Life at Arcadia Academy had a very particular characteristic.

It didn’t matter how many times someone almost died.

It didn’t matter how many mountains disappeared.

It didn’t matter how many dungeons tried to kill you.

The teachers still left homework.

Kael discovered this sad reality on a Monday morning.

"I don’t want to go."

"You have to go."

"I don’t want to."

"That doesn’t change anything."

"It should change something."

Luna finished pushing him out of the house.

The Fat King watched the scene from atop an extremely expensive pillow that Seraphina had bought for him.

"Traitor."

"Go study."

"You should study too."

"I don’t have classes today."

"Lucky privileged brat."

The girl smiled.

"Good luck."

"I’m not going to have good luck."

"You say that every day too."

Kael couldn’t argue with that.

Because it was true.

He sighed.

He picked up the Fat King.

Got slapped.

And continued walking toward the academy.

Normal.

Completely normal.

Until he entered the classroom.

And found the teacher sitting at his desk with the same expression an executioner would have before announcing a death sentence.

Bad sign.

Very bad sign.

The students also looked nervous.

Even Darius.

Even Aurelion.

Even Seraphina.

Though with her it was hard to tell because she had exactly the same expression she would have while staring at a wall.

The teacher banged the table.

"Silence."

Everyone obeyed.

"I have an announcement."

Kael felt a chill.

Announcements were never good.

Ever.

"Next week we will be conducting the mandatory Field Exam for first-year students."

The classroom exploded.

"What?"

"So soon?"

"I’m not ready yet!"

"I’m going to die!"

"Can you fail?"

"Obviously you can fail."

Kael raised his hand.

"Professor."

"Yes?"

"What happens if I die?"

"Then you fail."

"Thanks."

"You’re welcome."

Aurelion started laughing.

"I like this professor."

"I hate him."

"I like that too."

The teacher ignored the conversation.

"The exam will consist of a supervised practical mission.

You will work in teams.

Solve problems.

Complete objectives.

And demonstrate that you can function as real adventurers."

The word "teams" immediately caused tension.

Because everyone knew what that meant.

Partners.

And partners could make or break an exam.

Darius crossed his arms.

"As long as I’m not stuck with idiots."

Kael discreetly pointed toward him.

"The odds are low."

"I heard that."

"That was the idea."

The teacher began handing out sheets.

"The groups have already been selected."

Silence.

That was strange.

Normally students chose.

Why not this time?

The teacher sighed.

A long sigh.

Deep.

One that seemed to contain years of suffering.

Kael began to worry.

When an adult sighed like that, it was usually because they had made a horrible decision.

"Professor."

"Yes?"

"Why do you look so tired?"

"Because I’ve spent three days trying to prevent this disaster."

"That doesn’t answer anything."

"You’ll find out soon enough."

Worse.

Much worse.

The teacher opened the list.

"Team one."

He read several names.

The students breathed a sigh of relief.

Nothing weird.

Then he moved to the next.

And the next.

Everything seemed normal.

Until he reached the last group.

The teacher sighed again.

"Team seven."

Kael felt a sense of dread.

"Kael Veyron."

"Damn it."

"Seraphina Frostvale."

Silence.

The entire classroom turned toward Kael.

"Why are you all looking at me? She’s the one in my class for no apparent reason."

No one answered.

Because they were too busy processing the news.

The teacher continued.

"Aurelion Voss."

Now the murmurs really began.

"No."

"It can’t be."

"That group is broken."

"Who did this?"

"Surely a criminal."

Kael slowly raised his hand.

"Professor."

"Yes?"

"I think there’s been a mistake."

"There hasn’t."

"Then someone committed a crime."

"Probably."

"Who made the groups?"

"Me."

"Ah."

The teacher kept reading.

"Darius Ravencrest."

Absolute silence.

The entire classroom froze.

Even Kael.

Even Aurelion.

Even Seraphina.

Darius was the first to react.

He stood up abruptly.

"This is a conspiracy!"

"Sit down."

"I refuse!"

"Sit down."

"No!"

"I’ll deduct points."

"..."

"..."

"This is still a conspiracy."

But he sat down.

Aurelion looked delighted.

"This is going to be fun."

"It’s not going to be fun."

"Yes, it will."

"No — you shouldn’t even be in my class."

"Yes, but now we’re a team and you have friends."

"We’re not friends."

"Yes."

"No."

"Definitely yes."

Kael rested his head on the desk.

Everything was lost.

Absolutely lost.

The teacher massaged his temples.

"Before the complaints start...

I already tried to change the group."

Everyone looked up.

"What?"

"Several times."

"And?"

"It was impossible."

"Why?"

The teacher pointed directly at Seraphina.

"She rejected all the changes."

