It was now the second day inside the Garden of Eden. Seven days remained before the final trial would end and the students would officially enter The Grand Academy of Arcanthia—with Duel Points (DP) earned through hunting magical beasts or defeating fellow candidates.
In one corner of the island, ever since the violent storm of four hurricanes that erupted on the first day, many survivors had begun to group together for safety. Among them were three elves: a young man named Han, and twin sisters Luna and Lux.
The three of them had grouped up at the start of Day 2. Together, they scouted the island, using their perfectly balanced abilities:
Han could cast elemental magic through his bonded nature spirits without needing incantations.
Luna possessed a detection spell that could sense nearby life forces and hidden presences.
Lux had a unique healing spell that drew directly from natural energies.
As their group ventured through the morning forest, they stumbled upon something they hadn't expected:
A corpse.
Their eyes widened in shock.
Before this trial, they'd heard that the instructors would extract any student who couldn't continue—teleporting them out and docking 1,000 DP.
But this?
This was a body.
And that changed everything.
Their instincts sharpened immediately. They realized that from this point forward… nothing could be taken lightly.
That corpse had been one of Froy's victims.
As they continued moving, Luna began using her detection spell more frequently—and what she found unsettled them further.
Dozens of traps.
Some primitive. Some precise.
They had been hidden in leaves, buried under dirt, rigged with vines.
Luna's brow furrowed.
"How could a kid our age build this many traps?"
Han tightened his grip on his staff. "You think it's the same one who killed that person?"
Lux looked pale but nodded.
"Has to be."
Then, Luna stopped walking.
Her spell pulsed.
She sensed something—or someone—nearby.
A single life force.
Close.
Very close.
"…I found someone," she whispered. "Can't see them yet, but… they're just ahead. About thirty meters."
Han's eyes narrowed. "Can they detect us?"
"Unlikely," Luna replied. "But they're not moving. It's like… they're waiting."
Han took a breath. Then looked at his sisters.
"Stay alert. Stay back. Support only if needed."
They nodded silently, readying themselves.
What none of them knew—
was that Froy had already noticed them.
And though he couldn't escape Luna's detection spell…
He didn't need to.
Because now…
He had a new game to play.
The golden-blonde hair of the elves shimmered faintly beneath the morning light, and their azure and emerald eyes gleamed with razor-sharp awareness.
Han narrowed his gaze. "We don't know who that life signature Luna sensed belongs to," he said quietly, "but I'd bet it's the killer."
Luna's voice was steady, though her fingers trembled slightly. "He's moving… getting closer. Twenty meters north. Behind that broken tree stump."
Lux, the youngest of the trio, stood slightly behind her siblings—silent, eyes wide with unease.
Han didn't wait.
With a swift gesture, he extended his arm—and summoned a spiraling torrent of flames. The fiery blast roared toward the direction Luna had indicated, scorching the trees and igniting the underbrush.
BOOM!
The inferno erupted in a flash of heat and light.
But just before the blast struck, a figure darted out of the smoke—rolling across the dirt with sharp precision.
Froy.
He had dodged it.
Barely.
His cloak smoldered at the edges, but his expression was unreadable.
Han raised his staff again, prepared to unleash another barrage—but Froy raised his hands instead, backing up, eyes wide.
"W-Wait!" he shouted. "I'm not who you think! I'm just another victim! I've been hiding since the first night!"
His voice cracked in just the right way—controlled, but laced with panic.
It was a convincing act.
But elves were not so easily fooled.
Lux, still behind her sister, clenched her fists.
"He's lying!" she cried out. "That's him! That's the one! The supplies from the camp—everything was gone! Someone took it all… It has to be him!"
Froy's eyes flicked between them.
They weren't buying it.
Not anymore.
So he began to think.
Fast.
He couldn't outrun a firestorm. Not again.
If Han unleashed another elemental blast, he'd be vaporized before he could blink. And if Luna closed the distance, she could likely trap him in some magical snare. Lux's healing wouldn't matter in a fight—but it meant they had staying power.
Three against one.
And they were coordinated.
Too coordinated.
Froy grit his teeth, heart thudding—not with fear, but with anticipation.
He couldn't use brute force.
Not yet.
So he did what he did best.
He plotted.
Froy raised both hands slowly, palms open, as if surrendering.
"Hey—easy! Just… calm down, okay?" he stammered, voice quivering with just the right amount of fear. "Why would you think I'm the killer? These supplies—they're mine! I prepared all this before the trial even started!"
His appearance alone was enough to make them hesitate.
Eyes the color of a flawless sapphire sky—calm, luminous, and impossibly clear.
Hair like platinum spun under moonlight.
Skin pale as snow, unmarred, almost ethereal—like a sculpture blessed by the gods themselves.
He was beautiful in a way that felt unreal. Otherworldly. Closer to a divine being than a desperate boy.
Even the sharpest instincts faltered for a moment beneath that face.
He turned toward Lux, gaze softening like a wounded bird.
"And you… why would you accuse me? I was just trying to escape, that's all! I didn't know if I was being followed. I thought I'd die out here!"
His eyes flicked between them, lingering just a half-second longer on Han.
"You're all strong, right? You've got powers, spells, you've made it this far. If I really were a killer, wouldn't you all be dead already?"
He let that hang in the air.
"There is someone out here—someone terrifying. I saw them the night after the storm… a shadow moving between trees, just watching… I didn't stop to look. I ran. I ran and hid. Just like now."
The lie came easy. The truth never mattered.
He didn't lower his hands, didn't step forward—just stood there, the image of an innocent survivor.
Luna hesitated. Lux bit her lip, uncertain.
Even Han, though still tense, eased his stance slightly.
They weren't convinced.
But they wanted to be.
And that was enough.
Han narrowed his eyes, but finally spoke.
"Fine. We'll believe you, kid. But only just. Don't think we trust you completely."
Luna and Lux echoed his caution.
"We're not letting our guard down around you," Luna added.
Froy lowered his hands slowly, reading their tone and body language with expert precision. He didn't smile—too soon for that—but he nodded, offering humility.
"I get it. I'd be suspicious too," he said softly. "But I know herbs. What's poisonous, what's edible… even how to brew basic salves."
That earned him a brief glance from Lux, who'd been clutching a bruised arm.
Froy tucked that detail away for later.
The moment they relaxed just a little, he stepped closer—just enough to be part of the group, but not close enough to provoke. He moved like mist. Gentle. Passive.
But inside, the gears were already turning.
I need them, he thought.
With his powers sealed, these three were more than allies—they were tools. Valuable tools.
The male elf, Han, clearly the elder of the trio, wielded elemental spirit magic with ease. No chanting. No delay. Just raw, adaptive power.
Froy didn't yet know what the twin sisters were capable of… but if they had made it this far, they weren't weak. He'd learn soon enough.
And if they were useful?
He'd keep them.
It was smarter than killing them.
Far smarter.
Later, once they were in the Academy—where real battles would begin—having allies like this could shift the board entirely.
Froy began to walk beside them, sharing bits of his knowledge: safe plants, natural shelters, the behavior of nocturnal beasts. His delivery was soft, thoughtful—never boastful. Just helpful enough.
And it worked.
The suspicion remained, but tension eased slightly with each passing hour.
Froy had found his opening.
Now all he had to do…
Was wait.