Violet recognized the truth in Elara's words, understanding the reality of their situation was dire—escape seemed impossible now that they were surrounded. The one sliver of hope lay in the fact that their side possessed more three-rings warriors, including Elara, Violet, Felix, and Garrick. Their strong spells had the power to hold back their enemies, at least temporarily.

On the opposing side, not a single three-rings warrior was present. Julian himself, despite his commanding presence, had not yet engaged directly in the battle, leaving his true capabilities a mystery.

The battle waged on relentlessly for several hours. Despite their valiant efforts and use of their most powerful spells, one by one, Felix, Garrick, and Elara were caught out and disqualified.

Now, Violet stood almost alone, her hands aglow with the fierce light as she hurled fireballs at her adversaries. She was not just fighting for herself but was protecting Lorian, whose clothes were singed and sliced from the intense skirmishes.

Lorian stood just behind Violet, visibly exhausted from the ongoing battle and dodging the relentless barrage of ranged spells on his own. The ring of enemy students slowly tightened around them, their intent clear in their cautious approach.

Violet, her figure bathed in the light of the roaring flames she conjured, faced the encroaching enemies. They were closing in, barely ten meters away now.

"Halt if you don’t want to get burnt," she warned, her voice fierce as she challenged them. Despite the severity of her own injuries, with blood seeping from cuts on her shoulder, stomach, and leg, she stood defiantly, a glowing fire bolt ready at her palm.

The remaining opponents held a grudging respect for Violet, awed by her resilience and prowess. After the fall of Elara, Garrick, and Felix, there were still twenty-eight opponents remaining. Yet, Violet alone had managed to take out another ten by herself.

Julian, observing from a distance, couldn't help but feel a modicum of respect for her tenacity. Her formidable presence had inflicted considerable damage on his side. Without her in Section 1-A, victory might have been effortless. Now, with eighteen of the students still by his side, Julian knew their victory was just a step ahead.

“You fought well, but it’s time you surrender,” Julian offered in a respectful tone.

“It’s not over yet,” Violet replied, her bloodied hands trembling.

Julian's gaze then shifted to the elven boy standing calmly behind Violet.

Lorian whispered to Violet, "From here on, let me take care of this."

“You can not handle this... That guy is stronger than Elara,” she warned him in a hushed voice.

“Who said I will fight him... Just have some faith in me,” Lorian responded in a calm voice, a small, confident smile playing on his lips.

Violet looked puzzled, torn between her protective instincts and the trust Lorian was asking of her. She wanted to argue, to tell him it was too dangerous, but something stopped her. Perhaps it was the special bond they had developed in this expedition, or maybe it was the desperate situation they were in that made her want to believe in him. After a tense moment, she nodded slightly, unable to verbalize her consent but trusting him nonetheless.

The fireball that had been simmering in Violet's palm suddenly grew in size, its intensity ramping up dramatically. With a flick of her hand, she released it, sending it hurtling like a shooting star toward the gathered crowd, radiating intense heat as it flew.

"Dodge..." Julian shouted, leaping to the side as the fireball approached. The other students scrambled to evade the fiery projectile, but two were not quick enough and took direct hits.

As the flames engulfed them, their blue ribbons incinerated instantly, and they were sucked into the portal, instantly disqualified from the expedition.

When Julian turned to locate Violet in the aftermath, she was nowhere to be seen. In the distance, he spotted Lorian carrying her on his back, sprinting away from the chaos.

"Follow them!" Julian commanded in a tone laced with annoyance.

The remaining sixteen students, spurred by his order, began a rapid pursuit of Lorian. Despite the distance being around forty meters, Lorian’s pace was compromised by the extra weight, making him slightly slower than his pursuers.

Suddenly, three of the closest pursuers halted, their expressions slackening as if entranced.

"Why are the stars dancing?" one murmured, dazed.

"It’s not the stars, it’s the moon dancing," another one yelled, his voice filled with bewilderment.

“You both are fools... It’s the trees that are dancing...” the third one, who fancied himself the smartest, corrected dreamily.

The rest of the students slowed, curious about this strange phenomenon. Their curiosity quickly turned to alarm as the three mesmerized pursuers swayed for a moment before collapsing to the ground, unconscious.

The eerie sight left the onlookers with a sense of unease, realizing that something more powerful was at play and that they too could share the same fate.

Julian rushed to their side, quickly realizing the cause as he knelt to check on them. "It’s sleeping gas, be careful..." he warned, his expression hardening.

Hearing his warning, the others promptly covered their noses with their hands. Seeing Julian’s chilly gaze, they hesitated briefly but then resumed their chase, now more cautious and wary of the unseen dangers that lay ahead.

As they darted past trees and leaped over bushes, they noticed that Lorian seemed to be gaining speed, increasing the distance between them.

Julian, following closely, pulled small spiky balls of thorns from his shoes, recognizing another of Lorian's trick. "Another trap..." he muttered under his breath.

Just then, a thick mist began to envelop the area. Visibility dropped drastically as the mist thickened, causing some pursuers to crash into each other in confusion.

"Oiii, Canorian, get out of my way!"

"Why are you hitting me?" voices collided in the mist, adding to the chaos.

Frustration mounted, and Julian's patience snapped when someone accidentally stepped on his foot in the obscured visibility.

"That elf bastard..." he cursed aloud, his voice seething with anger.

