The Riftborn Alpha loomed over them, its massive form blotting out the sickly green sky of the rift. Each breath it took rattled the ground, its jagged claws digging deep furrows into the stone. Violet energy pulsed through the veins beneath its armored hide, and its many eyes locked onto the group with terrifying intelligence.
"Well," Kyle muttered, flipping a dagger in his hand. "This is going to suck."
Aveline adjusted her grip on her lightning-wreathed sword. "No shit."
Luna cracked her knuckles, hefting her warhammer. "Finally, a real fight."
Vivienne snapped her fan open, the razor edges glinting. "Try not to die, darlings. I'd hate to mourn you."
Cedric exhaled slowly, his spear and sword at the ready. "Stay mobile. Don't let it corner you."
The Alpha roared—and the battle began.
First Strike
The beast moved faster than anything its size had any right to. One moment it was standing still—the next, it was upon them, its massive claws swiping in a deadly arc.
Aveline barely dodged, rolling to the side as the strike gouged the earth where she'd stood.
Luna braced behind her shield, skidding back from the force of the blow.
Vivienne flipped gracefully out of range, her fan sending a volley of poisoned needles toward the Alpha's eyes.
Cedric didn't retreat.
He charged.
His spear lashed out, aiming for the gap in the Alpha's armored plating at its elbow. The strike landed, black blood spraying—but the beast barely flinched.
A backhanded swing sent Cedric flying. He twisted mid-air, using his spear to arrest his momentum, skidding across the ground. His ribs screamed in protest, but he forced himself back up.
"Distract it!" he shouted.
The others didn't need to be told twice.
Teamwork
Aveline unleashed a bolt of Leonheart lightning, the crackling energy scorching the Alpha's hide. It snarled, turning toward her—
Luna seized the opening, her warhammer crashing into its knee with a sickening crunch. The beast staggered.
Vivienne darted in, her fan slicing through tendons at the back of its ankle.
Kyle moved like a shadow, his daggers finding the weak points between plates, each stab precise and brutal.
But the Alpha wasn't done.
With a guttural growl, the beast's tendrils erupted from its back, lashing out like whips.
One caught Aveline across the chest, sending her crashing into a boulder.
Another wrapped around Luna's hammer, yanking her off her feet.
Vivienne barely avoided being impaled, flipping backward with a curse.
Cedric saw his chance.
The Counterattack
He channeled dark energy into his spear, the weapon humming with power. With a running leap, he drove it deep into the Alpha's side, twisting to maximize the damage.
The beast howled, its violet eyes blazing with fury.
One massive claw swung toward him—too fast to dodge.
"CEDRIC!" Aveline's voice cut through the chaos.
A blast of lightning intercepted the strike, giving him just enough time to wrench his spear free and roll away.
The Alpha, now bleeding heavily from multiple wounds, seemed to reassess them. Its muscles coiled, its many eyes narrowing.
This wasn't over.
The unnatural sky of the rift pulsed with violet energy as the battle reached its fever pitch. The Riftborn Alpha towered over them, its massive form heaving with each ragged breath. Black blood oozed from multiple wounds, but its violet eyes burned with undiminished fury. The ground trembled beneath its clawed feet as it prepared to strike again.
Cedric wiped sweat from his brow, his muscles screaming in protest. His dark energy reserves were running low, but the water core within him hummed with untapped potential. He had avoided using it openly until now, but survival outweighed secrecy.
"Cover me!" he shouted to the others.
Aveline didn't hesitate. Her lightning-clad sword flashed as she launched herself at the Alpha's flank, drawing its attention. Luna followed with a thunderous hammer strike to its wounded knee, while Vivienne's poisoned needles found their mark in the beast's remaining eyes.
Kyle appeared beside Cedric, his daggers dripping with black blood. "Whatever you're planning, do it fast. We can't keep this up much longer."
Cedric nodded and closed his eyes. He reached inward, feeling the cool pulse of his water core. The energy flowed differently than darkness - where shadow was sharp and sudden, water was patient and relentless.
When he opened his eyes again, a shimmering blue aura surrounded his weapons. The spear in his left hand dripped with condensed moisture, while his sword gleamed as if freshly drawn from a river.
The Alpha sensed the shift in energy and turned its massive head toward him. With a guttural roar, it charged.
Cedric moved.
Dark energy cloaked his body, enhancing his speed as he dodged the initial lunge. Then he pivoted, water energy surging through his spear as he thrust it forward. The attack carried the relentless pressure of a tidal wave, piercing through the Alpha's armored hide with surprising ease.
The beast howled in pain, but Cedric wasn't done. He channeled both elements simultaneously - darkness to conceal his movements, water to enhance his strikes. His sword lashed out in a fluid arc, the blade sheathed in pressurized liquid that cut deeper than steel alone could manage.
Aveline's eyes widened as she watched from a distance. "Since when could he do that?"
Vivienne, despite the dire situation, couldn't help but smirk. "I told you he was special."
Luna just grinned and hefted her hammer. "About time he stopped holding back."
