SHATTERED REALM: FORGOTTEN ECHOES

Sylvia's steps echoed in the arena, steady and unhurried.

The largest grounds of the academy fell silent as she walked to the center like she didn't have a care in the world.

Whispers rippled through the crowd like sparks catching dry grass, but no one dared speak above a murmur.

By the time Mozrael and Aramith arrived, every eye was already locked on the girl who stood waiting.

Aramith stood at the edge of the arena, watching carefully as Mozrael and Sylvia stood opposite each other. Aris did some research earlier and informed him that Sylvia was very powerful. He'd never seen her in action, but when he asked, the answers he received spoke of just how strong and tough she was.

He was confident in Mozrael's strength, but he'd never seen Sylvia in action before, so he couldn't tell how exactly he was supposed to judge her.

"I prefer fairness in this match," Sylvia suddenly spoke.

Mozrael frowned. "What is that supposed to mean?" She asked.

"To make victory clear and fair, I requested a neutral individual to oversee the match."

SNAP!Gasps broke the silence as Father Prince appeared at the sidelines.

"I won't intervene, no matter what happens. Only if there is a winner will I step in." His voice carried easily, and the crowd shifted, unsettled.

This duel had become such a big deal, it required someone of his weight to watch over it. That fact alone made the audience restless.

Mozrael just nodded. It was reasonable to have someone watch over.

"Before you begin, is there any special condition you would like to suggest?" Father Prince asked. He looked at Sylvia, who shook her head, then at mozrael, who also shook her head.

"Very well, you may begin!"

SNAP!

Everyone held their breath, expecting a sudden burst of energy as they fought, but none of them moved.

Standing on opposite sides of the arena, neither Sylvia nor Mozrael moved. They stared at each other across the vast arena, still as statues, silently observing.

Whoever moved first risked being read and countered. That thought kept them both still.

Restless students shifted in their seats.

"Whoever moves first loses," someone whispered.

A full minute ticked by. The arena buzzed with unease, but the two combatants remained locked in quiet calculation.

Sylvia stood up straight. "You said you were strong, so where is that strength you mentioned?"

Mozrael didn't reply. She was observing.

"I wanted you to show me what you had, then I'd tune my strength to your level to give you a fair fight, but it seems you're waiting for me as well," Sylvia added.

"Underestimating your opponent will be your ruin, Sylvia," Mozrael finally said, but she still refused to move.

Sylvia nodded. "Very well. If you won't do anything,"

She took a step forward, and what she did next shook the arena.

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" One student asked, shocked as he squinted.

Another rubbed his eyes. "No way..."

"How old is she? Isn't she our age?"

Even Father Prince's gaze sharpened, though he masked it quickly. The crowd's disbelief boiled over.

"I guess this year's entrance exam will be interesting."

Standing opposite Mozrael, Sylvia finally showed her true strength.

Gold light poured from her frame, wrapping her in a brilliance that scorched the eyes. The ground trembled faintly beneath her feet.

No one could have guessed she was that powerful.

Some of the students now looked at Aramith.

"Someone at the Gold Gate, and he rejected her?"

"If she's at that level, then what does she see in him?"

"I can't believe it. This is insane!"

"If Sylvia was truly Gold Gate, then what hope had Mozrael?"

Most of them were at the Bronze or Silver Gate at most. Seeing someone their age at the Gold Gate shook them.

Now they looked at Mozrael, who hadn't moved from her spot.

"She has no chance against Sylvia." One boy said, shaking his head.

"No wonder Sylvia was so confident." Another spoke. His jaw refused to close.

"I had a crush on Mozrael… but Sylvia…" A boy trailed off, his eyes shining as though he'd seen a goddess descend

"Pathetic," another muttered, pointing at Mozrael. "She hasn't even flinched. Standing there like she thinks she matters."

Yet a different voice rose, grudgingly impressed. "She hasn't stepped back. That's not nothing."

Sylvia raised a hand and pointed at Mozrael.

