I gasped as the cracks of the ancient world fell away. I turned to the sword, questions racing through my mind.

  “Did they make it?” I muttered.

  Lumi hummed. “Some.”

  My heart refused to slow.

  That old man knew he was going to die, yet he stood his ground.

  I never saw what he faced, but I didn’t need to. I had seen where Lumi came from. The void. The name fit. I had seen what moved in its shadows.

  And I remembered how many there were.

  The numbers alone made my shoulders tighten.

  That statue wasn’t there by chance. It had stood guard for so long. I had seen Cassian’s face in the mirror. The marble figure carried the same jaw. The same steady eyes.

  The resemblance was impossible to ignore.

  My gaze dropped to the sword.

  “Why did you show me that?” I asked.

  Lumi’s hum deepened.

  An image flashed through my mind — the aspirants in the arena, ribbons bright in their hands, grinning like it was entertainment.

  “Because the power those children reach for is not a game,” he said. “It is not meant for pride or rank. It was forged for a different purpose.”

  The hum darkened.

  “The world is not as stable as they believe. What stirs beyond it does not care for titles. We must all be ready when it comes.”

  I drew a slow breath and pushed myself up from the bed.

  He was right.

  I thought of my friends and what I had given them. Soul blades. Advanced Runes. Enough to win trials. Enough to impress a crowd.

  But against what I had seen… it was nothing.

  A candle held against a coming storm.

  That was a fight for tomorrow. Today, we had the second trial.

  Morning light spilled across the floor. Dew clung to the grass outside. There was still time to eat and prepare before today’s punishment.

  I secured Lumi at my belt.

  Then I shifted into Rick’s face.

  As I left my room, I caught a glimpse of Celeste. She gave me a shy smile on her way out, leaving her brother with Doyle and a few of her father’s healers who had arrived sometime in the night. I doubted they could do much, but I was not against hoping.

  By the time I reached the kitchen, I was welcomed by the comforting sound of two aspiring heroes bickering like an old married couple.

  “Seriously, these bloody teammates of mine are as useful as tits on a bull.”

  I chuckled as I stepped inside.

  Amelia looked up and gave me a warm smile. She was halfway through a full English breakfast and showed no sign of slowing.

  “Aye, g’day, Butcher,” Rob said with a grin.

  I winced. He laughed. “What? You don’t like it?”

  “I dunno. It just rubs me the wrong way,” I admitted.

  Amelia shot him a look. “And it’s barbaric.”

  “Barbaric? Pfft. Sounds cool as,” Rob said, turning back to me. “You did slap them around like sacks of meat.”

  “Well, they did deserve it,” I said.

  Amelia nodded. “Maybe they did,” she said. “But now you’ve painted a target on your back. Anyone looking to prove themselves will come for you.” She held my gaze. “And it may have just cost you the second trial.”

  “Don’t remind me,” I muttered, rubbing a hand over my face as if that might reset the previous day.

  I still hadn’t worked out what to do in a trial that required five members. It would help if I actually knew what it involved in the first place.

  Rob leaned back in his chair. “Look at it this way. At least you’re not stuck dragging around a team that doesn’t know the sharp end of their sword from their own ass.”

  “Charming,” Amelia said dryly. “From what I’ve seen, my group is well prepared. They listen. They follow direction.”

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  “Only because they’re terrified, you’ll blow them all up,” Rob shot back with a grin.

  She gave him a quick smirk, then returned to her mountain-sized breakfast.

  “My lot,” Rob said, reaching for Riftstride, “reckon that little stunt with this bad boy means I’ll drag them through the next trial.”

  The purple gem caught the light and gave a faint flare.

  “They’re treating me like a shortcut,” he went on. “Figure I’ll clear the way and they’ll just wander through after me.”

  Amelia lifted a brow. “Convenient. And deeply dishonourable.”

  “And that’s not even the worst part,” he added. “Picked up a few stalkers too.”

  “Stalkers?” I asked.

  He nodded, uneasy now. “Couple of people in the city. Keeping their distance. Watching my team train.”

  Something tightened in my chest. “Be careful, mate. Flashing that blade around’s stirred things up. There are a lot of greedy bastards out there.”

  “Some would kill for a weapon like that,” Amelia said quietly.

  Rob let out a long breath. “All this drama and I still don’t even have a proper nickname.”

  Amelia rolled her eyes.

  “Give it a minute,” I said, smirking.

  As we talked, it became clear neither of them had seen the barracks or nobles’ trials. Amelia had only caught part of the scholars’ trials on her way home, hundreds of local aspirants bent over written tests.

  “Outsiders should be allowed to sit those,” she said.

  Rob groaned.

  She continued, picking apart the rules and the way the system favoured the established families. Doyle had told her it had not always been like this. There was a time when the city’s arts and education were open to more than just the privileged.

  Footsteps creaked on the stairs.

  Doyle appeared in the doorway and looked between us. “Keep it down,” he said quietly. “We have an injured guest.”

  We sobered at once.

  “And if you want any time to prepare for the team trial,” he added, “you’ll need to leave early.”

  Rob gave a small nod. “Right.”

  No one argued.

