Chapter 66: The Trial of Pairs
"Anyways, let’s get—" Marcus began, only to be cut off as a brilliant rune flared to life beneath his feet, swiftly engulfing him in a flash of radiant light. Similar sigils bloomed all across the restaurant, illuminating the space in an intricate weave of magical symbols. In an instant, every student present shimmered out of existence, pulled from their seats mid-sentence, mid-sip, mid-laugh.
The restaurant staff didn’t even flinch.
They were used to this.
"School recall spell," a waitress muttered, already stacking empty glasses. "Again."
A veteran chef leaned out from the kitchen, peering at the now-deserted dining room, his arms crossed and brows raised. "I wonder how that feels..." he mused aloud, stepping further out to examine the aftermath—half-eaten meals, steaming bowls, and untouched desserts abandoned mid-meal.
One of the waiters chuckled, unbothered, wiping a table down with well-practiced rhythm. "Magic academies and their complex services... Not like us common folk who went to good old regular schools, huh?"
The chef gave a long, dry sigh before retreating back into the kitchen. "Just don’t let anyone hear you say that," he warned under his breath. "Unless you want to be barbecued by some entitled fire-element brat."
Meanwhile, Marcus and the other students rematerialized with a sharp whoosh of compressed air, blinking against the sudden shift in scenery. The cozy restaurant was gone—replaced by the crisp bite of mountain air and the soft rustle of wind through trees.
They now stood at the edge of a lush forest clearing, far beyond the academy’s walls—perhaps even outside the city’s protective bounds. The sky stretched wide and open above, clouds drifting lazily past the distant peaks. At the far end of the clearing loomed a shadowy cave, nestled into the side of a mountain. Its mouth was yawning, dark, and unmistakably foreboding.
Standing beside the cave was a lone figure—a professor, though not one many were familiar with. He was visually striking, to say the least. A man with long, flowing pink hair that cascaded down his back like a waterfall of cherry blossoms, and a sleek black blindfold wrapped tightly over his eyes. His expression was unreadable. He stood perfectly still as the rest of the faculty lined up to oversee the latest round of reassessments.
Leon was the first to break the silence, raising a hand sharply. "Why have you brought us here?" he asked, his voice calm but firm, eyes narrowed with suspicion.