The Celestial Stadium sank into an expectant silence.
The floating screens began to show the first glimpses of Amazonia: an impenetrable jungle, a sea of dark green where life itself seemed on the edge of madness.
One by one, the transfer portals opened high in the sky, and with them, the aspirants.
A first gleam cut through the clouds like a silver lightning bolt.
Aurora descended, held by the cosmic energy flowing around her, floating toward the ground like a goddess summoned among the stars. Gravity seemed to surrender to her presence, allowing her to touch the earth with a delicacy that belied Amazonia's savagery.
Her feet brushed the damp grass, and light danced around her. For an instant, even the monstrous forest seemed to bow.
The public held its breath. But the portals kept opening.
A second tear at ground level vomited a particular figure: Kyran.
Without reservations, he spun like a comet, crushing the undergrowth beneath his weight. He rose quickly, shaking the dust from his body, his face crossed by serenity.
Before the echo of his fall dissipated, a third portal opened, much higher up.
Ian.
He didn't descend nor glide; he plummeted.
An impact of pure force, a human meteorite. The ground trembled with the collision, creating a small crater, while a cloud of dust rose in the air.
Ian remained on his knees among the rubble, shaking his head. A heavy exhalation, and then he saw her.
A few meters away, standing among the forest shadows, was Aurora.
Ian raised his gaze, his face bloodied and dusty, and with a broken voice, barely a whisper, said:
"What a beautiful face…"
For both, time seemed to stop for an instant. Amazonia's savagery, the battle's violence, the moment's chaos… everything vanished, and in that suspended space, Aurora was all that mattered. Ian had never seen anything like that. For him, life had always been struggle, pain, and sacrifice. Beauty didn't exist in his world, only survival. But in that moment, with the dust floating around him, Aurora was… something more. She was something he had never known.
Aurora blinked, surprised. A burning blush rose from her neck to her forehead. She lowered her gaze, unable to hold it, while the dust floated around her, like small stars trapped in her orbit.
From the stands, the nobles and warriors of the Empire began to murmur excitedly.
Queen Kleominsa watched the scene with growing annoyance. A flash of jealousy crossed her face seeing Ian's expression toward Aurora. Something inside her churned, and the discomfort became palpable in her gaze. The tension increased, and no one seemed able to stop what was happening.
In the imperial box, Auron, imposing, observed the scene. He struck the marble railing with his fist and roared for all to hear:
"That young man has just noticed something obvious, my little one's beauty!"
The roar resonated like thunder. Some nobles laughed; others looked at each other surprised. But none could deny the impression Ian made: destiny had begun to intertwine new chains.
Alistair, smiling, commented: "I didn't think this day would come."
The tension in the air broke when a dark portal opened at the jungle's edge.
One of Kraven's sergeants emerged, a brutal figure, armed to the teeth, with eyes reflecting a hatred as ancient as war.
His gaze fixed on Aurora with the intensity of a spear, and his voice, laden with venom, cut the air:
"Now I'll take revenge on your damn and disgusting father, you little brat!"
Aurora, still overwhelmed by surprise and embarrassment, momentarily lost her calm. Fear seized her for a second, making her falter. But instantly she saw Ian moving quickly toward her, and a sensation of relaxation enveloped her. His presence, protecting her as only her father would, made her feel safe again. And that small instant of vulnerability strengthened her.
But before she could react, Ian was already in motion.
In a single heartbeat, he interposed himself between her and the threat. His body vibrated with contained fury, his presence like a living wall.
Without words.
Without fear.
Only instinct.
Ian thought there: "There shouldn't be imperial soldiers here, much less should they be attacking us. Something strange is happening." His gaze tensed, and in an instant his body prepared to protect Aurora from any threat.
The public in the Celestial Gardens held its breath.
When Kraven's soldier attacked Aurora, Auron observed from the stadium's heights, his face reflecting an insecurity and helplessness he had never shown before. The image of his daughter under threat cut his breath, as if the situation's weight crushed him. But at that instant, something changed. The tension in his chest dissipated, and a sensation of relief invaded him seeing Ian position himself before Aurora, like an impenetrable wall. Tranquility returned to him, quick and deep, knowing she wasn't alone, that someone else, with the same determination as himself, would protect her at all costs.
Tiberius murmured with a voice laden with alarm: "Why is an imperial soldier attacking the aspirants?"
Rhygar frowned, his grave but confused voice resonating:
"I don't know what's happening… I really don't understand it."
Before all the Celestial Gardens, Ian Bekkart stood like a wall, and his shadow covered Aurora from the attack.
The jungle fell silent.
The stadium erupted in chaos.
And at that moment, something else occurred. A gleam opened in the sky. The fifth portal, the last one.
And high above, very high, appeared Tezca.
Her knees rose as her palms joined, invoking:
"Forward, Qetzi!"
Immediately, like lightning, her invocation emerged: Quetzalcoatl. The majestic being, a feathered dragon, appeared with the wind beating its wings, suspended in the air.
Ian had barely taken a breath when a new gleam opened the sky. His eyes were still trapped on Aurora, but the roar descending with the wind forced him to look up.
Quetzalcoatl shone in the sky, and Tezca descended innocent, joyful, confident, with a dangerous grace.
The fascination on Ian's face was instantaneous. It wasn't just admiration, it was a visceral call, a fierce admiration for someone who shared his same intensity. With eyes lit by emotion, he murmured to himself:
"Wow, that girl is amazing."
But he quickly returned to the confrontation with Kraven's sergeant. His gaze hardened.
