Chapter 36: After the Circle
For a few moments after Master Ilyara announced the result, the arena remained strangely quiet.
"Aren Djanah," she had said.
"The trial recognizes you as Awakened."
That was all.
No dramatic display.
No overwhelming power.
Just a brief swirl of wind and silver light that had appeared and disappeared almost immediately.
Around the arena, the students began whispering.
"That was it?"
"I thought the Djanah bloodline was supposed to be terrifying."
"Maybe he just barely awakened."
Aren pretended not to hear them as he stepped back into the line.
But the murmurs followed him.
Kairo glanced sideways at him with a faint smirk.
"So that's the famous Djanah awakening?"
His tone wasn't loud, but several nearby students laughed quietly.
"I expected something a little more impressive."
Amara shot him a warning look.
"Not every power announces itself by breaking the ground."
Kairo shrugged.
"Or maybe there just wasn't much power to show."
Aren said nothing.
Inside, his thoughts were still tangled with the strange feeling from the circle.
The whispers.
The presence.
But none of that had appeared clearly enough for anyone else to see.
Maybe that was a good thing.
At the front of the arena, Master Ilyara raised her hand.
The murmuring slowly died down.
"The Trial of Bloodline is now complete."
Her voice carried easily across the field.
"You have each demonstrated the awakening of your family inheritance."
Some students straightened proudly.
Others looked relieved.
But the instructors' expressions remained serious.
Master Ilyara continued.
"Awakening your bloodline is only the first step."
Her gaze moved across the gathered heirs.
"Power without control is dangerous."
She paused briefly.
"And control cannot be learned without facing real danger."
The students exchanged uneasy glances.
Even Kairo's confident expression sharpened slightly.
Everyone in the academy knew what came after the bloodline trial.
Still, hearing it announced always made the air heavier.
Master Ilyara clasped her hands behind her back.
"Over the next two days, you will undergo the final evaluation of this term."
She let the silence stretch for a moment.
Then she spoke the words every student had been expecting.
"The Trial of the Beast."
A low wave of murmurs rippled through the arena.
Bram groaned softly.
"Already?"
Several others looked excited.
But many looked nervous.
Because the Trial of the Beast was different from the earlier tests.
There were no instructors stepping in.
No safe limits.
Just the student—
And the creature waiting for them.
Master Ilyara continued calmly.
"Each of you will enter the beast arena alone."
"Inside, a creature selected for your level will be released."
Some students swallowed nervously.
"You will fight it."
"If you defeat the beast or force it to yield, you pass."
Her eyes hardened slightly.
"If you cannot… the instructors will intervene before serious harm occurs."
That reassurance didn't comfort anyone.
Everyone knew the truth.
Sometimes the instructors didn't reach the arena fast enough.
Kairo cracked his knuckles with a grin.
"Now that sounds more like a real trial."
Amara rolled her eyes.
But even she looked more alert now.
Aren felt the weight of the announcement settle in his chest.
The Trial of the Beast.
Unlike the awakening circle, this test didn't care about mystery or potential.
It only cared about one thing.
Whether you were strong enough to survive.
Master Ilyara stepped back slightly.
"The order of challengers will be announced tomorrow morning."
"Until then, rest and prepare yourselves."
Her gaze briefly flicked toward Aren.
Only for a moment.
But long enough for him to notice.
Then she turned away.
"The trials are dismissed."
The arena slowly began to empty as students started discussing the coming battle.
Excitement.
Nervous laughter.
Quiet fear.
Aren walked toward the exit with the others.
The whispers from earlier had gone silent again.
But the uneasy feeling in his chest remained.
Because now, whatever strange power had awakened inside him…
He would soon have to test it.
Against a beast that would not hold back.