"From these heights, the earth below appears as but a painting of color and shape, a mere plaything for the fates. I cannot help but wonder, is this how it feels to be a great cultivator? To hold the world in one's hand, a master of their destiny, unbound by the limitations of mere mortals? Perhaps, in these fleeting moments, we are granted a glimpse of their lofty existence."

Lord Wenth, upon his maiden voyage aboard the airship 'Aurora'.

4486 MA.

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4522 MA

Yoku Arena, Rovos, Kartas

Maya staggered into the bustling rest area, her legs quivering with exhaustion. Drenched in sweat, she sought support from the nearest wall, inhaling ragged breaths through gritted teeth. Her shoulder radiated with searing pain, intensifying with each movement she made.

She limped to the closest bench, her heavy and disobedient legs dragging beneath her. The atmosphere in the rest area was a collage of sights and sounds as battle-weary trialists of various sizes exchanged banter. A lean man, wearing a grin larger than his prominent chest gash, conversed with another grimacing fellow who tightly clutched his side. A woman, sweat pouring down her face like a waterfall, rested against a wall as a nearby group animatedly compared injuries, sharing their battle stories proudly. The air was heavy, saturated with the sharp scent of sweat and blood.

Taking deep, slow breaths, Maya attempted to calm the burning sensation in her chest and refocus her thoughts. She closed her eyes, ignoring the surrounding groans and strained breaths, and concentrated on the feeling of the cool stone beneath her fingertips. The taste of salt on her lips evoked memories of the sea, while the scent of sweat mingled with the metallic tang of blood filled her nostrils with each breath.

Maya circulated prana through her meridians to evaluate her exhaustion. The energy flowed through her limbs, its warmth seeping into bones, muscles, and flesh. Serving as a soothing balm, it helped her regain strength against the pain.

As she circulated the energy through her body, she assessed just how healthy her physical body was. Her shaky legs were nearly back to normal, while her sore chest and abdomen were recovering quickly. Her right arm was exhausted, but was slowly recovering as well. However, when she shifted her focus to her left arm, an excruciating jolt of pain in her shoulder caused Maya to wince.

Each jolt of pain throbbed Maya's arm, sending waves of nausea rolling through her stomach. Gritting her teeth, she attempted to focus on something else, but the pain was relentless, an incessant drumbeat that refused to subside. Every move, every twitch only worsened the feeling in her shoulder. Although her cultivator’s supernatural healing expedited her body’s ability to mend itself, it didn’t do anything about the physical torment she would feel while the injury went through the process.

Moments later, Maya heard footsteps approaching. Opening her eyes, she spotted an old lady wearing a golden robe, carrying a first aid kit. Her clothing indicated that she was the doctor responsible for addressing the trialists' health.

"Hello, young lady," the doctor said gruffly, approaching Maya with her first aid kit. "You seem to be in a bit of a state."

Maya nodded gratefully, relieved for the help.

The doctor probed Maya's sore spots and muttered, "You really pushed yourself, didn't you?"

Wincing, Maya nodded. "I wanted to win," she confessed. "But that golem was relentless."

The doctor raised an eyebrow. "Carelessness can lead to serious injury."

As she evaluated Maya, the doctor's tone became more serious. "Are you aware of your current level of prana exhaustion?"

A subtle flush crept up Maya's cheeks as she looked away, her voice barely above a whisper. "I got...carried away."

"Carried away?" The doctor's voice sharpened. "Were you already prana exhausted before the trial?"

"No, of course not," Maya protested defensively.

However, the doctor's stern gaze remained unwavering. "Your prana core is crucial to your well-being, young lady. Overexerting yourself while exhausted from prana can cause irreparable damage to your core. Please exercise caution in the future. Young cultivators tend to be too reckless, believing that they can simply overcome any challenge and that their next breakthrough will resolve all issues. That mindset will prove disastrous. Not all breakthroughs are inevitable and you are not invincible."

Feeling embarrassed, Maya nodded in acknowledgement.

"May the ascended guide the irresponsible. Remember to exercise greater caution next time, young lady," the doctor advised. "There are only so many times one can jeopardize their physical and spiritual wellbeing."

