The announcement came the morning after the team returned from the +A-rank gate. Students gathered in the academy's great hall, buzzing with whispers and speculation. Drayven stepped onto the platform, his sharp gaze silencing the room.
"Final exams," he said, "will take place on the Isle of Severin—an uninhabited, mana-rich island previously used to train high-rank hunters."
Gasps rippled through the crowd. Even third-years looked uneasy.
Zian narrowed her eyes. "Severin? I've heard of that place. No one's gone there in decades."
Kaen leaned back, arms crossed, smiling faintly. "Sounds like a perfect vacation."
Behind him, Lirien—who had been officially invited by Kaen—stood quietly. She wore her academy-issue cloak, her red eyes observing everything with quiet intensity. Despite her usual distance, she'd chosen to accompany Kaen and the group on this trip. She claimed it was for protection, but the others noticed how her eyes lingered a little too long on Kaen when she thought no one was watching.
That afternoon, Rourke, former S-rank hunter and Kaen's adoptive father, walked them to the departure site. The team—Zian, Kaen, Lirien, Mira, Leon, Rayden, Kyel, and a few select others—boarded a government-class transport ship.
The ride was calm, the sea reflecting a clear blue sky. But tension rode the breeze.
"Anyone else feel like this is too… peaceful?" Mira muttered.
Kaen glanced up from his sketchbook, where he was lazily drawing symbols. "It always is, before it starts."
Lirien stood at the prow, wind tugging at her long white hair. She said nothing, but her gaze remained fixed on the distant shape of the island slowly rising into view.
Zian sat alone on the upper deck, golden eyes scanning the horizon. Somewhere inside her, a strange pull began to awaken—as if the island itself was calling her.
As the sun dipped into the horizon, casting gold across the sea, the island finally came into full view. Dense forests, jagged cliffs, and ancient ruins greeted their eyes. A foreboding silence seemed to radiate from it.
Kaen stretched his arms, his smile never fading. "Let the games begin."
The ship's engines quieted. The final exam was about to start. And with it, a storm none of them were prepared for.