Chapter 24: The Flame Trials
The heat came first.
Before the glyphs lit. Before the roar. Before the air clawed at his lungs.
Leon stood in the ring, the chalk around him half-burned already, the scent of ash thick in the back of his throat. His sword felt heavier—not from sleep deprivation. This was different. The air shimmered. Light warped. The world twisted just enough to feel wrong.
Four mages stood beyond the ring. Hoods drawn low, their hands raised in perfect unison. Spell-binders. Bronze-badged. Academy issue.
They weren't here to instruct.
They were here to measure what didn't break.
One spoke. Just one word:
"Begin."
Flame shot up along the circle's edge—blinding, high, a living wall of fire that blocked the outside world in a single breath.
And then he wasn't alone.
It stood opposite him.