"Welcome to Aetherion," she said, her voice amplified by unseen magic, each syllable clear and crisp, carrying effortlessly across the vast space. "For those whose memories are fleeting, I am Vice Headmistress Riliane. Today marks the commencement of your entrance examination. Three days. That is all the time you will be granted to prove, unequivocally, that you possess the inherent potential to belong within these hallowed halls. At the end of these trials, only five thousand of you will remain."
The stark number hit the assembled students like a physical blow. Kael heard someone behind him curse under their breath, the sound laced with a raw fear that mirrored his own growing unease.
"Today, you will undergo two fundamental trials," Riliane continued, her gaze sweeping across the sea of faces, sharp and assessing. "The first, a resonance scan administered directly by the Archive itself. This initial assessment will determine whether you possess the minimal threshold of inherent magical ability required for entry into this academy."
As she spoke, the polished marble beneath their boots began to shimmer with an inner light. Sections of the courtyard, vast geometric patterns etched into their surface, began to shift and unfold with the precise mechanics of intricate clockwork.
Rising silently from the ground came hundreds of massive stone rings, each etched with pulsing glyphs that glowed with arcane energy, hovering weightlessly above newly raised dais platforms. Before each ring stood a cloaked inspector, their faces obscured by deep cowls, their posture impassive.
"Find an available platform and step forward when your name is called," Vice Headmistress Riliane instructed, her voice leaving no room for argument.
Like a startled flock of birds, the thousands of students scattered, a low murmur of panicked urgency replacing the earlier silence as they surged forward, jostling for position before the glowing rings.
One by one, names echoed across the courtyard, called by the cloaked inspectors. Students ascended the platforms, their movements ranging from confident strides to hesitant shuffles. They placed their hands upon the glowing pedestal at the center of the ring and waited, the silence stretching taut.
Some were accepted, a pulse of calming green light emanating from the construct. Others… weren't. When the stone pulsed with a harsh, undeniable red, silent guards in academy black materialized, their movements swift and efficient as they escorted the failed candidates away.
Kael watched a girl in the deep blue of a mage aspirant tremble visibly as the pedestal beneath her outstretched hand flashed a violent crimson.
The girl didn't move, her eyes wide with disbelief as she stared at her own fingers as if they had inexplicably betrayed her life's ambition. The guards lifted her gently but firmly by the arms. She didn't resist, her shoulders slumping in silent defeat.
Then, his own name echoed across the courtyard. "Darven, Kael."
He stepped forward, his heart pounding a heavy rhythm against his ribs. The polished stone beneath his worn leather boots vibrated faintly with latent energy.
As he approached the designated platform, a low, resonant hum filled his ears, a sound that seemed to vibrate deep within his bones. He took a steadying breath and pressed his palm to the cool, smooth surface of the pedestal.
For a heart-stopping breath, nothing happened. The silence stretched, amplifying the frantic beating of his own heart. Then, a deep, calming golden light burst forth from the pedestal beneath his touch, bathing his hand in its warm glow, and the Archive's voice, ancient and resonant, echoed clearly in the silent corners of his mind: "Passed."
Kael withdrew his hand slowly, his expression carefully neutral, betraying none of the sudden rush of relief that washed over him. But inside, the tight knot of anxiety in his chest finally began to unravel, leaving a fragile sense of calm in its wake.
He stepped down from the platform and rejoined the edge of the dispersing crowd, his eyes scanning for any familiar faces in the shifting sea of uniforms.
He spotted the girl he'd seen muttering earlier—the one with the nervously twisting fingers—now weeping quietly, her hands clenched into tight fists as two impassive guards flanked her, their grip firm on her arms.
"Wait! You don't understand! There must be some kind of mistake…" Her voice was choked with sobs. "Do you even have any idea who my uncle is?!"
Nearby, another boy was screaming and thrashing wildly as the guards efficiently pulled him away from the red-pulsing platform, his cries of injustice fading into the distance.
....…
"For the second trial," Vice Headmistress Riliane announced, her voice cutting through the lingering tension, was simpler, at least in its initial instruction.
"You will now proceed to the designated Proving Grounds," she stated, gesturing with a long, elegant hand. "Knights will proceed to the western arena. Mages, you will make your way to the eastern wing. Knights, you will face a simulated beast. You are permitted to use only your inherent physical capabilities. If any form of mana is detected emanating from your body, you will fail. Mages, your trial will consist of solving a single, intricate arcane puzzle. You are permitted the use of only one precisely executed spell."
Kael fell into step with the rest of the black-clad knight aspirants.
The western arena was massive, an open-roofed structure that seemed to stretch towards the horizon, its towering stands already filled with silent, robed observers who scribbled notes on glowing slates. Instead of the open arena floor, however, the knights were directed into a spacious hall adjacent to it, large enough to comfortably hold their numbers.