The sun was still low in the sky when Aren and his teammates gathered in the open training fields behind the academy. The early morning chill clung to their clothes, and mist rolled low over the dew-soaked grass. All around them, other teams were beginning to train, their beasts sparring or meditating beside them. This was no longer just about learning—it was about preparing for war.
Aric was the first to speak, stretching his arms above his head with a yawn. "So… how do we train as a team when we've never even fought together before?"
Dorian smirked. "Simple. We stop going easy on each other."
Liora raised an eyebrow, arms crossed as her Ice Wolf sat quietly behind her, eyes sharp. "Then who leads us?"
Everyone turned to Aren.
"I'm… not sure I'm ready to lead," he admitted. "But maybe we don't need a leader yet. Let's just focus on learning how we move together first."
Lyra gave a silent nod, her Shadow Falcon watching the sky from her shoulder. Sharu sat beside Aren, tail flicking, observing everyone with his usual unimpressed expression.
Their training began with simulated battles—pairs fighting while the others observed. Liora and Aric clashed first, fire and ice spiraling into the air as their beasts roared and leapt. The Fire Salamander's fast, sweeping strikes were countered by the Ice Wolf's precision and control, creating steam-filled pockets of confusion.
"You're overextending again," Liora said calmly, ducking a wide sweep of fire.
"And you're always waiting too long to strike!" Aric countered.
Meanwhile, Dorian sparred with Aren. The Shockwave Lion was a brutal, relentless force. Each roar sent concussive waves through the field, uprooting grass and shaking dirt. Aren struggled to keep pace with Sharu's evasive maneuvers, the small silver beast darting between shockwaves with uncanny agility.
"Stop dodging so much!" Dorian barked. "You've got no presence!"
"I can't match you head-on!" Aren yelled, frustration bubbling.
"Then find a way that suits you," Lyra said softly, cutting through the rising tension. "You're trying to fight like him. Fight like you."
Aren paused, breathing heavily, then nodded. "Sharu, stay close—circle wide and wait for an opening."
Sharu blinked slowly, then darted to the left, weaving between the broken terrain. The lion roared again, but Sharu used the rebounds to redirect his momentum, moving almost too fast to see.
The moment Dorian's lion overcommitted to a leap, Sharu struck—not with brute force, but with precision. A small flash of light—cleansed and focused energy from the corrupted beast he'd absorbed—sparked at his horn, tagging the lion's leg and forcing Dorian to halt.
Everyone went quiet.
"Well," Dorian muttered. "That was new."
Sharu flicked his tail smugly, trotting back to Aren.
They trained for hours, trying combinations, switching partners, testing formations. Arguments broke out, laughter followed. Even Sharu, aloof as ever, seemed slightly more engaged—at least until Lina Valen appeared at the edge of the field with snacks and ran toward Aren, shouting, "Break time!"
A few heads turned. Most ignored her. But then, from the far end of the training grounds, a deeper silence fell. The air shifted—subtle, tense.
Four figures approached, wearing dark-toned uniforms marked with silver embroidery. A teacher trailed behind them, half-present, half-uninterested.
"Looks like the top-ranked team decided to show up," Aric whispered.
The one leading them was tall and composed, his gaze sharp as cut obsidian. His beast was a serpentine creature—long, lean, and cloaked in shadow. It slithered through the grass without a sound.
"Kael Rin," Liora said under her breath. "Top of the rankings."
Beside him was a boy nearly as broad as Dorian, his moss-green armor thick and covered in runes. A heavy turtle-like beast lumbered at his side, moss and rock growing from its shell like a miniature garden.
"Donas Brim," Lyra added. "Defense specialist."
The third was a lean, red-haired boy with golden eyes. His beast—a small gryphon—flapped once, and a gust of wind rippled through the trees.
"Lance Vermilion. Aerial tactics."
The last was a girl cloaked in crystalline silk. Her fox-like beast sparkled, its body made entirely of reflective glass and crystal.
"Velia Rune. Illusionist."
They stopped a short distance from Aren's team. Kael surveyed them, expression unreadable.
"So you're the team with the unknown beast," he said. "Interesting."
Dorian bristled. "What's it to you?"
"Nothing yet," Kael replied coolly. "Just observing. But keep working. You'll need it."
He turned and walked away. The others followed without another word.
The tension eased slightly as they left, but something had changed.
"I hate how calm he is," Aric muttered. "Like he's already won."
Liora didn't speak. Neither did Lyra.
Aren stared after Kael, hand resting on Sharu's back. The little beast didn't move—but Aren could feel it. A faint thrum of energy, like a quiet warning.
Rivals had arrived. And the gap between them felt vast.
That evening, as the sun dipped low and cast long shadows over the academy, a horn echoed through the courtyard. Students gathered at the arena's edge, some still bandaged, others boasting new bruises and burns. The judge from the first round stepped onto the central platform, his voice loud and commanding.
"Students," he began. "The first round has concluded. The results have been tallied, and the top ten individuals will now be announced."
Aren's heart pounded. He wasn't sure why—but something about this moment felt larger than rankings.
It felt like the beginning of everything.