It was a collaborative effort, but by the time we finished, everyone was sitting around with steaming cups of coffee. People used whatever they had on hand—mugs, flasks, even metal canteens—but nearly everyone had a cup and was chatting in good spirits.

  Even Red was lying under our table snoring like he'd just conquered the world.

  I'd considered not giving any to Maris's people, but in the end, most of them were decent and eager to help. Even Francis showed up for a cup, and I happily handed one over. Peace through caffeine diplomacy.

  "Not every world differs completely from Ark," Chas was explaining, gesturing with his mug. "Most places I've been could pass for somewhere unfamiliar here. But some? Completely different. I'm glad I had a beacon to find my way back. I can only handle so much... ."

  "Flat?" I asked, and the rest of us leaned in like he was about to reveal the secrets of the universe. Cass was the only one without coffee, stubbornly nursing a tea.

  "I never got the name of the world, but it was just... plains. The entire area around the tower I arrived through stretched out forever in all directions. Like the ocean outside this boat." He shook his head, expression distant. "The people were decent enough—some weird half-horse folk called themselves Ho'rathi—but the monsters? Massive. And a pain to put down, especially since there was nothing to hide behind. No trees, no cliffs—just their cities. You'd get spotted from spans away."

  He took a deep sip and sighed like a man who'd seen too much.

  "Monsters are everywhere," I mused, realizing just how much of an exception Earth was to that rule. No wonder everyone here was so casually badass.

  Chas nodded grimly.

  "Have you ever come out into the same world twice?" I asked.

  He shook his head. "Not once. And I've been to a lot of them."

  "Why do you spend so much time out there?" Erik asked, leaning forward with genuine curiosity. "Someone as strong as you could easily become an Archon."

  Chas winced like Erik had just poked a fresh wound. "That's... complicated." He said it as if that was supposed to be the complete explanation.

  Cass groaned, nearly slamming her tea down. "Felix and I tried this before. That's all he says. He disappears because 'it's complicated' while I go broke waiting for him to come back."

  Chas grinned with zero remorse. "Hardship builds character. Paid off for you, too."

  The daggers Cass shot at Chas were almost physical as she stood abruptly. "I'm going to get some air. Can't stand the smell of that stuff."

  "I need to talk with her," I said with a sigh, storing my coffee and getting up to follow. Erik and Katie looked at me like I was about to walk into a minefield. Red scrambled to his feet and trotted after me, seeming happy to escape the cramped space.

  Cass wasn't far, standing near where I'd been earlier when the Strikers had made their pathetic attempt. She stared out at the endless water, expression distant—one I was recognizing as her 'overthinking everything' face.

  "You good?" I asked.

  "Just worried about the tournament," she admitted without turning. "I've been gone for days getting my Seal sorted. We need a team, and Erik told me no one bothered to let you know. I'm sorry."

  To my credit, I hesitated only for a moment. "Well... actually, I think we might have one."

  That got her attention. Cass turned just as my eyes went wide and a booming roar split the air.

  A flock of enormous birds flew low over the ocean toward us, yellow bodies gleaming, dark brown wings slicing through the air like living blades. The sky groaned like jet engines as they tore past, their wingbeats splitting the water beneath them before they banked away in perfect formation.

  Cass spun to watch, just as awestruck as I was.

  "Whoa," we both said as the car-sized birds became dots on the horizon as quickly as they'd appeared.

  "What the fuck were those?!" I blurted, heart still racing from the sound.

  Cass looked enchanted, eyes shining. "Harrier scouts from Sylvarus—I think—they're even more incredible up close. Easily Beast Lords."

  "Harrier?"

  "Circinae. They help guard Sylvarus! Nana raises them, I think."

  I shook my head, still processing. They'd looked like giant eagles designed by someone who thought regular eagles weren't terrifying enough.

  "It means we're close to the Academy," Cass said, then snapped back to our conversation with laser focus. "Wait—you had an idea for our team?"

  Pocketing my questions about giant death birds, I grimaced, already predicting her reaction. "Well... Malcolm asked to join us. I think he mostly wants to screw over Dorian."

  Cass furrowed her brow. "You think?"

  "Pretty sure he’s not as big of a prick as he lets on."

  She opened her mouth, then shut it, considering.

  "He figured you'd want Felix or Erik, but—"

  Cass burst out laughing. Hard.

  "It's perfect!" she gasped between fits. "Erik said he was teaming up with Felix and Ferris, which had me worried sick." She shook her head, still grinning like a predator. "Now we get one of the best Arcanists left in La-Roc and we get to screw over Dorian? I'll take it. We'll need to practice though—it's been a long time since I've seen what Malcolm can do."

