----------------------------------------
Condemned To Death
----------------------------------------
12th September, 1507
After half a mile of walking, Seren and Susie finally reached the gates of Lexarch Academy. Streams of people flowed in and out, each draped in robes of blue, red, or black.
The academy, cradled by the ancient forest, stood like a monument to forgotten eras. Its towering spires pierced the sky, while ivy-clad stone walls blended into the green setback, as if the structure itself was birthed from nature’s womb. Cobblestone paths twisted through the grounds and golden sunlight bathed the scene, casting long shadows and illuminating the intricate carvings on the stones.
Seren let his gaze linger on the scene for a moment, then noticed Lorien and Finn among a small group—those who had passed the Rite yesterday. He and Susie joined them, waiting for the professors to appear and reveal their next steps.
Unknown to them, an unremarkable old man descended the grand stone stairs that led to the academy, his gaze sweeping over the gathered youths. They chatted among themselves, oblivious to his scrutiny as he silently assessed their character through their body language.
‘Hmmm... Kai from the Valorhearts acts like a man with great honor and respect for the people around him but seems a bit reserved, probably because he hasn’t established a friend group yet'
His gaze then shifted to Lorien as he assessed the nature of the students in front of him. 'Lorien on the other hand is more hyperactive and casually talks to anyone he finds interesting but mainly stays with his best friend Finn. He excludes the feeling of a leader that has yet to mature properly. While Finn gives off the feeling of a lucky idiot who is easy to talk to. The report said he easily falls for girls and constantly tries to flirt with them but it also said he is actually relatively smart and knows what to do in tight situations'
He noticed a girl with long black hair standing alone with an icy look on her face. Everyone seemed to stay away from her. 'That girl Elise seems to be cast out by her peers due to her status, but she doesn’t seem to be bothered by it. And the two bald brothers, Ethan and Noah act like carefree little children who get excited and happy over the smallest of things’.
The old man was discerning everyone in the group below with a keen eye as he got some rough estimates of their personalities.
Seren from the side of his eye, noticed how that old man with short white hair and a white beard was scrutinizing everyone. Seren with his quick thinking realized it might be one of the professors that was meant to meet them here today. He decided to use this opportunity and chose to put on an act. When the old man looked in Seren’s direction, he put a smile on his face and turned to look at Susie.
Susie was confused at why Seren was suddenly smiling at her and then to her surprise Seren extended out his hand and caressed her short hair gently on the side.
Susie’s face instantly flushed red, and her mind was going insane with thoughts as she stood frozen in her spot.
‘What do I do! What do I do! Why is he suddenly touching my hair and smiling at me?’
The old man then looked in Susie's direction with Seren rustling her hair softly.
‘Susie, the only unexpected ethereal grade we had in a long time and also received a gift from the Luminar tree. The boy next to her with long silver is Seren, a cunning child who is good at deception and outsmarting his opponents. I didn’t receive a report on his combat capabilities, but he is only a D-grade Lumina with the perfect memory skill he got from the Luminar tree’.
Seren then pulled his hand back and in his hand was a shriveled-up leaf that had been stuck in Susie’s hair. He didn’t say anything to Susie and just took his eyes off of her and looked away.
After thinking for a while, the old man had a few hypotheses on Seren. ‘The report did say that boy is very cunning with his actions and rarely smiles but right now... he’s smiling warmly at this girl... Does he actually have feelings for her or did he approach her for her ethereal grade... I will need to observe him more to come to a conclusion’.
After scrutinizing all the youths below, the old man then straightened his robe and raised his index finger. A small, blackish-yellow sphere materialized above it.
POP!
The ball burst with a sharp crack, drawing the attention of every student.
“Welcome to Chimera Academy,” the old man announced. “Congratulations to those who’ve made it here. I’m Aldric, but to you, I’ll be teacher.”
The students didn’t say anything for a few moments, but then Lorien took the lead as he clasped his fist in his hand and said “Yes, teacher”. The other students then followed Lorien’s example as they greeted Aldric.
After the greetings were done, a student raised his hand. “When do we become Lexarchs?”
Aldric smiled. “You already are. A Lexarch controls the natural Laws and Concepts of this world, a power that most cannot wield. The Realms Rite was merely a test to see if you had the aptitude of become a Lexarch and to see if the Academy should use it's resources to nurture you.”
This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.
“Then... when do we get access to the Laws?” the same student asked, anticipation coloring his voice.
Aldric’s smile widened. “Follow me.”
Excitement surged through the group as they ascended the grand stone stairs, entering the academy’s vast hall. The center of the hall was dominated by a fountain with a strange statue of a creature with large ears and a small, furry body at the top.
Inside, the academy’s polished marble floors gleamed under the light of a chandelier. From the ground floor, the youths could see other students moving along on the second floor, visible from below.
As Aldric guided the students behind the fountain into the hallway, they passed rows of closed doors on both sides. Each door bore a simple design, their surfaces unadorned and their handles polished to a sheen. The hallway remained silent except for the muffled sound of their footsteps, and a sense of anticipation that grew as they continued onward, their imaginations ignited by the mystery of the closed doors.
As they followed Aldric down the hallway, a few students noticed a door slightly open, darkness seeping through the crack. Curiosity got the better of them, and they stole a glance inside.
What they saw stopped them cold.