Vyas was lost in thought, his reverie broken by a short, brown-haired young man seated on the bench in front of him. "Hey, do you know the girl who smashed the golem?" he asked, his green eyes brimming with curiosity.

Before answering him, Vyas assessed the group sitting on his bench. A mismatched group comprised of a slender girl with wavy brown hair, another girl with her black hair braided, and a burly man with black stubble seated next to the first guy.

Vyas raised an eyebrow and quirked a grin. "Maybe. Why do you ask?"

The young man grinned, extending his hand. "I'm Henri." He gestured towards the arena. "She kept shooting glances this way, as if she wanted to murder someone. Everyone else was either confused or freaked out, and you were just chuckling."

Vyas laughed, "I did not realize I was so obvious. Yeah, she’s my friend."

The girl with wavy brown hair added, her eyes narrowing in confusion. "And her expression - does she usually fight with such intense bloodlust?"

Vyas let out a sly smile, admitting, "To be honest, she's mad at me for not betting on her winning against that golem."

Henri laughed, "Ah, that explains her expression. She seemed pretty confident coming into the arena. Didn’t lose any determination after she was tossed aside."

The girl with wavy brown hair looked disappointed. "Aw, that's too bad. You could have won a lot of money after she won like she did."

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Vyas smirked and replied, "Who said I didn't?"

A different girl with long braided black hair gaped at Vyas in amazement. She snorted, "You're devious!"

The girl with wavy brown hair commented, bubbling with excitement. "You did?! But why did you make her so angry?"

Vyas replied, "I didn't plan on it. But after seeing her reaction, I knew she'd be motivated to go all out and prove me wrong."

Henri and the braided black haired girl looked at each other and then back at Vyas, both impressed and amused. "Well, your plan certainly worked," The girl remarked. "Your friend put on quite a show."

Henri leaned back on the bench, crossing his arms. "Well, she certainly proved herself against that golem. I don't think I've ever seen anything like it. She really just pummeled the golem until it shattered."

Vyas smiled, a hint of pride in his eyes. "Yeah, few can stop her fists."

The girl with wavy brown hair asked, "Are any of you participating in the trials as well? Or are you just here to enjoy the spectacle?"

Vyas replied, "I'll be participating in the mage trials that start next week."

"I’m a mage too!" the girl with wavy brown hair exclaimed. She then introduced her group, "Our apologies; we never really introduced ourselves. You know Henri. The guy to his left is Ollo. The girl reading the book to my right is Deriana. Lastly, and obviously the best, I’m Ami, future airship admiral at your service!"

Vyas extended his hand, introducing himself with a smile, "The name's Vyas. It's a pleasure to meet you all." Intrigued by Ami's declaration, he asked, "Why an airship admiral?"

Ami's eyes sparkled as she leaned forward eager to share. "Always been fascinated by them. As a child, I thought the airships that would occasionally fly over the city were super cool. So much so, I spent a year convincing my parents to take my family on one."

She leaned her head back as she looked to face the sky. "It was amazing. Ever since then, the goal is to have an airship of my own. Take it soaring through the skies, exploring unknown lands..."

Henri grinned. "Has her head stuck in the clouds. Literally. She's been regaling us with tales of her future adventures ever since we met."

"So you're a mage?" Deriana asked for confirmation.

"Yeah, I am," Vyas confirmed.

The girl hesitated, "But... you're friends with the cultivator below–"

"–yes, we're friends, and I'm also a mage," Vyas interjected.

Henri chimed in, "What my friend here is getting at is that most cultivators tend to avoid mages. It’s quite surprising – and refreshing – that you’re friends with one."

Vyas leaned back and asked, "We grew up together. Is that really uncommon? Mages and cultivators being friends?"

Ami answered, "Well, Henri and Deriana here are the only two decent cultivators I’ve ever met. All the others...not so much."

Ollo took over the explanation, his face serious. "She's right. In our year at the Academy, there were about a thousand students. The vast majority—nine out of every ten—were cultivators. During our four years there, Henri and Deriana were the only cultivators who genuinely befriended us mages. The rest were indifferent at best, and some even downright disdainful. It can be really disheartening."

Surprised Vyas asked, "And the teachers were fine with this?"

