As the arena quieted once more, anticipation rippled through the crowd as Lady Cerys called out the next name, her voice carrying across the stands.

"Elara Aeloria!"

A murmur spread throughout the audience as Elara stepped forward. Her golden-silver hair glinted in the sunlight, and her golden eyes were filled with determination. The young Aeloria had quickly established herself as a prodigy, and there was a palpable buzz of excitement mixed with anxiety over how she would perform.

Across the stands, Thaddeus and Seraphine Aeloria leaned forward, their expressions tense. Thaddeus's eyes narrowed as he watched his daughter take her place in the arena. Lady Sera's hand tightened slightly on the armrest of her seat, her gaze fixed intently on Elara.

The gate across from Elara groaned open, revealing her opponent. What emerged was not the typical elite-ranked creature expected in the qualifier round but something far more dangerous. A blazing phoenix-like creature burst forth, its feathers alight with searing blue flames and molten embers trailing behind its wings. The creature's form shimmered with intense heat, and the air around it wavered from the sheer temperature radiating from its body. Its fiery eyes locked onto Elara with a predatory gleam, and a low rumble emanated from its chest, vibrating through the arena.

This was no ordinary elite-level challenge; the Phoenix of Embers was a Master-level threat, known for its regenerative abilities and powerful fire magic. It was a significant step above what any other student had faced.

In the royal box, King Alduin's brow furrowed as he exchanged a brief glance with Queen Eveline. Selene, who was seated nearby, leaned forward, her violet eyes wide with disbelief. This creature was far more than what was reasonable for the first-year qualifier.

Thaddeus's jaw tightened, and his voice was barely above a growl as he turned to Lady Sera. "That's no elite-ranked beast. It's at least at the Master level," he said, suspicion lacing his words. "This isn't a mistake; someone must have tampered with the challenge."

Lady Sera's black eyes flickered with a mixture of concern and anger. "The academy has safeguards against this kind of thing. But if someone has bypassed them, Elara could be in real danger," she replied, her voice steady but tense. She glanced toward the professors' section, where Magister Orion and the other staff sat. Aldric's seat, however, was still notably empty.

Aric Thorne, seated beside the Aelorias, frowned deeply as he watched the blazing creature circle the arena. "The academy uses an artifact to summon these creatures," he said, as much to himself as to the others. "It stores the spirits of various monsters, allowing the projection of their likenesses into the field. The spirits are programmed to emulate the real creature's behavior and abilities. But something like this… it shouldn't even be available for a first-year qualifier."

Lady Sera's gaze turned back to the field, her expression hardening. "Whoever did this is playing a dangerous game. If they think Elara is going to be an easy target, they have another thing coming."

The artifact in question was a powerful relic known as the Beastcaller's Codex, an enchanted tome capable of housing the essence of hundreds of creatures. When activated, it projected the spirit of a stored monster into a temporary physical form, allowing the academy to simulate real battles without actually endangering students with living creatures. The Codex had strict parameters to ensure each student was challenged at a suitable level, which made the appearance of a Master-level creature all the more suspicious.

Elara took a deep breath as she stared down the phoenix. She could sense the difference in its aura immediately; it was overwhelming, pressing down on her with a suffocating heat. Still, she remained composed. This was her chance to show that she could rise above expectations, no matter what was thrown her way.

Lady Cerys hesitated for a brief moment, her red eyes narrowing as she studied the phoenix. The situation was highly irregular, but with no immediate sign of the artifact malfunctioning, she raised her hand to signal the start. "Elara Aeloria, begin!"

Elara's hands immediately moved, summoning her light magic. Golden radiance flared to life around her, forming a shimmering barrier just in time to deflect the phoenix's initial strike. The beast flared its wings, sending a torrent of blue flames hurtling toward her. The barrier absorbed the impact, but the heat caused cracks to spiderweb through the light shield, forcing Elara to backpedal.

In the stands, Thaddeus's gaze never wavered from the arena, his expression a mask of focused intensity. "Stay calm, Elara," he murmured under his breath. "Remember your training."

The phoenix let out a piercing cry, its fiery form diving toward Elara with an eruption of flames trailing behind. She dispelled the shattered barrier and summoned a spear of light, hurling it toward the beast's chest. The glowing weapon struck true, causing the phoenix to reel back with a screech, but the flames around it surged even brighter as the wound closed almost instantly.

The crowd erupted in a mix of cheers and gasps, the shock of seeing a first-year standing against such a formidable opponent evident on their faces. However, this was only the beginning of the fight, and Elara knew it. The phoenix's flames intensified, and its regenerative abilities made it a relentless foe.

Elara readied herself, drawing more power into her magic. This wasn't going to be a typical qualifier. It was a battle where she would need to push herself beyond her limits. As the phoenix circled above, readying another fiery onslaught, she steeled her resolve. Whoever had orchestrated this would soon see just how formidable a member of House Aeloria could be.

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Elara's eyes narrowed as the phoenix circled above, flames trailing from its wings. The sheer power radiating from the beast was overwhelming, and it took everything she had just to keep her magical defenses intact. She gritted her teeth, calling forth a shimmering shield of light to protect herself as the phoenix prepared its next attack.

The creature let out a piercing cry, and its wings flared wide, unleashing a blast of blue fire that rushed toward Elara like a tidal wave. She threw up the radiant shield just in time, but the force of the flames slammed into her barrier, cracking it under the intense heat. She staggered back, sweat beading on her forehead as the shield shattered, the searing flames licking at her skin. The protective enchantment in her uniform helped to mitigate the worst of the heat, but even so, her arms burned with pain.

