(A/N Big thanks to everyone for the Power stones and Golden tickets, they mean a lot. As usual, please don't hesitate to comment or drop a review. ENJOY)

---------------------------------

Selene crouched low, her breathing even. Four figures moved below, weaving between trees and narrow roots. They were careful but not cautious enough; their footsteps crunched faintly against the damp soil. She studied them a moment longer, committing each position to memory.

Two at the front — likely the fighters. The third hung back with a sling ready. The last, shorter and broader, kept glancing around — the lookout.

"Predictable," she muttered.

She waited until the front pair slowed near a fallen trunk before she moved. In less than a heartbeat, she was behind the rear guard.

Her hand clamped on his collar before he could shout. She twisted and pulled, guiding his momentum into the dirt. He thudded down hard, breath leaving him in a wheeze. Selene's movement barely slowed; she stepped forward, grabbed the sling from the startled boy's hand, and swept his legs in a single fluid turn.

The first fighter spun at the noise.

"Who—"

Selene met him halfway. Their forearms clashed, sending a dull shock through her shoulder. He was strong — stronger than she expected — but not fast enough. She pivoted on her heel, slammed her knee into his thigh, then used the recoil to deliver a palm strike that pushed him back into a tree.

The second fighter rushed in with a short staff, swinging wide. Selene ducked the first swing and caught the second, turning her wrist to trap the weapon between her arm and ribs. One twist — the staff slipped free. She swung the butt end low, clipping his ankle.

He dropped, face-first.

Four against one. Twenty seconds.

Selene straightened slowly, brushing a leaf from her shoulder. Her breathing was calm. She looked at the scattered sigil stones glinting near their belts and bent to pick them up.

"Too easy," she murmured.

"You really do make it look boring."

The voice came from above.

Selene tilted her head slightly, her expression unamused as Daenys dropped from a low branch, landing without a sound.

Their gazes held for a moment, red and silver, both calm, both unreadable. Then the forest broke the silence. Faint shouts, too many to be a coincidence.

Selene's eyes narrowed. "Backup."

Daenys stretched her arms lazily. "How many?"

"Six. Maybe more."

"Good," Daenys said, smiling.

Before Selene could respond, movement flickered through the trees. Shadows of other students broke into the clearing, forming a semicircle. Each bore a faintly glowing sigil stone strapped to their wrist; they'd been tracking the fight's disturbance.

Selene dropped into a stance, her focus narrowing.

"Stay behind me." She said.

Daenys chuckled softly. "That's cute." She replied.

Selene didn't reply. She took a step forward.

The first attacker charged, swinging a wooden staff like a sword. Selene sidestepped. She caught the staff under her arm, twisted, and sent the wielder sprawling. Another came from her left, a taller boy, heavier. She ducked low, sweeping his legs.

One of the attackers sent a blow her way, sloppy, but fast enough to blur. Selene's eyes tracked the distortion, and she leaned just enough to let the blow whistle past her ear. Her counter came instantly, a precise elbow to the ribs. The boy crumpled, gasping.

She barely turned in time to catch a kick from another. The impact slid her back half a step, boots digging into dirt.

They were coordinated.

Selene moved differently then, sharper, more deliberate. Her rhythm became unpredictable. She slipped inside their pattern and disrupted it, striking when their guard opened, retreating before retaliation.

Her body flowed, precise and efficient.

Daenys watched quietly for a while, hands folded behind her back, expression oddly serene. But as the fight dragged on, her smile faded. Selene's movements, though clean, were starting to slow under sheer repetition. Her breathing grew shallower.

When one of the opponents managed to clip Selene's shoulder with a glancing strike, Daenys sighed.

"Alright. Fun's over."

Before Selene could protest, Daenys was gone.

She reappeared inside their formation, twisting through two opponents at once. Her foot swept sideways, catching one in the knee; her palm connected with another's chest, knocking him flat.

Selene blinked once, a mix of disbelief and irritation, before moving again to cover her flank.

They fell into rhythm instantly. Selene's precision met Daenys's force, every strike fitting the other's gaps. It was unspoken coordination.

A taller boy swung wide; Daenys ducked under his arm, twisted, and threw him over her shoulder. Selene intercepted another, driving a controlled kick into his abdomen.

Within a minute, it was over. The clearing quieted, only the faint rustle of trees and the slow breathing of the defeated breaking the stillness.

Selene lowered her guard first. Sweat dotted her forehead, but her stance stayed steady.

"I told you I didn't need help," she said, voice calm but edged.

Daenys smiled, leaning casually against a tree.

"And I told you I would intervene if you started having a tough time." She replied.

"They barely touched me." Selene quipped.

"Sure," Daenys said, still grinning.

Selene didn't answer. She bent, collected the scattered sigil stones, and straightened.

"You didn't need to step in. I had control." Selene said.

Daenys's grin softened slightly. "I know you did. That's not why I helped." She replied.

"Then why?" Selene asked with a raised brow.

Daenys's expression turned oddly thoughtful. "Because it's easier to see how someone moves when they stop pretending they're alone." She said.

Selene blinked. "…What?"

"Nothing," Daenys said quickly, waving it off. "Let's call it teamwork. I'll even let you take all the stones."

Selene sighed, pocketing them. "You're insufferable." She said.

"And you're welcome," Daenys said brightly.

They started walking. Selene in front, Daenys trailing half a step behind, humming under her breath.

They continued deeper into the forest. The light dimmed as the canopy thickened. Ahead, faint echoes of other fights rolled through the trees; the trial was far from over.

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.