The white-haired youth waved at Kor, a cheeky, almost mischievous grin lighting up his features. “Heya, companion brother,” he called out, his voice brimming with youthful energy.

  Kor stood frozen, jaw agape. Did he just...? After all that? Indignation flared within him. He took a step forward, voice rising, “Hey! That was—” A faint hum resonated deep within Kor’s mind, a rhythmic thrumming like a distant engine firing to life. He shook his head, trying to dispel the sound, but it persisted, a subtle vibration emanating from the swirling, iridescent cloud on the boy’s shoulder.

  The humming grew louder, morphing into a distinct pattern, a back-and-forth pulse, akin to the ebb and flow of the tide. It’s like a conversation... a silent exchange of energy. He glanced from the boy to the cloud, Aelis, and back again. Could this be... magical communication? His anger evaporated, replaced by a surge of burning curiosity.

  “YOU!” Serris’s voice cut through the air like a whip crack. She stomped towards them, her face a mask of barely restrained fury, her eyes blazing like molten gold. The boy fired a quick, almost nervous glance over his shoulder before turning back to Kor, his grin faltering.

  “Thanks for the assist,” he said, his voice hurried, his gaze darting between Kor and the rapidly approaching Serris. “We don’t exactly see eye to eye, as you can see.” He gestured towards Serris with a quick, dismissive flick of his hand, a gesture that did nothing to quell the incandescent fury building within her. His mana swelled around him, lifting him a few inches off the ground. Serris, meanwhile, looked ready to spit fire, her entire body vibrating with barely contained rage.

  “Look, about the Karex,” Aeolian began, raising his hands in a placating gesture, his eyes wide and earnest. “Maybe we can, uh, talk about it later? Aelis here really wants a chat with your... uh, with Lentus, right?” He tilted his head, addressing Kor with a hopeful, almost pleading look. “You seem way more reasonable than... some people.”

  Lentus hummed with excitement in his mind. “He’s right, Kor. Finally, a chance to speak with one of my siblings!“

  Before Kor could respond, a bolt of lightning, crackling with raw power, slammed into Aeolian, sending him cartwheeling through the air. He crashed to a halt, a visible aura of energy pulsing around his body, before shooting skyward like a rocket, virtually unscathed.

  “Chill, Serris, geez,” he called down, his voice surprisingly steady despite the circumstances, though a bit higher in pitch. “It’s just some credits. You’ll get plenty more. We’re off now!”

  Serris launched herself into the air with a roar of pure, unadulterated fury, propelled by a pulse of mana. “Get back here, Aeolian!” Her shout ripped through the stillness of the clearing, sharp and raw, leaving a ringing silence in its wake. Kor seriously doubted she could catch the boy.

  “Is that what all you companions look like, Lentus? A cloud?” Kor thought, a reluctant smile tugging at his lips despite the lingering sting of the lost kill.

  “No,“ Lentus’s voice held a mixture of amusement and slight annoyance. “And before you suggest it, I am not a tortoise.“

  “Fine, fine,” Kor sighed, his attention shifting back to the scene before him. Kelleth and the other Solarian, Pylen, moved around the fallen Karex, their expressions unreadable.

  The two boys’ gaze lingered on the crumpled form of the student who had fallen earlier. His bloody remains a stark reminder of the stakes of this examination. As they watched, a figure descended from the sky, a professor, his robes billowing in the wind of his rapid descent. He landed gracefully near the fallen student, his gaze sweeping over the clearing before settling on the three remaining examinees.

  “The student will be retrieved at the conclusion of the examination,” he announced, his voice firm and carrying clearly across the clearing, “along with the fallen Karex.” He paused, his piercing eyes lingering on each of them. “You may still forfeit if you wish.”

  Kor’s stomach churned. A wave of nausea washed over him as he stared at the unmoving form of the fallen student. His body still trembled, not just from the rush of combat, but from a deeper, more unsettling feeling. His hands clenched into fists, his knuckles white. He swallowed hard, the coppery tang of blood lingering in the back of his throat – whether it was his, the Karex or the dead boy’s, he had no idea.

  He forced himself to take a deep, steadying breath, but his heart wouldn’t stop hammering against his ribs. This was real. This was life or death. If he lost his nerve now, he’d never recover. It was do or die. He had to push through, had to focus. He wouldn’t let fear paralyse him.

  There was a brief moment of silence, then a chorus of determined voices, “No, sir.”

  The professor nodded curtly, his gaze lingering for a moment longer before he pushed off from the ground, ascending back into the sky with practised ease.