Lady Cerys leaned forward in her seat, her eyes narrowing as she observed the battle. For a moment, her fingers twitched, as if ready to step in and stop the fight. But Elara was still standing, still pushing back, and so Cerys held her ground, though the concern remained etched on her face.

Elara took a deep breath, willing herself to remain calm. Her magic flared around her as she conjured another light construct, this time a spear and a shield, both shimmering brightly in the air. She lunged forward, thrusting the spear at the phoenix's chest. The creature twisted mid-air, dodging the attack with startling agility, and retaliated with a swipe of its talons.

The sharp claws raked across her shield, shattering it on impact and sending Elara sprawling to the ground. She rolled to avoid the follow-up strike, but the beast's fiery talons caught her leg, searing through her uniform and leaving deep burns. She bit back a scream as she forced herself to her feet, her leg trembling under her weight.

Lady Cerys took a step forward, her hand already halfway raised to intervene. The intensity of the phoenix's attacks went far beyond the usual parameters for the qualifier, and for a moment, it seemed as though the fight might be called off. But then Elara's eyes blazed with renewed determination, and she pushed forward, her light magic flaring even brighter. Seeing this, Cerys hesitated, lowering her hand but keeping a close watch, ready to step in at the first sign of a fatal blow.

With gritted teeth, Elara called upon her magic, summoning a chain of light that whipped out to wrap around the phoenix's leg. She yanked hard, trying to ground the creature, but the phoenix retaliated with another wave of flame, forcing her to release the chain and dive to the side. The flames grazed her back, searing the edges of her cloak, and pain shot through her as the heat clawed at her skin.

The crowd watched with a mix of awe and concern. The young Aeloria was clearly struggling, and for the first time, doubts began to surface. Was she truly ready to face a challenge of this magnitude? Even her father, Thaddeus, was on the edge of his seat, his jaw clenched tightly as he watched his daughter fight for her life.

Elara grunted in pain as she forced herself to her feet again, summoning a protective barrier just as the phoenix lunged, its beak stabbing at her chest. The barrier cracked under the force, and she felt the impact rattle through her bones. Her breath came in ragged gasps, and a faint dizziness crept into her vision. She couldn't keep up like this; she needed a new strategy.

Drawing in a shaky breath, she pushed all her remaining magic into a single spell. Her hands glowed with a brilliant light as she conjured a massive spear, much larger and brighter than before. This would be her last shot—she didn't have the energy for another big spell after this. The spear buzzed with condensed power, humming as if eager to be released.

The phoenix screeched, its wings flaring outward as it prepared to launch another devastating blast of fire. Elara gripped the spear tightly, waited for the perfect moment, and then hurled it with all the strength she could muster. The weapon cut through the air like a bolt of lightning, piercing straight toward the beast's heart.

The spear struck true, embedding itself deep into the creature's chest. The phoenix let out a keening wail as the light exploded within it, sending cracks of radiant energy spiraling outward. Its flames guttered and died, its wings folding as it crashed to the ground in a heap of ash and fading embers.

Elara fell to one knee, clutching at her burned leg and gasping for breath. Her entire body ached, her vision swam, but she had done it. She had defeated the phoenix.

The magical scoreboard flickered to life, revealing her time: One minute and fifty-five seconds.

The crowd erupted into applause, though the cheers were tinged with relief rather than exhilaration. It hadn't been the overwhelming victory that some had expected, but it had been a victory nonetheless. Elara had faced a challenge far beyond what was expected for a qualifier and had come out on top, though at great cost.

Lady Cerys gave a nod of approval, though the concern in her eyes hadn't entirely faded. "Elara Aeloria: One minute, fifty-five seconds," she announced, her voice carrying across the arena. "A well-fought victory, though hard-earned. Let this be a reminder of the dangers faced on the path to greatness."

Elara hobbled back to the waiting area, her head held high despite the pain. She had proven herself, even if the victory had come at a cost. She could feel the stares of the crowd and the concerned gaze of her family upon her. But she had won, and that was what mattered.

As she reached the sidelines, healers rushed forward to tend to her wounds. Her father, Thaddeus, shared a glance with Lady Sera, his expression hardening as if already forming suspicions about the unusual challenge his daughter had faced. Whoever was responsible for the phoenix's unexpected strength would answer for it, he swore silently.

But for now, Elara could rest, knowing she had secured her place in the next round. The Grand Melee was far from over, and the trials ahead would only grow more perilous. Yet she had faced down a challenge meant to break her and emerged victorious. Now, all eyes would be on the remaining competitors, wondering who would be next to prove their mettle.

As the applause died down and Elara limped off the battlefield with the healers' assistance, Aric Thorne's eyes narrowed with suspicion. He watched her closely as she disappeared behind the arena's curtains, the image of the massive phoenix still vivid in his mind. There was no denying that the challenge had far exceeded the typical standards for a first-year qualifier. The creature's strength and the intensity of its flames—it didn't add up.

Aric's instincts bristled. He had witnessed countless Grand Melees over the years and faced his share of tampered trials during his own youth, but this was different. There was a faint hint of something deliberate, a sense that someone had orchestrated this to push Elara beyond her limits.

His gaze drifted to the empty seat where Aldric was supposed to be. The absence hadn't gone unnoticed, and it only deepened his suspicion.