Xarl stood at the gates of the Embra Academy testing grounds, his heart pounding like a war drum in his chest. Excitement wrestled with a surge of anxiety. He had practiced relentlessly for the past month—endless hours of training, meditation, and reading. Yet, the thought of being disqualified clawed at him with cold fingers. This was more than a test; it was his shot at changing his life.
The grounds buzzed with activity. Hundreds of young participants, from various races and walks of life, filled the space. Elves with graceful postures, beastkin sharpening their claws, vampires with brooding expressions, dwarves laughing in tightly-knit groups—the atmosphere was a chaotic tapestry of ambition and pride. Over five thousand hopefuls gathered, and only around a hundred would be accepted. The odds were daunting.
Xarl scanned the grounds, feeling the sting of isolation. Most people chatted in groups, laughing or flexing their aura for attention. He remained on the fringes, alone. No familiar faces, no comforting presence.
He exhaled and reached for his system interface, intending to review his quests and calm himself.
But before he could, a voice sliced through the air.
"You."
He looked up.
A girl stood just a few feet away, silver eyes narrowed with contempt, her blood-red hair braided into twin ropes that swayed with her every movement.Her posture screamed confidence, but her aura was unsettling—like a beast wearing a human smile.
Xarl blinked, caught off guard.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice sharp. "This academy is for those with strength and aura. You have neither. Did you really think they'd let someone like you in?"
He stared at her for a moment, irritation rising.
"That's got nothing to do with you," he said, voice steady. "Unless you're scared I'll take your seat?"
Her eyes flashed.
"It has everything to do with me," she said, barely holding back. "I don't want weaklings like you in my class. I don't even need this test to qualify. I'm only here to shut everyone else up. Not like I owe you an explanation."
She turned on her heel and walked off without another word.
Xarl narrowed his eyes, exhaling slowly.
But then, without warning, his system interface exploded to life—vibrating violently, screens flashing red, symbols scrambling as a piercing alarm blared in his ears.
BZZZZZT!BZZZZZT!
Xarl clutched his head as a sharp pain stabbed into his skull. It felt like his mind was tearing apart. The system buzzed like it had encountered a critical error, spitting corrupted lines of code and warning symbols he couldn't decipher.
"Stop, stop...!" he hissed through clenched teeth, stumbling to one knee.
And just as suddenly as it started, the chaos vanished. The system interface went blank. No messages. No explanations. Just silence.
He gasped for breath, wiping sweat from his brow.
What the hell was that?
He looked toward the girl again. She was already gone in the crowd, her crimson braids disappearing between taller figures. His heart hadn't settled. Something about her presence had triggered that malfunction.
He clenched his fists.
Who is she?
Before he could dwell on it, a loud voice echoed across the testing grounds, silencing the chatter.
"Attention, participants!" a man's voice called. "Welcome to the preliminary exam for Embra Academy. You will face three trials today. Each will grow in difficulty. You have been placed in groups of five. Work together, or you will fail. Only the top-performing teams will be granted admission."
A collective murmur spread through the crowd.
Floating cards descended from the sky, glowing with faint golden light. Each participant caught theirs and looked at the contents.
Xarl read his: Group 3-71. Participants: Xarl (Human), Naeva (Elf), Ryne (Vampire), kor (Beastkin - Feline), ?? (Dragonkin). His eyes paused at the last line.
No. It couldn't be...
He turned around, and sure enough, she was there again.
The girl from before.
Dragonkin.
She locked eyes with him and gave a wicked little smirk, like fate itself was laughing.
Just then, all participants were given glowing bracelets. The devices would pulse whenever a team member was nearby, making it easier to locate allies.
Xarl's bracelet glowed faintly. He looked down and followed the signal. Soon, he met the others.
"I'm Naeva," said the elven girl, her voice calm but distant.
"vally," the vampire boy said. He looked Xarl up and down with mild disinterest. "From Valley Nocturne."
"Kor," the beastkin added, his cat-like tail flicking behind him. He was younger but carried himself with pride.
Xarl gave a respectful nod. "Xarl, from the Ryvera family. Human... with no aura."
A pause.
The others exchanged glances.
The silence was broken by the dragonkin girl.
"Disappointing," she muttered, arms crossed. "They really let anyone sign up these days."
The others didn't say anything aloud, but their faces spoke volumes.
Before tension could rise further, the instructor's voice returned.
"Your first trial will now begin. Your team will be teleported into a survival zone. Collect 50 different herbs and defeat 50 beasts. Each member must contribute. If even one person fails, the entire team is disqualified. If any member is lost, the entire team fails."
Gasps rippled across the field.
"You have four hours. Begin."
The light around them surged, and the world warped—
Xarl felt the ground shift beneath him as everything dissolved into a swirl of light and sound.
Then came darkness.
Then—trees. The smell of moss. A dense, humming forest alive with sound.
His system chimed again.
[Side Quest Generated]
Objective: Befriend Naeva, Ryne, and Kor. Reason: Essential alliance to defeat the unknown dragon threat.
Reward: Hidden Skill Tree Access (Locked)
Xarl froze.
Defeat the dragon?
His eyes darted toward the dragonkin girl who stood a few meters away, arms folded, looking completely unbothered.
She turned her head slightly, her silver eyes catching his.
A smirk.
The system may not have said it aloud, but Xarl could read between the lines.
Something was very, very wrong.
And it had crimson braids.