  As the professor disappeared from view, Kelleth and his companion turned their attention back to Kor, their faces carefully blank. Any trace of empathy vanished, replaced by a cool assessment. They circled him, their movements like predators sizing up their prey. Kor tensed, muscles coiling, ready to react. Kelleth spoke first, his voice strangely reserved, almost cautious.

  “You aren’t a snowflake mage at all, are you?”

  “Not exactly,” Kor grinned, a touch of defiance glinting in his eyes.

  The three of them stood in a silent standoff, the air thick with tension. Kor remained on high alert, every muscle taut, ready to spring into action. “Sorry about the Karex,” he said, breaking the silence, “I was worried that you were in over your heads.”

  Kelleth’s expression narrowed briefly, a flicker of something unreadable in his amber eyes, before he nodded slowly. “I see,” His voice was carefully neutral. He glanced back at the fallen creature, its massive form still and lifeless. “Pylen and I are old acquaintances. What say you join us, Kor? If we find another one, it will take our combined efforts to defeat it.”

  Something about his tone was different, subtly altered, and it wasn’t from the revelation of his true magical abilities. Kor glanced over at Pylen, whose facial expression practically screamed, No way in the void, his disapproval clear in the hard set of his jaw.

  Kelleth turned. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips, his tone calm, like the surface of a still lake. “Pylen’s just a bit miffed from earlier, but he’ll get over it.” His gaze shifted, steady and knowing, toward Pylen. “Isn’t that right, Pylen?” The words hung in the air, light and easy, but beneath them lingered the faint tension of something unresolved.

  Pylen frowned, his half-sneer subsiding as he nodded back, his movements stiff and reluctant. “Yes, Kelleth,” he mumbled, his voice barely audible.

  Kelleth turned back to Kor, a small, almost triumphant smile playing on his lips. “See, we can work together. Besides, the two of us are on Marcus’s team, right?”

  “Yes, that’s right,” Kor said, his mind racing. Something about the way Kelleth said Marcus’s name rang alarm bells in his head, a subtle shift in tone, lacking the usual respect they shared when speaking of their mentor.

  “Good,” Kelleth glanced around the clearing, his eyes scanning the treeline as if searching for something unseen. “Let’s head deeper into the forest. I doubt there’s another Karex anywhere nearby, and we still need to secure some high-density items. You haven’t found any so far, have you?”

  Kor’s gaze lingered on Kelleth, his brow furrowing as he searched for the right words.

  “No,” he said finally, his voice low but firm. “Every Therastin I’ve encountered… they’ve all been too weak.” He paused, his eyes narrowing slightly as he studied Kelleth’s face. There was something different in the way Kelleth held himself now—a quiet shift in his posture, a flicker in his expression that Kor couldn’t quite place.

  Kelleth nodded, pulling out his tuning fork, the polished metal gleaming in the sunlight.

  Before Kelleth could sound the fork, Kor spoke, his voice cutting through the tense silence. “Shouldn’t we refill our mana before heading out again? I doubt anyone’s going to ambush us out here, so we should be safe.”

  The two Solarians shared a look, a silent exchange of information passing between them, before they agreed. Kor sat down a comfortable distance away, maintaining a watchful eye, as they all lowered their shields together, a gesture of trust, albeit a fragile one. Kor watched them like a hawk, his body tense, ready to snap even a basic defence up at the slightest provocation, his instincts screaming at him that something wasn’t quite right.

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  “Don’t worry,” Kelleth said, a reassuring smile spreading across his face as he met Kor’s gaze. “We’re on the same side, after all.” A bead of sweat trickled down Kor’s temple. The air crackled with unspoken tension.

  Meditation came slowly. Kor’s focus was split between observing the two Solarians and trying to recover his own mana. Thankfully, the galaxy spiral, while potent, was efficient once mastered. He hadn’t lost too much in that last attack.

  “Lentus?”

  “What is it, Kor?“ Lentus’s mental voice, a familiar presence within his mind.

  “That boy, Aeolian, he and Serris both had companions like you... What were the chances that all three of us ended up together? Do you think we are being followed?”

  “Possible. But It’s more likely a natural confluence. There’s a concept with great power that binds us all, like gravity for magic. A kind of convergence, if you will.“

  “So we’re attracted to each other or something?”

  “Sort of. There is no direct intent behind it, more like a gradual force that nudges you closer together. Almost like magnetism.“

  “Is this for all magic or just companion students?”

  “All magic is governed by the premise. Your friend, Marcus, is a good example, or even the First Magus himself. It’s not just a quality of character, but of power. Great power draws other power towards it.”

