The Great City
Far beyond Haydes lies The Great City, the largest and most advanced settlement since the Blood Bath—or The Purge, as some prefer to call it.
At its heart stood The Citadel, a towering structure so grand and awe-inspiring that no one could glance at it once without stealing a second look.
Its design was flawless, and its presence demanded attention.
From the left edge of the Citadel stood the ADV Games Arena, one of the most popular destinations in the city.
People from far and wide came to witness the games held there. These games were not merely sport—they determined rank, status, and one's ability to defend the city. Participants were placed into ranks known as:
The Creches, The Xenons, The Accrehx, The Alphas, The Omegas, and The White Elders.
The system was divided into six levels, each governed by a ruler known as a Sentinel.
At the top of the Sentinels was a mind-Azrax named Verise Zhersoux, whose word carried final authority after considering the advice of the others.
The Sentinels oversaw promotions, demotions, and the enrolment of new Creches.
The time for the ADV Games had arrived.
Contestants poured into the city, signing up for the challenges. Most had undergone gruelling and stern training under masters in the Alpha and Accrehx levels. Few came from the Omega level—it was rare, but not impossible.
Though called a "game," the ADV Games were anything but simple. The competition was divided into three intense stages:
The first stage being, The Hockey Trials; Contestants were split into teams and battled each other—not just with mere sticks and pucks, but with their powers.
The purpose was to reduce the number of participants.
It was chaotic, dangerous, and considered the most difficult phase. Players didn't know their teammates' abilities, and failure meant instant elimination.
The second phase is The Arena Duel: A one-on-one battle inside a circular ring suspended five thousand feet above the ground, without barricades.
Spectators sat on elevated platforms shielded by force fields to avoid collateral damage.
Here, you had to unleash your Azrax—a personal chimera-like beast. Failure to do so, even in victory, led to disqualification. Mastery of one's Azrax was the only path forward.
The Azrax evolved with its summoner. When fully mastered, it became a part of you, granting immense power and the sensation of invincibility. Without it, advancement was impossible. Therefore it has to be tamed
The final and the most confusing one is The Flag Quest: The final trial. Contestants were given half an hour to locate their personalized flag hidden deep within an expansive forest, armed only with a few cryptic hints.
It tested intuition, survival instincts, and spiritual connection to the Azrax.
Gwenevier had waited years for this moment. She had failed in the last three Games, and while she remained a Creche, many of her peers had advanced to Xenon—the most populous level.
Last time, she was close. Or so she believed. She ran out of time just before reaching her flag. And in the rest her team was crushed during the Hockey stage.
But this year felt different.
She had trained hard—under the guidance of her older brother, a skilled warrior in the Accrehx level. He was well-known, having returned with his flag in third place during his own trials, earning him recognition among the Sentinels.
Now, in the locker room, Gwenevier sat cross-legged, meditating. The Creche games were still underway, but soon, the selection for advancement to Xenon would begin. The higher levels—Accrehx, Alphas, and beyond—had not yet begun their trials.
As she meditated, she relived her training in vivid detail. Her eyes closed, her mind sharpened. A faint crimson mist began to swirl around her, emanating from her skin.
She was strong with her Azrax. She knew how to connect with it—effortlessly, intimately. It was her edge. And this time, she wouldn't fail.
"Can't wait to see you get crushed out there like always, Gwen," Sarah said as she entered the locker room and spotted Gwen deep in meditation.
"You know it's not really about you, right? It's the team they stick you with. That's why you keep losing at hockey."
Gwen opened her eyes slowly, her expression unreadable at first—but her tone held a quiet fire. "What do you want, Sarah? Huh?" she asked. "You know if I win this game, I get promoted to your level. Xenon."
Sarah smirked and scoffed. "Oh, hell no. We might both be in Xenon then, but don't flatter yourself—we wouldn't be on the same level. You'd still be a rookie. A beginner. And that's if you even make it through. "She turned toward her locker, grabbing what she needed.
"It's honestly pathetic. After all your big talk, you still haven't cleared a single Creche level. Cheerio."
With that, Sarah walked toward the exit, her boots clacking sharply against the tile. "I'm your number one fan, Gwen," she called with a sarcastic edge as her footsteps echoed into silence.
The massive bell rang throughout the arena, signalling the end of the final match.
The winner of the Creche-level games had just been announced. Now, the time had come for the advancement games of the Creches—when the old Creches would move on... or be left behind once again.
A podium slowly rose from the ground to the height of the audience seats, which were elevated high above the arena. A tall, slim man nicknamed Vocal stood on the podium, wearing a deep purple cloak with a high collar.
He touched his throat, and when he spoke, his voice boomed ten times louder.
