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"They stopped laughing… but that doesn't mean they're not afraid."
The academy felt different the next morning.
Aria noticed it immediately the moment she stepped into the corridor. The whispers were still there, but they carried a different tone now.
Less mocking.
More careful.
"That's her…"
"The one who took Dorian's fire…"
"She didn't block it. She absorbed it."
Aria kept walking, her head slightly lowered, hands tucked inside her sleeves.
Beneath the fabric, faint light pulsed along her fingers.
The Devour core hadn't settled since yesterday.
If anything, it felt more active.
More aware.
And still hungry.
Students moved out of her way without making it obvious. A step to the side. A pause before crossing her path. A glance that lingered just a little too long.
Fear wasn't loud.
It didn't need to be.
Aria could feel it in every shift of movement around her.
"…good," she thought quietly.
Fear meant hesitation.
And hesitation kept her alive.
But as she walked deeper into the academy, something else pulled at her attention.
That same pulse from before.
Not her own.
Something below.
Faint, slow, and ancient.
It responded to her.
Her steps slowed.
"…why does it feel like it's calling me?"
The question lingered, unanswered.
But the feeling didn't fade.
By the time she reached the training hall, the atmosphere had already changed.
Too many students.
Too quiet.
Waiting.
For her.
The moment she stepped inside, the conversations died down. Every eye followed her as she walked toward the arena.
Professor Elric stood at the center, posture straight, gaze sharp.
"Aira Valen."
Her name echoed across the hall.
Aria stepped forward.
Her heartbeat was steady.
Too steady.
"You will face three opponents," Elric said. "No rest between matches."
A ripple of murmurs spread through the crowd.
"This assessment will determine what you truly are."
Aria's fingers tightened slightly.
What I am…
The words stayed with her as she took her position.
From the upper level, Ren Kael leaned against the railing, watching with quiet intensity.
"…don't disappoint me," he murmured.
"Begin."
The first opponent didn't hesitate.
Lyra moved fast, faster than most first-years could follow. Red magic flared around her, forming dozens of sharp energy blades that shot toward Aria all at once.
Aria stepped forward instead of back.
The first blade struck her shoulder.
Pain flared—
then vanished.
Absorbed.
The second hit, then the third.
Each one fed something inside her.
Her breathing slowed. Her body adjusted.
By the time the final blade reached her, she could see the pattern clearly.
She caught it midair.
For a split second, the arena went silent.
Then she moved.
The energy condensed in her hand, sharper and more refined than before.
She released it.
Lyra didn't even have time to react before the impact sent her crashing across the arena.
Gasps broke out across the hall.
Aria barely noticed.
Inside her, something had shifted.
The power she absorbed didn't just fade.
It stayed.
It changed her.
"Next."
The second opponent stepped forward with a confident smile.
Illusion magic.
The arena warped instantly. The floor twisted, shadows stretched, and multiple versions of him appeared at once.
Ten. Twenty.
Every direction.
Aria's vision blurred for a moment.
"…this is different."
Instead of fighting it, she closed her eyes.
Not to block it.
To feel it.
The magic behind the illusion.
Its structure.
Its source.
Her core pulsed in response.
Then she reached for it.
Not physically.
Something deeper.
The illusions flickered.
Then collapsed.
Not shattered.
Consumed.
When Aria opened her eyes again, only the real one remained.
His expression had changed.
"…what did you do?"
"I took it."
Before he could react, the illusion reformed—this time under her control.
His own technique turned against him.
The pressure hit him all at once, forcing him back before the illusion burst and sent him to the ground.
The crowd erupted again, louder this time.
But Aria's focus slipped.
Her head throbbed slightly.
Too much input.
Too fast.
"…slow down," she muttered.
The Devour didn't listen.
"Final match."
The third opponent stepped forward, his presence alone heavy enough to shift the air.
Raw power.
No tricks.
No refinement.
Just overwhelming force.
He charged without hesitation.
The impact when his fist connected shook the arena.
For a second, Aria's vision went dark.
Then—
the energy folded inward.
Into her.
Her body trembled as the power flooded in.
Too much.
Her muscles strained. Her breathing broke.
"…this is too much…"
"Take it."
The voice returned, clearer than before.
"You can hold more."
Something inside her gave way.
Not breaking.
Adapting.
Her body stabilized.
Reinforced.
Stronger.
She grabbed his arm.
Energy surged through her, compressed, then released in a single motion.
The force sent him flying across the arena, crashing hard enough to crack the ground beneath him.
Silence fell.
This time, no one spoke.
Because now they understood.
This wasn't luck.
This wasn't a trick.
It was something else entirely.
"Aira Valen… wins."
Even the instructor sounded cautious now.
Aria turned away, her breathing uneven.
The hunger hadn't faded.
It had grown.
Back in the corridor, she leaned against the wall, trying to steady herself.
Her hands trembled slightly.
"This isn't normal…"
Every passing student felt different now.
Not just people.
Sources.
Her jaw tightened.
"…no."
She clenched her fists.
"I'm still me."
But the Devour pulsed in response.
Like it disagreed.
Later that night, the courtyard was quiet under pale moonlight.
Aria stood alone, trying to calm the storm inside her.
Footsteps broke the silence.
"You're pushing it too far."
She turned.
Ren Kael stood a few steps away, watching her carefully.
"You felt it too, didn't you?" he said.
"That power… it's not just yours. It's changing you."
Aria didn't answer right away.
"…I can control it."
Ren stepped closer, stopping just within reach.
"Then prove it."
His hand brushed lightly against her wrist.
Her body went still instantly.
Not from fear.
From instinct.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
Then he stepped back.
"If you lose control," he said quietly, "I'll stop you."
Before she could respond, the ground trembled.
Aria's head snapped toward the forest beyond the academy walls.
The pulse.
Stronger than ever.
Something was coming.
Not like the creature before.
This felt… deliberate.
The air distorted.
Then it appeared.
A massive shape emerged from the darkness, its presence crushing everything around it.
Stronger.
Far stronger.
Aria's core reacted instantly.
Violently.
Hungrily.
"…someone sent this," she whispered.
Behind her, Ren's expression sharpened.
"…good," he said softly.
"Now we find out what you really are."