"You haven't moved yet? I thought you'd know the disparity and give up by now. Fine then, I'll—"

SNAP!

"This should be enough. It is clear the winner is Sylvia," Father Prince stepped in the middle of the arena.

The students couldn't hold their thoughts.

"Even Father Prince decided to stop this."

"She won by a landslide."

"I can't believe it. The match ended before it even started."

Father Prince looked at Mozrael, who still stood her ground.

But before he continued, she just spoke calmly. "We haven't fought, yet you say the match is over?"

Father Prince turned to her, eyes narrowing.

"You should know by now if I'm too weak to fight this battle or not," she added.

For a heartbeat, the air seemed to thicken as he measured her presence.

"Gold..." he muttered. He couldn't believe this batch had admitted students with such strength.

Two Gold Gate students at this age… and one of them still hides her true depth

He secretly glanced at Aramith, wondering how strong he truly was as well.

Whatever he saw made his expression shift just slightly. He nodded once. "Very well. Continue."

Gasps rang out again.

"He's letting them go on? Why?""What did he see?"

"This will be brutal," another added.

Aramith was surprised when he saw Sylvia's Gold aura, but his worry disappeared a second after.

It came as a surprise that Sylvia was at the Gold Gate, but he remembered Mozrael's Gold Aura as well, and it was brighter and purer than Sylvia's.

Sylvia looked straight at Father Prince. "I hope I will not be held responsible for any injuries inflicted on her."

He didn't answer her, but rather asked. "Do you think this match is unfair for her?"

She glanced at Mozrael. "Is it not?"

"If that is your worry, then forget it. She is not weak," Father Prince added.

Sylvia looked at Mozrael more seriously now. Father Prince said she was not weak. Which meant...

It could be anything. He never said she's stronger than me, weaker than me, or on par with me.

"Very well, I won't hold back."

Sylvia's Gold aura dimmed. She'd only done that to assert dominance and hopefully end the match, but it seemed Mozrael wasn't as easy an opponent as she thought.

Fire and ice formed in her hands—twin swords, burning red and gleaming white.

From her brow sprouted two crystalline horns of ice, gleaming like icicles from the coldest regions—a testament to her strength.

As she stared down on mozrael, everyone could tell she wasn't bluffing when she mentioned her bloodline. This was pure power, and she was going to prove to everyone she was superior.

Mozrael didn't let Sylvia outshine her so easily.

Instead, she raised her hand, and blue fire blossomed into existence. She closed her fingers around it, and it stretched into the shape of a sword, its blade burning sapphire with a golden edge.

The crowd fell into stunned silence before breaking into gasps and shouts.

"That flame—what is that?""She made a sword out of it!""No way… Aramith's girlfriend is…" Jealous mutters rose among the boys, but none could look away.

They knew of Mozrael's flames having a blue color, and burning very hot, but this level of control...

Sylvia swung her ice sword, and a storm of jagged icicles burst forth, glittering death at lightning speed.

Mozrael's arm moved once—her sword spun in a smooth arc, and all the projectiles vanished into a hiss of steam.

Heat rippled outward, warping the air, and the clash filled the arena with a curtain of fog.

The students leaned forward, hearts pounding."She erased them… just like that?""Without moving her feet…"

For the first time, Sylvia's decided to get serious.

They circled each other, measuring distance, calculating range of attacks.

Sylvia looked at Mozrael's sword, trying to understand how it worked. To have such control over fire at that age...and the hue of her flames.

Having colored flames wasn't extremely rare. It only looked cool and didn't mean much if it couldn't be controlled, but Mozrael had proved her ability in that area.

One major question was left to be answered, and Sylivia didn't hesitate to ask.

"What bloodline do you have? Your control over your flames is impressive."

"If you win, I will tell you, but you won't." Mozrael knew her strength well. Sylvia wasn't winning.

"You're very confident. What do you want in return if you win?" Sylvia asked.

"I just have some questions to ask you about your power," Mozrael replied.

Sylvia's lips curved up slightly. "So you're also searching for strength? I respect that."