"Welcome to the next advancement level of the Creches' Hockey Games!" he announced, his voice echoing through the stadium. A loud cheer erupted from the audience in response.
"Here's how the game is set up: today marks the beginning of the first ten sets of hockey matches.
Play will continue until the hundredth set is complete. Immediately after that, the arena duel tournament begins.
The day after will be the final quest—for both the Creche Emergence and the Creche Advancers. "He spoke with a natural sweetness in his voice—clearly skilled in captivating his listeners.
Meanwhile, in the locker room, players filled the space, checking updated rules on the bulletin boards while reviewing strategies with their teammates.
The tournament was divided into ten sets: five matchups today, and the remaining five over the next days. Gwenevier's team was in the third set, so they had to wait for the first two matches to finish.
Gwenevier sat with her new teammates. Their captain was a girl named Lucy, leading the group which included Alicia, Marcus, Richard, Spinnet, Bragga, and Gwenevier herself—seven in total, with three boys and four girls.
Lucy reviewed their training and tactics as the other matches played out. Vocall's voice echoed faintly into the room.
"THE THROSAX TEAM WINS—SEVEN POINTS TO FOUR—DEFEATING THE SYRARX TEAM!"
Cheers and boos followed. Some were thrilled; others, heartbroken by their loved ones' defeat.
"Now, let's welcome the third set of today's matches—THE DRAGONS versus the MIGHTY, LEGENDARY TEAM… THE SERPENTS!"
The crowd exploded in excitement. It was clear—this was the matchup they'd all been waiting for.
"Sure, the line-up changes every year," Vocall continued, "but the Serpent team always feels specially chosen—perhaps because they've dominated for so long. Let's give it up for… Draco (captain), Lucius, Sandra, Alexa, Thomas, Clint, and Isabellllllll! "He stretched the last name dramatically, adding flair.
"And for the Dragons: Lucy (captain), Alicia, Bragga, Spinnet, Marcus, Gwenevier, and Richard!"
Both teams emerged onto the arena, holding their bats, meeting the deafening cheers of the audience. The Serpents were already lined up, and just by appearance alone, most would bet on their victory.
The hockey field was rectangular and enclosed in a transparent dome to prevent the ball from escaping. The ground was sandy, and two nets stood at opposite ends. Players glided across the sand on sand-gliders.
The teams took position. Gwenevier adjusted her shoulder pads, shin guards, and sand glider with nervous fingers.
Madame Laurel Hooch, the game's overseer, stepped forward and summoned the two team captains. Lucy and Draco stood face to face, eyes locked like lifelong rivals.
"Remember the rules I posted in the locker rooms," Madame Hooch said. She tossed the hockey ball into the air and blew her whistle.
Immediately, the ball hovered mid-air, vibrating as two opposing telekinetic forces pulled at it.
"Ooh, looks like there are telekinetic on both teams!" Vocall announced with excitement.
Draco leapt up with his bat raised, aiming to direct the ball to his teammates—but Gwenevier was faster. Her bat shimmered with a purple mist, stretching to meet the ball. With the help of Marcus' telekinesis, the Dragons won possession.
"The ball is with the Dragons—Gwenevier, to be exact! A smooth pass to Spinnet! She glides past Sandra!" Vocall narrated with gusto.
Spinnet moved beautifully, but was stopped short by Thomas, who raised the earth beneath her to form a wall. She fell back just as an ice projectile flew toward her. She dodged and made a clean pass to Bragga.
Bragga caught it. His eyes glowed blue, and a bull-shaped energy surged into him. Though human in form, he now had the strength of a beast. He charged forward, knocking Sandra and Lucius aside and smashed through the wall.
With only Clint and Draco between him and the goal, Gwenevier raced to support.
"I'm open! Pass the ball!" she shouted.
But Bragga wanted the goal for himself. He powered forward at full speed—until Clint laid a trail of ice in his path. Bragga skidded off track and crashed into the dome, ball in tow. The ball rebounded.
Isabell grabbed it, and the Serpents launched a counterattack, passing the ball with tricks and magical boosts that dazed the Dragons.
Lucy timed them perfectly. As the ball was passed to Lucius, opened a portal in front of him which sucked him in, and opened another at the far end of the dome which spit him out, as he hit the dome and the ball rebounded off the dome.
Richard leapt high, catching the ball mid-air, and flung it to Marcus. Marcus caught it telekinetically, dodged Draco's fireball, and passed to an open Lucy.
Clint charged toward Lucy, but she flung her bat at him. Gwenevier transformed the bat into stone mid-air—it hit Clint hard.
Lucy spun and with a clean, powerful kick, struck the ball into the goal.
"GOOOAAAAL!" Vocall roared. "One point to the Dragons!"