The room beyond was bathed in a sickly green light, casting shadows that twisted and writhed on the walls. In the center stood a figure, its back hunched, its movements jerky and unnatural. Skin stretched tight over bone, empty eye sockets stared into nothingness.
Shelves lined the walls, each holding deformed specimens in jars of murky liquid. Twisted creatures from nightmares floated next to organs distorted beyond recognition. The stench of decay clung to the air, making their stomachs churn.
Then suddenly, a low, guttural moan echoed from the walls, breaking the silence.
Panic surged through the students as they realized they were not alone. Without a word, they tore their gaze away, hearts pounding as they hurried to catch up with the group, minds reeling from the horrors they had seen.
Emerging from the labyrinthine hallway, Aldric stepped outside into the cool breeze. Walking beneath the shelter of a roofed walkway, the students’ eyes were drawn to the left where a vast stone platform lay nestled amidst the towering trees. Stretching fifty meters wide, it commanded attention against the backdrop of the dense forest.
On the platform, an intense scene unfolded. Students and adults clad in blue, red, and black robes gathered around, their murmurs blending into a low hum. In the center, two figures engaged in a fierce battle.
The figure in blue lunged forward, aiming a stabbing thrust at the man in black. As his arm extended, the skin on his hand disintegrated, revealing finger bones that sharpened into points, thorns protruding from the sides.
But before the blow could land, the man in black abruptly vanished, leaving the blue-robed figure grasping at empty air. In an instant then, the black-clad figure reappeared above the blue-robbed figure, suspended in mid-air.
With a motion defying nature, his fingers stretched unnaturally, and he brought his hand down in a vicious slap, targeting the blue-robed man’s jaw.
BAM!
The impact was brutal. The blue-robed figure was sent hurtling through the air, spinning uncontrollably before crashing onto the stone floor with a sickening thud.
A collective gasp rippled through the crowd. The figure in blue lay motionless, half his jaw torn away, bloodied teeth and torn flesh exposed in a grotesque display.
Shock gripped the spectators, their eyes glued to the gruesome scene.
Amidst the shocked silence, a girl clad in a flowing white cloak dashed onto the scene with her emerald green hair tied into twin ponytails that swayed with her swift movements. Kneeling beside the fallen student, she assessed the situation with practiced hands, her brow furrowing in concentration. Determined, she placed her hand on his chest.
Energy surged from her, manifesting as vibrant green vines that enveloped the student in a protective cocoon appeared out of her body. The vines pulsed with life, weaving around the injured man in a dance of nature.
Nearby, the figure in black stood, a sinister grin twisting his blood-spattered face. His eyes gleamed with malevolence as he approached the fallen student with luxurious steps.
Reaching the body, he then bend down and tore away the blue robe, the fabric ripping with an ominous sound. He wiped the blood from his hands and face with the robe, casting a disdainful glance at the motionless figure before him.
“What are you doing!” The girl with green hair demanded, her voice trembling with anger.
The black-clad figure ignored her protest, his voice cold and indifferent. "I’ll be taking this as my reward." With chilling calmness, he placed his hand over his opponent’s face.
The onlookers recoiled as he pried open one of the eyes of the motionless body. The sound of tearing flesh sent shivers down their spines.
Squelching sounds filled the air as he began to gouge out the eye, the delicate tissue tearing as he worked. With a final, brutal yank, the eye came free with a wet pop, veins snapping like brittle threads under the force of his grip. Blood gushed from the empty socket, the girl beside him struggled to contain her disgust for him as she tried to heal the damage.
As the gruesome spectacle unfolded before them, the crowd fell momentarily silent, the weight of what they had witnessed sinking in. The silence then shattered as the shouts of cheers for the student in the black rang out.
Some among the crowd hailed the figure in black, their voices ringing out in adulation for his display of power and dominance. Others murmured words of pity for the fallen figure, their sympathy mingled with shock at the brutality of the scene.
...
On the sidelines, the students who had been walking through the academy grounds stood frozen, expressions ranging from disbelief to terror. One youth even clutched his mouth, struggling to contain his nausea.
Even Elise, known for her stoic demeanor, couldn’t hide the flicker of unease in her eyes. The brutality had shaken her.
But Seren remained unperturbed, his gaze steady, his expression unchanged. He had faced worse, suffered more. This display of violence did nothing to disturb the calm he had forged in lifetimes of torment.
For these students though, they had been prepared to face danger and adversity as they gained some confidence in themselves after winning their fight with the minotaur, but the sight of fellow humans engaging in such brutal combat was new to them. They hadn't even imagined that they would fighting other Lexarchs like themselves in life and death battles.
“Get used to it.”
Aldric’s voice carried a weight of experience, laced with melancholy. He continued forward, his gaze fixed ahead.
"When I was your age,” he said with a hint of nostalgia, “it took me a long time to accept that I must fight my fellow humans with the intention to kill if I wanted to survive in this world. Sometimes, I would even have to fight my friends, and often times I would make the mistake of showing empathy to my opponents and by the end, I would pay dearly for it. But I learned, I grew out of it, and so will you. The sooner you accept this truth, the better off you will be.”
With that, he strode on, his words hanging in the air and letting the youths make the decision for themselves if they want to heed his advice.
----------------------------------------
Condemned To Death
----------------------------------------