A blistering squall rushed into Astra’s face, causing him to break out into a heavy sweat. The heat here was far more brutal than even the hottest of summer months back at his family’s farm. It sapped away at one’s strength and left them panting in dry heaves, their tongue parched, thirsting for even the tiniest drops of water, but all that lay before Astra now was a vast stretch of white ash blanketed over an outcrop of jagged rocks. Rivers of molten flame poured through the cracks, bubbling and sizzling in embers; had the boy come upon this sight in any other circumstance, he would’ve loved to explore this region, so hostile at first glance, yet also mesmerizing in its own way. How intimidating nature could be at its most primal.

  “Is it just me, or is it getting HOT in here!?” the announcer, Mister Riot, said. “If you thought the Ruins of Lackjaw were bad, boy do I have bad news for you, kids! The next section’s gonna test your heat tolerance to its absolute limit, the raging volcanic inferno of Mount Pariah! It’s active, it’s angry, and most importantly… it’s about to BLOW! Run for your lives!”

  Unfortunately, right above Astra descended a constant spit of lava, spewing from the gargantuan volcano not far ahead. It crashed in explosive craters kind of similar to how the Constellars invaded and nearly turned the boy into a crispy char. It wasn’t too difficult to avoid since he could see its trajectory, but the most dangerous aspect about the lava was when it splashed. That couldn’t be predicted; and sometimes it even dropped multiple times on the same spot, flinging its glowing ooze of red and orange around erratically.

  Just one touch was enough to activate the sticker’s warp instantly. Astra saw it happen firsthand to a few applicants, who became overconfident after avoiding the first crash only to then be doused and consumed by a sudden fiery belch. It was a bit intimidating. Everyone who made it to this point had to at least be skilled, or lucky, to avoid the ruin’s traps in the first section; yet a moment of carelessness was enough to take them out before they could realize it.

  When in doubt, though, all Astra had to do was depend on his two own feet. He took off running just like before and did his best to keep his eyes on both above and below. There was a slight lull in between the lava’s moment of impact and its resulting gush. First it clung to the rocky base, and then it sprung up as if leaping like a, well, leaptoad—the secret to avoiding it was staying low. It was a bit risky, especially if Astra judged the distance wrong, but there were times when being bold was better than being careful. Whenever the lava splashed near him, he quickly dropped down and then slid the lowest he could manage as it arced just a few inches above him. Astra was terrified every time he had to do it… and yet also fun.

  It was so, so fun, how his blood boiled like the smoldering rivers around him, and also the satisfaction that came with overcoming what seemed nigh insurmountable. He strained everything from his brain to his muscles. In this moment, it was like the entire world had slowed to a crawl, and in that pause he became acutely aware of all reflected in his wide, spellbound eyes. He saw how beautiful the lava was when its warm hue glossed in the stadium’s light, or how amazing his fellow applicants were as they persevered and conquered the volcano’s trial in their own unique ways.

  One girl in particular drew Astra’s gaze, for in this dry, scorching land where even just breathing was enough to shrivel your throat, she was among the only few who was wet. As in she literally encased herself in a thin liquid barrier that kept her body drenched and cool. When Astra looked at the girl, he was reminded of stories his paw and momma would tell him about the ocean. She had sparkling blue hair, rich blue eyes, and of course a blue dress that was decorated in small pieces of seashells and pearls. Compared to the other applicants she wasn’t stressed or seemed anxious, instead wearing a calm demeanor unbothered by the volcano’s flames.

  “The academy sure lives up to its reputation,” she giggled, as her sandals left damp footprints in the ash. “Geez, I knew the exam would be brutal and all, but isn’t this a bit too cruel? Almost like they designed this place just to spite everyone from Aquapolis.”

  Despite her complaints, the sea-like girl expertly fought against the hail of lava and pushed on. The way she used her Constellation’s favor was different from the land-based people on Astra’s home planet. Rather than increasing her physical ability, or borrowing a part of an animal’s form like how the goat girl at the ruins grew horns, she instead conjured bubbles of water. They floated around her in a protective ring, which she then threw at the lava, dousing it and putting out the flames until it turned into just a pitch-black rock.

