The crowd stood transfixed, as if an invisible, high-definition broadcast of a trashy prime-time soap opera were playing out right before their eyes.
Callista stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Corvina, completely ignoring the Prince, who was currently burning holes through them with a look.
At least society in Zideus seemed surprisingly progressive about same-sex arrangements. An open-minded fantasy era. The universe gets one point for world-building..
Yet, as Callista glanced at her companion, a cold prickle of caution settled in her chest.
Surely, she wouldn’t toss me to the wolves during the trial... right?
Corvina was entirely too sharp, too calculating to act on impulse alone. So why, exactly, was she playing along with this absurd, improvised romance?
Suddenly,,the heavy brass doors at the head of the grand foyer swung open, and three faculty members stepped onto the elevated dais.
At the center stood a towering elf with an eye patch and a scowl that could curdle milk.
"Welcome, examinees, to the Espionage Branch," his voice boomed, carrying the weight of a court sentence. "You stand before the Iron Gateway. Today, we do not test your lineage, your titles, or your political ties. We test your utility."
The crowd became silent instantly.
Beside Callista, Corvina didn’t even blink, her arms crossed elegantly.
"The rules are absolute," the proctor continued, pacing slowly toward a set of massive, unadorned iron doors behind the dais. "You have entered as pairs. You will fight as pairs. You will fail as pairs. Behind these doors lies the arena. Accumulate your fifty combat points, extract your cores, and survive."
He gestured toward the gateway. "Step forward and prove your worth."
The crowd surged forward in an orderly, anxious wave. Callista and Corvina walked side-by-side, matching each other’s calm, deliberate pace as they crossed the threshold into the dark, arched passageway.
But the floor vanished.
Without a single spell circle warning or mechanical click, the stone beneath their feet simply dissolved.
A collective scream echoed through the darkness as hundreds of students plunged into the abyss.
Callista felt the sudden, stomach-churning sensation of zero gravity, her silk skirts billowing wildly around her.
"Callista!" Corvina’s voice cut through the darkness.
Instinct took over as Callista reached out into the black air, her fingers catching the lace cuff of Corvina’s sleeve.
Above them, a cold, magical voice echoed down the chute:
[Phase Zero: The Leap of Faith.]
[Condition: Selfless Separation.]
[Note: The Gateway demands sacrifice. To open the escape hatches, one partner must let go of the other. Holding on guarantees mutual elimination.]
Callista stared up into Corvina’s crimson eyes, the rushing wind tearing at their hair.
A trust exercise?!
"If you fail to help me," Corvina hissed, her grip tightening until it nearly bruised Callista’s wrist. "I’ll find your soul in hell—"
The darkness swallowed the villainess as a trapdoor opened beneath Corvina, shooting her safely toward the upper combat zone.
A split second later, a separate hatch opened beneath Callista, dumping her into a dark, damp stone corridor below.
Callista hit the ground with a dull thud, her pristine dress taking a immediate durability hit.
She sat up, dusted off her skirts, and let out a long, soul-weary sigh.
"Great," she muttered to the empty corridor. "Separated on the first date."