Prologue

I’ve always loved heroes. Every single day, I’ve dreamed about being as strong and inspiring as the great men and women in the stories I’ve read, with their daring exploits and dashing heroics. There are countless legends of valiant heroes, but my favorite is called “The Sword of the Sun.”

Long ago, before there were kings and leaders, during the age of just humans and monsters, two dragons emerged. Their hatred for each other was immense, and their ensuing battle shook the world with chaos and destruction. What was once beautiful, grassy land was now covered in harsh, unforgiving dragon fire. Mountains once thought indestructible quickly crumbled to dust, hapless victims of the furious battle raging on their slopes. Ash clouds covered the sky, leaving the land dark and lifeless. No town or city was safe from their destructive battle; neither dragon seemed to have the upper hand, and their battle seemed never-ending. All hope was lost—until one brave knight appeared.

After a long and treacherous journey, he fought the two dragons with unforeseeable speed and power. With a swing of his sword, the brave knight slayed the dragons, bringing their destructive battle to an end.

Standing atop the ruins of what was once a mighty citadel, with the world now saved, the brave knight planted his foot on what was once an indestructible rampart and thrust his sword toward the heavens. A huge beam of light shot up to the sky like a beacon of peace, and the world was calm once more. The burning land returned to lush green, and the sun shone through the bleak clouds. It shined brightly on the radiant blade—and from that moment on, the sword became known as the “Sword of the Sun.” The knight became a hero, and his story became legend as he was crowned the first King of Knights.

Chapter 1

It was a typical September day, the sky covered by a gray pall of clouds. Harsh winds blew across the forest, ripping leaves off the trees and howling briefly interrupted by the loud crack of stray branches hitting the ground. The cold wind blasted against Dante, making him shiver. The sun was nowhere to be found; a huge storm was approaching. Dust and dirt plagued his eyes, but Dante moved through the forest quickly, scavenging the area. His age had not caught up to his body yet—the previous battles he had fought were more painful with far higher stakes. As he picked up the pace, the shoulder strap on his armor loosened. Without breaking his stride, Dante held the strap in place, adjusting it. Ensuring it fit tightly against his body once more. His leather armor covered his front and back; the spaulder left the rest of his arms exposed, though his boots and pants covered most of his lower body. Though Dante’s equipment was serviceable, it was far from the best; quality arms and armor were difficult to come by in his impoverished village, a backwater township on the outer reaches of the kingdom, far from the capital. Due to this distance, the villagers relied on one another for trade and supplies. Goods from the capital were always out of reach, too expensive for common folk. Those with knowledge of the forest were tasked with retrieving materials from deep within the woods. Dante was grateful to his neighbors for taking him in but sometimes wished he had been born in the mage kingdom—advanced MagiTech would have made his job a whole lot easier. Despite being tied to the village by obligations, even if he could have left, he would have still chosen to stay. With a bag of firewood in his left hand and his old axe in his right—though weathered, it was as sharp as ever.

He had been scavenging the forest for firewood when a faint sound made him pause. Listening closely, Dante realized that what he had initially thought was the sound of a small animal was actually the cry of a baby! He gripped his axe tightly, sweat running down his face as he scanned the area for threats. The baby's shrieks echoed through the forest, seemingly carried by the wind. Carefully but urgently, he made his way towards the crying. His heart pounded as Dante faced the uncertainty of what he might encounter. The forest was known for its fae creatures, some fabled to be malevolent or monstrous, their tricks said to lead inexperienced travelers to their doom. Thinking quickly, he used nearby bushes and trees as cover, hiding himself from potential dangers. As the cries grew louder, he peeked out from the bushes, making as little noise as possible. Scanning the area for threats, Dante’s tension turned to concern—there was a baby on the ground, covered in dirt and dust, its dirty blanket hindering its movement. He picked up the starving baby, amazed that no beast had found it yet despite its loud cries. A loud crack of thunder caused the infant to shriek louder, leaving him momentarily dumbfounded. Dante smiled out of pity for the crying child, knowing the decision he must make—one similar to the decision made by the previous hunter who had found him years ago. Resolute in his decision, he carried the baby home.

The child's wailing continued with every step he took. The winds, once merely harsh, turned cruel and punishing with his added load, casting dust in Dante’s face and clogging his nose and eyes, making the burden of carrying the baby even more challenging. As he stepped into his home, the baby’s crying finally ceased. Even the harsh thunder no longer seemed to faze the infant. Back then, he lived alone in the village; his home was a single room with only the essential stone and wood furnishings. The simple cotton sheets haphazardly strewn across his bed and the iron pot above the fireplace were his only concessions to decor. Dante’s prized bookshelf, full of heroic tales collected over the years, stood proudly next to the fire. He lit his pitch-black room with candles out of habit, their feeble yet warm light illuminating his spartan home. Though he had always wished for more technology, like a heater, his home shielded him from the elements, so he couldn’t complain. He moved the infant to the table next to his bed; caring for the child was one of the greatest challenges Dante had ever faced. The baby, a young boy with a head of luscious brown hair and sparkling dark red eyes, took hours to calm and comfortable. Despite the difficulty, he ensured the child felt secure and safe. Dante looked upon the baby with sadness and pity.

