**Moonlight** filtered through the thin clouds in the sky, casting a silver veil over the battlefield. The pale light, fractured through the vines clinging to the trees, revealed the trembling shadows of fallen leaves scattered across the stony ground. A gentle wind stirred the dry foliage, the rustling and crackling echoing through the deep silence of the night. Nature watched it all unfold like a silent spectator.
At the center of the clearing stood three motionless figures. Their silhouettes, caught between shadow and light, were as still as statues.
One was a young girl with porcelain-pale skin and hair as dark as the night itself. Her eyes were as calm as a lake—only her gaze betrayed the storm within. The other was tall, dark-skinned, with curly brown hair—Liam. Though traces of his usual confidence lingered in his stance, the weight of the moment had bent his posture slightly.
And the last… Kaelen. His eyes burned with suppressed fury, his stance weary yet battle-ready.
Before them stood the last person Kaelen wanted to see.
**Estelle Escard.** A girl whose name was renowned in the world of magic—but whose arrogance was even greater.
The moonlight, as if shining solely for her, glinted off her dark metal armor. With each step, the armor emitted a faint metallic ring, resonating as if announcing its own weight. Yet she seemed utterly indifferent—deadly, cold, and emotionless.
She stood beside the monster she had just slain. There was no remorse in her eyes, not even a flicker of triumph. Silently, she pulled her sword from the beast's body, wiped the bloody blade against the edge of her coat, and in a flash of white light, the sword vanished, returning to its mana form. Every movement was precise, measured, almost flawless. Her motions flowed like poetry. To an observer, it was like watching a theatrical performance.
**Kaelen understood in that moment.**
Olivia and Liam's fate had already been sealed. Part of him wanted to agree with Olivia, but he wasn't in a hurry to do so.
He no longer wondered who would kill them—because the answer stood before him in all its stark clarity.
Had they stayed in the cave, they would have died in the collapse. Had they taken the volcano's path, the creatures there would have torn them apart. No matter where they went, this was the end they would meet. **This was fate's knot—inescapable, inevitable.**
And now… Estelle had drawn the path to that end.
*"You are weak,"* Estelle said, her voice hollow. The words cut through the air like a sharp blade—mocking, indifferent. Her eyes looked at them but seemed to see nothing.
Kaelen glanced at Estelle's armor, wondering how many monsters she had slain to obtain it. His guess? She had been fighting nonstop since the trial began. That was both good and bad. The good part? Even Estelle had her limits. No one could fight forever.
Kaelen's plan had been to face her on the trial's final day. He wanted to be mentally and physically prepared. So meeting her now, here, was a disappointment.
Still, he took a step forward. The moonlight sharpened his features.
*"Why did someone like you come here?"* he asked, his voice calm but laced with sharp sarcasm. *"There are far stronger creatures deeper on the island."*
*"I'm bored,"* Estelle replied carelessly. *"I want this trial to be over. So you need to die."*
Kaelen chuckled dryly. *"I almost feel sorry for you, sweetheart,"* he said, then grinned. *"So, did you come here to die? Because if you do, I've decided it'll be for the best—for all three of us."*
Not a single flicker of emotion crossed Estelle's face. Her eyes remained dull, unseeing. These children were beneath her. They could never win.
Kaelen turned his head slightly and called to the two behind him: *"Stay out of this fight, please."*
Liam nodded silently. Olivia remained eerily calm, as if she had already foreseen what was to come. Kaelen tried to understand her composure. Perhaps she had glimpsed fate's hints long ago. Oracles were always confusing.
Estelle tilted her head slightly. Her crimson hair fell over her armored shoulders, gleaming like copper in the moonlight. *"Do you really think you can stop me alone?"* she asked, her voice almost curious—but laced with disdain.
Kaelen answered honestly. *"Hah, no. Beating you would be tough. But trying won't hurt."*
Estelle shrugged. A faint smirk ghosted her lips but never fully formed. *"Then submit to your fate and die."*
*"I'd rather not. By the way, you can use your sword,"* Kaelen said, a faint glint still in his eyes.
*"You are not worthy of seeing my swordsmanship."*
Estelle began to walk. Her steps weren't heavy, but they were deliberate—like a death machine honed by elegance. There was a fluidity to her movements, smooth as water. Yet instead of soothing, it sent a chill down the spine.
Liam held his breath under the weight of what he was witnessing. His family had always seen him as a genius, but now… Estelle and Kaelen had shown him just how relative that title was.
**The real geniuses were here.** And one was about to fight the other.
Kaelen expanded the mana enveloping his body. As his energy touched the water, tiny ripples shimmered across the surface.
Estelle stepped onto the pond. Mana kept them from sinking, allowing them to walk atop the water as if on solid ground. The stillness of the pond fractured with each of Estelle's steps.
The two warriors were about to meet at the center of the pond under the night sky. Beneath the silver light, only silence spoke. Fate held its breath.
When they were just a few paces apart, they stopped. The water beneath their feet rippled faintly. Even the distant birds had gone silent—as if nature itself was holding its breath to witness their duel.
Kaelen took a deep breath and clenched his fists. His knuckles tightened slightly, his eyes locked onto Estelle. At first glance, his stance seemed relaxed, almost careless—but upon closer inspection, every muscle in his body was coiled like a drawn arrow, ready to strike at any moment.
Estelle was different. Impatience flickered in her eyes, sparks of irritation. She bent her knees slightly, raising her arms in front of her chest. Her body resembled a predator poised to pounce. Unlike Kaelen, her energy was unrestrained—she was the aggressor, the one seeking to dominate.