  Astra was amazed that his peers already knew how to tap into their patron’s power, even if they were Starblessed from birth. His parents said that it usually took some time before a common person could use it; and when it did it just kinda popped into your head, allowing you to do what you didn’t know you could do before. But maybe it was different for the nobles. For Astra at least he couldn’t become super strong like his dad, or agile like his mom. Everything he did now was based solely on his current, everyday self.

  But with hardship came innovation, flexibility, and no one took advantage of that more now than Astra, using danger as an opportunity to learn. He watched the sea-like girl use her abilities, and while the boy couldn’t do any fancy tricks like that right now, he could at least observe the environment and how she changed it to her advantage. When drenched in enough water, lava fizzled in big steamy clouds before turning into solid rock. Astra didn’t know why it did that. But nonetheless he learned that it could. Just like how he learned at the ruins that traps could be set off through tiles and buttons.

  Every experience, no matter how minor, contributed to the growing archive that was the boy’s knowledge.

  After a time, even this landscape became less of a threat, and Astra sprinted faster until at last he arrived at the base of the volcano. Fortunately he didn’t need to climb it, for there was a hidden entrance leading to a cave which the other applicants hurriedly rushed into. Better to take their chances in there than deal with the chaos behind. Thus Astra followed them and entered a long winding tunnel.

  Pockets of magma expanded and popped along the wall’s crevices. Contrary to what Astra expected, it was much hotter here than outside, so hot that it felt like his eyebrows would be singed right off if he stayed for too long. The ceiling hung low and all throughout his trot he could hear the groaning hiss of fire sputtering from the splits and fissures, which ran along the tunnel as if it were the red-hot veins of this great hulking creature. It really did seem as if the volcano itself were alive—and Astra was deep in its bowels where the only illumination was from the magma’s cinders.

  He didn’t know where he was going, only that the exit had to be somewhere forward. Astra dashed through the countless twists and corners, intersections, up and down and through countless layers. But he wasn’t just guessing mindlessly. Back home, it was important for a farmer’s child to keep track of where they were, especially for Astra who often ventured out into the woods or the mountains. He used that skill now to chart a mental map in his head, paying close attention whenever he had to change direction while also being mindful of his distance.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  Some time passed, and soon Astra emerged into a huge, open underground region. A smoldering pit toiled deep below. One slip, and it’d devour a person within seconds; Astra didn’t have the luxury of avoiding it. There were a few drifting rocks he could jump on to pass, and while risky it was the only way forward. Even the other kids had to do it. It appeared that though there were many branching paths one could take, they all gradually converged at this location, one final test before entering the next section.

  Astra closed his eyes and focused. It was scary, really scary. But above all else he knew there was no avoiding it, so rather than cowering and second guessing himself, he smacked his cheeks and took off with a big leap. He landed, to his great relief, on top of a block—and then he panicked for a moment when it began to swerve upside down. He didn’t have a chance to think before his legs moved for him, jumping onto the next platform and then another. It was going smoothly at first, but around the half-way point, just before Astra was about to hop, he spotted something strange in the pit. The magma was churning more than before; his instincts screamed to not move a muscle. And soon, he understood why.

  All at once, the underground roared as the flames erupted upward, blinding the boy’s eyes in a violent surge which nearly caused him to fall back. Up, higher, even higher, it rose to the volcano’s very top, and Astra found himself desperately clinging to his platform for dear life as it rolled along the magma’s waves. He had to plunge his feet into the rock to avoid being thrown by the force.

  Eventually, the uproar settled down, and Astra breathed a sigh of relief before looking around him. There were much fewer applicants around now. A large number of them had been swept away by the eruption, leaving the remnants to slowly stand back up, their bodies noticeably shaken. Astra was a bit dazed too. But nonetheless he had to keep moving, lest another eruption occur.

  As he moved on, though, he spied a boy curled up in a frightened ball on one of the rocks. Judging by his clothes—a stonelike suit of armor covered in a beast’s hide—he seemed to be from Tauramere, a fellow bull. On closer look he even resembled the king himself, with his dark brown hair and yellow eyes mirroring what Bovacus might look like in his younger years.

  “I can’t… I’m sorry, dad… I can’t do this…”

  The boy sobbed and buried his head in his arms. Unlike the other bulls he appeared quite meek, and also smaller in size. He was far from the wall of muscle that Bovanok flaunted. Astra sympathized with him, because he knew well what the boy must be feeling right now, trembling and afraid in this place with no one else to rely on. Even if the sticker was guaranteed to warp them to safety, it didn’t change the fact how real everything was, from the licks of heat to the terrifying roar of the volcano.