“I thought you would never stop crying. I’m sorry for what you had to go through at such a young age.”

After cleaning the blanket, he discovered letters embroidered in the top right corner.

“Tanner”

He delicately tucked the blanket back around the child, making sure not to wake him.

“Tanner, I guess that’s your name.”

He placed his hand on the baby’s head, stroking him gently in a comforting manner.

“Hello, Tanner. Welcome to the village.”

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

16 years later:

“God, it’s so hot,”

I curse to myself as I wipe sweat from my brow. The sun seems especially bright as it mercilessly shines in the cloudless sky. My sweaty hands struggle to grip my wooden sword as I practice against a nearby tree. Noah sits on the ground, watching me with admiration as I continue. His red hair and blue eyes shine in the sun, and no matter how terrible the day is, he always brightens it up.

“Tanner, you’re so cool. You look just like a knight! I hope I can be a knight just like you.”

Panting heavily, I stop moving and sheath my wooden sword, taking a break from the heat and the constant quick movements.

“Thanks Noah, study and train hard, and you’ll get there too.”

“Tanner, Noah, give me a hand with the firewood!”

Sighing, I put away my sword and head to the tree line where my father is waiting for me. Hefting the bundle of firewood onto my shoulder, the three of us make our way to the village school. Thankfully, due to the heat, the bundle is light. Even if it weren’t, I’d still have a skip in my step. Today is a special day for me—the day I leave for the Royal Capital to take the knights’ exam. My little farm town is very far from the Sword Kingdom Capital, so to make it on time, I need to leave a few days early. Sword City is completely different from my farm town—crowded with millions of people and with technology that is vastly more advanced compared to what little is available in my hometown.

After we finish our errands, all that’s left is to finalize my preparations. Due to the long journey ahead, I need to pack light, so packing is bittersweetly short. While I’m excited to go on this adventure, it’s sad to leave behind my way of life and everything I know. In the end, I settle on a few rations, some money, my wooden sword, my knife, and a short bow.

With my preparations complete, I stand on the path toward the exam and my first step toward becoming a knight. As I work myself up to begin my journey, I hear familiar voices behind me.

“Let’s make a bet—10 copper that he dies on the way to the kingdom.”

“Does he really think he can be a knight when, even after 16 years, he’s still so short and weak?”

“Well, if he fails, at least we’ll get a funny story out of it.”

It’s Jayson and two of his friends. He’s tall and strong with short black hair. They’re wearing clothes slightly worse than my travel attire—ragged gray long-sleeved shirts and ragged black pants that go to their ankles.

I never want to hate people, but it frustrates me how popular he is in town despite how he acts toward me and his arrogance when he does something. He was a nice person when I was younger, but after that combat training match we had, he revealed his true colors to me.

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

6 years ago:

It was near the end of the school day when my teacher brought the entire class outside behind the red barn to a small ring made of wood embedded in the ground.

After a long day spent indoors, it felt great to finally feel the warmth of the sun and a light breeze. Nothing seemed capable of bringing me down from enjoying the weather. Immense excitement filled me as my favorite class was about to start. The class was combat training; I finally got to hold a sword and feel like a knight from the stories my father used to read to me before bed. Academics weren’t my greatest strength; I’d always hated taking timed tests because they made me feel rushed and stupid. Unlike me, Jayson has talent and always seems to get the best grades. So it felt wonderful to finally take a break from the teachers getting frustrated at me; someone who was the opposite of Jayson.

“Everyone, please form a single-file line for footwork drills!” Our teacher shouted to get our attention.

We all lined up horizontally in front of the wooden ring. This was the most boring part of the class, but I still made an effort to work on my footwork as best I could.

Footwork drills were rough and exhausting; keeping my form and moving quickly was extremely difficult, as it was a weakness of mine.

“Okay everyone, great work. Grab a weapon and practice your weapon training. You have 15 minutes!”

Sweat poured down my face, and my breath was harsh and unsteady. With urgency, I quickly made my way to the pile of weapons. Swords were my favorite kind of weapon, but I especially loved the long sword. Although my exhaustion was great, I practiced swinging my sword and footwork to the best of my ability. I felt a tap on my shoulder and saw Jayson behind me.

“Hey Tanner, how did your training session yesterday go?”

I looked at him, confused; it was dark yesterday, so I wasn’t sure how he had seen me.

“You saw me practicing?”

He had a sorry expression on his face.

“Sorry, I heard noises near my place, so I was curious. Your bladework and footwork aren’t very good. You’re going to need to move really fast and have better blade work to beat people with a bigger reach.”

I took in the feedback he gave me.

“Okay, so I need to know my opponent’s distance and my own and use my speed to gain the advantage, right?”

He gave me a confusing look. He was smiling, but I couldn’t tell if he was angry or frustrated.

“Yeah, something like that.”

Before I could turn around and continue, Jayson spoke up with curiosity.

