Morning came too quickly.
Levi barely slept. Every time he closed his eyes, he felt the weight of that whisper still curled deep inside his mind.
We will speak again.
The voice had been silent since last night, but its presence hadn't faded. It was like a cold hand on the back of his neck—never seen, always there.
He sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the faint purple marks crawling along the veins of his right arm. They pulsed faintly, in rhythm with his heartbeat.
No one could see this.
Not Mira. Not Gami. And definitely not the examiners at the Guild Hall.
A sharp knock rattled his door.
"Levi, you're going to be late." Mira's voice carried its usual brisk tone, but underneath, he caught a note of worry.
He pulled on his coat, wrapping bandages around his arm until the strange markings disappeared.
"I'm ready," he lied, stepping outside into the crisp morning air.
The village square buzzed with energy. Dozens of young mages and fighters crowded the cobblestone plaza, all gathered for the Guild Exam.
Banners bearing each guild's crest fluttered in the breeze — the blazing phoenix of Azure Phoenix, the snarling wolf of Crimson Wolves, the black-feathered raven of Obsidian Ravens.
The Guild Hall doors stood open, revealing rows of examiners in crisp uniforms.
Levi scanned the crowd, his eyes landing on Gami almost immediately. His rival stood with his arms crossed, sword at his hip, wearing the same faint smirk that made Levi's teeth clench.
"Still alive?" Gami asked as Levi passed. "Shame. I was hoping the demons would save me the trouble."
Levi didn't rise to the bait. He kept walking.
A ripple of laughter drew his attention to another group nearby. At its center was a girl with short crimson hair and eyes like molten gold.
Kaela.
Leader of Crimson Wolves' new recruits.
Her gaze swept over Levi like he was something she'd scrape off her boot.
"This is the guy who almost died last night?" she said loudly enough for half the plaza to hear. "Guess they're letting anyone take the exam this year."
A few of her teammates chuckled.
Levi felt the words bite, but he kept moving until Mira stepped in front of him, blocking his path.
"Don't," she murmured. "Not today."
The Head Examiner, a tall man in a silver-trimmed coat, raised his staff, and the crowd fell silent.
"Today marks the beginning of your path. Pass, and you join the ranks of a guild. Fail… and you leave the village."
A murmur rippled through the crowd.
"Your first trial is simple," the examiner continued, though the smile tugging at his lips said otherwise. "Survive."
The ground beneath their feet shifted.
With a deep rumble, the plaza split into four massive platforms, each drifting apart over a chasm that hadn't been there seconds ago.
Gasps erupted. Levi stumbled to keep his balance.
Pillars rose from the depths, each topped with a glowing crystal.
"Your task," the examiner said, "is to claim a crystal and return it here within two hours. The crystals are protected. The arena is… unpredictable. And so are your opponents."
Kaela grinned. Gami cracked his knuckles. Mira just exhaled slowly.
Levi tightened his grip on his staff.
The trial had begun.
A horn blared.
Competitors surged toward the nearest pillars, spells flashing, weapons clashing.
Levi darted left, aiming for a crystal perched atop a stone spire. But three other mages had the same idea.
One hurled a wind blast that sent him skidding across the platform. His ribs screamed in protest as he rolled to his feet.
A second mage rushed him with a spear, thrusting fast. Levi blocked the first strike with his staff, but the impact rattled his arms.
The voice whispered in the back of his mind.
Use me.
He gritted his teeth. "Not now."
The spear came again, faster. Levi ducked, sweeping the mage's legs from under him. The man hit the ground hard, the wind knocked out of him.
Levi sprinted for the spire.
But Kaela was already halfway up, flames coiling around her hands as she blasted away a climbing rival.
She glanced down at him.
"Too slow, weakling."
Levi's jaw tightened.
The platform beneath them trembled violently. Chunks of stone fell into the abyss below. The spire tilted.
Kaela leapt for the crystal — and missed as a jagged spike of rock shot upward, forcing her back.
Levi seized the moment, scrambling up the side. His fingers brushed the crystal.
A shadow burst from the stone — a guardian beast, its form shifting between smoke and steel. Its eyes glowed the same deep purple as the marks on Levi's arm.
The creature lunged.
Levi swung his staff, but the blow passed through its smoke-like body. Claws slashed across his shoulder, pain blooming hot and fast.
Say my name, the voice whispered. And I will make it fall.
"No," Levi hissed under his breath.
The guardian came again.
Levi ducked low, rolling past it, but it was faster, reforming in front of him, jaws snapping.
A blast of fire streaked past his head, slamming into the beast. Kaela landed beside him, her eyes never leaving the creature.
"I'm not letting you steal my crystal," she said flatly.
"Then you should've killed it in one shot," Levi shot back.
They fought side by side, their strikes clashing against the guardian's shifting body. It was relentless, reforming after every blow.
Minutes bled away. The other competitors were claiming crystals, disappearing from the arena. Time was running out.
A heavy blow from the guardian knocked Levi onto his back. His vision swam.
The voice rose again, stronger now, impossible to ignore.
Speak it. Let me in. I will not ask again.
Kaela's flames sputtered as the beast slammed her into the stone.
Levi's breath came fast.
If he didn't act now, neither of them would leave this platform alive.
The words slipped from his lips before he could stop them.
"Raze."
The air around him shuddered.
The purple-black mist erupted from beneath his skin, swirling outward in jagged tendrils. They slammed into the guardian, piercing through its smoke form and locking it in place.
Its screech tore through the arena as the mist constricted, shredding it apart.
When the mist faded, only the crystal remained, glowing faintly at Levi's feet.
Kaela stared at him, wide-eyed. "What… was that?"
Levi snatched the crystal without answering.
The horn blared again — the trial was over.
Back on the plaza, the platforms locked together once more. The survivors — barely half of the original group — stood clutching their crystals.
The examiner's gaze swept over them, lingering on Levi for a moment longer than necessary.
"Well done," he said. "But this was only the first step. The Guild Exam has many more… and some will not be so kind."
Levi slipped the crystal into his coat, ignoring the way Kaela kept glancing at him.
Gami stepped forward, his smirk wider than before.
"Looks like you got lucky," he said softly. "Let's see how far that luck takes you."
Before Levi could respond, the voice whispered one last time.
Soon, you will need me again.
Levi's fingers tightened around the crystal. He wasn't sure what scared him more — the trials ahead… or how much he'd wanted to say yes.