CHAPTER 13: THE ONES WHO STAND OUT

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The Ones Who Stand Out

The Magical Knight Trial had reached its most competitive stage.

The first two tests had already thinned the field. Some candidates had failed the flight test. Others had faltered in their magic demonstrations.

Those who remained were different.

They were the strongest young mages of their generation. And among them were names that had become famous long before the Trial began. Names that carried expectations. Names that made other candidates nervous.

Names the six Captains watched closely.

The third stage was about to begin. But first, the announcer strode to the center of the arena.

“Candidates! You have witnessed many impressive performances today.”

The magical screen above the arena flickered. Images of several candidates appeared.

The first was a young man wreathed in flame.

RAYDEN FLARE. Age eighteen. Noble House Flare. Specialty: Flame Magic.

He had finished the first test in record time and destroyed every target in the second stage without a single miss. The crowd cheered. Rayden stood among the candidates with his arms crossed, a small flame dancing around his fingers.

He didn’t look impressed.

The image changed. A young woman with long silver hair appeared.

LYRA MARIS. Age eighteen. Specialty: Water and Healing Magic.

She had flown the course with near-perfect control and defeated every target using only water constructs. Captain Selene Maris, of the Tide Order, watched her closely.

“She’s from the Maris family.”

“Of course she is.”

“They say she’s one of the strongest healers of her generation.”

Lyra stayed calm.

Next, a tall boy with dark hair, broad shoulders, and a scar through one eyebrow.

KAEL STONE. Age nineteen. Specialty: Earth Reinforcement.

He had barely used magic in the first stage, relying instead on a body strengthened by earth magic. In the second, he had destroyed every target with his bare hands. The crowd had gone wild. Captain Garrick’s eyes followed him.

Another image. A young woman in dark robes with sharp eyes.

SELIA NOCT. Specialty: Shadow and Spatial Magic.

She had completed the flight test without a broom, creating tiny spatial platforms beneath her feet and stepping between short-range portals. Candidates were still talking about it.

Then one more.

ELIAN VOSS. A young man with pale blond hair. Specialty: Wind Magic.

He had finished the first test faster than anyone. Even Captain Aerion had watched him closely.

The candidates murmured.

Kevin stared at the screen. Some of these people had trained their entire lives for this. They had mastered their magic years before he had even received a Codex.

Arena stood beside him, studying the candidates.

Kevin noticed something. She wasn’t intimidated.

She was excited.

“You want to fight them, don’t you?”

“Maybe.”

He smiled. “You’ve always been like that.”

She laughed. “And you’ve always been scared.”

His smile vanished. “I am not scared.”

You’re terrified, Veyr said.

Kevin ignored him.

Liora’s voice slipped quietly into Arena’s mind. Your brother’s heartbeat increased.

Arena struggled not to laugh.

Kevin stared at her. “What?”

“Nothing.”

“You laughed.”

“I didn’t.”

She definitely laughed, Veyr said.

Kevin sighed. I hate both of you.

The feeling is mutual.

Arena smiled.

The announcer raised his hand. “The third stage will now begin.”

The screen vanished. The arena floor split open, and massive stone platforms rose from below. Some were square. Some were circular. Some were etched with strange markings. At the center of each lay a pile of raw magical material. Stone. Crystal. Metal. Wood. Magical dust.

“This stage will test your ability to construct and control magical structures,” the examiner explained.

A glowing cube floated above him. It became a wall. Then a tower. Then a bridge.

“Using the materials provided, you must create a stable structure. It must stand for one minute. You will then be instructed to destroy it.”

The crowd cheered.

Kevin studied the materials. He understood at once. This wasn’t about strength.

It was about control. Precision. Structure.

And understanding.

Rayden Flare went first. His Codex opened, and flames erupted around him.

“Flame Formation.”

The raw material rose. Fire wrapped around it. Within seconds, a massive fortress took shape, with towers, walls, and a central gate, glowing red-orange.

“Excellent,” Captain Darius murmured.

The structure stood flawlessly.

“Destroy it.”

Rayden raised one hand.

BOOM!

Fire swallowed the platform. When the smoke cleared, nothing remained. The crowd roared. Rayden walked away without looking back.

“He’s good,” Kevin admitted.

Yes.

You finally admitted someone is good.

Don’t get excited.

Next came Lyra Maris. Water flooded her platform. She didn’t build a fortress. She built a huge crystalline dome, water flowing across its surface. Then the water hardened into a translucent tower.

Beautiful. Stable. Perfectly controlled.

When ordered to destroy it, she merely touched her Codex. The tower dissolved into thousands of droplets, and not one touched the candidates nearby.

“Beautiful control,” Captain Selene said, smiling.

Then Kael Stone. He slammed his fist into the ground. Earth rose. Walls formed. A colossal stone tower climbed higher. And higher. And higher.

“Destroy.”

Kael clenched his fist. The tower collapsed inward, every stone returning to the ground.

“Strong,” Captain Garrick said with a nod.

One by one, the candidates took their turns. Some succeeded. Some failed. A few watched their structures crumble before the minute was up.