“You’re really passionate about weapons. Have you ever thought about making them instead of becoming a knight?”

I was confused by the question, not sure why he was asking, but I was still happy to answer.

“Yeah, it’s true that I like to look at weapons, but it’s really inspiring to see how the knights fight and inspire people. I want to be just like the knight in the Sword of the Sun story.”

The confused expression was back, and he sighed.

“Alright, whatever.”

“Okay everyone, today is another sparring match. Please give both of them some feedback, and as usual, I will be grading everyone on participation and comments, as well as the two people sparring individual skills.”

Everyone sat down in a circle around the fighting ring, excited to see who would be fighting.

“Tanner and Jayson, please step into the ring.”

We both stepped into the ring. I was holding a long sword while Jayson was holding a wooden stick representing a lance. Jayson looked confident while I felt nervous. Breathing was difficult, almost as if I were being constricted, and my palms were sweating. I tried to take deep breaths, and while it helped, it didn’t fully eliminate my nervousness.

“Fighters ready? Begin!”

Although nervous, I charged straight at Jayson. I swung my sword at his right side, but he blocked the attack with incredible ease. Jayson was always physically gifted for his age. I backed away, trying to distance myself from him. Using the lance’s length, Jayson swung it towards my shoulder. His swift attacks were tough to follow. By a stroke of luck, I managed to block his strike. The force of the attack was enough to keep me pinned down, and I was stuck, unable to move. Using his overpowering strength and speed, he ran up and kneed me in the chest. My body was flung out of the ring, and I coughed up spit from the pain of the assault.

Crap, I was completely overwhelmed!

“The winner is Jayson!”

The entire class cheered for him. He walked up to me and reached out his hand. I smiled, and he helped me up. He put his head next to my ear.

“No one here thinks you can be a knight, not even the teacher. Everyone here thinks you can’t physically do anything. Give up. You’re too short, weak, and stupid to be a knight.”

A state of shock took over my body. I didn’t think Jayson would say something like this.

He’s usually very nice to people, but secretly he’s like this!

I looked around, staring at everyone in a daze.

It’s not just Jayson... everyone is like this to me.

I looked down at my feet with an incredibly depressed expression.

Everyone really says things like this behind my back.

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Present Day:

“Is everything okay, Tanner?”

I snap back into reality after hearing my father’s words. His stern but worried look makes me collect myself; the last thing I want is to let him worry. I lift my head and smile.

“I’m fine, everything is packed.”

Even after all this time, he hasn’t aged a bit. He is still the father who works hard and worries about others.

Noah starts to cry, knowing he won’t be seeing me for a long time. His tears and sniffling make it difficult for him to speak, but I manage to understand him.

“I will miss you, but show everyone that you can do it. I want to see you as a knight when I get older.”

Keeping up the big brother act is extremely tough right now. I am going to miss him too, but I need to keep a strong face regardless of what’s happening around me.

I give him a soft hug.

“I will miss you too. Make sure to take care of Dad for me, okay?”

Rubbing his eyes, he hugs me back. The tears and snot are getting on my clothes, but I don’t mind; I’d probably do the same if I were in his position.

“Remember, Tanner, you always have a place here if you ever want to come back. Make sure to write.”

His words make me smile. I’m incredibly grateful for the education and training he’s given me. Even though he wasn’t the best father, I know he had the best intentions, and I’m glad he raised me.

“Thank you. I’ll make sure to write every day to both of you; I’ll do my best to become a knight.”

“Good luck, Tanner,” my dad says with a bittersweet smile.

“Tanner!... Wait!”

The shout comes from the direction of my old school. It’s my teacher, Ms. Brighid. She’s running as fast as she can, her long red hair swaying in the distance. Her worried expression is clear until she finally stops in front of me, panting and out of breath. After a few seconds, she regains herself and stands up.

“Tanner, I...”

It looks like she wants to say something she’s been holding back, but she hesitates. Maybe I’m reading too much into it.

“Tanner, good luck. I know you will do great.”

Smiling gratefully, I give Ms. Brighid, my father, and my little brother a hug.

“Thank you, I appreciate it. I’m off now; I’ll do the best I can!”

I wave goodbye to my teacher and family, and I start my journey to Sword City. The journey is long, but after a few days, I finally make it to the capital.

The Sword Kingdom capital looks completely different from my hometown. The streets are filled with cars, an unfathomable number of well-dressed people bustling through the area, colorful signs for restaurants and buildings, and knight guards with glistening armor making sure they are seen by many. I feel completely out of place.

This is way too overwhelming!

People keep bumping into me, and I keep bumping into them. It is extremely difficult to navigate around the capital.

“Sorry!”

Whenever I bump into someone, they are very cautious, giving a disgusted look and checking their pockets.

“Watch where you're going next time, kid!”

It really hurts that a lot of these people don’t show any kindness, but I guess it’s understandable considering how I am dressed.

Looking around this crowded area is a complete nightmare. The streets are so confusing to follow.

I am so lost... where is the Knights Academy?

I walk up to one of the guards nervously; I’m not mentally ready to speak to someone in this giant city yet.