"Touch a single hair and I'll kill you," he said, his voice full of threat and conviction.
Because he knew the real threat wasn't Aurora. Kraven's soldier was the true danger. An enemy with bad intentions, one that couldn't be ignored.
Aurora, still overwhelmed, felt something strange: someone was protecting her as her father did. The sensation of security, though brief, enveloped her.
In the stadium, Auron showed himself even more confident, his voice rumbling among those present.
"I tell you, that young man will be my daughter's husband."
A murmur ran through the stands. Some faces blushed, others laughed. For everyone, something new was beginning to gestate in the air: a beautiful and sincere romance in the middle of the hostile jungle.
Meanwhile, Alistair observed the scene with concern. Why had Kraven expelled him outside? Why are imperial soldiers attacking the aspirants? Something bigger was weaving among the shadows.
Rhygar and Tiberius, along with the rest of the nobles, shared a look of uncertainty. They knew Amazonia guarded not only beauty and struggle, but something much more dangerous was approaching.
The jungle of Amazonia closed its doors, but not for long. Two weeks. That's what remained before the portals opened again.
At another point in Amazonia, at the precise moment when the exam reached its peak, another portal opened.
The gleam illuminated the jungle, and from that flash emerged a young man who walked with a presence that seemed to defy the very earth. There was no impact, no chaos, only a majestic entrance.
He was imposing, his walk firm and confident. The arena seemed to tremble under his steps, as if the terrain itself recognized his power. This young man wore armor made of red, blue, and green feathers, almost as if he were a peacock in all his splendor, a being that mixed divinity with royalty. His dark skin stood out under Amazonia, and his silver eyes, deep and cold, shone with the wisdom of someone who had faced death. His long white hair moved like an ethereal current. Fourth place in the ranking: Atahualpa Tupac.
The air vibrated with the energy emanating from him, and his attitude was such that it seemed nothing and no one could challenge him. A young man who walked with the confidence of knowing nothing could snatch his destiny away.
"Participant 8,006."
In the distance, among the shadows of the thick foliage, another presence made itself known. A figure of imperial nobility appeared, surrounded by mystery and intrigue. Brenda Fitzgeral. Her platinum blonde hair, long and fine, fell like a golden cascade, her violet eyes shone with inhuman intensity, and her ears, though normal-sized, stretched to be pointed. She emanated an elven beauty, serene, but hiding an indescribable power. The Fitzgerald, a noble family of the Empire, were known for their unique appearance: skin pale as the moon, fine platinum blonde hair, and blue or green eyes, but those of pure blood, like Brenda, possessed those violet eyes, as if they had been born directly from the forest's heart.
Despite her noble bearing, Brenda was reserved but with a kind character that contrasted with the royalty she carried with her. She greeted Atahualpa, who responded with a rough gesture, but not devoid of kindness.
In the air, without warning, something else burst in: a blinding gleam, a deafening roar, and a brutal impact. Like a meteorite, she fell from the heights. Makia.
At the same instant, a portal beneath the earth opened abruptly, and from it emerged the earth itself. The earth began to crack, as if Amazonia itself were about to swallow everything. In an instant, enormous claw-covered hands tore through the earth from below. A wolf appeared, a wild and primitive being, dominated by the dark spirit of Fenrir. The young man, known as Eldar Fenrisson, with the imposing presence of a being who had sealed his destiny alongside the beast.
The jungle seemed to stop in its place. Finally, the fifth member had arrived.
The earth trembled again.
But not everything was fury.
A cry, weak but heartbreaking, made everyone stop dead.
"Help!" the voice of a woman, trembling, emerged from the portal.
A female figure appeared, with gentle features, struggling to advance. Before she could take a complete step, viscous shadows surged from Amazonia's ground and dragged her with brutal force.
"No!" Brenda shouted, extending her arm as if she could reach her.
"Quick, take my hand!" Atahualpa roared, launching himself forward.
But it was useless. In a blink, the woman disappeared among those voracious shadows. Her final scream remained suspended in the air, freezing everyone.
Then, from the thicket, the creatures emerged: wild humanoids, like living mud covered in grime. They were part of the ground itself, of the jungle, as if they had been born from it.
"She disappeared…" Eldar murmured. "What the hell are those creatures?"
"Don't attack yet, it could be dangerous. We don't know what those creatures are capable of," Makia warned, her voice tense. "They're… smelling the air."
Against all logic, the beings didn't pounce. They approached slowly, sniffing like beasts, and then, to everyone's surprise, they made strange signals: a gesture of reverence, inclining their deformed bodies. A deep respect. A promise of protection.
The group froze.
"What… what does this mean?" Brenda asked, her eyes fixed on Makia.
Makia took a step back, confused.
"I don't know… I don't understand anything."
The beings slowly retreated, disappearing into the jungle without a second attack, without violence. Only silence remained, and the certainty that something had changed.
The small woman, who had barely crossed the portal, was no longer there. Her sacrifice, quick and cruel, became the first mark of a trial impossible to ignore.
The stadium stands erupted in a collective cry of pain. The first to die, a sample of Amazonia's horror.
It was only the beginning.
Alistair, among them, stood shocked. His face reflected something more than surprise, as if he had remembered something, a sensation of familiarity he couldn't decipher. The crowd in the stadium watched, equally surprised, but for Alistair, it was a disconcerting moment. That signal of respect toward Makia provoked an expression of recognition in him, as if something about that event was too familiar.
The stands rumbled in a collective murmur. No one knew exactly what had happened, but everyone sensed something bigger was at play.