Seraphina nodded.

"Mhm."

Kael looked at Seraphina.

"Why?"

"I already have a team."

"That doesn’t explain anything."

"Mhm."

"THAT DOESN’T EXPLAIN ANYTHING EITHER!"

Aurelion raised a hand.

"I also rejected the changes."

"Why?"

"Because this looks fun."

"You’re a problem."

"Thanks."

The teacher pointed at Darius.

"And he threatened to break my desk when I tried to move him."

"Because I wanted to prove that I’m better than all of you!"

"That doesn’t help. Can’t you do that from your own class and get out of mine?"

"I know — besides, this isn’t a competition."

Kael slumped against the table.

Now he understood the sigh.

The teacher had tried to escape.

He had fought.

He had resisted.

And he had lost.

Just like any reasonable person.

"Professor."

"Yes?"

"I’m sorry."

"Why?"

"Because you clearly suffered."

The man almost cried.

"Thank you for understanding."

The next few hours passed with explanations.

Objectives.

Rules.

Protocols.

Safety.

Everything an adventurer should know.

Or at least pretend to know.

When the bell finally rang, students began to leave the classroom.

But team seven stayed.

Because the teacher wanted to talk to them.

Bad sign.

"Listen carefully."

The four looked up.

"You have the potential to be one of the best teams in the academy."

Kael smiled.

"And here comes the ’but’."

"But..."

"I knew it."

"But you also have the potential to accidentally destroy a city."

Aurelion raised his hand.

"Technically, that’s already happened once."

"You’re not helping."

"I’m trying."

"It doesn’t look like it."

The teacher pointed at Kael.

"You."

"Me what?"

"Don’t blow anything up."

"That only happened once, and it was his fault."

He pointed at the sleeping Little Fat King.

"Three times."

"Three times."

"Damn it."

Then he pointed at Darius.

"Don’t touch ancient artifacts."

"It was only once."

"You awakened an Ancient Guardian."

"Details."

"They’re not details."

Then he looked at Aurelion.

"Don’t cause problems."

"I can’t promise that."

"I know."

"Thanks for understanding."

Finally, he looked at Seraphina.

"And you."

"Mhm."

"Don’t follow Kael if he does something stupid."

"I will follow him. We are one."

"I know."

The teacher sighed again.

"I’m doomed."

"Probably."

"Thanks, Kael."

"You’re welcome. After all, I’m in the same boat."

When they finally left the building, the sun was beginning to set.

The exam would start the next morning.

And everyone knew it.

For the first time, even Kael was a little nervous.

Because real missions always ended badly.

It was a universal law.

Aurelion walked with his hands behind his head.

"Think there will be monsters?"

"Yes."

"Bandits?"

"Probably."

"Traps?"

"Surely."

"Excellent."

"What part of that is excellent?"

"All of it."

Darius snorted.

"If anyone gets in my way, I’ll leave them behind."

"Very inspiring."

"Thanks."

"That was sarcasm."

"I know."

Seraphina walked beside Kael.

Silent.

As always.

And every now and then she looked at the Fat King.

The cat looked at her.

Then hid behind Kael’s shoulder.

Then looked at her again.

As if constantly watching a known threat.

"He’s still afraid of you."

"Mhm."

"I don’t think he’ll ever forgive you."

"Mhm."

"Surprisingly, I understand."

"Mhm."

"Do you always answer like that?"

"No."

She looked him in the eyes.

"But I get nervous when you talk to me."

"You’re not the first to say that."

"That was cruel."

For the first time, it seemed like Seraphina was about to smile.

Just a little.

Very little.

But Kael noticed.

And for some reason, that made him feel better.

When they reached the academy’s main exit, the teacher was waiting for them by several carriages.

The teams were beginning to gather.

The supervising adventurers were also present.

The mission was real.

There was no turning back.

The teacher checked one last list.

"Alright.

Everyone ready."

The students nodded.

Some nervous.

Others excited.

Others resigned.

Kael clearly belonged to the last group.

"Last chance to escape."

"That’s not how it works." 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"I tried."

Aurelion smiled.

"Let’s go.

It’s going to be fun."

"It’s not going to be fun."

"It will be."

"Not with you around."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

Darius stepped ahead.

"Are you two going to argue the whole trip?"

"Probably."

"What a nuisance."

Seraphina began walking behind them.

The Fat King yawned.

And for the first time since all this madness began...

The group moved forward together.

Not as rivals.

Not as forced partners.

Not yet.

But it was a start.

And as they crossed the academy’s main gate toward their first official exam mission...

None of them noticed that, in the distance, several figures dressed in black were silently watching.

The Church of Order had already begun to move.

But that was a problem for another day.

For now...

The mission had just begun.