  I raised an eyebrow. "I thought you hated him? The way you two bickered back at Cyrus's—"

  "Oh, I don't like him. But I hate Dorian more." Cass smirked with pure vindictive joy. "Besides, he wasn't always this bad. Dorian just has that effect on people."

  She paused, then frowned thoughtfully. "But something about his face..."

  "Right?" I said instantly. "It's so punchable. I think it's the hair."

  We laughed together, and for a moment, everything felt normal again—like we were just two friends trash-talking instead of about to throw ourselves into a make-or-break tournament.

  Eventually, Cass sighed. "He's not on this boat, so we'll have to find him at Sylvarus. Hopefully that won't be too hard. We can—"

  As if summoned by cosmic comedic timing, the boat let out a deep, droning sound that reminded me of a foghorn having an existential crisis. It blasted for several seconds, then repeated six more times as Cass tried to speak, each interruption more perfectly timed than the last. Cass’s face went beet red with frustration.

  Finally, a similar horn echoed distantly to our right.

  Cass and I moved toward the railing, but the ship banked sharply, nearly throwing us off balance. We recovered quickly, but it was a jarring reminder of just how fast we were moving.

  A flood of people surged onto the deck, crowding around us as something impossible came into view.

  Sylvarus stretched across the horizon like a fever dream made of alabaster stone beneath a vivid blue sky. As we drew closer, I spotted smaller islands dotting the surrounding waters, each crowned with domed buildings connected to the main island by delicate stone bridges that looked like they belonged in a fairy tale.

  Everything was the same pristine white marble I'd seen in the Tower at La-Roc, but cranked up to eleven.

  But nothing could have prepared me for the actual Tower at the island's center.

  It dominated the skyline with an oppressive aura that made my head spin, soaring impossibly high into the clouds. Maybe a hundred stories. Maybe two hundred. Unlike the smaller domed structures, its sharp, rectangular form reminded me more of a skyscraper than a magic school—if skyscrapers were designed by gods with serious architectural ambitions.

  Layers of white stone stacked like an ascending fortress, narrowing as they climbed toward the heavens. Golden accents caught the sunlight even from this distance, and pillars and terraces cascaded down its massive form like frozen waterfalls.

  And at the very top, six massive concentric rings spun lazily in a gyroscopic orbit, suspended in the air with absolutely nothing holding them up.

  The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  As we neared the harbor, rhythmic drumming carried on the wind, underpinned by a low, melancholy drone that made me feel a little homesick. Flawless white stone formed the cliffs flanking the harbor, and the water beneath us shimmered with an unnatural depth of blue that hurt to look at directly.

  "Look!" someone behind me shouted. "At the top of the Tower!"

  Every head turned at once.

  A massive golden bird—easily larger than a horse—circled the upper floors, its radiant feathers catching the sunlight in a dazzling display that made my eyes water. Then, as if it had locked onto our specific boat, it folded its wings and dove, plummeting in a controlled descent that looked terrifyingly fast.

  Maris's people tensed, some backing up as if bracing for aerial bombardment. My astonishment twisted into recognition as my perception shifted—that same gut-wrenching distortion I'd learned to dread.

  Where the giant golden bird had been, a tiny yellow canary now streaked toward me like a feathered missile, moving way too fast for its own good.

  "Oh fuck!

  I caught him on pure instinct, stopping what would've been a full-speed collision with the deck.

  The second he landed in my hands, I felt it—an immediate, suffocating sense of attention. Not just from the people on the boat, but from above. Dozens of figures stood along the cliffs, watching with the intensity of hawks spotting prey. Sylvarus students, judging by their robes.

  They hadn't been interested before, but now? Now they were locked onto me like I'd just announced I was their new overlord.

  "Thanks, Junior Brother!

  I blinked. Junior? That was... awkward as hell. Then again, I hadn't been able to understand him for long. Maybe I'd misheard.

  The boat slowed as we rounded a bend, and Sylvarus Harbor came into full view—a sight that made my brain struggle to process the sheer scale.

  The docks stretched into an enormous gulf packed with ships. Easily a hundred of them, maybe more.

  Even Chas, who I'd assumed was used to sights like this, took a long moment to take it all in.

  Some ships were what I'd expect—standard sailing vessels with masts towering over the water. Others were decidedly not. Sleek metallic shapes skimmed the surface like our boat. A golden behemoth, nearly as monstrous as Maris's ship, loomed near the center of the gulf. The melancholy music pulsed from that direction.

  Red shoved past me and jumped onto the railing, paws gripping the edge as his tail wagged hard enough to shake his entire body. His excitement was infectious.