Looking down at the ground, I speak to the guard next to a restaurant standing proudly.

“Excuse me, sir, can you show me where the Knights Academy is?”

The guard looks at me with a questioning expression on his face.

“Sorry, kid, could you speak up? I can’t hear you.”

Clearing my throat to try to calm myself down, I speak up a little louder.

“Can you show me where the Knights Academy is?”

After standing still for a few seconds, the guard understands what I am saying.

“Oh, okay, but are you the scribe for the academy?”

I look at him confused and slightly let down.

“No... I am here to try to become a knight.”

The guard lets out a hearty laugh.

“Okay, kid, the Academy is the giant building in the center of the capital.”

His laughter stings, but I do my best not to show my emotions. Faking a smile, I walk away in the direction he points.

Moments like this always happen to me, and they always infuriate me. This moment reminds me of a similar memory from my childhood.

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7 years ago:

It was a beautiful, bright, sunny day with no clouds in the sky. The grass was a brilliant green, spreading through the town and into the forest. Farmhouses of different colors, shapes, and sizes stood with small crop lands next to each one. The wind gently sighed through the trees and ruffled my brown hair. While I could feel the wind, my focus was on the people around me. I knew this area like the back of my hand. I watched as a football was cleanly thrown across the field, landing perfectly in someone’s arms.

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Jayson started charging right at me. He was tall, fast, and strong, like an unstoppable train I had learned about in school.

“Tanner, it’s on you!”

“I got it!”

I yelled with determination and confidence.

Both of us charged straight at each other and clashed. I slowly started being pushed backward, but I gritted my teeth in determination, planting my feet firmly in the ground. Jayson pushed through, throwing me to the ground and scoring a touchdown for his team.

Everyone on the opposing team cheered, while my teammates lay on the ground, panting in defeat. A few of my teammates who had tried to catch Jayson tiredly walked toward me, their frustration clear.

“I knew we couldn’t trust Tanner with defending the end zone.”

Another boy walked up to me and helped me up.

“Sorry, Tanner. I guess he was a little too tough for you.”

Jayson then spoke up with a lot of confidence.

“Is there any doubt that I would ever lose to Tanner?”

The boy who helped me up spoke, thinking he was comforting me.

“You may be taller, but you could have at least tried to go easier on him.”

I hated it when people said that to me. It was something I was all too familiar with. Everyone in this small town always underestimated me just because I was shorter than the average boy my age. No matter what I did, my efforts were always undervalued.

“At least I’m trying.”

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Present day:

I arrive at the Knights Academy. The academy features a giant arena with vomitoriums where we can watch from a safe distance. Right next to it is a castle that looks incredibly sturdy. It’s gray in color and stands tall, bigger than any of the buildings in the city. The registration booth is located in the center of the colosseum. It’s a square arena, and the ground is entirely made of concrete with a white circle in the center. Looking at the ring reminds me of the combat class back at school.

Is that the fighting ring they will use for the test?

Many nobles wear clean and colorful clothing. If there is anywhere in the capital where I feel out of place, it’s here. My ragged clothes don’t help either. Everyone’s confidence increases the intimidation I feel, along with their sense of pride. With my head down, I slowly walk to the booth, waiting for my turn to register for the exam.

It’s finally my turn, and I meet an exhausted man at the booth.

“Please tell me your name and date of birth.”

Concerned for his well-being, I make sure to be quick so I don’t hold up the line and can make his job easier.

“Tanner, August 1st, 2001.”

His eyes look like they are about to shut down; he could fall asleep at any moment.

“Your name will be shown on the board with your scores, and your name will be called for the physical exam.”

I look at him and smile.

“Okay, thank you sir.”

I walk away to find a place to sit down.

“What are you doing?”

A haughty voice stops me in my tracks. Curious about who is talking to me, I turn around. A girl with black curly hair and clear skin interrupts me. She wears a shining white battle dress that looks more suited for sparring than actual combat. There is no doubt that she is a high-ranking noble. Her gaze brings intimidation and confusion to my eyes. I’m not sure what I did wrong.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

She starts to get irritated, and I begin to get nervous as sweat flows down my face.

“Why did you register for the exam? I hope you realize that a peasant like you is just wasting the judges' time?”

I stand still, not sure how to react. For all her clean and fancy clothing, her attitude is just as unpleasant as the people in my hometown. I look at the floor shyly, lacking the courage to respond.

The girl gives me an arrogant look, making sure I feel the humiliation and disrespect. I can hear people murmuring around me. I can’t make out what they are saying, but I can tell they are discussing my status and skills. With my head still down, I walk away and sit in a corner, away from everyone.

After 30 minutes of waiting, registration closes and the test finally starts.

“Everyone taking the Knights Exam, please follow me to the lecture hall!”

A professor from the academy walks all of us over to a gigantic lecture hall. Even though I can hear her, my height makes it difficult to see in front of the crowd. Slowly and nervously, I follow the crowd and make it to my destination.

