The Eclipsed Bloom

As the students continued to chatter excitedly about the tournament, their voices gradually grew louder. The energy in the hall was palpable, but then, without warning, the room was plunged into darkness. "Huh? What happened? Why did the hall suddenly go dark?" a student asked, their voice tinged with confusion.

The murmurs grew, the tension rising, until a soft flicker of light broke through the blackness. One by one, magical lanterns sprang to life, filling the hall with a warm, glowing light. The flickering flames illuminated the faces of students, casting eerie shadows across the room.

Then, the principal’s voice boomed above the crowd, calm and authoritative."This is the magic lantern," he said, though there was a slight edge of amusement in his tone. "I’m sure you all already know how it works. But this being your first match, we’ll be closing the doors to block out the starlight. You’ll experience a different kind of environment—one you’ll have to adapt to."

A murmur of surprise swept through the crowd. Closing the doors? Blocking out the light? What kind of challenge was this going to be?

Zara raised an eyebrow. "So they’re taking the fun out of it already, huh?" she muttered, crossing her arms.

Elira, beside her, nodded in agreement. "Seems like they’re testing more than just your skills with a sword."

Selena stood silently, her eyes scanning the room, while Mia bounced from foot to foot, eager for the matches to start.

across walls flags start appearing with academy crest on it sword and sheid,