Rane gazed long and hard into the fire. He’d been eliminated from the competition before it even began. His gaze shifted anxiously between the archmages. Would they ever believe his story? And even if they did, why would they antagonize another archmage? Caelus had power and connections. Rane had witnessed the utmost respect by which people treated him first hand. It might be slim, but he had a chance.

"I'm the one conducting the test of body, Atinas." Miria's words interrupted his thoughts. "And I've decided that he has passed."

Rane grew dizzy. Every hour spent in the Flames was another hour not on the run. Precious time in a place neither Caelus nor Leylin could reach.

"Are you showing favouritism towards an apprentice?" Atinas' form flickered, almost ethereal, yet his tone was firm. "This could incure severe punishment from the Lawforge."

Miria frowned. "I didn't interfere in your test, so why must you interfere in mine?"

"Watch your mouth." Atinas reached for his robe.

"Stop!" Lightning crackled. Veradin's voice froze them both. "The purpose of the test is to measure the abilities of each apprentice. In this case, those have been proven, wouldn't you think, archmage?"

"Yes…" Atinas retreated. "It is as you say."

"The point of the Flames is to nurture young talent, not drive it away." Veradin turned to him and smiled. "You've caused quite a stir in both tests. I will allow you to continue in the Flames. Do not disappoint me."

Rane was at a loss for a few moments. "Thank you," he settled. The pressure in his heart slowly faded. This couldn't have turned out better. Not only had he managed to remain in the competition, but he also had the first Archmage's attention. This would make it near impossible for Caelus to pull anything after Linde was freed.

Veradin spoke to the other apprentices. "Do any of you think this is unfair?"

None of them spoke. Most of them had succeeded in this test because Miria had focused entirely on Rane.

"Very well." Veradin slid his hands behind his back and walked away. The bonfires slowly dimmed. "Those of you who succeeded, get some sleep. The opening event will be held tomorrow, along with the first round."

Atinas and Miria followed him, and soon the apprentices were left alone under the dim light. The arena erupted in cheers and applause. It took a moment for Rane to realise it was meant for him.

“I wouldn’t have made it without you,” one apprentice said. “If you ever come to the seventh district, visit the tower of wisdom. My master would love to meet you.”

“No, come to the second district!” Another interjected before Rane could even fathom a response. “We’ll organize a feast for you!”

All the young men and women who had passed this test because of Rane surrounded him, extending offers of feasts, meetings and celebration. Some even gave him a family emblem. He was at such a loss that he simply nodded and accepted whatever they handed him. An unknown feeling swelled up inside him. Was this what pride felt like? Redemption? He had acted on his feelings, and finally, his efforts had been recognised. Surrounded by people his age, laughing and cheering… He felt at home.

“Alright, alright.” Talah pushed the apprentices aside. “Do you want to tire him out before the competition even begins?” She grabbed him by the hand and dragged him out of the small circle that had formed, much to the apprentices’ dismay. “Aren’t you tired?” she asked.

“Very…” The question almost reminded him of his exhaustion. He’d gone from fending off Nost assassins to being tested by archmages with no more than an hour’s break in between. Every part of his body ached, and his eyes stung. He desperately needed sleep.

“We should head back then,” Talah said with a grin. “Have you decided where to stay?”

“I get a room?” Rane titled his head.

She covered her mouth and giggled. “I guess you weren’t paying attention when you had the process explained to you. It happens more than you think. People get nervous.”

That made him think back to Linde. Her kiss felt vivid still, warm against his lips. “Yeah,” he said. “I guess nervous covers it.”

“You’re a weird one.” Talah led him inside the arena's main building. "We are the last apprentices to be tested, but there should be plenty of empty rooms still."

They walked by some constructs that stood guard next to entrances. He assumed those rooms had already been chosen.

Talah stopped next two doors without constructs. "These should be fine. We get to be neighbors!”

Rane simply smiled at her and pushed his door open. What he needed the most now was rest. His body and mind pleaded for it.

“I’ll see you tomorrow then. Get some rest, Rane.” Talah must have understood. She gave him a quick wink and retreated inside her room.

“You too.” Rane found a construct waiting on the other side of the heavy stone door. It’s eyes lit up as soon as he approached it, and its mechanism whirred to life. The construct took its place outside his room and even slid the door closed for him. Rane took off his boots with a grunt and let himself collapse in the bed. It was so soft.