The Alpha, now bleeding from dozens of wounds, staggered back. Its movements grew sluggish, but the violet light in its eyes burned brighter than ever. The air around it crackled with unstable energy as its body began to convulse.
Kyle's face paled. "Oh hell. It's going to-"
The explosion of violet energy sent them all flying. Cedric barely managed to erect a shield of swirling water and darkness around himself, but the impact still knocked the breath from his lungs. He hit the ground hard, rolling several times before coming to a stop near the edge of a cliff.
Through the dust and debris, the Alpha emerged - its body now crackling with the same violet energy that powered the rift. Broken bones had realigned, wounds had sealed, and its muscles bulged with renewed strength.
Cedric pushed himself to his feet, his entire body protesting. His two cores still had energy, but maintaining both elements simultaneously was draining him faster than he'd anticipated. He glanced at his scattered companions - Aveline struggling to rise, Luna pinned under debris, Vivienne clutching a wounded arm, Kyle nowhere to be seen.
The Alpha's gaze locked onto him, recognizing the greatest threat. It lowered its head and charged, the ground shaking with each step.
Cedric braced himself, water and darkness swirling around his weapons in a desperate last stand. The distance between them closed in seconds.
Then - a blur of motion from above.
A massive warhammer crashed down between them, the impact cratering the earth and forcing the Alpha to skid to a halt. A familiar figure landed beside the weapon, her muscular frame silhouetted against the rift's eerie light.
"Did you really think," Luna growled as she wrenched her hammer free, "we'd let you have all the fun?"
Aveline appeared on Cedric's other side, her lightning dancing across her blade. "Save your heroic last stands for storybooks."
Vivienne's voice came from behind the Alpha, her fan gleaming with fresh poison. "Really, darling. You should know by now - we don't share well."
Even Kyle materialized from the shadows, his daggers drawn. "Though I'm still taking bets on who gets the killing blow."
The Alpha roared in frustration, its many eyes darting between them. The battle was far from over.
Cedric allowed himself a small, tired smile as he adjusted his grip on his weapons. The water and darkness energies responded eagerly to his call, swirling together in an unstable but powerful mix. He could feel his limits being tested, his body straining under the dual elements' demands.
But he wasn't alone.
The Alpha attacked again, and this time, they moved as one.
The Riftborn Alpha roared, its mutated body pulsing with unstable violet energy as it prepared for one final assault. The ground trembled beneath its massive form, and the air crackled with tension.
"Now!" Cedric shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos.
The group moved as one—
Aveline channeled her lightning through her blade, striking the Alpha's wounded leg and forcing it to buckle.
Luna followed with a crushing hammer blow to its spine, the impact sending shockwaves through its body.
Vivienne darted in, her poisoned fan slicing through the tendons in its remaining arm.
Kyle struck from the shadows, his daggers finding the gaps in its armored hide.
And Cedric—
He surged forward, darkness and water swirling around his weapons in perfect harmony. His spear lashed out first, piercing the Alpha's chest with the force of a tidal wave. Before the beast could react, his sword followed, sheathed in pressurized water that carved deep into its flesh.
The Alpha staggered, its violet eyes flickering wildly. Then, with one final, guttural howl, it collapsed—its massive body dissolving into dark mist as the rift itself began to shudder.
They had won.
Return to the Academy
The moment they stepped back through the rift's exit, the Great Hall erupted in murmurs. Other groups were still emerging—some battered, some triumphant—but none had cleared the trial as quickly as Cedric's team.
Headmaster Orlan observed them with an unreadable expression before announcing:
"Team Leonheart-Stirling-Thorntorn-Blackwood—first to complete the rift trial. Placement: Class A."
A mix of cheers and resentful whispers spread through the hall.
The Seeds of Jealousy
As they walked toward the designated Class A seating, Cedric could feel the weight of countless stares—particularly from the noble-born male students.
"Look at that commoner," muttered one, his voice dripping with disdain. "Thinks he's special just because he can swing a sword."
Another scoffed. "Three of the most sought-after women in the Academy, and they're all fawning over him? Ridiculous."
Even some of the instructors exchanged glances. "That boy's skill is unnatural," one murmured. "No commoner should be able to wield dual elements like that."
But Cedric ignored them all, his focus on his team—on Aveline's proud smirk, Luna's approving nod, Vivienne's playful wink, and even Kyle's grudging respect.
They had survived. They had triumphed.
And for now, that was enough.
The Path Ahead
As the remaining groups finished their trials, the Headmaster's voice echoed through the hall once more:
"Tomorrow, your true training begins. Class assignments are final. Dismissed."
The moment the words left his mouth, Aveline grabbed Cedric's arm. "You're explaining that water magic later," she hissed.
Luna chuckled. "And you're sparring with me. I want to see what else you've been hiding."
Vivienne twirled a lock of hair around her finger. "Oh, I have much more interesting plans for him."
Cedric sighed, but the corner of his mouth twitched upward.
He had a feeling this was only the beginning.