  They remained that way, an uneasy tension filling the air between them, taut as a drawn bowstring. The two Solarians chatted beneath their breath, their words out of earshot, an inaudible murmur. Minutes stretched out, each one an eternity, before Kelleth rose, his movements fluid and graceful.

  “Ready?” he asked, amber eyes fixed on Kor.

  Kor nodded, watching him carefully, every sense on high alert. Kelleth raised the tuning fork, swelling with mana, more even than Kor had used initially. A half-beat later, the fierce resonance tore out a wave of rumbling energy. The ground seemed to vibrate beneath their feet, and Kelleth’s fork snapped obliquely into the forest, pointing the way like a divining rod.

  “A potent energy from that direction,” Kelleth’s voice was low and intense.

  Kor nodded, gesturing for them to lead. There’s something wrong here. That was way more mana than needed...

  The three vacated the field of pine trunks, the site of the Karex’s demise, and headed deeper still into the emerald labyrinth of the forest. Kelleth led the way, his tall, slender frame weaving between the massive trees with an easy grace. Kor hung back, maintaining a cautious distance, his mind racing, trying to decipher Kelleth’s angle.

  Was he really going to betray him? Perhaps he could slip away once things got heated...

  “Up ahead,” Kelleth called back, his voice low and urgent.

  Kor drew closer, his senses reaching out, probing the ether. The energy was potent, but nothing like the Karex. Slightly further away, several other things glowed with power, smaller, more numerous, possibly a clutch of eggs.

  “Therastin?” Kelleth glanced toward him.

  “Yes. How about Pylen and I attack it from one side, then you can use that spell of yours again?”

  Kor glanced around, eyes scanning the dense undergrowth, before resigning himself to a nod. It wasn’t likely they’d turn on him here. Any of them would have been more than enough for the creature ahead. Stronger than any other Therastin he’d encountered so far, but still no match for them.

  They split off, ghosting through the trees. The small, moss-covered mound, the Therastin’s nest, came into sight as he formed the galaxy seed, a miniature universe swirling in his mind’s eye. No need for anything too powerful here.

  As he approached, a sudden pulse of mana, sharp and distinct, preceded Kelleth’s attack. The Therastin, a creature of chitin and fury, bristled as the wind blade tore away one of its pincers. A gout of flames, conjured by Pylen, washed over it, engulfing it in a fiery embrace. Even as the creature buckled, its movements jerky and pained, Kor released his attack. The spiralling disc, a vortex of destructive energy, slammed into the Therastin, shearing through its body in seconds, leaving nothing but shattered remains.

  Alert and ready for any sign of betrayal, he drew closer, senses on high alert.

  “Easy,” Pylen barked a harsh laugh.

  The eggs were disappointing, nestled within the mound. He didn’t even need to disturb them to know that they were nothing special, their energy signature modest and unremarkable. Perhaps they grow more potent the closer to hatching they get? Even some of these trees possess more potent mana.

  “Too easy. We need something bigger,” Kelleth declared, glancing at him as he pulled out his tuning fork, the metal gleaming ominously. “Let’s see what we can find.”

  Kelleth poured far too much energy into his fork, a reckless beacon that screamed their presence to the world. Anything within hundreds of yards would feel it without even trying—a blatant signal of their location. Yet, despite the obvious risk, nothing happened. No challenges. No attacks. The silence was almost worse.

  They crashed three more Therastin nests, each one more potent than the last, each clutch possessing fewer eggs, a pattern that was becoming increasingly clear. Hours had passed since the start of the test, the initial rush of adrenaline fading into a weary determination. He couldn’t afford to waste much more time. If they couldn’t find another Karex, he’d have to make do with one of these nests...

  He’d expected more upsets, more challenges. Hadn’t the First Magus intimated as much? The centre of the forest can’t be far away now. Everything here is so dense in mana...

  Kelleth’s fork rang out once more, the resonating rumble grinding in his nerves, a jarring intrusion into the relative quiet of the forest. Several moments later, Kelleth led them onward again, his movements purposeful and sure.

  “Something big up ahead, Kor!” Kelleth’s voice held an edge of excitement, drawing him close. “A few hundred yards, I’d guess. Strong enough to be another Karex.”

  Kor inhaled sharply, giving a nod. The three moved closer, their steps silent on the soft forest floor. They passed a few gargantuan pines, their towering forms reaching up towards the sky like ancient sentinels. Kelleth’s head twitched to the side, a subtle movement, almost imperceptible. Only thanks to his diligent practice under Terra and his heightened alertness did Kor pick up something faint, a slight disturbance in the ether, moving up behind them as Kelleth pretended not to notice.

