A few moments ago,

Outside the training hall,

The first-year students and Instructors gathered around the projection screen to witness a fierce battle unfold.

The projection depicted a group of five students fighting a rank 06 beast with an extraordinary display of skill and power.

Soon, a group of second and third-year students joined the crowd, intrigued by the intense battle being displayed on the projection.

Although the group of five students was renowned for their exceptional abilities, they were not well-known among the top echelons of the academy.

This prompted many of the students to task their subordinates to investigate further.

Curiosity getting the better of them, some students from the higher years approached a boy in the crowd and asked about the identity of the students on the projection.

They flashed their status cards, indicating that they were second-years.

The boy, initially annoyed at being interrupted, quickly changed his tune and replied respectfully, "They are the first-year students, including a group of siblings who possess space and mist abilities. They are often referred to as the 'Famous Five' due to their recent fame."

As soon as the older students heard the term 'Famous Five,' they immediately understood who the group was.

They had heard rumors about a group of five noble children who possessed powerful and unique abilities, and who were also childhood friends.

One had the Space ability, while another had the Mist ability.

The second and third-year students narrowed their eyes as they observed the projection.

Abel and his subordinates watched the projection with keen interest.

Abel couldn't help but smirk as he saw the vast number of Scorched Ravens surrounding Darell.

He thought it was the end for Darell, and relished in the anticipation of seeing him fall.

However, his expression quickly turned sour when Darell effortlessly eliminated every single Raven, leaving him both enraged and envious.

Abel couldn't stand the fact that someone he deemed inferior could defeat such a formidable enemy with ease.

His jealousy grew with each passing moment as he watched the battle unfold before him.

Athena, Lin, Walter, and the other Instructors watched the projection with tense expressions.

They knew that this battle could escalate quickly, and they were prepared to intervene at a moment's notice.

As the fight between Darell and the Scorched Ravens unfolded, the spectators were in awe.

The students and Instructors watched as Darell skillfully took on the 100,000-strong flock of birds.

When Darell struck the fireball launched by the Scorched Raven General, everybody held their breath.

Abel hoped for Darell's defeat as he thought, 'Come on! Come on! Just lose already! Come on!'

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

However, when Darell emerged unscathed from the blast, Abel's envy turned into rage.

He walked away from the projection, gesturing for his subordinates to follow him.

In the crowd, the silver-haired girl watched the projection with a focused expression.

She observed Darell's every move and noted his strengths and weaknesses.

Once she was done, she silently slipped away from the crowd without attracting any attention.

----------------------------------------

Inside the training hall,

"DARELL!", Emma shouted at the top of her lungs, her eyes widened with fear when she saw him collapse on the ground.

She panicked and ran toward her.

Lilith, Eric and Ariel also, bolted toward Darell, who lay motionless on the floor.

"NO!", Emma shrieked in horror, her hands trembling when she came close to him.

Lilith's face went pale as she stood there, her heart rate slowing down with each passing moment.

Eric's eyes shook with terror as he gazed upon Darell's lifeless body.

Ariel, overwhelmed with the shock of the scene, covered her eyes and mouth, attempting to hold back her nausea.

Emma fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face, as she cradled the unconscious Darell.

Half of his face was charred beyond recognition, and only exposed flesh remained.

His arms were also completely burnt, leaving his fingers and bones exposed.

His upper body was nothing but a charred mess, and no clothes remained on his body.

To make matters worse, both of his legs were twisted and broken in unnatural directions.

Emma's heart was shattered into a million pieces as she held onto his charred body.

Her tears flowed uncontrollably, blurring her vision, and her cries echoed throughout the training hall.

"Please, Darell! Wake up!", Emma sobbed, her voice trembling with emotion, "Lilith, Eric, Ariel, and I need you. We need you to come back to us."

However, Darell remained unresponsive, his body still and lifeless in her arms.

Despite her efforts, Emma couldn't bring him back to consciousness.

She felt helpless and devastated, her hopes fading away as she struggled to accept the reality of the situation.

"This was just supposed to be training, Darell. Why did you have to push yourself so hard?", Emma's voice cracked, and she took a deep breath before continuing, "Why are you pushing yourself so much? What... are you so afraid of?"

