Chapter 53 - Trials of Fire and Crystal

The final weeks of the academy year arrived like a silent storm, unsettling every student with the looming shadow of exams. Tension rippled through the hallways, and whispered rumors of difficulty, impossible questions, and Elara Wyrmshade's standards became gospel among the second- and third-year students. The aura around Elara, once that of mystery and fascination, had evolved into awe-tinged dread. She was no longer just the academy's youngest and most accomplished professor—she had become an institution of expectations.

For Elara, the pressure came from all directions.

Designing the examinations for her students, especially the practical rune trials, became a task she took as seriously as any of her inventions. Each rune scenario she prepared demanded not only understanding but creativity, problem-solving, and an ability to adapt theory to practical application under time constraints. Her goal was not cruelty, but excellence—and the academy's future innovators deserved nothing less.

In her office, papers and test designs littered the walls and desks, annotated in her meticulous script. Each problem posed was a challenge, a puzzle laced with traps for the lazy and opportunities for the clever. She worked late into the nights, often joined by Kael, who would sit silently, occasionally applying fresh polish to Elara's nails while listening to the scratch of quill and parchment.

Outside her academic duties, Elara faced a surge in political interest. Proposals of marriage and alliance flooded in from noble houses and foreign envoys. They came with promises of power, prestige, and vast sums of gold. She refused them all. She did not need their money. She did not want their control.

Kael, ever watchful, began to notice something else.

Twice in one week, Elara's personal guard intercepted threats before they reached her. Neither attempt was particularly professional—one was an attempted poisoning, the other a cloaked figure who never made it past the perimeter wards. Elara watched from a distance as her security detail reacted swiftly, containing both threats before they could escalate. The second time, Kael's usually impassive demeanor cracked with visible tension, her jaw tight, her claws slightly extended.

"You're rattled," Elara noted, approaching Kael after the second incident.

"They grow bolder," Kael replied. "Sloppy, but frequent. That implies desperation or testing."

Elara nodded. "Tell Tolan. If they keep testing our defenses, something larger might be brewing."

In the lab, a breakthrough brought a rare wave of celebration.

After months of research, Elara and her team had finalized the first generation of functional long-range communicators. Designed as enchanted crystal cores embedded in bracelets, staffs, or even ornamental jewelry, the devices used synchronized runic frequencies etched under extreme pressure deep within a specially prepared mana crystal. The process required a combination of mechanical force and magical precision to ensure that the rune structure was perfectly embedded and immutable. Any physical compromise to the crystal caused it to dissolve, destroying the configuration.

Security by design.

Kael's bracers were upgraded immediately. Elara's staff was fitted with an elegant crystal ring near its base, the glow subtle but unmistakable when active. The communicators would only link with assigned counterparts—a secure line forged by design.

Distribution began swiftly.

Tolan coordinated the production and deployment to key personnel across the kingdom: guild leaders, provincial governors, city guard captains, and trusted court officials. With each device coded to a unique frequency, the communication network represented the largest leap in infrastructure since the kingdom's founding.

Despite the exhaustion, Elara found herself smiling more.

The day of the second-year exams arrived.

Elara stood at the front of the practice field, where runic test stations had been arranged in a wide arc. She wore her usual teaching attire—an indigo tunic embroidered with silver threads and high-heeled riding boots polished to a glossy, mirror-like shine, reflecting the sunlight with each step she took. A soft wind teased her hair, tied back with a satin ribbon.

The students approached in silence. Most looked terrified. A few tried to smile. One visibly trembled.

"You have two hours," Elara announced. "Apply what you've learned. Impress me."

And they did. At first, stumbling and hesitant, but then stronger. Sharper. Her students rose to the challenge. Complex runes were carved, vectors aligned, magic flowed. Of the entire class, 80% passed with competent results. 15% excelled, even earning nods of approval from Elara herself.

The mood afterward was jubilant—for everyone but Elara.

Lyria, Sylv, and even Kael cornered her in the corridor after the grading.

"You monster," Sylv declared, mock-offended. "How dare you make them solve a 4-ring reactive matrix blindfolded?"

"They could see with mana sight," Elara defended, smirking.

"Barely!" Lyria chimed in. "That was evil!"

"Unforgivable," Kael agreed solemnly. "Though... effective."

Elara grinned. "Next year, five rings."

Groans followed.

But their teasing hid something deeper: pride.

Word spread like wildfire. Students who passed Elara's exam, especially those in the third year, were inundated with job offers. Inventor guilds, noble house workshops, even foreign embassies wanted them. The 'Wyrmshade-certified' stamp became a badge of honor.

One afternoon, a group of third-years approached Elara outside the library. They bowed, some with tears in their eyes, and thanked her sincerely. For pushing them. For believing in them. For demanding the best.

She watched them go, heart full.

Later that week, Elara found Tolan in his office.

"Recruit them," she said.

He looked up, surprised. "The graduates?"

"All of them. If they passed my exam, they're good enough. Let's build the future together."

Tolan smiled slowly. "You really are building a kingdom, aren't you?"

Elara looked out the window at the sky, her reflection faint in the glass.

"Maybe. Or at least making sure the next one is better than the last."

And somewhere far away, eyes watched her through spyglass and prophecy alike. But for now, Elara stood at the height of her strength, surrounded by allies, ideas, and an unshakable vision.

She wasn't just preparing students.

She was preparing the world.