  "Shit," Chas muttered, scanning the harbor. "Of course everyone had to show up."

  "Everyone?" Cass and Katie had pushed their way back over to us, drawn by the spectacular view.

  Chas leaned over the railing, gesturing toward different sections of the harbor like a tour guide.

  "Those are the Legion from Sunspire. The Legion's in direct competition with the Monster Hunters." He pointed toward sleek vessels that looked like they could slice through steel. "And those traditional sailing ships? Tidebinders from the Wards on the far side of the Central Lands. Fastest ships on Ark, last I checked."

  I recognized the Legion ships—similar to Alexander’s boats in La-Roc, but the Tidebinders were new. Even from this distance, I could tell they moved differently—leaping across their decks with unnatural ease, bodies gliding through the air like they were swimming.

  "That gaudy mess in the middle is the Sunspire Nobility," Chas continued, nodding toward the opulent golden vessel that practically screamed 'we have more money than sense.'

  Then he pointed at something even stranger—hovercraft-like ships floating atop bubbles of water. Small buildings were constructed directly onto them, like floating citadels.

  "I'm pretty sure those are the Oathbound," he said, frowning. "They got here fast. Which means I should probably go speak with Diana."

  My head spun. The Sunspire was the massive continent at the heart of the Empire, but the Oathbound were barely mentioned in anything I'd read.

  "Wait, I thought there were only three factions?" I asked.

  Chas snorted. "So do most people on La-Roc these days, but Ark's a big world. Plenty of other factions out there. Just not all of them are as inclusive as the ones that make up the Monster Hunters."

  "I have so many questions..."

  "I do too," Cass muttered. "What the fuck is an Oathbound?"

  Oh good, I wasn't the only one who felt completely out of my depth.

  "The Law," Chas said cryptically—right before vaulting off the side of the boat.

  Before I could even process what I'd just witnessed, Stanley—now in full Fenghuang form—rocketed skyward, a streak of golden light carrying Chas toward the distant tower.

  "Are you fucking serious!?" Cass bellowed after him, but he was already gone. "What an asshole!"

  The Strikers on board didn't look much happier. I caught bits of muttered conversations, their unease plain as day. Even they hadn't expected this many factions to show up.

  As our ship pulled into the dock, something else caught my attention—the pristine state of everything around us. Not a single speck of grime, no chipped stone, no signs of wear. The closer we got, the more everything looked like it had been polished obsessively.

  "Do you think someone's out here polishing everything in this place?" I asked genuinely baffled. "There's no way it stays this clean without magic."

  Cass shrugged. "I have no fucking idea. I knew Sylvarus was special, but Nana always made it seem like it wasn't a big deal... This place is unbelievable. All Erik ever said about it was, 'It's white.'"

  "It's definitely that," Katie added, not bothering to hide the awe in her voice.

  On the ground, several official-looking people ran around barking orders while dockworkers hurried to tie down mooring ropes thick as my arm.

  As multiple ramps extended from our ship, passengers began disembarking in organized chaos, funneled by stern-looking officials who pointed them in different directions like they were directing traffic.

  "Well, guess we should figure out what we're supposed to do," I said. The girls nodded in agreement.

  As we made our way down the ramp, Red galloped ahead, his paws thundering against the dock until he caught up to us, practically vibrating with excitement.

  Two Gaian officials—easily identifiable by their pristine robes—were already heading straight for us, but the moment their eyes landed on Red, their entire demeanor shifted.

  Their sleeves snapped back, revealing runic bracers that flared to life with menacing energy. Unrecognizable runes spun around their wrists like angry hornets.

  "What manner of mana beast is that?" the taller one demanded, his stance shifting into something unmistakably hostile.

  Red froze mid-step. His ears pinned back, tail tucking down as his entire body seemed to shrink into itself. His excitement vanished instantly, replaced by something that looked heartbreakingly small.

  I placed a hand on his head, rubbing behind his ears to calm him down.

  Real, genuine anger welled up inside me. They had just completely ruined his day.

  "Show some decorum!"

  The voice was sharp, commanding, and absolutely furious—attached to a man wearing a black version of the robes Lana had been wearing.

  Marco Graves. At least he wasn't wearing a cape this time.

  "The passenger manifest was verified before they even arrived," he snapped, shooing the officials away like misbehaving children. "That man and his familiar are the very reason everyone is even here."

  The officials hesitated, glancing between Marco and me before finally relaxing their aggressive stances. Marco didn't give them time to respond, already shifting his attention to me.

  "You and your familiar are welcome here, Ben Crawford," he said, his tone taking on something oddly formal. "I had a feeling you were the one I saw in the Monster Hunters Tower with Grand Mistress Diana. If I had known this would result from your entrance to our world, I'd have thanked you ahead of time."