The room is completely different from what I had back at home. The walls are made of synthetic vinyl stone, with the floor covered in synthetic vinyl wood. The chairs have wheels on the bottom of the legs, the seats are completely soft, and the tables don’t wobble even with the slightest shake. The professor stands on the podium with a white board behind her. Everyone quickly finds a seat, and a few professors pass down one giant packet of paper. No book or packet of homework could compare to it.

“You all have three hours to answer all of these questions on the test, and your scores will be quickly calculated once the exam is done. Anyone caught cheating on the test will be penalized and not allowed to take the Knights Exam for the next few years. There are no exceptions. You may now begin the first part of the exam!”

I look through the packet and see that there are 200 questions.

Is it even possible for me to complete the test in this time frame?

The exam is split into categories by subject: math, reading, writing, history and important leaders, science, magic, and technology. What makes the first part of the Knights Exam extremely difficult for peasants like me, is that some of these subjects are tough to teach in the area I grew up in. Peasants don’t tend to have strong magical power, but nobles do. Even if they did, it’s not like a peasant could afford the equipment necessary to increase their mana or even learn to control it. Magic and technology are the two subjects I will struggle with the most because of that, but if I’m being honest, every subject is difficult for me.

Damn it! There isn’t a single easy question on this test.

Frustration starts to get to me, and time is passing quickly. Despite my frustration, I channel my focus into all the questions the best I can.

“You all have 5 minutes left to finish the test.”

A state of panic takes over my body; there are still many questions left for me to answer. I don’t have much of a choice but to push through. With a sense of urgency, I skim through the rest of the questions, answering them the best I can in the little time I have left.

“Time is up! Pencils down and hand in your test!”

The stress and anxiety of the test is finally over, and I finish it way too close to the deadline for comfort. I look around the room and see everyone calm and ready to leave. Compared to me, everyone looks confident while I sit here like a nervous wreck. Turning my attention to my packet, my confidence starts to shrink.

“The first part of the exam is finished. Congratulations for making it through. Please make your way to the arena for the start of the secondary exam where your scores will be released in an hour.”

Waiting for the results is the most stressful thing I have ever done. I have never liked waiting for the results of a test. Anxiety and nervousness about my score continue to rise while everyone around me looks so calm.

How is everyone able to stay so calm in a situation like this?

After what feels like an eternity of stressful waiting, the results are finally posted.

I look at the board, frantically searching for my name, unsure of what to expect. Finally, I spot my name. My heart sank in disappointment and anger towards myself. Out of everyone who registered for this exam, I am at the bottom of the list. Years of studying and hard work, and this is the best I can do? It feels like how I disappointed my teacher back in school when I was younger.

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

10 years ago:

I was in a classroom waiting for everyone to leave. The entire room was made of wood, with multiple lamps hanging from the ceiling, filling the room with bright light. Ms. Brighid did not have a pleased look on her face. Multiple red marks dominated the pages I received from her in all of my subjects. I hung my head in shame, knowing what was about to come next. After everyone had left, Ms. Brighid slowly walked toward me.

“Tanner, you know why I am here, right?”

I started to shed tears, and it was getting hard to speak.

“I’m... sorry.”

Her expression did not change; she still wore that disappointed and dismayed look on her face.

“Is this something I need to bring up to your dad?”

Not sure what to say, the only thing that came to mind was that I was trying. That I was doing the best I could. If forgetting isn’t an excuse, what was I supposed to say?

Why can’t I be normal?

Tears continued to roll down my cheeks. I had had this same conversation with my dad as well. There were many times when I was told to do something or memorize things, and even then, I still forgot, even if I wrote things down.

“I’m waiting for an answer, Tanner.”

My head stayed down, not knowing what to say. I felt like I was a waste; everything Ms. Brighid and I worked on seemed useless in my mind.

Is there a point in trying anymore?

“I don’t know.”

Ms. Brighid gave a defeated sigh and looked away, having exhausted all her options.

“I want you to tell me the reason tomorrow once you’ve calmed down, okay?”

Walking away from me, she grabbed her belongings from off her desk and made her way out of the room. I continued to sit there with tears in my eyes, unsure where to go from here. I had dealt with this kind of scenario both at school and home, and nothing was changing.

Was I just meant to be a failure?

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Present day:

I look back at the board, hiding my tears, but I quickly wipe them away, mumbling to myself:

“I can’t just give up here. There is still one more test to do; I still have a chance.”

The next test is the physical test where knight candidates are paired up with each other. They are tested on their abilities to fight both monsters and people in case of war and strife.

Several teachers watch us closely from a balcony above the ring. One steps forward and begins to speak loudly, commanding our attention. Everyone turns to look up at her. She has long silver hair and wears a silver plate of armor that glistens in the sunlight, almost blinding me.

“Hello everyone, thank you for taking the time to take the Knight's Exam! You are our nation’s diamonds in the rough. Below me is the ring, the birthplace and final resting place of many heroes before you. This test is the next part of your journey. Each of you will be paired with another person randomly, regardless of class or skill, and will spar with each other. You lose if you step out of the ring, pass out, or give up. Are there any questions?”