A deafening roar of joy followed—though it was met with loud boos from Serpent supporters. The match had just begun, and tensions were sky-high.
The whistle blew, and the match resumed. The Serpent team began playing on an entirely different level.
Isabell glided past Alicia and Richard, leaping gracefully over the massive staff Gwenevier had summoned to strike her down. With perfect timing, she passed the ball to Draco. Spinnet almost intercepted—it was close. She had flung her bat low across the floor to block the pass, but a burst of fire from Draco's bat threw her backward.
"Oh my goodness! The Serpents, who were expected to be shaken after that goal, are now fired up!" Vocall exclaimed, his voice buzzing with excitement. "They're moving the ball like it's alive!"
Bragga surged forward on his sand-glider, after he had powered himself from a bull to a chitter, charging straight at Draco, with an amazing speed. Richard appeared in front of Draco too, bat raised, trying to strike the ball from Draco's grip.
But Draco spun wildly, dodging with a graceful and chaotic motion. Richard's swing missed, and instead, Bragga collided hard into him—both players went tumbling.
"Ohhhhhh!" Vocall cried out as the crowd gasped at the impact.
Draco made a final, sharp pass to Sandra, who wasted no time. With a clean, powerful swing, she slammed the ball into the Dragons' goalpost.
"GOAAAL!" Vocall shouted. "And now—it's a tie! One- one!"
The crowd erupted. Cheers, screams, and stomping filled the arena as fans of the Serpents celebrated.
"What a comeback! The Serpents aren't just back in the game—they're dominating the momentum!"
The game resumed quickly, with the Dragons back in possession.
"And now the Dragons have the ball again—Lucy's making a move! Oh! That was a brilliant escape! She managed to slip past Lucius and dodge Draco's flames!" Vocall narrated in awe.
Just before the wall of fire could close in, Lucy had created a portal in front of her, glided into it, and emerged from another one behind the two fire-wielding players, completely outmaneuvering their trap.
"Ooooh! But Clint gets her with ice!" Vocall called out.
Clint had frozen the surface beneath her glider, locking her in place. He swooped in swiftly, stole the ball, and launched it forward. As it slid on a slick path of ice he conjured, it zoomed toward Lucius, waiting near the Dragons' goal.
Without hesitation, Lucius struck—and the ball slammed into the net.
The arena erupted, with half the crowd rising to their feet, cheering wildly.
"They've taken the lead! Serpents, two—Dragons, one!"
The whistle blew again, and before the Dragons could recover, the Serpents scored another quick goal, pushing the score to three–one.
The Dragons looked deflated. Gwenevier felt her heart sinking. Was she going to fail again?
But they didn't give up.
The ball was back in play—Dragons in possession. This time, their game was slower, deliberate, as if designed to frustrate the Serpents. They passed back and forth, drawing them in.
Suddenly, Lucy pushed an attack. Richard appeared ahead, clearing the way by sliding Alexa off balance. As Lucy rushed forward, Clint launched another burst of ice—ready to trap her again.
But Gwenevier acted fast. She transformed her bat into a long rope, lassoed it around Clint's leg, and yanked. Clint lost his balance, crashing hard, spraying ice everywhere—and straight into Draco, who was the final defender.
Lucy sprinted past the chaos and slammed the ball into the net.
"GOAAAAAL!!" Vocall shouted, as the sound reignited hope in the Dragons' bench.
Moments later, another spectacular play unfolded—Gwenevier, flipping backward, kicked the ball mid-air from what looked like a mile away, and it rocketed straight into the goal.
The score was now 3–3. Time was running out.
"Whoever scores the next goal will likely take the victory!" Vocall boomed."Tension is boiling here in the arena!"
The final moments ticked down. The ball was launched again.
"Alexa with the ball—passes to Thomas—oh! He hits Gwen with a rock as he glides past her! That's brutal! He pushes the ball to Clint—he winds up—will he score?"
Every eye was fixed on the ball soaring toward the Dragons' post.
But at the last moment—Richard leapt in, deflecting it with his bat. A loud BOOOOOO filled the arena.
Just seconds remained. Alicia recovered the ball, passed it to Spinnet—
"Spinnet takes the final stroke—no! She misfires!"
The ball veered off, missing the goalpost—
—until a portal suddenly opened mid-air. Lucy's magic sucked the ball in—and another portal opened right inside the Serpents' goal.
The ball shot through—nothing but net.
"GOAAAAAAAAAL!!""THE DRAGONS WIN!!!" Vocall roared, as the arena exploded with sound.
The Dragons' bench emptied, players rushing the field, shouting, laughing, collapsing to the ground in disbelief. They had done it—against all odds.
The Serpents stood stunned, their legacy shaken. For the first time in years, they had been defeated.