End of year exam

The year had passed faster than Benjamin had expected.

The Academy's halls, once vast and unfamiliar, now felt like a second home. The grueling training, the relentless lectures, and the countless hours spent honing their understanding of the world's patterns had forged every student into something greater than what they once were.

But the Academy wasn't about simple instruction. It wasn't about memorizing techniques or formulas.

Sagecraft was art, not science.

It was a way of seeing the world, feeling the invisible threads that wove existence together, and learning to interact with them. No two Sages wielded their Laws in the same way, just as no two painters used the same brushstrokes.

And Benjamin had begun to find his own rhythm.

He had learned to hold his own in combat, reaching the level of an expert martial artist. His new ability, Transference, had potential, but it still felt incomplete.

When he transferred his consciousness into Atty, he moved with grace and instinct, experiencing the world through his companion's keen senses. He had even learned to fly in this state—soaring over the Academy's vast courtyards at night when no one was watching.

But when he let Atty possess him, his own body became an engine of raw combat prowess—faster, stronger, sharper.

Yet, he couldn't do both at once.

It was like trying to move one leg at a time, never quite achieving a full stride. Something was missing.

And he still lost against the likes of Adu Awl, whose Law of Death dismantled him with ease.

But Benjamin had his own strengths—and people had begun to notice.

---

Benjamin had grown closer to the Hayawas, particularly a warrior named Dab of the Scalid Tribe.

She was slim, muscular, her fur a deep ethereal green, eyes a piercing yellow. Her features resembled a panther from Earth, but with an elegance that made her movements almost hypnotic.

Her Law of Precision allowed her to control every motion of her body with absurd accuracy—adjusting her attacks mid-swing, moving between strikes with inhuman grace, landing blows at perfect angles.

The potential of her Law was limitless. Precision was everything—it dictated the crafting of tools, the control of Sage energy, the execution of complex techniques.

But their friendship hadn't started easily.

It had begun during a combat lesson, when Yu—of all people—had somehow tied with her in a sparring match.

---

A month ago, the combat grounds.

Dab stood, arms crossed, eyes narrowing as she analyzed her opponent.

"You're slow," she muttered, tail flicking behind her.

Yu grinned, rolling his shoulders. "And yet, here we are."

Benjamin sat on the sidelines, watching with interest. Yu wasn't a masterful combatant, but he had something no one could quite pin down.

He wasn't fast. He wasn't strong.

But he was unpredictable.

Dab lunged, her movements perfect, refined, every strike landing with exact precision. Yu, on the other hand, looked like a man fighting a strong breeze—ducking, swaying, shifting at awkward angles that made no sense.

It shouldn't have worked.

And yet, somehow, Yu evaded each attack, barely dodging by inches, his laughter never quite leaving his lips.

Then, in a moment of pure madness, he countered with a move so absurd it shouldn't have been possible—he rolled forward, between Dab's legs, and grabbed her tail.

She froze.

Yu immediately let go and leapt back, raising his hands. "Okay, okay, bad move—"

She slammed him into the ground before he could finish.

The entire class erupted into laughter.

From that day on, Yu and Dab became odd rivals—an unpredictable, maddening duo who pushed each other constantly, with Benjamin caught somewhere between them.

Now, as the final exam approached, their entire first-year class felt the tension thickening.

And Benjamin knew that this exam would change things forever.

---

It was the final day before the test, and the air in the Academy was charged with anticipation.

Students murmured in the halls, groups gathered in circles, discussing rumors about what the exam would be.

The instructors had given no details, only that it would take place outside the Academy.

Benjamin sat at his usual table in the mess hall, across from Yu and Dab. Atty was curled up on the bench beside him, eyes half-lidded in drowsy contentment.

Yu sighed dramatically. "Alright. Spill. Anyone here got a shred of information about this test? Because if I walk in blind and it turns out to be another 'survive a dungeon for three days' kind of test, I'm going to start crying."

Dab flicked an ear. "You cry over everything."

"Not true," Yu protested. "I only cried when I thought Benjamin died, and that was once. Maybe twice."

Benjamin rolled his eyes. "I don't think it'll be like that. If they wanted to throw us into another death trap, they'd have at least given us a vague warning."

Dab took a sip of her tea. "Or they didn't, because they want us to figure it out as we go."

Yu groaned, letting his head drop onto the table. "This is exactly what I was afraid of."

Benjamin exhaled. He had his own concerns, but something in his gut told him that whatever this final test was, it was more than just a simple evaluation.

It would be something critical.

Something that could determine his future in the Academy.

And more importantly—

It might force him to finally figure out the missing piece in his connection with Atty.

Yu grumbled into the table. "Well, whatever it is, we'll just have to survive. Again. And if it is a dungeon, let's all agree not to split up this time."

Benjamin smirked. "That's assuming they even let us work in groups."