  Every fibre of his being screamed that this was a trap, but how?

  Falling back a few steps, Kor feigned surprise, his voice laced with urgency. “What is that, up ahead?”

  Both Solarians slammed to a halt, their bodies tensing, their gazes snapping forward, searching for the nonexistent threat. Kor seized the opportunity, bursting into motion. He ran sideways, putting distance between himself and the two treacherous boys. It took them both a few moments, precious seconds, to realise what he’d done, to understand that they’d been tricked.

  “Get him!” Kelleth barked, his voice sharp with fury.

  Mana swelled from behind, a tangible wave of energy. Kor put a giant pine between them, a momentary shield. Legs pumping, heart racing like a war drum in his chest, he tore through the forest, a desperate flight for survival. I knew it! A swell of mana from his left, a telltale sign of an incoming attack. He didn’t even glance, reacting on pure instinct, pulling up short to dive behind another pine. He powered his shield as something shattered against it, a burst of frigid energy.

  Frozen flames. Telleth! He couldn’t waste time, not a single second. He jumped up, tearing his way ahead, pushing himself to his physical limits. Even short and chubby as he was, he ran like his credits depended on it.

  A chorus of other voices called out, echoing through the trees, bouncing off the ancient pines, a hunting cry that sent a chill down his spine. Void take them! Where could he—The other Karex? If Kelleth hadn’t lied about it. He curled his way toward the right, trying to angle in the correct direction, his fractal barrier growing stronger by the moment, a shimmering shield of solidified mana.

  He huffed, running for all he was worth, his lungs burning, his legs screaming in protest. He fumbled desperately in his pocket. Let’s hope this works! The tuning fork, cold and smooth, slipped into his hand. He surged mana into it briefly, a desperate gamble. The resonating vibration, a pulse of sonic energy, reached out, pinging against several things behind him, pursuers closing in, and one major source up ahead, a beacon of hope in the encroaching darkness.

  He shifted his angle to match, his movements guided by the fork’s resonance. The whistle of Kelleth’s magic, a razor-sharp blade of wind, slashed into his shield, causing him to stumble, his balance momentarily lost. Can’t fall now! He barely stayed afoot, racing ahead, his determination fuelled by adrenaline and a primal will to survive.

  Calls sounded out behind him still, the brothers’ voices, Kelleth and Telleth’s, blurring under the sound of his own breaths coming heavy and hard, a ragged rhythm in his ears. Not far now. The students were hot on his tail, closing the distance with terrifying speed. He continued to pump even more energy into his barrier, the drain noticeable, a hefty tax on his reserves, but necessary for his gambit.

  He crashed through a large bush, stumbling into a roll, his body absorbing the impact. Another titanic creature filled his vision, a behemoth that dwarfed even the last Karex. A dozen yards away, it snapped around to regard him, its sudden movement a terrifying display of power. For a perilous moment, their eyes met. Its power was palpable, a tangible force in its gaze. An armadillo? This one’s very carapace glowed a deep, molten orange, like cooled lava, and its eyes, cold and reptilian, evinced nothing of a defensive creature. It reared up on two legs, a monstrous display of raw dominance, towering a dozen paces up.

  Kor’s breath hitched, his stomach churning with terror. The creature slammed down, its forelegs crashing into the earth. Its very weight contained magical power that erupted through the ground, a shockwave that cracked the loamy terrain, rending it asunder, a miniature earthquake.

  “Hold!” he growled through gritted teeth, muscles locking as he planted his feet. The floor beneath him trembled, then erupted with a deafening crack. A jagged spar of rock, raw and brutal, burst upward, slamming into the underside of his shield with a force that rattled his bones. His snowflake barrier cracked, the intricate fractal patterns fracturing under the strain. But it didn’t cave. It held, even as the attack launched him back between the pines, sending him sailing a dozen yards through the air, a helpless projectile.

  Even as he spun, his body tumbling through the air, he fervently thanked Talen’s mother, wherever she was, for the advice on shielding his feet, a minor detail that had likely saved his life. He slammed into a trunk, his shield flaring under the strain, absorbing the brunt of the impact. He fell to the loamy ground, his body aching, his head spinning.

  Dazed, he looked up, amazed that his glasses had somehow hung on, clinging precariously to his face. To either side of him were Solarians: Kelleth, Telleth, and at least three others, their faces contorted with a mixture of surprise and fury, their eyes wide with disbelief.

  Void it all.