SYN

Syn stood on the boat's deck, watching the shoreline slowly vanish, her heart filled with a deep sense of sadness. The goodbye she had just shared with Minda and her Dad echoed in her ears, the memory of their embraces warming her back and shoulders.

Trying to lighten the mood, the representative from the academy escorting her spoke animatedly.

Lindell, as she had introduced herself, was dressed in a stiff uniform and had an air of self-importance that was as uninteresting as it was tiresome.

"You must be quite talented for them to have sent me," she indicated, holding her head high and her voice dripping with an exaggerated pride that betrayed her modest rank as an academy administrator.

The woman spoke for minutes without stopping, absorbed in her own speech until she finally mentioned something of interest.

"I'll have you know I have had the honor of helping recruit a certain team of young cardslingers that are sure to impress even the academy's headmaster council. One of them is an exceptional Orange cardslinger I'm sure will be the thrill of many years to come."

Syn looked at her, her expression unimpressed. The administrative, oblivious to Syn's disinterest, continued her boastful story.

"They'll be taking the entrance exam under the close watch of the five academy headmasters. Such an honor will undoubtedly pave their way to academic success."

"Entry exam?" Syn asked, her eyebrows rising in surprise.

The woman smiled widely, noticing Syn's interest for the first time, and pounced at the opportunity, nodding vehemently, "Aha! It wasn't easy to arrange a meeting with all five of the—"

"There's an entry exam to the academy?" Syn cut in, a layer of worry creeping into her voice.

The administrative paused mid-sentence, her mouth open in confusion. "B-but of course! We can't just let any young card bearer in! The academies get limited funding from the government and various regions; we can't simply waste resources on...lackluster students!" the woman replied, sounding indignant.

"What's on the test? How does one pass?" Syn asked, her worry deepening.

The woman smiled knowingly, "The details of the test are confidential," she responded, winking at Syn, happy with her interest. "What I can tell you is that it will use the Island's array to test a person's control over mana and evaluate your skills."

"M-my skills?" Syn said as her mind raced at the mention of the array. The island's array? What if the test reacts strangely, like when I touched Garoth?

The woman nodded, "Yes, your skills. It will create a full report of your potential," the woman said, completely unaware of the real reasons for Syn's growing unease.

"Will I have to t—D-do people just show up and take the test?" Syn asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

"No, no, no, dear. Such a test needs to be scheduled weeks in advance. The only requirement is for the students to be done with it before classes begin," the woman answered dismissively.

"Ohh, I see," Syn murmured, relaxing as a plan began taking shape in her mind.

I must take this test when I'm least noticed. I'll look into when—

The woman's laughter interrupted her thoughts, "I still remember two years ago, on the last days, the queue was so massive I had to intervene, organizing papers and..."

The academy representative carried on her monotonous pitch, oblivious to Syn's evident disinterest. Syn's eyes remained fixed on the woman, her practiced smile a mask for her drifting attention.

And although Syn appeared to be listening, her mind was far away, contemplating her recent trials and uncertainties, turning to contemplate her lost ability to sense mana, her mother's mystery, what the test meant for her future, and the secrets she was forced to conceal—these were the stormy waters her mind navigated.

Many, many hours later, long after the attendant finally decided she had convinced Syn of her importance and stopped talking, the ship's horn blared, signaling their nearing destination.

Azuria was visible on the horizon, a welcome sight after the vast, endless ocean.

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"Hurry, child. We need to be ready to disembark at a moment's notice!" The academy administrator's urgency startled Syn. "We cannot delay the departing of our carriage."

"Carriage?" Syn echoed, her brows furrowing in confusion. "Aren't we stopping at the city? My father advised me to gather some provisions."

The attendant shot a dismissive look at her, scoffing in reply. "Stopping? Child, we need to be back at the academy in three days. Time is a luxury we do not possess."

A surge of confusion swept over Syn. A journey of a week squeezed into three days? "Why the rush, Lindell?" she asked as the woman guided her through the ship.

"Remember, you don't have a noble family or any recommendation besides Taizhen's. You wouldn't want to risk your admission to the academy, would you?" The attendant's question hung in the air.

"N-no?"

"Of course not, dear." The attendant's smile was almost predatory as she pinched Syn's cheek. "That's why Taizhen and I have arranged a plan for your success."