Ami scoffed, "Fine with it? Some even encouraged the bullying. The administration pays lip service against discrimination between mages and cultivators, but they aren’t interested in taking any real action. Many of the cultivators in the Academy come from prominent families – the kind where magic is still seen as a peasant’s path to power. That the Aeonshift occurred still angers a lot of the ancient cultivators in these families, so they encourage their children and grandchildren to take it out on us."

Ollo patted Ami’s shoulder, "Don’t mind her, she’s got a lot to say on this. We all do."

Vyas said, "No worries, this is all just so surprising to me. I knew that there were tensions, but I didn’t realize it was this severe."

"You’re the first mage I’ve met who doesn’t know. Where exactly are you from?" asked Ami.

Vyas looked into the distance, "I grew up in the Aviera mountains far in the north."

Deriana responded, "Aviera! You’re really not from around here. That’s practically the wild. That makes so much sense. Division between mages and cultivators is probably an afterthought when there are real problems like mystic beasts trying to kill everyone."

Hearing that, Ami asked, "Have you fought any mystic beasts?"

"The forests and mountains around Aviera are mostly untamed. Mystic beasts constantly roam the area slowly gaining power. We learned how to fight and cull them to help keep the population from growing too powerful."

Ami responded enthusiastically, "That’s incredible! We've just been learning about fighting mystic beasts, and you've already done it."

Vyas smiled modestly, "I suppose that's true. How about you four? Where are you from?"

Ami answered first, "I'm a city girl, born and raised here. But the rest of them came here to attend the Auberon Academy a few years ago."

Ollo responded second, "As for me, our clan is located in the countryside. I moved out here because none of my clan knows anything about magic, so they thought it would be best for me to learn from the experts."

Deriana spoke next, her eyes filled with nostalgia, "My family hails from near the capital, but Auberon's education is the best in the country, so I moved here with my mother and siblings as a child to attend the Academy. We travel back every summer, though."

Henri replied last, his tone more reserved, "My family's from the neighboring kingdom, Palnia."

Curious, Vyas asked, "I was under the impression that Academy graduates were automatically given a spot at the University? Any particular reason you’re all at the trials?"

"Entertainment!" Ami shouted. "The trials are some of the most fun events that take place in this city. People come from all over the world to try to attend Auberon. There’s very few events quite like it. You must have felt it yourself watching some of the fights."

Henri began to speak, "To address your earlier point, it’s a common misconception that attending the Academy means guaranteed admission to the Institute. When your time at the Academy comes to an end, we are also tested, just much differently than the trials. If we pass that examination, we are granted University admission, otherwise not. The Academy simply does an excellent job in its training, so nearly ninety-five percent of Academy students are admitted to the Institute. Thankfully, we’ve all passed the trials; we’re just here scoping out our future classmates."

“Just how much did you know about Auberon before arriving here?” asked Deriana.

Vyas laughed, "To be honest, I know very little about the Institute itself. Maya decided she wanted to attend a few months ago, and now we’re here. I barely had enough time to say goodbye to all my friends before we left."

Ami's eyes filled with concern, "But wait, then you didn’t really train for the trials? I mean, I've heard some stories about people getting seriously injured during these trials. Are you prepared? Do you want some pointers?"

Vyas smiled, "I've had my fair share of battles and training, just not specifically for the trials. I'm confident that I can handle it, but I appreciate your concern and any advice you have to offer."

Ami hesitated for a moment, before eagerly sharing tips, "There’s so much to know! One important aspect is to train in group combat capabilities. The Institute typically has a magic trial where they assess your ability to cast and strategize under pressure. Also, there are tests to check your control and technique. How comfortable are you with that? There’s also the—"

Ollo interrupted by patting Ami’s back, "Breathe, Ami. Breathe. Deep breaths. You said you would stop doing that." He then turned to Vyas, "Don't mind her, she's always been a bit of a worrywart. But she's right, the trials can be intense. At this point, there’s not much you’ll probably be able to do. Most importantly, just don’t underestimate them and be careful."

Vyas nodded, "Appreciate the advice. I'll be sure to prepare myself as much as I can in the next few days."

Henri sighed, "It's a shame that we won't be around to see your mage trials. We're going on a trip to the capital tomorrow."

Vyas responded with a reassuring smile, "No worries. If all goes well, we'll meet each other again at the Institute."