The silver-haired knight stands there for a few seconds, waiting. No one raises their hand.

“Okay, if there are no questions, we will be starting the next test now.”

The students retreat to the vomitoriums to watch the fights from a distance. I sit down on the floor, leaning against the wall, watching all the matches. Every single person, regardless of who won or lost, has incredible skill.

The next pair is called.

“Laura Creston and Alphen Berlet, please step into the arena!”

I hear murmurs from other potential knights.

“Laura Creston... didn’t she have the best academic score?”

“I heard her parents were unbelievably strong knights.”

“I feel bad for Alphen; she is going to destroy him.”

Wanting to get a closer look, I stand up and walk closer to the ring. I stare at the girl, curious to see if she lives up to the rumors. I try to absorb as much as I can, making sure I learn anything about how she fights. The first thing that strikes me is her electric pink hair, falling over her shoulders in elegant curls but partially tied back for tactical efficiency. Her skin is a deep hazelnut brown that makes her pink eyes stand out. You can tell she is powerful because she only wears a burgundy battle dress that goes down to her knees and no armor.

She is around my age, maybe a little younger. Just like the rumors said, she looks like she comes from a really impressive royal family. Crests on clothing are big parts of nobility. Compared to Laura, Alphen looks overly simple but still has an unwavering determined look. I continue to stare at both fighters intently. Laura takes a sword that has a knuckle bow on the hilt. Her opponent holds a lance and looks incredibly confident. The judge looks at both fighters, making sure they are fine with their choice of weapon.

“Fighters ready?... Begin!”

Laura charges at Alphen with incredible speed and footwork. She swings her sword, causing Alphen to jump back and parry from his right side. Using the momentum and his lance’s range, he swings down straight at Laura’s head; her reaction time looks almost inhuman. While still moving forward, Laura goes low to the ground, lunging, and brings her sword to her head, blocking the attack. She quickly recovers and moves to the side, getting distance away from her opponent.

From opposing sides of the battlefield, Alphen and Laura charge at each other with amazing footwork and form. Laura jumps in the air, about to swing, giving Alphen an opening to thrust his lance at her abdomen.

Laura shouts what I believe is a magic spell of some kind.

“Tempest!”

Her speed increases, and she moves even faster than before. She hits the edge of the lance, bringing it up in the air. Alphen sees an opening to push her out of the ring. Using the back of the lance, her opponent thrusts the lance right up to Laura’s shoulder, causing her to wince in pain and push her back. This causes her opponent to leave a huge opening. Taking this chance, Laura uses her magic to propel herself forward and swings her sword right at Alphen’s stomach. He blocks it, but the momentum of the swing is so great that it pushes him out of the ring.

She has incredible speed and power, and her opponent is putting up a good fight. It’s incredibly difficult to keep up with their speed and power. I can barely see some of the movements they are making.

“The winner is Laura Creston!”

My confidence completely shatters. I’m not sure what I could do against an opponent of that level.

Did I really go through all this for nothing? Are they right? Am I really that much of a failure compared to everyone else? Is there even a point in tr—

Boom!

A loud sound reverberates through the entire academy, snapping me right out of my thoughts. I duck and cover, the ringing in my ears and the smoke and dust making it hard to hear or see anything. I hear a muffled sound of a professor shouting a wind spell to clear the smoke. As the smoke clears, I see a boy on the ground, face first, in the center of the arena. He gets up, grunting and looking around as if he is not sure what the result of the match was. The judge starts coughing, trying to speak clearly but is not very successful.

“The winner is Addam Horn!”

Despite the victory, Addam does not look pleased. As I get a better look at him, I see he is about my age, with black hair that seems to constantly fall in front of his eyes. My ears are still ringing, but fortunately, no one got hurt from the explosion.

The presiding professor ensures that everyone is okay and nothing is damaged before resuming the test. I watch multiple matches with many talented people until finally, I hear my name being called.

“Emma Bright and Tanner, please step into the ring.”

I slowly make my way to the ring. The sweat from my palms and forehead causes my anxiety to spike. I force myself to look at the ring and see who my opponent is... it’s the girl who insulted me earlier today. Emma is already at the ring; her weapon of choice is a long sword. Her intimidating glare forces me to quickly pick a weapon. My sweaty hands finally find the long sword, and urgently make my way to the ring.

“Fighters ready... begin!”

Both of us charge at each other, clashing swords and struggling to push the other back, overwhelmed by each other's strength.

I feel myself being pushed back, so I jump backwards, increasing the distance from my opponent. She does not give me a moment to react; as soon as my foot touches the ground, she sprints swiftly towards me.

She’s so fast!

Emma swings at my shoulder, but I block it. Seeing an opening, I swing at her shoulder. Her reaction time is incredibly quick. She jumps to the side, making me completely miss my swing and leaving me open for an attack. Emma’s sword hits my arm, causing me to yell in pain.

Using every ounce of speed I have, I run away to get distance from her. This time, I manage to get away, but I can’t celebrate because it feels almost like she let me get away.