As Julian's curse sliced through the thickening mist, the forest was suddenly rocked by a series of deafening explosions.

*Boooooom!!!*

*Boooooom!!!*

*Boooooom!!!*

The force of the blasts catapulted Julian out of the mist, his body landing hard against the forest floor, covered in sharp shrapnel. His once pristine and handsome appearance was now marred—his face smeared with grime and his styled hair disheveled.

As the mist cleared with the force of the explosions, the clearing revealed its aftermath. The ground was littered with students, most of them severely injured. Even those with only minor wounds lay sprawled across the ground, overcome by the shock and intensity of the blast.

In this moment of utter disarray and pain, Julian's composure completely crumbled. His usual noble demeanor shattered under the weight of frustration and defeat. Clutching at the dirt, he spat out a venomous tirade, each word dripping with fury.

"Damn that elf! F###ing hell..." His voice was thick with anger, every polished layer of nobility stripped away, exposing raw, unfiltered rage. He cursed loudly, his words echoing through the silent forest.

As he struggled to his feet, the realization of his public breakdown only fueled his anger further. The noble prince's elegant facade was nowhere to be seen, replaced by a man pushed to his limits. He cursed like a street brawler rather than acting like a royal, his refined demeanor shattered by the intense frustration and humiliation he felt.

***

For a full hour after the blast, Lorian didn't stop running. Violet, with her arms wrapped tightly around him, had never imagined that their escape would actually succeed.

Violet was puzzled as to how Lorian had managed to produce a bag hidden beneath his clothes, from which he swiftly deployed small items that slowed down their pursuers and even halted them entirely. She also heard blasts echoing in the distance and caught the faint sounds of curses hurled in their direction.

"You've been running for an hour, they must have lost track of us by now," Violet suggested, her voice tinged with exhaustion.

Lorian slowed his pace but continued to move quickly through the underbrush.

"You should really put me down now. Don’t you want me to help bandage my wounds?" Violet shouted, noticing that Lorian showed no signs of stopping otherwise.

He sighed deeply and gently set her down on the ground. As Violet stood on her own, she saw that Lorian’s face was covered in sweat, yet his expression showed concern rather than fear.

Violet limped slightly, but Lorian quickly offered his hand for support, guiding her to the root of a nearby tree. The girl sat down with a slight groan, relieved to be free from the physical strain of their escape.

"Wait a minute," Lorian said before vanishing from sight.

Violet didn’t question him; she had a good idea where he had gone.

True to his word, Lorian returned within a minute, his hands full of thick leaves that resembled Aloe Vera. Theo had taught them both how to recognize these plants—they were known for their medicinal properties, particularly useful for staunching bleeding and providing first aid.

Lorian carefully tore the leaves apart, extracting the gel and gently applying it to the fresh cuts on Violet’s shoulder. She watched him work, her expression softening as he tended to each wound.

As he finished, their eyes met. "What?" he asked, noticing her sparkling gaze.

"You’re cute," she smiled warmly at him.

Lorian quickly shut his mouth, a slight blush coloring his cheeks. He then settled beside Violet, and together they took a moment to enjoy the solitude under the night sky, illuminated by countless stars.

As they gazed upwards, Violet couldn't help but bring up a concern that had been nagging at her. “We all struggled to fight them, but your brother slipped away like a rat… Although I appreciate how he helped solve the food issue, he shouldn’t have left without informing us… I’m really mad at him…” she muttered, her voice thick with frustration.

“You’ve started again about Brother…” Lorian chuckled. He wasn’t mad at her; rather, he found it amusing.

“Why are you laughing?” Violet turned to him, her annoyance flickering in her eyes. She glared intensely at the elven boy, her expression as if he had committed an unforgivable act. Her eyes narrowed, and her fists clenched at her sides, making it clear she was ready to confront him if he didn’t provide a satisfactory explanation.

Lorian gestured to the cloth bag that had earlier proved so crucial. “This was given to me by Brother,” he revealed, a soft smile playing on his lips.

Violet’s expression shifted from annoyance to surprise as realization dawned on her.

“If Brother had been here, we wouldn’t have had to run,” Lorian continued, his tone matter-of-fact.

Still puzzled, Violet asked, “So all this is what your brother's power is?”

Lorian shook his head, his eyes twinkling with a secretive gleam. “I cannot tell you that… but do you remember the entrance exam on the last day?”

Violet nodded. “Yes, two students faced off against the entire group in the entrance exam and claimed their spots at the academy, but Senior Alex from the inner court found it unfair. Then those two ended up defeating all sixty students in a fight.”

“In that battle, it was only Brother who fought… I was just standing nearby, watching the show…” Lorian disclosed with a tone of pride.

Violet gasped, the pieces of the puzzle finally clicking into place. “So it was you and Leywin…” she whispered in awe.

Lorian nodded in confirmation, but Violet’s next comment was tinged with frustration. “Then there’s more reason for him to be here… we could’ve easily won then…” Her words were almost accusatory, implying a missed opportunity.

Lorian looked at her with a hint of affection and exasperation, as if she were a stubborn child insisting on an impossible wish. He sighed softly, thinking to himself, ‘Even Neria isn’t this stubborn...’ His fondness for Violet’s fiery spirit was visible in his gaze, even as he grappled with how to explain what his brother had told him in the letter, a secret he had been asked to keep.

Meanwhile, the person they were discussing was several kilometers to the east, engrossed in his own personal task.