  Of course, this was a test. If an applicant wasn’t able to persist despite their fears then sadly that’s where they’d fail. The academy wanted them to demonstrate that they had the will to continue struggling no matter what challenge might come their way. If it couldn’t be done through their own strength, then such was the farthest they could go.

  But even so, Astra didn’t want to ignore someone who was clearly hurting.

  He didn’t hesitate, not one bit, and immediately halted in place before turning around and jumping over to help the boy.

  “Are you okay?” Astra asked, rubbing his back.

  The boy seemed surprised for a moment, unsure why Astra would willingly stop by to comfort him, especially when the obstacle course had a time limit. It was ticking right this moment, counting down the exam’s inevitable end. The other applicants were passing by; Astra’s chance of entering the top ten and getting a scholarship grew less probable by the second.

  And yet, even so, Astra chose of his own volition to check if the boy needed help. There wasn’t a grand reason why. It was simply the right thing to do.

  “Um, no. Not really,” he sniffled, wiping his face with his sleeve. “It’s okay. You should… go. Don’t bother. I’m not worth it.”

  To that, Astra narrowed his brow and angrily crossed his arms. “Don’t say that! Never say that. Everyone is worth something. That’s the truth, and if any other fella refuses then they ain’t someone you should be listening to.”

  “But…”

  “No buts!”

  The boy looked up, incredulous, at Astra’s stubborn declaration. Then he smiled. And he laughed. It was such a simple thing, but sometimes that was all it took to make someone snap out of their doozy.

  “Hehe, thank you,” he replied. “You’re, um, really nice. I’m serious though. My legs refuse to stand up. I’d hate to be a burden, so I think you should just leave me here. I probably wouldn’t have passed anyway even if I did get out.”

  “How can you know that if you don’t even try? Everyone gets scared sometimes. I got scared a lot coming here. Even so, a fella’s gotta throw away their fears and keep pushing on regardless. What matters is that I’m trying my best, and you should too. You got all the way here after all! I’m sure you’ll bounce back up in no time.”

  Astra squatted down and then grabbed the boy’s waist, picking him up and helping him back onto his feet. His legs wobbled something fierce at first, but the more effort he put in, and the more he sincerely wished to continue, the sooner they returned to normal.

  “Huh? Oh, it’s working?” the boy mumbled, surprised by his own resilience.

  Astra bid him a toothy grin and then held his hand. “We’re all stronger than we give ourselves credit for. Oftentimes, a little push is all we need to get started. If you’re too scared to jump, then we’ll do it together.”

  “Are you sure? I might weigh you down.”

  “Of course!”

  It took a bit of time to convince him, but eventually Astra was able to help the boy get the courage he needed to try again. The two of them walked to the platform’s edge. They bended their knees in unison, and then jumped, landing squarely on the next rock. They repeated this a couple more times, each successive attempt done with a bit more confidence, until finally they reached the end of the pit.

  “We did it. We really did it!” the boy excitedly said, flapping his arms up and down in excitement.

  Astra nodded, triumphant. “See? That wasn’t hard! Just cause we’re weak for a second doesn’t mean we can’t stand right back up after.”

  “I guess you’re right. I really, um, appreciate you helping me. What’s your name?”

  “Call me Astra.”

  The boy stepped forward and gave Astra a big hug. “Thanks, Astra! I’m Bovarian, but I prefer just Bova if that’s okay.”

  Astra raised a thumb’s up. “No prob from me, Bova. Want me to follow you outta here?”

  Bova shook his head. “No, I’ve already held you back enough. Go ahead, Astra. I’ll come out after I wait and calm down here for a bit. Despite how I look, I’m still a proud bull, and I don’t want to pass if it means leeching off someone else’s hard work.”

  Astra didn’t think needing to be helped made anyone lesser than him, but still he respected Bova’s conviction and bid him a friendly farewell, before running off and continuing his test. Thankfully there weren’t any more hazards in the volcano. The path was straightforward, eventually leading to the outside, where there was no more ash and no more lava falling from the sky.

  The last section, and as well his final challenge, was revealed in the form of a flying castle.

  A castle on the clouds.