Syn raised an eyebrow, "A plan?"

"Yes, dear. You'll be part of the presentation of the group of cardslingers I mentioned earlier. You'll take the test in front of the headmasters. This way, even if you fail, the attention will be on the Orange cardslinger, and your results will be brushed aside in the administrative process."

"W-what?" Syn stammered, her eyes wide with surprise.

The woman dragged her to the docks. "I must say, Taizhen's confidence in your success was endearing but not entirely convincing," she confessed, her smile fading slightly. "So, to ensure your spot at the academy, I've set up this backup plan."

"I-I have to take the test in front of the headmasters!?" Syn exclaimed, her heart racing.

"Yes, dear, but don't worry. No one will be particularly interested in you or the report of your bonded cards," she reassured, guiding Syn towards the busy docks.`

"R-report!?" Syn repeated, her voice shaky.

"Yes, dear," the attendant nodded, her voice steady. "The test generates a detailed assessment of a student's skills, cards, and affinities. But fear not, no matter your cards or skills, we've ensured your success as part of the group."

A wave of cold dread washed over Syn, draining the color from her face.

"Now, hurry into the carriage and wait. I need to sort out some logistics with the carriage operator, especially about changing horses at the next city," she instructed.

Syn, her heart pounding like a wild drum and panic coursing through her veins, stepped into the carriage. Her forehead glistened with sweat, and a knot of dread twisted her stomach.

Once inside the enclosed carriage, she watched the attendant departing with growing desperation. Unable to calm her nerves, she summoned the status screen.

She quickly navigated to the cards' view as the panel lit up.

> Card(s):

>

> - Soul Card (Red Quality)

>

> - Wind I (Green Quality)

"By the gods... What am I going to do?" she murmured to herself, desperation evident in her voice.

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GAROTH

With a mighty growl, Garoth clamped his powerful jaws around the leg of his prey, severing it in one swift bite.

The maimed tyrant stood tall in the middle of the thick forest, its tail occasionally swinging to maintain balance.

Around him were the lifeless bodies of those who had dared to challenge him. Their futile attacks had only resulted in minor wounds, hardly a 'challenge' at all.

A wave of annoyance passed over Garoth as he bit into a large stag.

He could sense that only this beast amongst the herd had enough magic particles to help him, the rest were worthless. Still, the enjoyment of crushing the group had been a welcome pleasure.

He bit into the stag again, relishing the magic particles as they entered his body. He concentrated, directing the magic toward his missing front leg.

The weak magic tingled inside him, turning into tiny threads of healing energy. It had been over a dozen moons since he had been forced to leave his lair, and a small sign of a bump on his side was the only progress he had made.

He grunted angrily, biting hard into the meat and crushing its bones.

He missed feeling complete, he missed his limbs, but most of all, he missed the comfort and strength his cave had once given him.

But soon, the healing magic inside him faded, He'd need to search for another prey. He grunted again. Despite the fights being easy, they were cumbersome.

The animals he had been hunting provided only a fraction of the power he was used to getting from his sea kin. He would need to hunt countless more to fully regenerate his front paw.

It would be hard work, even more with the lacking strength of land walker beasts, but it would be worth it.

His limited movement had been his downfall during his last encounter with humans. He was a predator, and without his front paw to hold his prey, he was handicapped. Despite the strength of his back leg for running and jumping, it was the use of his front limbs that gave him his balance and agility.

Garoth closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and tasted the air for the scent of his next target, looking for those he had been luring for days, and promptly located them.

His patience and careful tactics had finally paid off.

Doubt entered his mind. Was he ready to face humans again? Despite their seeming weakness, they had indeed been his downfall.

He counted the beings he sensed - one, two, three, seven, nine.

He pondered for a second before deciding against the risk. In his current condition, there was no room for mistakes or second chances. He would have to wait, let them spread out and become vulnerable.

With his decision made and his thoughts perturbing him, Garoth looked around, ready to move.

Yet, his eyes landed on the remains of the stag's mate for the briefest of moments, and he halted his departure.

Slowly, he turned around, and after a second, he limped toward the still body.

He bit into the mate of the large stag, which, although weaker, had some magical power.

On second thought, even weak creatures can be helpful. He thought as he quickly consumed half of it.