isn’t that the ‘snowflake boy’?”

  Another voice, sharp and hushed, cut in. “Didn’t you hear? He was faking it...”

  “But he’s a Lexican...”

  “These are your vanguards,” the First Magus declared, his tone laced with amusement. “Hound them. Challenge them. I want to see them knocked down a peg or two.” He gave Oak a curt nod, then launched himself skyward, vanishing in a blink.

  The field dissolved into organised chaos. Professors shouted orders, herding students into formations for the return journey. Several wounded students floated gently, borne aloft by magic. Marcus, however, refused assistance, choosing to walk. His back was rigid, his jaw tight, his usually fluid gait now stiff and halting.

  “Seven students and a Karex Kor,” Marcus said, his voice a low rumble of amazement. “What happened to that timid scholar I met?”

  Kor shrugged, a grin playing on his lips. “They started it. I finished it.”

  The return journey was a slow procession, the encroaching darkness a palpable presence. As they walked, the remainder of Marcus’s coterie rejoined him. In the end, it was only Willem, Beth and himself; the others now trailed behind Darius. Kelleth and his brother taking up lead positions behind the Solarian prince.

  Beth, her white-tipped fox cradled in her arms, fussed over Marcus. She had secured a Therastin egg, but her focus was entirely on Marcus. She cast restorative spells, her brow furrowed in concentration, until her own strength visibly ebbed. Marcus’s steps seemed to gain a bit more of their usual ease, but whatever Laylee had done was beyond Beth’s power to fully mend.

  Marcus’s voice softened. He slipped an arm around Beth’s shoulders, pulling her into a brief hug. “We’ll get it looked at back at the academy.”

  Talen and Viree joined them, and Kor quickly introduced everyone. A strange assortment of his friends, all gathered together for the first time, save for Lena.

  “Holding back, Kor?” Talen’s brown eyes sparkled with playful accusation. “No egg for you?”

  Kor chuckled. “Just glad to be free of the Dean’s 200-credit fine.”

  Talen winced at the reminder, but Kor pressed on, turning to Viree. “I owe you an apology, Viree. For leaving you alone out there.”

  She laughed, a bright, airy sound, and patted him on the shoulder. “It’s no problem, Kor. At least you snagged the Karex from those Solarians.”

  He shook his head, his gaze earnest. “No Viree. I owe you for this. Whatever you need, you can rely on me.”

  She was shaking her head, a dismissive gesture, but as he met her gaze unflinchingly, her head stilled. A slow smile spreading across her face. “One favour. I’ll hold you to that.”

  His shoulders dropped, the tightness in his chest unravelling as he let out a breath he hadn’t realised he’d been holding. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips, though his voice still carried a hint of disbelief. “So, how did you manage to get such a powerful egg? I didn’t exactly leave you in a good spot.”

  She laughed again, bobbing up and down as they walked, her blonde ponytail swaying with the motion. “Well, after Kelleth knocked you out...” She launched into her story, her voice full of energy and excitement.

  Exhausted from their trials, they retreated to their respective dorms. Talen excitedly chattered about his impending journey home for the half-term break, a welcome respite now that they had finished testing. Kor, however, was confined to campus, the second part of Dean Velleth’s punishment. He’d already informed his parents, thanks to Talen’s generosity with communication crystals. Still, if he didn’t want to keep leeching off his friend’s generosity, he’d need to secure an income of his own.

  These two weeks would offer a chance to finish his current artificing project and potentially start creating something saleable. The campus even boasted various shops for such wares. Bidding each other good night, Kor slipped beneath the covers, resolving to explore the stores as soon as possible.

  He awoke to an odd, intense thrumming throughout his body. A groan escaped his lips as he pushed himself upright, trying to decipher the source of the discomfort. Drained. His arcane reserves remained almost depleted... During the expedition, right at the end, something had happened as he’d drawn too much energy from the menhir. His pulse quickened as he attempted to meditate. If only I could—

  Agony ripped through him, a searing blaze that consumed every nerve. The edges of the room swam in and out of focus. A choked gasp tore from his throat as he fell back, his body convulsing on the bed. It felt as if his insides were simultaneously being crushed and set ablaze. Each attempt to draw in energy only intensified the torment, a vicious cycle of agony.

  “Kor? You alright in there?” Talen’s voice, thick with concern, called out.

  After several moments, the pain subsided, leaving him trembling and weak. “I... I don’t know,” he rasped, his voice hoarse.

  Talen’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean, you don’t know?”

  He explained the incident with the menhir, how he had drawn too much mana and his meditation technique had collapsed.

  Talen let out a low whistle. “That’s certainly not good, Kor. So you can’t draw in mana at all?”

  “No!” The word was edged with barely suppressed panic.

  “I’ve heard of that happening before. You’ll need to learn a more advanced technique, I think. Oh! Perhaps you should ask your professor, Terra. She seems to know a lot about this sort of thing.”

  Professor Terra! A surge of hope pulsed through him. He scrambled out of bed, nearly tripping in his haste to pull on his robe. “Great thinking, Talen! Thanks!” Throwing open the door, he rushed out. With no more lessons, he’d have to hope she was still on campus. He sprinted towards her offices.

  Gaining entry wasn’t difficult since he was officially one of her assistants, but as he rapped on her closed door, his heart hammered against his ribs. He waited, breath held. Moments stretched into an eternity. He raised his hand to knock again. Without access to mana, he was like a fish out of water... and just after he’d risen through the ranks.

  “Kor?” Her voice chimed from behind him.

  He jumped, spinning around. “Professor! I need your help. Erm, please.”

  She chuckled. “I thought you were coming to ask about your score. Twenty-one out of twenty-five isn’t bad, but I’ll be expecting better next time around. If you and Lena are going to become my mentees for real, you’ll need to prove yourselves.”

  He bobbed his head, unable to stop himself from calculating. That brought his total credits earned to 233, or just 33, now that he was out of debt. He shifted his weight, his earlier panic returning in full force. “Professor, there’s something else I need help with...”

  Terra smiled, gesturing to her office with a flick of her wrist. “Come, tell me about it. Having you finish in fourth place at the expedition must be worth something, I suppose.”