It didn’t take him long to convince himself he was safe enough to sleep, but thoughts kept swirling in his tired mind. He had to find out what to do after the Flames ended. How would he evade Caelus? He pushed himself to stay awake, to think, but darkness gathered in his vision. He must have been dreaming already. The veins on his hands had turned black.

Even in his sleep, he ran. Away from the flames that burned Danira to ashes, the flames that signalled war. His mother held him by the hand and led him out into the woods, away from all the carnage. They ran, but it was pointless. The man with the silver eyes always found them.

The dream held more power over him each time. At first it was ethereal and hazy, but now Rane could see every little twist and twitch of horror on his mother’s face when the sword tore through her. He could smell the tang of copper in the air as she lay next to him, could hear the screams coming from the city. Silver eyes locked onto him, tore through his mind piece by piece until he was empty. Until the corpse next to him was a stranger’s.

The dream faded, and Rane woke up tired. Not as exhausted as he had been yesterday, but exhausted nonetheless. He sat up in his bed and looked around the room groggily. There was little to it. A table with a bowl of fruit and a loaf of bread, a wooden closet and a door that led to what he found to be the bathing room. He wasted no time in getting his clothes off and hoping in the tub. The warm water rose around him, washing away stiffness more than dirt. He slid down into the water, letting it block the sounds around him. When was the last time he’d experienced this? No, it didn’t matter. Rane closed his eyes and simply felt. A peculiar mix of joy and anxiousness permeated the arena, bits of emotion reaching him from every direction. A tinge of pride and a dash of eagerness.

The sound of a bell and the loud metallic voice upset that balance. “To all apprentices. Wear the competition uniforms and present yourselves to the arena within thirty minutes.” That was enough to tip the scales to disquiet and anxiety.

Rane stood and hastily dried himself. He skipped back to the room and saw the outfit waiting on his bed. He caught a glimpse of the construct closing the door behind it. How convenient. The clothes seemed to be tailored to fit him, and slid on easily. How had they even done that without measuring him? The sleeves were long and the material soft, but also durable.

“Rane! Rane!” Talah knocked on the door frantically.

He opened the door and studied her. The female version of the outfit looked similar, styled with white and streaks of red. “What’s wrong?”

“Oh, nothing.” Talah calmed and backtracked a little. Was that anxiety she was feeling? “I just thought you’d be asleep still. You seemed tired yesterday.”

“You don’t have to worry about me,” Rane said with a smile. “Should we go?”

Talah nodded. She scanned the hall and slid something in his pocket. “For when you fight in the first round,” she said. “It will help you.”

Rane felt around the object without looking. It was round, about the size of a pebble, and hard. “What even is this? I’d rather not get disqualified.”

“Just a candy. Makes you a tad faster.” She pouted. “It should be allowed.”

Rane frowned. “Should?”

“The archmages will tell us the specifics and explain the rules.” She grabbed him by the arm and started walking towards the arena.

“Where do you even get all this stuff?”

“My father is a herbalist,” she said without turning. “Just accept it. It’s the least I can do. I'll give you a new one after every round, so be sure to take it!"

“I don’t expect to be repaid for everything I do,” Rane mumbled to himself. He decided not to protest further. Talah didn’t know, but he could use every bit of help to stay in the competition. They stepped out of the corridor and he squinted. The sun was high in the sky and the stadium bustling.

Some mages were already sitting in wait around the arena and even more poured from every entrance, hurrying to secure a seat in the front. Most had gray hair and wrinkles, though a few of them seemed middle aged. Despite that, they had an air of nobility around them, spoke softer words and wore grander clothes than the apprentices.

Rane could feel their gaze on his back as he made his way to the arena. He wasted no time in mingling with the apprentices that had already gathered in front of Atinas. Despite the sun, the Archmage wore the same robe that left nothing visible. It made him seem like a piece of fabric that floated in place, drifting back and forth by the gentle midday wind. And yet the apprentices knew not to step out of line. They kept their voices low, but Rane could feel their anxiousness growing with each passing breath. As for them, there were at least three times more than yesterday. The ones who were tested before, he imagined.

As the time to start the event grew closer, the stadium filled to the brim with mages. Soon, just the ambient magic that drifted from their bodies was enough to make Rane slightly dizzy.

Veradin joined Atinas on the arena, and all the voices and mumbling immediately ceased. Rane couldn't tell if it was respect or fear that made people pull up short mid sentence. Perhaps it was both.