  We finished breakfast and packed in silence. Straps tightened. Blades checked. Nothing left loose. Then we stepped outside and closed the door behind us without another word.

  The sun sat low on the horizon, dew still clinging to the grass in small silver beads. The air felt cool and steady, clean in a way the city never did.

  Rob and Amelia slipped back into their usual back-and-forth as we started down the path. Most of it meant nothing, but beneath the jabs was something lighter. Familiar.

  I rolled my eyes and let my gaze drift across the fields while they bickered. The grass lay green and bright in the morning light. The sight pulled at the memory.

  Cassian had watched grass like this turn grey beneath falling ash, the sky above it dimming to a dead hush. I remembered the cold that followed.

  This morning was nothing like that.

  The sun rested warm against my back and steadied my stride. Each step carried quiet heat, a reminder that this world still held.

  Lumi stayed silent.

  As we neared the city gates, the same guards from the day before stood at their posts. They straightened when they saw us. One nudged the other. The guard who had waved me through before stepped forward, his expression tight.

  He glanced at my hair, then gave me a shaky grin. “Heard they’re calling you Butcher now.”

  “Yeah. Seems that way.”

  His mate nudged him in the ribs.

  The guard cleared his throat and straightened. “Right. Ah. Soul cards.”

  We handed them over.

  “Where are you three from?”

  “Brookfield,” Amelia said.

  He blinked. “All three of you?”

  We shared a quick glance, then nodded. “Well… not originally,” I admitted. “We’re from different places. But we’re living there now.”

  “Is that so?” A grin tugged at his mouth. “I live in the city now, but Brookfield’s always been home.”

  “Really?” Rob asked, returning the smile.

  “Born and raised.” He handed the cards back. “Still, good to see someone representing our little patch of green.”

  “Oi, Barkley,” his mate muttered. “You’re making it weird.”

  Barkley scratched the back of his neck and stepped aside. “Right. Sorry. Hold still a moment while we check.”

  We stood in place as the silver ring passed over us. It flashed once over each of us and gave no warning.

  One of the guards nodded toward Riftstride. “Mind if we?”

  Rob caught his meaning and drew the blade with a grin. Steel flashed. The purple gem caught the light.

  Both guards leaned in for a better look.

  “Bloody hell,” one muttered.

  Rob angled the sword slightly, letting them get a better look.

  After a few seconds, Barkley stepped back and cleared his throat. “Alright. That’s enough.”

  Rob slid the blade back into its scabbard.

  “You’re clear. Move on.”

  We waved to the guards and stepped through the gate into the city.

  The trials were still a few hours away, but time had a way of slipping when it mattered, so we made for the outer grounds. When the field came into view, the obstacle course was gone. In its place stood a ring of towering stone slabs set along the perimeter below. Each block looked heavy enough to crush a wagon and bore a single carved rune.

  “A barrier rune,” Amelia said.

  We scanned the grounds, searching for anything that hinted at what was coming next. Nothing else stood out. No moving parts. No raised platforms. Just the stones and the open space between them.

  Within minutes, Amelia’s team called her over. She gave us a brief look before stepping away.

  Then it was just the two of us.

  Rob’s team was nowhere in sight. As we waited, a familiar voice cut through the noise.

  “Aye, Butcher!”

  Derry jogged toward us, weaving through the crowd. “Finally found ya.”

  “Morning,” I said as he pulled up beside us.

  “Good. Caught you in time.”

  “In time for what?”

  He grinned. “Wanted to thank you for yesterday.”

  I studied him. The grin told me enough. “How much did you make?”

  “With those odds?” He let out a low whistle. “A small fortune.”

  Rob blinked. “You put money on Sean? Why didn’t I think of that?”

  Derry laughed. “Your loss.” He turned back to me. “I’m doing it again. All in. On you.”

  I raised a brow. “That confident?”

  “Eighteen to one,” he said. “Everyone thinks you’re about to get flattened.”

  “How reassuring.”

  “Aw, they don’t believe in you,” Rob said. “Don’t worry. I do. With all your shiny gear, you’ll wipe the floor with the next trial.”

  “Appreciate the faith,” I said.

  “Well… about that,” Derry added.

  Rob narrowed his eyes. “What’d you do? Eavesdrop?”

  A flicker of respect crossed his face.

  Derry gave a small nod. “Something like that. There’s been a rule change.”

  My attention sharpened.

  “They saw what some of you turned up with this year.” He tipped his chin toward Rob. “Soul weapons. Rune-crafted items. So, they’ve banned personal gear for the next trial.”

  My stomach tightened.

  “All personal weapons stay outside the ring.”

  “Ring? What ring?” Rob said, the edge back in his voice.

  Derry pointed toward the field below.

  At first, I didn’t see it. Then the line caught the light.

  A wide circle had been drawn into the grass in fine sand, pale against the green. Subtle unless you knew to look for it. It marked out a broad space at the centre of the field.

  Enough room to hold something large.

  “No soul blades. No nobles’ robes. Just basic runes,” Derry said.

  My jaw tightened.

  “Shit,” Rob muttered, already scanning the crowd. “Where’s my bloody team?”

  He was already moving.