She smirks, and I start sweating—not from the intense movement, but from her intimidation. Her speed and power are overwhelming, and she seems to be on a completely different level compared to me. What makes this worse is that it feels like she isn’t even trying.

Can I even win here? Is it even possible? What can I do?

She then starts charging at me, leaving no time to think. The cocky knight swings her sword, and instinctively, I jump and throw myself to the ground, dodging her swing. I grab her foot and use the momentum to swing myself behind her. I yell loudly and swing with all my might, landing a clear hit on her back. Her painful scream echoes through the arena. Her expression shifts from annoyed to furious. She turns around and starts charging at me again. When I think I’m in striking distance, I swing my sword straight toward her head. But at the last second, Emma changes direction and attacks my side. I manage to block the attack, but the angry knight keeps moving and changing directions. She moves so fast that it almost looks like she is coming from multiple directions. Her attacks are extremely hard to follow; all I can do is stay on the defensive, blocking her attacks and praying she makes a mistake.

She is moving faster than before; I can’t keep up!

Her voice is cocky, but I can still hear the frustration.

“You’re so annoying!”

Hearing her voice, I swing behind me, but she moves her entire body, making me completely miss the attack. With a swift change in direction, she aims at my stomach and thrusts with full force, throwing me out of the ring.

“The winner is Emma Bright!”

The little hope I had left shatters completely. Emma quickly walks towards my direction and reaches out her hand. I grab her hand, and she lifts me off the ground. I give her a confused look, not understanding her motive. She then leans in and whispers in my ear.

“The way you fought is an insult to knights. You see the professors muttering? They’re not saying anything good about this fight. They’re wondering why a peasant failure like you is even trying. Give up; you have no place here.”

I look down at my feet, on the verge of tears.

I walk out of the ring defeated. I have lost all hope for the exam, and I have lost hope in myself.

Can I even keep the promise I made to myself 10 years ago?

I sit down on the floor while the exam continues, keeping to myself.

It’s late in the day, and the sun is setting. The Knights Exam has finished, and the results are posted on the board.

Why am I even looking at the board?

Defeated and hopeless, I search for my name, but of course, I can’t find it. I failed the exam.

I walk out of the academy and sit down on a nearby bench. It looks like a noble area of the capital. The area is really scenic. There are beautiful houses that look tall and luxurious, much bigger than any building I have ever seen in my small town. The trees are filled with cherry blossoms, and the setting sun turns the sky a beautiful orange color. The streetlights glisten over a nearby playground with trees and grass. The park, filled with many nobles and children, offers a view that I can’t even describe. Even though it is beautiful, it doesn’t cheer me up at all. I can’t hold back; tears stream down my face. I hate this. I hate what everyone has said to me. I hate how weak and stupid I am. Even after putting in my best work practicing my entire life, my best result is the very bottom spot. I don’t want to return home and give people back home the satisfaction that they were right about me. I guess I really am that much of a failure.

With my head down in defeat, I reluctantly get up and decide to go home. After standing, I look up at the sky and see something strange... boxes floating in the air.

“What is—”

Boom!

Explosions erupt in the air, clouding the bright and beautiful orange sky.

In shock, I fall to the floor; adrenaline rapidly floods my body. The smoke clears, and chaos spreads throughout the kingdom. Monsters with big glowing red eyes emerge.

These monsters start attacking homes and the people living in them! In just a matter of seconds, the beautiful scenery is completely destroyed. Houses collapse under the onslaught of monster attacks. Innocent civilians meet a cruel and violent end as monsters devour and kill them; blood stains the ground, turning this peaceful noble area into a scene of horror. My fight-or-flight response triggers, and I start running. I hate how I can’t protect anyone; I’m useless in this situation. I almost break down as I hear the cries of innocent people pleading for their lives and begging for help.

“Someone help, I can’t move!”

“There needs to be somewhere safe!”

“Where are the knights!”

As I continue to run, I hear the screams of terror all around me. Blood stains the ground, and the smell of fire and smoke surrounds me. Knights lie on the ground, pale and lifeless. I start to panic; I don’t know where I can go that is safe! Everywhere I run, there are ferocious monsters ripping people apart, eating and killing them.

There has to be somewhere I can hi—

I snap out of my thoughts as I hear a crying child begging for help. I stop running and look in the direction of the helpless kid, panting from exhaustion.

“Someone help me, I can’t move!”

A little boy is trapped; a piece of large debris has fallen on his legs, pinning him down.

A horde of monsters is near the boy: two pack wolves, three large stinger bees, and one bear. All of these monsters are enough to make even a small team of knights struggle.

What the hell... these monsters usually don’t act like this. Why are they in small groups? No, I can’t focus on this right now. I need to protect this kid.

Self-doubt and fear jolt through my body, and I go into a trance-like state.

... Can you even protect him? You scored the lowest. You will probably end up getting yourself killed.

I stare at the kid. It doesn’t look like he sees me. Time feels slow as I look toward the ground; a long sword lies in the hand of a dead knight. A voice in my head starts appearing.

Are you giving up?

“What the hell?”

The voice appears again.