"Welcome once more, apprentices. You’ve fought hard to reach this stage, and you’ve made many sacrifices to succeed. You’re some of the best the Silyra has to offer, the hope of a future generation that can lead us to new heights.” Veradin paused, his gaze drifting over them. “Over the course of the next week, you will face each other in this very arena, until only one of you remains. You might find yourselves face to face with foes, friends, or complete strangers. In any case, the goal is the same. To prove yourself the best.”

Rane felt desire forming in his chest. His goal wasn’t necessarily to win, just to stay in the competition for as long as he could. Yet his mind drifted as he pitted himself against the other apprentices in his mind. How far could Loric’s training get him? How many of them could he win against? The feeling this time was his own, unaffected by the growing fervour of his surroundings. If his fate was to fight, then he’d embrace it. Perhaps one day, transcend it.

"All three of us will observe the rounds and take action if we deem it necessary, so hold nothing back.” Veradin reached under his robe and pulled out an orb shining with faint, purple light. Smoke twisted and turned under its surface. “There's never been a casualty in the Flames, but injuries are common, so be vigilant. Archmage Atinas will now explain the rules of the competition. Pay close attention."

Rane felt Talah arm touch his own as she shifted in his direction. She was scared of the archmage still, he could feel it.

"There are four rules," Atinas said. "The first and most important one; should you find yourself outside of the arena's outer ring for any reason, you will be disqualified, and your opponent will win the match." Atinas inched forward, and the apprentices quickly parted to allow him through. He stood over a blue circle drawn on the ground, roughly the width of a large tree. "This serves as the starting area, where the apprentices will remain until the match begins. As you can see, the two rings are quite far apart from one another. Each match will last three hundred beats, or until one of the apprentices surrenders or is unable to continue." The Archmage's robe drifted back to his original position. "No items that can be imbued with nora are allowed, but weapons can be used freely. That will be all."

"Now that the boring stuff is out of the way, it’s time to talk about rewards!" Miria’s voice sounded strangely excited. “This is an amazing opportunity for you to find your standing in an extremely cutthroat community. Look at all the mages that have gathered here today, just for you! Whether you win or lose, do your best. If you draw their attention, they might be willing to take some of you in as disciples. Should multiple mages express that desire, you get to choose which one you get to follow.”

Rane shook his head. Even if someone took interest in him, could they protect him from a force such as Caelus and the Nost? If they knew his troubles they wouldn’t even spare him a glance.

“Beyond that, the top three apprentices will receive different prizes.” Miria held up three fingers and counted down. “For the third place, ten thousand gold and housing in the central district."

The apprentices that had managed to stay silent mumbled amongst themselves. Rane couldn’t wrap his mind around it. Ten thousand and an entire house for third place?

"Excited I see!" Miria smiled and continued. "For the runner up, a scholarship at any Academy of their choosing. For those of you already enrolled in one, your tuition fees will be covered until you graduate."

Rane frowned. He didn't even know there were Academies where people could train in magic. The fact reminded him of his past and left a bitter taste in his mouth, yet at the same time grounded him in reality. He was the underdog. Several apprentices had passed Atinas' test of mind and knew spells he hadn't even heard of.

"And finally, for the first time in the history of this competition, the winner will have a chance to enter the vault of echoes."

The what? Rane turned to Talah. She was white as chalk. Her eyes and mouth were open in an expression of stunned surprise. The apprentices next to him were the same. Silent shock had taken over the entire stadium.

Even Veradin seemed troubled. "I did not hear of this."

"The change was made this morning," Miria replied, "ordered by the king himself."

The man settled back and wore a smile. "If his majesty wills it, so it shall be."

Rane nudged Talah again, who was breathing heavily still. "What's the vault of echoes?"

"Are you for real?" Talah glanced at him and pondered the best way to explain. "A treasury of magical items. Under normal circumstances, only the highest ranking mages and Archmages are allowed inside."

That would explain the reaction of the apprentices. Magic items were valuable, he could tell that much. Must have been why they were banned in this competition. The birds of the Nost family had saved his life more than once.

"Then, let us not waste any more time." Veradin motioned up with one hand.

Rane felt a sudden gust between his legs and through his hair. Then, a soft pressure surrounded his body. It took him a few moments to realise his feet were not on the ground any more.

"Broken Oaths…" Rane dangled in midair, unconsciously trying to find balance. He looked down. There were only two apprentices remaining on the ground of the arena. The rest hovered next to him, some more confused than others. Veradin moved them over the first row and gently placed them down on seats intentionally left empty.

"Take your places, contestants." Miria circled the arena's ring, her eyes trained on the apprentices. "The first round will begin shortly."