**"Ahhh, that was too close."**
After emerging from the vine-choked forest, Kaelen had reached the rocky terrain where it had all begun. Before him stretched a vast, empty land, waiting.
In his *"Kai"* form, he surveyed the other changes in the area. Thankfully, no one was following him—except Liam and Olivia, of course.
That crazy kid's actions had surprised Kaelen a little. Who in their right mind would steal food from a place infested with chimpanzees? If Kaelen had left even a moment later, he wouldn't have escaped. It had turned into a game of luck.
The chimpanzees were the most formidable beasts in the forest—not because they were strong or numerous, but because in battle, you couldn't catch or stop them. They were everywhere, attacking from safe positions like natural-born guerillas.
Factors like these ensured victory in combat. Even the bear they had been chasing for so long had been left mortally wounded by the chimps.
Kaelen heard rustling from the forest and sharpened his senses.
A few seconds later, Liam emerged from the trees. The mage looked unharmed, save for a few scratches. He was panting heavily.
Then came Olivia, the black-haired mage. Her dark eyes were shadowed with exhaustion and sleeplessness.
This trial pushed every candidate to their limits. Sleep deprivation, hunger, stress, and the fear of death were the main challenges they had to endure.
*"Those monkeys were fast. The little bastards chased me like I'd kidnapped their grandmother."*
The young mage tried to steady his breathing, his chest heaving violently. His face was pale from mana overuse, veins bulging on his neck as he wiped sweat from his brow.
Kaelen felt a pang of sympathy for the physically weak mage. Not that he was in great shape himself. The road ahead would only get harder.
*"Do you think Estelle made it out?"* Liam asked Olivia curiously.
*"How should I know? Why are you asking me?"*
*"Because you're a seer."*
*"Ugh."*
Olivia threw her hands up in exasperation, rolling her eyes before stepping away from the young mage.
*"Guys, we seriously have the most useless seer ever. I want a spoiler goddess, okay? Someone who actually gives us answers!"*
Liam sighed and shrugged. Sometimes, even Kaelen couldn't make sense of their dynamic.
But one thing he knew for sure—Estelle wouldn't die from something so trivial. He had known her in his past life.
Just thinking about it made his hair stand on end.
They'd probably cross paths again in a few days. Of course, Kaelen would do his best to avoid her until then.
*"So, what now?"* Liam turned to Kaelen and asked.
As the second day in Pheniyet's trial area came to an end, the sun rose over the vanishing sandy terrain.
*"What do you mean, 'we'? My business with you is done. From now on, you're on your own. I was only here to protect you for a day because you intrigued me. The rest is up to you. Remember, this is a trial."*
*"Come on, that's harsh. If even *I'm* sad, imagine how hard it'll be to console Olivia after you leave."*
Liam grinned playfully.
Having someone like Kaelen as an ally probably suited them just fine. Kaelen hadn't seen Liam or Olivia's combat skills yet, but he knew how dangerous children from major clans could be. They were hiding their abilities—because until now, *he* had been their shield.
*"And you..."*
Kaelen turned to the mage standing a few meters away. Olivia's black hair fluttered in the morning wind, her eyes clouded with uncertainty, as if gazing into some distant future.
*"There was a reason I agreed to your request. A favor. I saved you from that damned fate. When I ask for repayment in the future, you *will* honor it."*
He extended his hand. Olivia eyed him warily.
*"A 'favor' is... a very broad term. What exactly do you want from me?"*
Kaelen's expression hardened as he channeled mana into his palm.
Liam, sensing the tension, tried to mediate.
*"There's someone... I need to know their weakness in the future."*
*"What kind of person?"*
*"Someone who caused me great suffering in the past. They stole something invaluable from me."*
*"I see."*
Olivia didn't press further.
She reached out.
Kaelen took her hand and let his mana flow into her.
*"I, the mage Kaelen, hereby claim a favor from the mage Olivia Nightshade. Do you accept?"*
As the mana passed into her, Olivia spoke.
*"I, the mage Olivia Nightshade, accept Kaelen's request. As long as the knowledge he seeks does not harm me, our pact shall stand."*
A mana pact—once sworn, it bound their very souls. Breaking its terms meant unbearable agony. Worse, it could kill a mage.
Liam didn't understand why Olivia had agreed to such a one-sided deal.
After all, the only one benefiting was Kaelen.
*"Good."*
Kaelen released her hand.
*"Now I can leave. See you around, kids. Try not to die."*
He cracked his neck, relaxed his shoulders, and walked toward the rocky edge where the forest met the wasteland.
Once Kaelen was gone, Liam shifted into his *"Kai"* form, then activated *"Mef,"* the fifth mana state.
Mana surged into his eyes, expanding his vision to nearly two kilometers.
*"He's gone."*
No longer in sight.
Liam turned a suspicious gaze to Olivia.
*"How long do you plan on staring at me?"*
The girl sat on a rock, scowling at him.
*"Until you give me an explanation."*
Liam crossed his arms.
*"Why did you make a one-sided pact? A mage's oath scars the soul. Even in death, your spirit remains bound until its terms are fulfilled. Have you lost your mind?"*
Silence fell between them. The sun now bathed the island in light, shadows retreating as night's darkness fled. The morning glow illuminated Olivia's pale face as she exhaled deeply.
*"Liam... do you think it's easy to escape the threads of fate?"*
*"Are you joking? It's nearly impossible. My father once tried, and... well, you know how that ended."*
Olivia sighed, her expression somber.
*"Exactly. We weren't bound by fate from the beginning. You know that, right?"*
*"Yeah. We came here for a reason—no other purpose."*
*"I think Kaelen knew too. He only accepted my offer because he wanted future knowledge."*
*"Right. Escaping fate shouldn't be so easy, especially for mages like us who haven't even reached the first tier. Then why did you tell him that?"*
*"Our mission was never to enroll in the academy. The master sent us here to gather information on Estelle Escard. If we failed, we'd be killed by her instead."*
*"Was all this really necessary? After all the risks, we still know nothing about Estelle Escard. The master won't be happy."*
*"True. But I found something more interesting."*
*"Kaelen? Okay, he's intriguing, but he's not that strong. His mana control is still flawed—probably self-taught with no proper guidance. Even if he's skilled, how far can he really go?"*
*"It's not about his strength. What I told him was true—the threads of fate don't bind him."*
*"Is that even possible?"*
*"Ahh, I don't know. But something surrounds him. That's what caught my attention."*
*"So... is Kaelen useful to us?"*
Liam raised an eyebrow. Sometimes, he couldn't decipher Olivia's thoughts—other times, she was a locked vault. He had to piece together the clues himself, a side effect of her seer abilities. She glimpsed fragments of the future, scattered like breadcrumbs in soup.
*"Yes. Actually, Liam... why don't we enroll in the academy?"*
*"No. I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that."*
Liam threw up his hands, trying to stop her, but Olivia had already made up her mind.
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