Chapter 21:"The aftermath and the second trial"

The real fight began.

The razorfang lunged again, faster this time—wilder, like it had sensed the shift in power and wanted to crush it before it grew.

But Seraphina met it without fear.

Wind whipped around her like a shield, catching sparks from her flames and scattering them into dancing embers. She darted forward, faster than she had any right to be, ducking low and striking hard—palm-first into the beast's ribs. Fire burst from her hands, not in wild torrents, but as focused detonations.

The razorfang roared.

It swiped with both claws, but Seraphina leapt. Wind lifted her mid-jump, carrying her just high enough to twist over the attack and land on the beast's back.

I gasped.

She wasn't just fighting anymore. She was dominating.

The razorfang bucked, trying to shake her off, but she clung to its fur with one hand, the other blazing with fire. With a sharp cry, she slammed it down against the back of its neck.

An explosion of flame lit the clearing.

The beast stumbled, coughing smoke. It twisted, finally throwing her off, but Seraphina flipped midair, caught herself with a burst of wind, and skidded to a perfect landing.

"Unbelievable…" Mariette murmured beside me.

Even Valeria leaned forward in her seat, brows lifted ever so slightly.

"She's—"

"Multi-elemental," Mariette finished, voice hushed with awe.

I swallowed hard.

I knew this moment was coming. I'd read about it. Seraphina would awaken her wind affinity at the Academy, after months of pushing past failure and doubt.

But she had done it now.

Here. In front of all of us.

And it was breathtaking.

Valeria gave a slow nod, her expression unreadable. "She's adapting."

The razorfang let out a low growl and charged again—more cautious this time, weaving side to side, trying to predict her movement.

But Seraphina wasn't predictable.

She shot upward with a gust of wind, then twisted and hurled a firebolt down. It struck near the beast's paws, forcing it to shift—and in that opening, she dove.

A blur of heat and wind.

She struck the razorfang's chest with both palms, unleashing twin bursts of flame that sent it reeling. Her body spun with the motion, and wind pushed her backward, giving her distance for another strike.

This wasn't luck. It wasn't instinct.

It was skill.

Hard-earned. Trained.

And yet, she made it look like art.

The razorfang, stunned and scorched, gave one last growl and collapsed to its knees.

Valeria stood. "Enough."

A pulse of magic rippled outward. The runes on the arena flared back to life, locking the beast in stasis. It froze mid-growl, held in place by glowing chains.

Silence fell.

Seraphina staggered slightly, sweat dripping down her jaw. Her flames flickered out. The wind around her slowed.

Then she straightened.

Her eyes scanned the field—first the razorfang, then Valeria, then… us.

And she smiled.

It was small. Tired. But real.

And in that moment, she looked powerful.

Not because of her magic.

Because she'd faced every voice that said she wasn't enough—and proved them wrong.

I couldn't stop staring.

Mariette whispered, "That was… incredible."

Even Valeria's voice was softer when she finally spoke. "Dual affinities are rare. But when one awakens under pressure…" Her gaze sharpened. "The Academy will be watching."

Seraphina didn't flinch. She just nodded once——and then she swayed.

Her knees buckled. Her eyes rolled back.

"Seraphina!" I lunged forward, catching her just as she collapsed.

Her body was burning hot, skin clammy. Her mana was drained.

Completely.

I held her close, lowering her gently to the ground. "She's out cold," I said.

Mariette rushed over and knelt beside us.

"Mana exhaustion. She pushed herself too far."

Valeria didn't move, but I saw her jaw tighten. Her eyes flicked toward the razorfang still frozen in the field.

The trial wasn't over.

"Celia," Mariette said, standing and drawing her sword. "It's our turn now."

I nodded and rose slowly, brushing a lock of hair from Seraphina's face before standing beside Mariette.

The runes pulsed.

The chains around the razorfang dissolved.

But the razorfang didn't move.

It couldn't.

The fight was over.

Then the arena pulsed again.

Another rune ignited, this time at the opposite end of the field.

The ground split open.

And from it crawled something new.

It was massive. Hulking like a gorilla, but its limbs were too long—jointed wrong. Its arms ended in hooked claws, and its back bristled with twitching spider legs that clicked against its shoulders like skeletal limbs waiting to pounce. Its body was covered in black, velvet-like fur broken by plates of chitin that shimmered purple in the light.

Shadows curled around its limbs like smoke.

A shadowborn predator. Half-beast, half-monstrosity. Like someone took a gorilla, a spider, and every childhood nightmare—and fused them into one.

Its eyes glinted with cruel intelligence. Not rage. Not bloodlust.

Just hunger.

Mariette's grip tightened on her blade.

"That's the duskfur simian."

I nodded grimly. "The most dangerous of the two."

It watched us.

Not with challenge.

But patience.

Like it was waiting for something.

I felt it again—that instinct deep in my chest. The one I had to ignore.

Because if I reached for my light magic now… Valeria would see it. And I wasn't ready for that.

Not yet.

Valeria's voice rang out. "Celia Averna.

Mariette Loire. Begin."

The simian crouched low—and lunged.

Mariette met it mid-leap with her blade already swinging.

And the second trial began.