  I blinked at him. Beside me, Cass looked like she was about to catch flies with how far her jaw had dropped.

  Marco reached into his robe, pulled out a small Manascript, and scanned it with practiced efficiency.

  "Katie Summers." His expression softened as he looked at Katie. "I'm sorry to hear about your bakery. I look forward to visiting when it's rebuilt."

  He turned to the two officials. "Take Ms. Summers to the hospitality area. Once her friends have met their Liaison, they may join her."

  Katie gave us a reassuring smile that didn't quite hide her nervousness. "I'll see you two soon, okay? Don't be long."

  The officials led her toward the central tower, and she disappeared into the crowd.

  Marco turned back to us. "As for you two, I see that Instructor Glass has requested to be your Liaison for the tournament's duration."

  He sighed, tucking his Manascript away. "Insufferable woman. Even for a Vildar. Please follow me—the way to her lab can be confusing."

  Lana. That tracked. Cass seemed to come to the same conclusion as Marco led us through the immaculate marble streets. The academy had a weight to it—like everything here was ancient beyond measure. I felt like I was walking through a museum.

  Red stayed practically glued to my side, ears flicking uneasily after the officials' hostile reaction. It hurt to see his excitement so thoroughly crushed, so I made a point of petting him as we walked, pointing out anything remotely interesting.

  At one point, we passed a hollow marble pillar containing a suspended set of metal spheres arranged like a massive Newton's cradle. The orbs clicked and clacked in perfect rhythm, sending delicate chimes echoing through the street.

  Red was immediately enamored, tail wagging hard enough to shake his whole body as he pawed at the base.

  "What did you mean, 'thank me'?" I asked Marco as we continued, Red now bounding around us like his good mood was slowly returning.

  Marco nodded sagely. "I've been trying to get Sylvarus more exposure for years. We've fallen into obscurity. Now we have thousands of people spending their money here, seeing our academy firsthand. I could not have orchestrated better publicity myself."

  "Oh... uh... happy to help?" I said uncertainly. Marco wasn't quite what I'd expected, considering his son's demeanor and Diana's obvious dislike.

  "Do not mistake me," Marco added, his tone cooling like winter settling in. "I agree you should be removed from our world, as the agreements dictate. But it is not for me to decide. The Grand Tournament shall decide for us."

  There it was. The friendly mask slipped just enough to show the knife underneath.

  I shook my head. "So you're on Team Maris?"

  "I am not on anyone's team," he said with the conviction of someone who'd practiced this speech. "Agreements and laws exist for a reason. Without them, we would have chaos."

  I glanced at Cass, who rolled her eyes hard enough to sprain something.

  We stepped into a large domed building and followed Marco through echoing halls of polished marble. I hadn't been paying attention to our route, and before long, I'd lost track of how many halls we'd passed.

  Strangely, I could tell Red had been mapping our entire journey—like it was just something he did naturally. Dogs and their navigation instincts, I supposed. That I could understand this now was still something I was getting used to.

  THUMP.

  Without warning, a loud pop echoed through the hall.

  A door exploded outward, tearing clean off its hinges and slamming against the opposite wall with a crash that made me wince. Smoke billowed from the room beyond, filling the hall with the acrid stench of scorched metal and something that might have been ozone.

  A small Albinus Vildar with goggles strapped over her face strolled out through the settling smoke, surveying the destruction with a satisfied nod.

  "Whew! That was a bitchin' one, Darla. Mark that down as a fuckin' yes from me."

  She turned, lifted her goggles, and stared at us with eyes that sparkled with manic glee.

  This was definitely not Lana.

  "Fuck you want, Marco?"

  Marco sighed, rubbing his temples as if he were developing a migraine. "I've brought the participants you requested to liaise for, Instructor Glass."

  Cass and I shot each other a look that said ?

  "Oh, shit-baskets, I forgot I did that," the Vildar woman muttered, then brightened considerably. "Wait, that means I get to do liaison shit? Sweet!"

  "Uh..." I hesitated. "We thought you were going to be Lana... it's nice to meet you?"

  "My lil' sis? Oh, that's right!" She snapped her fingers with obvious delight. "I vetoed her request just to piss her off. Totally worth it at the time—didn't think I'd actually have to do somethin'." She cackled like a maniac. "You hear that, Darla? We get to liaise!"

  She sniffed, then waved us forward with enthusiasm that was as infectious as it was terrifying.

  "Well, c'mon then! I'm Theadora. If you know my sister, then you can already tell—I'm the smart one. Call me Thea!"