Are you giving up?

Thoughts about the promise I made to myself ten years ago flow through my mind. It was the day after I fought Jayson, the same day I had an argument with my dad.

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

10 years Ago:

It was dark outside, and I had a huge fight about my grades. I woke up feeling thirsty, grabbed a bowl, and walked toward the barrel of water. His words from our argument echoed in my mind.

“Forgetting isn’t an excuse, so tell me why you’re not doing well. I can’t help you if you can’t communicate.”

I didn’t know what to say to him.

I can’t tell him I just forgot, I don’t know why it is hard either. Are my efforts really going to be pointless?

After opening it and taking a sip of water I looked around the room. A knife was on the table, I didn’t remember my father taking out a knife for dinner.

If I really am meant to be a failure, then I just wanted this to end.

Tears rolled down my cheeks, emotions of anger, regret, depression all fueled my body. Grabbing the knife, I aimed it right at my chest-- I continued to cry sniffle.

Am I better off doing this? Does my life even matter?

My hands were shaking and so many emotions were running through me-- after what seemed like hours, I put the knife down and walked back to my bed curled up into a ball and cried myself to sleep.

I woke up, and it was the same day as usual. Everyone around me continued their two-faced attitude. I was so blinded by it; everyone secretly made fun of my goals and my academic and physical abilities. Everyone in my class was playing outside on the grassy field near the barn.

I looked around, and no teachers seemed to be looking in my direction. At that moment, time felt like it slowed down, and I was faced with a decision that changed my life. This was my chance; I could run away... I could leave this hell and never look back. I’m a failure anyway, so why does this choice matter?

...Why does it matter? Do my goals even mean anything? Does my life mean anything? What is even the best choice for me if it doesn’t matter?

I remembered the moments I had in my life: my father reading stories to me, helping him bring wood to people, my father helping me train, meeting my baby brother for the first time. All these moments had rough edges; often, I was yelled at either at home or in school. I took a step forward—

“Are you giving up?”

A voice in my head spoke. This trait had been drilled into me by my father.

“Are you giving up?”

I had a choice. I could run; I had the choice to just give up and prove them right. To everyone, no matter how much I trained, I could never do anything...

I made my choice that day. I almost forgot what it meant to live with the promise I had made to myself and see it through to the end.

I didn’t care what everyone thought; this was my goal. No matter how impossible it seemed, I would chase it until I died. It didn’t matter if the world said I was a failure; I would move forward towards the person I wanted to be.

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Present day:

My instincts completely take over my body, I run towards the helpless boy, one of the wolves jumps to attack the kid. I make it just in time and I swing my sword downwards from my head towards the enemy in front of me. The swift wolf bites into my sword. The running drained a lot of my energy; making it harder to fight.

I turn my head to the left side to reassure the kid. It’s hard to tell what he looks like all I can see from the corner of my eye is that he has pink hair.

“Don’t worry, I will keep you safe!”

As he looks up his scared and teary eyes almost breaks me, reminding me of my little brother back home.

“Please save me!”

I force a fearless expression and look at the wolf forcing every amount of energy I have left in my body.

Without hesitating the second wolf runs up and starts biting my left shoulder as I turn my head. I scream in pain.

My sword is still stuck in the wolf’s fangs, and the pain of the wolf digging into my shoulder nearly forces me unconscious. Using all my strength, I shift my sword to its side and thrust the blade into the wolf’s stomach. The monster biting my shoulder winces in pain and lets go. As soon as the wolf hits the ground, it stops moving.

The other wolf, still biting my sword, flails and starts slashing its claws. Luckily, it can’t hit me. Then, three bee monsters zip toward me. One stings my right shoulder, another stings my left shoulder, and the last one stings the side of my stomach. My energy drains quickly from the stings, causing me to be pushed against the wall by the wolf's strength.

The impact causes my head to bleed, and my focus starts to waver. I can barely see what is in front of me, but I have just enough energy to keep the wolf from hurting me any further. I am panting heavily and can hardly stand. With all the energy I have left, I kick the wolf biting my sword in the head. It lets out a loud yelp. Without hesitation, I swing my sword at the wolf’s head, decapitating it.

The bear slowly starts making its way to the young boy. I quickly climb to get higher ground, and as soon as I get up, the bee monsters sting me in the same places as before. I am about to pass out.

This can’t be it, I can’t die yet... I refuse to die!

I feel something unusual that I have never felt before in my life. My energy quickly returns to me, and I feel stronger and faster than ever. I don’t know why this is happening. I feel like a ruthless monster. I can see clearer than before; I am stronger than when I was at the exam. With a strong, swift strike using all the energy I have left, I slash at the stingers of the bees, making them fall to the ground and flail in pain.

The bear is done waiting and starts charging toward the kid. I jump down from the building and aim right at its neck.

“I won’t give up, I will be a knight!”

With everything I have I swing as hard as I can and slash the head of the bear off making the head roll away from me.

I start to lose consciousness. I can’t even focus my eyes. Everything fades to black, and the last thing I see is a beautiful girl with pink hair running toward me.