[POV: Caspian Arcwright]
The moment he landed, Caspian barely had a second to adjust before he felt it—a pulse in the air.
A presence.
He turned his head just in time to lock eyes with Darian Vael, heir to the Dragon Clan, standing just a few meters away.
His crimson-gold eyes, slit like a serpent’s, flickered with recognition.
"Of course," Caspian muttered under his breath. "Of all the people in this goddamn exam."
Bloodmoon cackled in his mind.
{Oh, you really jinxed yourself, brat.}
Darian cracked his neck, rolling his shoulders as the ground beneath him faintly trembled, responding to his presence.
A warrior born of dragon’s blood, standing at the pinnacle of raw, untamed strength.
Caspian flexed his fingers. He could feel the weight of the battle looming over him already.
And then Darian charged.
A blur of movement.
A shockwave of force.
Caspian’s body reacted before his mind did, instincts kicking in as he twisted, evading the first strike by the width of a breath.
A crater formed where he had been standing a second ago.
His eyes sharpened. "Fast."
Darian wasted no time, his next attack coming in a vicious downward strike.
Caspian moved, sidestepping before using the momentum to twist into a counter.
His fist met Darian’s ribs—
And the impact
BOOM!
The Dragon Clan heir staggered.
A ripple of shock spread through the air.
For a brief second, the world seemed to process what had just happened.
Caspian had just overpowered Darian in pure strength.
Darian’s expression shifted from cool confidence to something far more dangerous—realization.
Caspian grinned, cracking his knuckles. "Well… guess I’m fighting for real."
Darian Vael.
Caspian’s eyes narrowed as he took in the figure standing before him, his opponent from the Dragon Clan.
One of the strongest students in the entire exam.
A monster in his own right.
He might be just as strong as me, Caspian thought.
The space between them crackled with energy as both of them moved at the same time.
A blur of motion, a clash of steel.
Their attacks met in perfect balance—neither overpowering the other, both standing their ground.
Darian’s mind raced. ’Who the fuck is this guy?’
His instincts screamed at him to be cautious.
If he went all out and lost here, it wouldn’t just be an early elimination—it would be humiliation.
Defeat meant his path to glory would be severed before it even began.
And yet, every fiber of his being burned with the need to fight.
His fists clenched, his each cells roared. ’I want this fight.’
But the rational part of him—the one that knew how the world worked—told him otherwise.
No, not now. Not like this.
A defeat here would be a disgrace, and if there was one thing Darian Vael couldn’t afford, it was disgrace.
’Shit. I should fall back for now and fight him later.’
Then — With a sudden burst of speed, Caspian lunged forward, his sword —bloodmoon .....flashing in the purple light.
The blades clashed.
CLANK! Steel met steel, the sound echoing through the air as the two of them locked swords.
Caspian stole a glance at Darian.
The bastard was laughing—no, ’blushing’—like he had just found a long-lost lover.
’What the hell is wrong with this guy?!’ Caspian thought.
And then, without a word, Darian fall back turned and ran.
Caspian blinked. ’Wait, what?’
Gone. Just like that.
Caspian exhaled, shaking his head. "What the hell is wrong with him?"
He glanced at the fading traces of Darian’s mana signature.
To be honest, he hadn’t wanted to eliminate him.
The world was heading toward a bad ending—Caspian knew that better than anyone—and strong individuals like Darian were necessary.
Taking out a powerhouse this early would be reckless.
But then a thought struck him, and it hit him hard.
’Fuck my decision—I want to fight him.’
His body moved before his mind caught up.
His boots dug into the ground, and he shot forward in pursuit, weaving through the uneven terrain and forest.
But Darian was already gone.
Caspian cursed under his breath. ’I took too long deciding.’
He slowed to a stop, exhaling sharply. "Tch."
With that, he pressed forward...
This 𝓬ontent is taken from fгeewebnovёl.co𝙢.
_________
[Eleana Arcwright]
The glass slipped from Eleana’s fingers, shattering against the marble floor. She didn’t even hear it.
Her son. The disgrace.
The child she had buried in her mind, the one she had spent years trying to forget.
And yet, here he was—overpowering a dragon heir.
Her breath came in sharp, shallow bursts. This wasn’t possible. This wasn’t—
"What?" Aveline’s voice broke through the fog. She turned to her mother, following her wide-eyed stare to the screen. "That’s—"
She froze. As if her mind refused to register the truth.
Eleana felt something heavy clawing its way up her throat. Regret. Terror. A mother’s buried guilt.
She had abandoned him.
And now, the world would know the strength of the son she had cast aside.
___________
[POV: Eirlys Arcwright]
She recognized his stance before she even registered his face.
For a moment, her mind played a cruel trick—showing her a younger version of him, trailing behind her in the training grounds, eyes desperate for her acknowledgment.
She had ignored him then.
She had dismissed him as unworthy.
But the Caspian on that screen was not the boy from her memories. He was a fighter.
The way he moved, the way he pressured Darian Vael—a monster in his own right—without hesitation. The way his blade struck with absolute certainty.
__________
[POV: Zareth El’Leather]
Zareth leaned back in his chair, a slow smirk creeping onto his lips as he watched the fight unfold.
Ed.
Zareth exhaled, amused. This was getting interesting.
His fingers flexed at his side, feeling the latent power within his bloodline.
He had changed—he had grown stronger these past years. But still…
A chuckle rumbled from his throat. "You’ll still have a beating coming when we meet at the academy."
He closed his eyes for a moment, as if relishing the thought. This year just became a lot more entertaining.
______________
[Exam Ground]
The jungle was eerily silent.
Five students moved carefully through the undergrowth, their eyes darting between the shadows.
The exam was brutal—some had already fallen, and the tension among them was thick enough to choke on.
Then, a sound.
A voice—soft, melodic, inviting.
"Hi."
They turned as one.
And froze.
Standing before them was a girl—a breathtaking beauty with flowing white hair and piercing blue eyes.
There was something ethereal about her, something… off.
She smiled.
And then the world exploded in fire.
"Ahhhhhh"
Screams ripped through the jungle as flames consumed everything.
The students barely had time to react before the inferno swallowed them whole.
The last thing they saw was her expression, untouched by the destruction around her.
Fianna Redmond.
And then—darkness.