Nap Time

I woke up feeling unstoppable.

Like, if a god walked into my room right now, I'd challenge them to a duel and probably win.

My body felt light, my mind clear, and for the first time since stepping into this Academy, I didn't feel like I was just surviving.

I felt alive.

The warmth of my mother's blessing still thrummed in my veins, wrapping around me like an invisible shield. No tension. No exhaustion. Just pure, buzzing energy.

It was glorious.

Cyrus, my ever-judgmental shadow cat, flicked his tail from his spot at the foot of my bed, watching me with his glowing silver eyes.

"You're smiling way too much," he muttered.

"Shouldn't I be?" I stretched, grinning. "I was trained by the great Orion Aetos himself. That practically makes me a champion already."

Cyrus let out a long sigh. "I give you five minutes before you run for your life."

"That's generous of you."

Before I could argue further, a knock sounded at my door. Orion walked in like he owned the place, arms crossed, already looking at me suspiciously.

"You're in a suspiciously good mood," he said.

I fastened my Greek armor, adjusting the chest plate. "Why wouldn't I be? I've been trained by the future king of Aetheros. I'd be ashamed if I didn't at least hit top 30."

Orion let out a quiet laugh. "You aiming for top 30, huh?"

"I was thinking number one."

He smirked, but then his expression turned serious.

"I won't be here to watch your match."

I blinked. "What? Why?"

His gaze flickered toward the window. "I have to go back to Aetheros. There's been… an issue."

Aetheros—the Kingdom of the Skies. Orion's home, where his father, King Zephryon Aetos, ruled. If something was serious enough that Orion and the other Holy Knights were being called back to their respective kingdoms, then this wasn't some minor inconvenience.

"What kind of issue?" I asked.

Orion didn't answer.

Which meant it was bad.

Instead, he placed a hand on my shoulder. "Focus on the trial. Get into the top 30, and you'll be fine."

I exhaled slowly, realizing I wasn't going to get any more information out of him.

For a moment, I wanted to ask if he'd be back soon.

If everything would still be the same when he returned.

Instead, I forced a grin. "Fine, fine. I'll just have to win without an audience."

Orion gave me a look like he half-believed me. "Try not to embarrass me."

And then, just like that, he was gone.

The Battlefield of Olympus

I hadn't been expecting an ordinary battlefield.

I mean, this was Olympus Academy—nothing here was ever normal. But even so, when the portal opened and I stepped through, I was not prepared for what I saw.

This wasn't a simple arena.

It was a world of its own.

A fractured dimension, warped and twisted into a battlefield where every terrain imaginable clashed together.

To my left? A dense, misty forest, filled with tangled roots and shifting shadows. To my right? A massive river, its currents swirling like liquid silver. Beyond that, rolling plains, jagged mountains, and even a volcanic ridge belching smoke into the sky.

It was everything and nothing all at once.

And the best part?

We weren't dropped in the same place.

The moment we entered, every student got randomly teleported to a different location on the battlefield.

No easy alliances.

No safe zones.

Just pure, unfiltered survival.

10.

The sky cracked with lightning.

9.

A tidal wave erupted somewhere in the distance.

8.

A monstrous roar shook the ground beneath me.

7.

I spotted Lucas Marlowe, Felix Regas, and Damien Alaris in the distance.

6.

They weren't looking around.

5.

They were looking at me.

4.

Oh.

3.

They were hunting me.

2.

Lucas's eyes gleamed, and I felt the shift in the air before the countdown even hit zero.

1.

Boom.

The second the match started, I dashed.

Like, really fast.

Before they could even position themselves to strike, I was already gone.

Lucas, Felix, and Damien froze for half a second, completely caught off guard.

They had been so sure I'd run after the countdown, but I ran during it.

And now?

I was already out of reach.

They recovered quickly.

Lucas smirked. "Clever."

Felix clenched his fists. "Annoying."

Damien growled. "Coward."

They moved. Fast.

Lucas's tidal wave shot forward. Felix's lightning struck the ground at my heels. Damien was already closing the distance.

"Nope. Nope. Nope."

I melted into the shadows.

Instantly, I dropped into the darkness beneath the battlefield, feeling the world twist as I reappeared several feet away, hidden behind a tree.

I heard them curse behind me.

I smirked.

"Not even five minutes? Come on, at least let me look good for the crowd."

Felix turned, his eyes scanning the battlefield.

Damien growled, "Where did he go?"

Lucas narrowed his eyes. "We'll find him. He can't run forever."

I'd like to see them try.

Cheating is Just Smart Fighting

Look, I never claimed to be the strongest fighter.

But I knew how to survive.

And when faced with three heirs to the most powerful divine bloodlines, I did the smartest thing possible:

I ran straight into the forest.

Which, by the way, was way too quiet.

But I wasn't here to admire the scenery—I was here to not die.

I ducked behind a fallen tree and reached out.

Not with my hands.

With my blood.

With my heritage.

My mother had told me something important.

I was the heir to the Underworld.

That meant the dead… listened to me.

I whispered into the void, calling upon the shadows beneath the earth.

And the dead answered.

Around me, thirty warriors rose from the shadows—skeletons clad in cracked armor, wielding rusted blades. Their empty eyes locked onto me, awaiting my command.

I smirked.

"Go nuts."

They vanished into the trees, already hunting the monsters roaming the battlefield.

And I?

I climbed a tree.

And took a nap.