She gazed into Darell's unconscious face, hoping to see some sign of life, but he remained motionless.

Emma's grip on his face tightened as she whispered in his ear, "Please wake up, Darell! I really, really need you!"

* CRACK *

The environment around them shattered into pieces as the illusion spell was deactivated.

Athena, Lin, and Walter, along with other instructors, rushed inside the hall with serious expressions on their faces.

Athena quickly used her ice ability to cover Darell's body and looked at the others and let out a helpless sigh.

"You are all excused from classes until further notice," she said before using her wind skill to pick up Darell's body and ordering, "Follow me! We need to take him to the Medicine Hall immediately!"

Eric nodded quickly and shook Lilith, who was standing there in shock.

He repeated Athena's instructions, and Lilith quickly regained her composure and nodded in agreement.

Ariel supported Emma, who resumed crying uncontrollably, and silently followed the group to the Medicine Hall.

She knew it wasn't the time to say anything and just offered her support to Emma.

When the group emerged from the training hall, a sea of curious students gathered to catch a glimpse of the commotion.

Athena quickly took charge, casting a Fog spell to obscure the students' view, and the other Instructors barked orders, "Get out of the way! If anybody tries to interfere, they would be severely punished!"

The group hurried through the fog, navigating their way towards the Medicine Hall.

When they arrived at the Medicine Hall, Athena gently lifted Darell from the statue and laid him on a bed.

A specialized Instructor in healing skills stepped forward and started examining Darell's body, with all of their eyes fixated on her.

Upon finishing her examination, the Instructor looked up with a grim expression and declared, "He has exhausted all of his mana, causing his body to fall into a deep slumber."

Emma struggled to stand upon hearing the news, but Ariel held onto her for support.

Lilith asked the Instructor, "When would he wake up?"

The Instructor looked at her with a complicated expression on her face and replied, "It varies from person to person. Some may wake up instantly, while others may not wake up for many years."

The Instructor noticed the crestfallen expression on Lilith's face and added, "But it ultimately depends on the person's will to live. If he wants to live, he will fight back to wake up from his deep slumber."

Emma's face lit up upon hearing the Instructor's words, and she spoke with conviction, "That's right. Darell will wake up. He has to wake up. He wants to accomplish so many things. He made a promise to me, and he would never break that promise. He doesn't want to die now."

Lilith, Eric, and Ariel looked at Emma with determination and nodded their heads in agreement, sharing her belief in Darell's eventual recovery.

Meanwhile, the Instructors were apprehensive about Emma's faith in Darell's recovery and they looked at each other and thought, 'He's never going to wake up! The poor girl is clinging on false hope.'

However, they knew that it was not their place to shatter her hope, so they silently left the group and departed from the Medicine Hall.

After some time, Emma and Lilith refused to leave Darell's side, clinging onto his hands as if willing him to wake up.

Eric and Ariel sat nearby, watching over them and waiting for any signs of progress.

As the hours ticked by, exhaustion eventually caught up to them, and one by one, they began to drift off to sleep.

Lilith slumped over onto Darell's bed, her head resting on his chest, while Emma dozed off with her head on his hand.

Eric and Ariel slept in their chairs, their bodies slumped in an uncomfortable position.

As they slept, the Medicine Hall remained quiet, the only sounds coming from the soft breathing of the group and the occasional creaking of the beds.

But deep down, they all hoped that Darell would wake up soon, bringing an end to this endless waiting.

When the first light of dawn seeped through the windows of the Medicine Hall, Ariel's eyes fluttered open.

She glanced around and saw Emma and Lilith still sound asleep, their hands tightly clasping Darell's unmoving one.

Eric, on the other hand, was nowhere to be found.

Ariel let out a resigned sigh, knowing that he was likely off somewhere, trying to process his emotions.

Feeling a sense of restlessness, she slipped out of the room and gazed back at the scene before her.

She closed her eyes for a moment, taking in the gravity of the situation, before turning to make her way back to the dorms.

But just as she took her first step, she heard a familiar voice calling her name from behind, "Ariel!"