Chapter 20
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The next morning, the tension from the banquet had not dissipated. If anything, it had settled over Aflety Magic Academy like a stormcloud waiting to break. The duels had continued through the night—some sanctioned, many not—and even professors were starting to take notice.
But in the heart of Dormitory Wing A, a different kind of war was waging.
"Stop—Nox, drop that boot!" Evan shouted, diving across the room.
"I was cleaning it," Nox hissed, tail swishing. "With my fangs."
"You chewed through it, you glorified belt!"
The Basilisk, now nearly the size of a coiled rope and slightly too large for Evan's shoulders, slithered behind the desk with a smug grin.
"I liked the leather. It reminded me of the knight who insulted your hair yesterday."
Evan groaned and dropped onto his bed. "You mean Gareth?"
"No. The other one. Prince Toad-face."
"That's not a name, Nox."
"It should be."
The door burst open before Evan could retort.
"Emergency!" Gareth Ironfang thundered. "We've got competition. Bad competition!"
Lilith followed close behind him, calm and composed in her obsidian-trimmed academy uniform. "He means Lornvale's team."
"They posted their team roster on the Academy dueling board," Gareth added. "For fun. As a challenge."
Cassia and Silva arrived a moment later, both carrying scrolls.
Silva unrolled one and pinned it to the wall with a flick of wind magic. "Here. Read it."
Team Lornvale – "The Bloodbound"
— Kael Darnic – Crimson Duelist, Beast: Bloodborn Griffin
— Syra Onyxthorn – Metal Elementalist, Beast: Ironshade Serpent
— Halric Uros – Earth-Titan Magic, Beast: Forge Rhino
— Mira Vellun – Ice Witch, Beast: White Moth Queen
— Ruvin Corvash – Light Assassin, Beast: Crescent Hound
Evan whistled. "They weren't bluffing."
Cassia nodded. "Each one is a known prodigy from the southern dominions. This isn't just an exhibition. This is a declaration."
"And not just from Lornvale," Silva said, holding up a second scroll. "Caelesthall and Xythra have followed suit. They want us to respond."
Gareth slammed a fist into his palm. "Then we give them our roster."
Lilith raised an eyebrow. "Do we even have one yet?"
Everyone looked at Evan.
"I mean," he muttered, rubbing his neck. "We kind of… do."
They did.
—
Team Aflety – "Wyrmheart"
— Evan Rochel – Basilisk Tamer, Water & Darkness Elements
— Silva Elowen – Nature Sorceress, Elemental Archer
— Gareth Ironfang – Fire Brawler, Hybrid Steel Ape
— Cassia Belvane – Space & Light Magic, Illusionist
— Lilith Laistrygones – Bloodline Vampire, Shadow Magic
The name came from Nox, of course.
"You carry a beast born from serpents, bound by kings," the Basilisk had explained proudly. "You're his heart. Wyrmheart."
When Professor Gawain saw the team list, he nodded once.
"You'll either win… or start a new war."
—
Training Days
The Academy shifted into overdrive.
Every training ground buzzed with elemental energy. Professors held extra lessons. Sparring duels ran from dawn to dusk.
Professor Orlen—with his booming Earth magic—forced Evan's team to battle in collapsing rock caverns, their timing and unity tested at every step.
Professor Marrow ran elemental resistance drills until they all collapsed from exhaustion—only to be revived by icy water and made to try again.
In the afternoons, Professor Lumi, the Ice Division head, taught Cassia and Lilith to combine illusions and shadowstep into seamless distractions.
Silva took to the archery range with brutal efficiency, summoning her elemental hawks with precision strikes that left targets burning, blooming, or simply disintegrated.
Gareth trained solo, lifting molten boulders and bellowing challenges to the sky.
And Evan—he trained with Gawain himself.
They met in the ancient Spiral Garden, a training arena hidden beneath the Academy, said to be carved from the bones of a long-dead dragon.
"You hold back," Gawain said, tossing Evan a weighted spear. "Your bond with your beast is strong. But you still fear power."
Evan gritted his teeth. "I'm not afraid."
"You're afraid of becoming what you were," Gawain said. "You can't win if you fight like a ghost of yourself."
He snapped his fingers—and three illusionary enemies appeared, all with serpent-like features, all with glowing red eyes.
Evan hesitated.
Then Nox emerged in a blur of darkness and water, coiling like a dragon in mist.
"Let's hunt," the Basilisk whispered.
Evan stepped forward—and struck.
—
Rising Tensions
One evening, as the training slowed, Evan sat by the garden pond with Lilith. Fireflies lit the air in tiny glows of mana, and Nox swam lazy circles around the lilies.
"You've changed," Lilith said, sipping from a black-flowered teacup.
Evan looked up. "For better?"
"For real," she replied.
He chuckled softly. "Not sure if that's praise."
"It is. I've watched you these weeks, Evan. You're not just a noble's son with power. You're someone who's learning to fight for something."
He met her gaze. "I just want… to be someone worth trusting."
She smiled gently. "Then you already are."
Nox splashed nearby. "Enough romance. Fight me."
Lilith giggled. Evan rolled his eyes.
"I should've named him something less dramatic."
Chapter End
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