After they settled in for the night, Kyren found himself in the throes of the same recurring nightmare. This time, he saw Patricia sprinting down the treacherous path to Sand Hills Town, her face etched with terror. Kyren’s heart raced, a sickening worry rising in his chest, fearing this nightmare might reflect reality—that Patricia might truly be in danger after leaving Arramaya City. Desperate to reach her, he pushed forward, only to be pulled into an unending void that swallowed him whole.

In a flash, he jolted back, thinking he’d woken up. But he hadn’t; he was back in the same place, only now he faced a more horrifying scene—the Heart Blade Guild members, their faces twisted in agony, were being tortured. This time, he saw the tormentor: the Vice Leader of the AL Guild, his face a mask of pure malice. Flames erupted around the guild members, engulfing them, and Kyren could only watch, bound and voiceless. His throat tightened as he saw the figure advance toward him, his cruel eyes locked onto Kyren's.

"AAAAAARGGHHHHH!" Kyren’s scream tore through the silence, jolting Hiro awake beside him.

Hiro shot up, wide-eyed, searching the room. "Kyren! What happened? Are you okay?" His voice wavered, concern flickering in his eyes.

Kyren’s breath came in shaky gasps. "The nightmares… they’re getting worse."

With a steadying hand on Kyren’s shoulder, Hiro tried to soothe him. "Breathe, Kyren. We’ll figure this out."

Desperation tinged Kyren’s voice. "Hiro… I saw Patricia. It was like she was in real danger, after leaving the city… I need to know if she’s safe."

Hiro’s expression softened, though his voice stayed resolute. "We can’t reach her, Kyren. But she’s strong. We have to trust that."

As Hiro opened the window, sunlight spilled into the room, bathing them in a gentle warmth. He forced a reassuring smile. "Let’s focus on our goal here, Kyren. We’ll find a way to make this right."

Though his mind still reeled, Kyren gave a short nod. "Right."

A few minutes later, they headed to their classroom. Upon entering, they saw what they expected—a neglected space with broken, dust-covered furniture. Only a few seats remained usable. Kyren scanned the room, noticing Zeeha, a girl they hadn't met before, seated at the front, her face drawn and weary.

After they took their seats, students trickled in, and soon the classroom was a chaotic scene. Groups quickly formed. The largest group, led by an imp named Calir, who exuded confidence, drew most students to his side. Another group followed Sparoo, a young demon around Kyren’s age, though he seemed more neutral, not keen on challenging Calir. Zeeha’s group, however, was much smaller, with only two students joining her. Finally, there was Kyren and Hiro, the last group, sitting on their own.

"Hiro," Kyren whispered, scanning the room, "we don’t have a proctor… Not a good sign."

Hiro glanced around, puzzled. "Why’s this happening?"

After a few hours, the door swung open, and the room fell silent. Their dorm caretaker entered, cigarette in hand and a stack of papers under his arm.

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Hiro squinted, astonished. "Is that our proctor?"

Kyren shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not."

The caretaker cleared his throat, looking lost. "Well… there’s a shortage of proctors for your batch. So I’m in charge… until you either move up or fail out."

A voice piped up from the back. "So, what are you going to teach us?"

The caretaker scratched his head. "Good question! Honestly, I don’t know. The expectation is… most of you won’t pass anyway."

Before anyone could respond, Calir blasted a fireball in his direction, barely missing him. "Watch your mouth!" he snarled.

The caretaker took a nervous step back. "Alright, alright. Message received." He hurried out, leaving the class buzzing with tension.

“Come on, Hiro, let’s leave here,” Kyren urged, his voice low but firm.

“Where are we going?” Hiro asked, visibly confused.

Kyren met his gaze, voice tinged with determination. “Listen, Hiro. We’re on our own in this—just another survival test. I know it’s unfair, but we need to self-train and learn. Come with me. I know something that might help us.”

He began walking, nudging Hiro along. But before they could make it to the door, a student blocked their exit, summoning a wall of stone with a smirk.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he sneered, arms folded.

“We’re just heading back to our dormitory. Class is dismissed,” Kyren replied evenly.

“Who said class is dismissed?” Calir’s voice cut through the room. He stepped forward, his group of followers nodding in agreement.

“Our proctor walked out,” Kyren replied, voice steady.

“That wasn’t our teacher,” Calir shot back. “I’m the ruler here.”

A murmur of agreement spread through his group.

Kyren’s expression tightened. “So what are we supposed to do?”

“We’ll hold our own challenges,” Calir announced, his tone chilling. “For today’s challenge, I’ll pick two people to fight… to the death. And your buddy here is one of them. He’s looking at me like he’s got something to prove.”

Kyren’s mouth opened to protest, but Hiro interjected, a spark of defiance in his eyes. “Who am I fighting?”

Calir’s lips twisted into a smirk. “Brave, huh? Fine. I’ll give you a favor—pick anyone here to fight.”

Hiro’s eyes darted around the room, landing briefly on Zeeha and the other two humans. All three were girls, and Kyren could see Hiro’s hesitation. It wasn’t in Hiro’s nature to fight someone vulnerable, especially a girl.

“What’s the matter? Can’t decide, little human?” Calir mocked, his followers snickering.

“Nah, I’ve decided,” Hiro declared, voice unwavering. He lifted a finger, pointing directly at Calir, stunning everyone, especially Kyren. “I’ll pick you. Fight me.”

Kyren’s eyes widened in disbelief. “What, Hiro? No!” He grabbed Hiro’s shoulder, voice urgent. “We’re no match for him right now. He’s… stronger than us.”

Hiro met Kyren’s gaze, something unreadable flickering in his eyes. There was a quiet urgency there, but Kyren couldn’t quite grasp it.

Meanwhile, Calir’s face twisted in disbelief, a hint of anger brewing beneath his mockery. “You think you can take me?”

Hiro’s expression didn’t waver. “Is my finger not pointing at you?” he quipped, his voice laced with defiant sarcasm.

A dangerous glint flashed in Calir’s eyes as he laughed, though his humor quickly faded into rage. With a roar, he unleashed a torrent of flames, which began to swirl around him, rising like a wall of fire. “It’s too late to take that back, boy,” he snarled.

The temperature in the room spiked, the air thick with blistering heat. Calir’s flames roared, licking at the walls and ceiling, casting ominous shadows. Students scrambled to the sides, faces pale with fear, desperate to escape the inferno as the oppressive heat bore down on them.

Hiro clenched his fists, standing firm despite the flames, his gaze locked onto Calir with fierce determination. Kyren could feel the blistering heat, but his worry for Hiro kept him rooted to the spot.

“Let’s see if you can back that up,” Calir sneered, his fire swirling menacingly around him.

In that moment, Kyren’s hand instinctively found Hiro’s shoulder, gripping it tightly. Hiro glanced at him, giving a quick, reassuring nod. The weight of their friendship grounded them both as they prepared to face what was coming.