Yu's face fell.

Dab shrugged. "Wouldn't be the worst thing. Might actually force some of us to improve."

Yu sighed deeply. "Fine. But if I die, I'm haunting you both."

Benjamin chuckled. "Noted."

Atty let out a lazy chirp, stretching his small wings before curling back up.

Tomorrow, everything would change.

And Benjamin had to be ready.

--

The city of Hukuma was safe. At least, that's what most people believed.

There were no street gangs ruling the alleyways, no petty criminals lurking behind every shadow. The fear of the Sages ensured that. Few dared to cross a path that might bring a Sage's wrath upon them.

But that didn't mean there was no crime.

It only meant that the real criminals worked in the dark, unseen.

Groups that thrived without competition. Organizations that didn't just break the law but bent the very fabric of reality itself.

And the worst of them, the one that had spread like rot through the underworld of Khial, was The Black Flame.

A vast, decentralized network of criminals, mercenaries, and fallen Sages who had abandoned their path for personal gain. Their branches stretched across the Eastern Continent and beyond, their influence whispered about in hushed voices.

Their members weren't just thugs.

They were Law Wielders.

---

The students gathered in the Academy's central hall, seated in rows, the torches casting flickering light on the high stone walls. The air was tense, filled with unspoken anticipation.

At the front, standing before them, was General Darib—the same instructor who had overseen their combat training.

He wasn't the kind of man who gave long-winded speeches. He was a soldier first, a Sage second, and everything about him—from his hardened stance to the scars lining his arms—told the students that he had seen real war, not just theoretical battles.

"You are no longer beginners," Darib said, his voice carrying through the hall. "You've spent a year learning about the Laws, about how to fight, about the world. Now, it's time for your first taste of reality."

A murmur ran through the students. Some were excited. Others, like Benjamin, felt a cold weight settle in their stomachs.

"The Black Flame operates within this city," Darib continued. "You might not have seen them, but they are here. They thrive in the places where the law does not reach. The men you fought in your first days here, the ones you ran into in the alley?" His sharp eyes flicked to Benjamin, knowingly. "They were low-level grunts of this very group. The real members are far more dangerous."

Benjamin felt his pulse quicken.

"So, what's the task?" someone called out.

Darib smiled, but there was no warmth in it.

"You will be locating and sabotaging one of their hideouts."

The tension cracked in the room. Murmurs turned into low exclamations, some excited, others uneasy.

"Are we… fighting them?" one student asked cautiously.

"You are not to engage in a full confrontation," Darib said firmly. "Your goal is to infiltrate, to observe, and to disrupt. You will not be alone—the city watch will be monitoring from afar, ensuring that this does not spiral out of control. But be warned…"

His eyes darkened.

"Sages are powerful, yes. But you are not invincible."

The hall fell silent.

"Some of you think this is just another test," Darib continued. "It is not. This is how the world truly works. Do you think the Empires support this Academy for nothing? No. They train you because they need warriors. They need commanders. Sages shape the world—but only those strong enough to survive its chaos."

Benjamin swallowed hard.

This wasn't a game. This wasn't a fantasy world where heroes always won.

Sages bled like anyone else.

And people died in these trials.

There had been whispers—stories passed down by older students about an exam years ago that had gone horribly wrong.

A group of students, overconfident, had tracked down a hideout and ignored orders to observe and sabotage.

They attacked.

The Black Flame had been ready.

The students were found days later. Two dead. One missing.

The remaining three had survived but had never spoken about what they saw.

Benjamin gritted his teeth. This was real.

Darib let the weight of his words settle before continuing.

"You will form your own groups. Choose wisely. You will not be graded for success or failure—only survival matters."

---

The moment the students were dismissed, chaos broke out.

People rushed to form groups, some clinging to their closest friends, others desperately seeking strong teammates.

Benjamin barely had time to think before Yu appeared at his side, grinning.

"Welp," Yu said, clapping his shoulder. "Looks like we're doing this together."

Benjamin let out a breath. "Was there ever any doubt?"

"Not really," Yu admitted. "But if I didn't say it first, I was worried someone else would steal you."

Dab joined them next, standing with arms crossed. "I'm in."

Benjamin raised an eyebrow. "You sure? I figured you'd group up with the other Hayawas."

Dab scoffed. "Half of them are idiots. I trust you two more."

Yu put a hand to his heart. "I'm touched. Truly."

She rolled her eyes.

Benjamin exhaled, looking at the two of them. This was a good team.

Yu was unpredictable and absurdly lucky, always managing to slip out of bad situations.

Dab was precise, calculated, a specialist in movement and control.

And Benjamin…

Well, he still wasn't sure what he brought to the table.

But he had to figure it out fast.

Because tomorrow, they would be hunting criminals.

And if they failed?

The Black Flame wouldn't show mercy.