Chapter 10: The Unseen Path

The sun had barely risen, but the tension from the dire wolf attack still clung to the air. Axton's mind raced as he and the other candidates continued their journey, the forest stretching on like an endless expanse. Despite the reassurances from the mentors, an unsettling quiet had settled over the group.

Axton couldn't shake the feeling that they weren't entirely alone. His senses tingled, as if the forest itself was watching them. The mentors, on high alert after the night's events, scanned the woods with sharp eyes. Their calm demeanor did little to ease the candidates' unease, especially as the winding path led them deeper into an eerie, almost unnatural silence.

"We're close," the wiry man called back to the group, his voice low but firm. "Stay sharp."

As they walked, the air seemed to grow heavier, charged with an invisible force. Axton's senses, already heightened from the previous night, prickled with an odd electricity. He glanced at Elias, who looked just as tense, his hand resting on the hilt of a dagger that had seen little use.

"Do you feel that?" Axton whispered.

Elias nodded, his brow furrowed. "Yeah. It's… different here."

The group came to a sudden halt at the edge of a vast, wide clearing. In the distance, the academy loomed—massive stone walls rose from the earth, their surfaces etched with ancient runes glowing faintly in the morning light. Jagged cliffs surrounded the towering structure, and the very air around it seemed to shimmer, alive with power.

Axton's breath caught in his throat. It was far more imposing than he had imagined. It looked less like a place of learning and more like a fortress—one that had stood for centuries.

But it wasn't the sight of the academy that caused Axton's heart to skip a beat. It was the strange, ethereal barrier that surrounded it.

A translucent, shimmering wall of light stretched across the clearing, encircling the entire academy. The barrier wasn't just a magical field—it felt like a living thing, as though it could see and judge every person who approached. It pulsed with a slow, rhythmic beat, each pulse echoing in the pit of Axton's stomach.

"This is the Academy's entrance," the silver-haired woman said, her voice quiet but filled with authority. "Only those worthy can pass through."

As if on cue, she raised her hand. The air before her seemed to bend, the barrier rippling as a hole appeared in its surface. The hole widened, revealing the path that led into the academy.

"Step through," she commanded, her eyes scanning the candidates one by one.

Axton stepped forward, his heartbeat quickening. The closer he got to the barrier, the more it seemed to hum, vibrating with an unseen energy. His hand brushed against the air before the hole, and the instant he touched it, a shock of electricity shot through him, leaving his fingers tingling.

"Don't hesitate," Elias urged from behind him, though his voice trembled.

Axton hesitated for only a moment longer, then stepped forward. As he passed through the barrier, he felt an intense rush of energy—like a torrent of power coursing through him, testing his resolve. The world around him shimmered, then solidified again. He blinked, disoriented for a heartbeat, before finding himself on the other side.

He glanced back at the group. The silver-haired woman was already through, and the others followed, one by one. As each person passed, the barrier shimmered and closed behind them, leaving no trace of its presence.

For a moment, Axton thought he felt something watching him from within the academy's walls. But before he could focus on it, the group continued forward, crossing into the heart of the academy. The massive doors ahead creaked open, revealing an imposing hall lined with high windows that let in the first rays of sunlight.

Axton's breath caught in his throat again. The sheer magnitude of the place, the sense of history and power that seemed to linger in the air—it was overwhelming.

The silver-haired woman turned to face the group. "This is only the beginning," she said, her eyes now cold as steel. "You're here to prove your worth. You're here to survive."

Axton could feel his heart race as they crossed the threshold. This place was more than just an academy. It was a crucible, a testing ground where only the strongest would survive.

And he wasn't sure he was ready for whatever awaited him here.