As the headmaster approached the main hall, a palpable tension filled the air. Rex, who was already inside, sensed the familiar, unsettling presence even before the doors opened. "He's no ordinary man," Rex muttered to himself, a shiver running down his spine. "He's powerful, dangerously so. I don't want to cross paths with him." As if on cue, the headmaster's eyes darted toward Rex. The intensity of that gaze sent a wave of pressure crashing over him, leaving Rex momentarily breathless. “It was just a glance, but it spoke volumes—this was a man not to be trifled with”.

The headmaster ascended the stage, where two teachers were already engaged in a heated argument. His voice, sharp and commanding, cut through their bickering. "Why are you both squabbling like children?" he demanded. "Introduce yourselves, and apologize to everyone here. Now."

The hall fell silent as the first teacher, a white-haired man, stepped forward. His tone was respectful yet firm. "I apologize for the disturbance we’ve caused. My name is Orion Ash, and I will be your instructor in fire and water magic once you reach the intermediate level."

Next, the black-haired woman approached, her expression calm yet authoritative. "My name is Lyra, and I will be teaching you both basic and intermediate magic in air and earth elements."

The headmaster, satisfied, took the lead once more. "Welcome, students," he announced, his voice resonating throughout the hall. "As you've heard, I am your headmaster, Mr. Luther Ash."

Whispers rippled through the crowd of students. "Did he say Ash? Isn't that the same surname as Sir Orion? Are they related?"

Their curiosity was short-lived as the headmaster addressed them again, this time with a hint of amusement in his voice. "I apologize for the inconvenience caused by my foolish son and my future daughter-in-law." Gasps echoed through the hall as the students' eyes widened in shock. "What? They’re all related?" they murmured, the revelation sparking a wave of disbelief.

Before the murmurs could grow louder, the headmaster’s voice boomed across the room. "Enough! Let’s get to the main topic. You’ve all travelled from distant lands to be here, and now it’s time for the selection process to begin. At this academy, your magical abilities and physical prowess will be tested. Prepare yourselves!"

Rex, still reeling from the earlier encounter, struggled to process what was happening. "So, we’ll be tested on both our magical and physical capabilities," he thought. "I’ve trained for this my whole life, under the guidance of my parents—the very ones who once saved this kingdom. I’ll prove that I am their son."

With that, Orion took charge, leading the students out to Field 1 for their first trial:

 The magical testing. In this world, magic is classified into three levels: basic, intermediate, and advanced. But here, almost every student struggled to even conjure a basic spell.

The atmosphere was thick with anticipation as the students lined up for the test.

The first test,

The Mana Gauge. A massive crystal stood at the centre of the field, designed to measure a student's raw magical energy. Each student approached, placed their hand on the crystal, and watched as it reacted to their mana reserves. For most, the crystal shimmered in soft hues of blue, green, or gold, indicating their magical potential.

Then, it was Rex’s turn. As he stepped forward, a hush fell over the crowd. He placed his hand on the crystal, and for a moment, nothing happened. Then, in a sudden, explosive burst, the crystal cracked, then shattered into countless shards. Gasps filled the air as everyone realized what this meant—Rex's mana was off the charts; beyond anything they had ever seen.

The shock from the crystal shattering set the tone for the next test,

The Ember Challenge. This trial required students to demonstrate their mastery over fire by igniting a distant torch with a controlled flame. Rex, determined to maintain his momentum, summoned his power. With a single spell, he not only lit the torch but also obliterated the protective barrier surrounding the test area. The sheer force of his magic left the onlookers speechless. However, another student, a girl with a quiet but confident demeanour, managed to cast the same spell with remarkable precision, though her method was more refined than Rex’s raw power. While most students struggled to produce even a flicker, only a few managed to pass this test, but none as spectacularly as Rex and the mysterious girl.

The third test,

The Duel of Fates, brought the students face-to-face in combat. Victory in this duel was the only way to proceed. Rex, paired with a skilled opponent, easily outmatched them, his overwhelming mana reserves giving him the upper hand. His victory was swift, but not without drawing attention. The same girl who had matched him in the Ember Challenge also triumphed in her duel, displaying both tactical brilliance and magical prowess. By the end of the duels, only 220 students remained, having proven their worth in the academy’s gruelling tests.

Next came,

The Swordplay Test, where magical prowess took a backseat to physical skill. Each student was tasked with cutting down a series of trees with a single strike, testing their strength and technique. Rex, confident in his abilities, delivered a blow that cleaved a massive tree cleanly in half. It was an impressive feat, but once again, the girl stepped up. With one fluid motion, she sliced through three trees simultaneously, her skill with the blade surpassing even Rex’s.

Despite the difficulty of the test, most students managed to pass, though 60 failed to meet the academy’s high standards. Of the 160 who succeeded, the academy then classified them based on their performance across all the tests. Eighty students were placed in the basic class, 50 in the intermediate class, and the top 30, including Rex and the girl, were assigned to the advanced class, where they would continue to hone their extraordinary abilities. The trials had only just begun, and the true journey at Astral Forge Thundershade Academy was far from over.

As Rex stood among the top students, his thoughts were not on the trials ahead but on the mysterious girl who had matched him step for step. Who was she? And what did her presence mean for his path forward? The answers would come, but not before the academy tested them all in ways they could never imagine.

After that, all of them were introduced to their respective classes. Rex and that girl were in the same class. Rex was inquisitive to know more about the girl when suddenly he heard a loud thud as someone burst into the class."

---- To be continued………