Then

“Arena Riven.”

The noise became overwhelming.

Everyone knew her. The prodigy. The girl with the four-point Codex. The daughter of the Riven family. The mage many believed would become one of the greatest Magical Knights of her generation.

Arena stepped onto her platform. Her four-point Codex appeared beside her.

You know what to do, Liora said.

I do.

The Codex opened. Four streams of light poured out. The raw materials lifted from the ground.

“Crystal Formation.”

The materials transformed. A great crystalline structure rose from the platform.

But she didn’t stop.

It expanded. Walls formed. Four towers emerged. A central bridge connected them. Then a dome of crystal sealed the whole thing from above.

The crowd gasped.

Arena stood calmly in the center, her control nearly perfect.

Captain Selene smiled. Captain Aerion nodded. Captain Darius watched closely. Captain Evelyn’s eyes narrowed.

Even Captain Orion looked interested.

One minute. Two. Three.

No movement. No cracks. No instability.

“Destroy it,” the examiner finally said.

Arena closed her eyes. The entire structure began to glow.

CRACK.

The towers shattered. Thousands of crystal fragments drifted through the air. But before a single shard could touch the ground, Arena raised her hand.

Every fragment dissolved into light.

The crowd erupted.

Arena opened her eyes. She had done it perfectly.

Kevin beamed with pride.

Show-off, Veyr said.

She’s your sister.

Exactly. She’s impressive. Unfortunately.

Kevin laughed.

Arena returned to the candidates. Kevin gave her a thumbs-up. She smiled.

Then the examiner turned.

“Kevin Riven.”

The arena quieted.

Kevin stepped forward, his stomach tight, and entered his platform. The materials waited. A large pile of stone. Some metal. Several crystals. Magical dust.

He opened his Codex. Crimson light spread across the platform.

Don’t force the magic.

Control it.

He raised his hand. The stones lifted and moved into position. A wall began to form. He added another layer. Then another. A tower rose.

It wasn’t beautiful. It wasn’t enormous. Compared to Arena’s, it wasn’t impressive at all.

But it was stable.

He kept going. Metal supports. Crystal reinforcement. Magical dust filling every gap. The structure grew stronger.

The crowd watched quietly. Some looked disappointed. They had expected the five-point Codex to produce something extraordinary.

Instead, Kevin was building slowly.

You’re building a house, Veyr said.

I’m building a structure.

It looks like a house.

So?

Are you planning to move in?

Kevin nearly lost his focus. Veyr!

What? It needs a roof.

Kevin ignored him and finished.

It wasn’t a tower. It wasn’t a fortress. It was a compact defensive structure. Four walls. A reinforced roof. A small entrance.

The examiner studied it. “Interesting.”

The timer began.

One minute. It stood.

Two minutes. Still stable.

Three. Nothing changed.

Kevin smiled.

“Destroy.”

Crimson energy wrapped around the structure. He could have blown it apart easily.

But he remembered the test.

Control.

He didn’t want an explosion. He wanted it gone without harming anyone nearby.

He closed his fist.

The structure compressed inward. The walls folded. The metal supports twisted. The crystals shattered. And the whole thing collapsed into a small pile of material.

No explosion. No flying debris. No damage to the platform.

Silence.

Then applause.

Not as loud as Arena’s.

But enough.

Not bad, Veyr said.

Kevin waited. That’s all?

What do you want? A medal?

Kevin laughed.

As he returned to the candidates, Arena met him.

“That was smart.”

“Really?”

“You didn’t try to make the biggest structure.” She smiled. “You made one you could control.”

For a moment, the twins stood side by side. Different Codices. Different abilities. Different paths.

But both moving forward.

Across the arena, several candidates were watching them.

Rayden Flare’s eyes narrowed. “So that’s the five-point.”

“He isn’t as weak as people said,” Kael Stone said.

Lyra Maris smiled faintly. “He’s learning quickly.”

Selia Noct said nothing. But her eyes never left Kevin’s Codex.

Elian Voss laughed. “Strong?” He shook his head. “He’s still behind the rest of us.”

Rayden glanced at him. “Maybe.”

Elian smiled. “Then I hope they put us against each other.”

Kevin didn’t hear him.

But Veyr did.

That blond one doesn’t like you.

Kevin glanced at Elian. Why?

Because you’re interesting.

That’s not a reason to dislike someone.

It is for arrogant people.

The third stage was nearly over.

But the atmosphere had changed. The Trial was no longer only about proving talent. The strongest candidates were beginning to notice one another. Rivalries were forming. Alliances were stirring.

And the six Captains were quietly making their decisions.

Above the arena, Captain Aerion surveyed the remaining candidates. Captain Darius crossed his arms. Captain Selene watched Arena. Captain Garrick watched Kael. Captain Evelyn watched Selia.

Captain Orion watched Kevin.

Six Captains.

Dozens of gifted young mages.

One final stage remained.

Combat.

And unlike the tests before it, there would be nowhere to hide.

The candidates would face each other.

And for the first time, Kevin Riven would fight someone who had been chasing the exact same dream.