The sky above Mysterious Academy began to cloud over as the third day of the Combat Trials unfolded. A low mist slithered through the arena's enchanted boundaries, casting an eerie stillness across the training coliseum.
Inside the Observation Dome, the atmosphere was tense, though one man remained blissfully unaware of it.
Aaron Aetherwyn leaned against the polished glass, sipping warm herbal tea.
He frowned thoughtfully. "Did the heating enchantments stop working? It feels chilly today."
Behind him, the instructors and staff tensed.
He was cold?
That meant something was wrong with the mana flow.
That meant they should all probably evacuate.
Nova giggled from her seat beside him, her chin resting lazily on her palm. "My, Aaron. I hadn't realized you were so sensitive to mana shifts."
Aaron blinked. "Mana shifts?"
Lily, arms folded, glared at him. "Don't act like you don't notice it. Your perception is sharper than all of us combined."
He nodded solemnly, assuming she was talking about eyesight. "Yes, I do wear glasses in the evenings. Bad vision runs in the family."
Everyone stared.
Nova looked like she might choke on laughter.
Lily turned away with an audible scoff.
"Hopeless."
---
Combat Sector 10 – The Show-Off
"Next candidate: Delrin Solmarch," came the announcement.
A tall young man with radiant blonde hair stepped into the arena. His armor glinted gold, adorned with enchanted sigils. Behind him trailed a crimson cape with the Solmarch House crest—a flaming sword wreathed in wings.
"He's from a noble family too, right?" Aaron asked, watching curiously.
"High nobles," Lily confirmed. "Eighth generation. Their bloodline is famous for divine-light magic and illusions."
Nova smirked. "And arrogance."
Delrin strode into the arena with one thing in mind: impressing Professor Aetherwyn.
He had heard rumors.
That the junior professor was a secret examiner. That he'd personally recommended the chosen few. That one glance from Aaron could seal your future.
And so, Delrin would perform flawlessly.
With a dramatic twirl, he summoned his sword midair, letting it hover like a halo before he gripped it. He raised his hand—and conjured three light orbs, then exploded them into feathers that rained onto the crowd.
A girl swooned in the stands.
Delrin turned toward the balcony and gave the faintest bow.
Aaron blinked. "Did… he just bow to me?"
Lily snorted. "Don't flatter yourself. He's performing."
Aaron nodded. "Oh. Makes sense. That was pretty flashy though."
Delrin's ears turned red from the balcony. He noticed me! It worked!
His opponent—a spined bear elemental—roared and charged.
With a sweeping arc, Delrin conjured a field of blinding light, creating mirror doubles of himself. He darted between them, slashing, dodging, and spinning like a dancer in battle.
It was actually impressive.
And also… extremely inefficient.
"Why is he making so many unnecessary moves?" Aaron muttered aloud.
Lily replied flatly, "Because he thinks you're watching. Which, unfortunately, you are."
Nova chuckled again. "I give him points for drama."
The battle ended in a final burst of radiant blades. The beast collapsed.
Delrin turned again toward the balcony and mouthed: "For you."
Aaron looked behind him.
"…Was that meant for me?"
---
Axel's Growing Desperation
Axel Myrravelle sat at the edge of the spectator platform, watching everything with narrowed eyes and scribbled notes.
Every strong candidate who performed well was glanced at by the mysterious, terrifying professor on the balcony.
And every time, that professor said something vague and ominous.
"Impressive."
"Hmm."
"He's flashy."
Axel had already written twelve counterstrategies in case Aaron decided to eliminate him.
"He's choosing his inner circle," Axel whispered to himself. "I need to remain just barely impressive—but not threatening."
Behind him, Olivia appeared again.
"You're muttering to yourself."
"I'm updating my survival notes," he replied without looking up.
She stared. "Normal students don't have 'survival notes' about professors."
Axel's eye twitched.
"They do if that professor could blink and erase you from history!"
---
Combat Sector 11 – The Beast Breaker
The next match began.
Candidate: Lora Thyme, a beast-tamer prodigy.
Her opponent: a four-armed gorilla golem with berserker runes on its back.
The instant it was summoned, something went wrong.
The golem shrieked—and broke its enchantment seal.
The containment spell shattered.
The golem's eyes glowed red as it went berserk, smashing the arena floor, ignoring Lora entirely. The shielding enchantments trembled. Staff jumped up. Students screamed.
The dome rippled violently.
"Emergency seal—" a mage instructor shouted, preparing a counterseal.
Then Aaron stood.
Everyone froze.
He calmly walked to the edge of the glass, tea still in hand, expression unreadable.
The moment his eyes met the golem's… everything stopped.
The golem froze mid-charge.
A low groan rattled from its chest. Its rage drained. Its glow dimmed. It turned.
And it knelt.
The monstrous magical construct… knelt before the glass wall.
Aaron blinked. "Did it trip?"
Lily whispered hoarsely, "No… It submitted."
Nova's smile sharpened. "That was no accident. That golem just recognized the apex predator in the room."
The golem calmly turned, walked to its corner, and sat down—docile as a puppy.
Lora collapsed in shock. Her trial was instantly marked Complete.
Aaron sat back down. "Strange creature. Must've overexerted itself."
Everyone else remained in stunned silence.
---
Protectiveness Beneath Fire
Lily turned to Aaron, glaring.
"Don't ever do that again."
Aaron blinked. "Do what?"
"You stood up. The entire dome thought you were going to act."
"I just wanted a better view."
She stared at him, jaw tight. "You have no idea what your presence does, do you?"
He hesitated. "…I scare people, don't I?"
Lily crossed her arms, cheeks slightly pink. "You're too casual. You make people nervous. Fix your face."
Aaron slumped. "My face?"
Nova leaned close and whispered to him. "Don't worry. I like your scary face."
Aaron froze.
Lily turned and shot Nova a look hot enough to melt gold.
---
End Scene – The Eyes Above
As the day's final trial concluded, the students below whispered with growing reverence… and fear.
They spoke of Aaron in hushed tones.
Some believed he was a sealed archmage.
Others claimed he was a war criminal pardoned to serve as a professor.
A few believed merely meeting his gaze shortened your lifespan.
Aaron walked back toward his office cabin later that night, confused why even instructors avoided eye contact.
He sighed.
"I really need to work on my people skills."
Behind him, in the shadows of the highest spire, two glowing eyes watched.
Nova.
And behind her, silent and motionless, the Vice Headmaster Kaelen Raventhorn, who said nothing.
But his hand hovered over the blade at his hip.
---
End of Chapter 32