CHAPTER 19: THE FINAL TEST

CHAPTER NINETEEN

The Final Test 

Kevin could no longer feel his left arm.

That was probably a bad sign.

Actually…

It was definitely a bad sign.

He stood in the middle of the training arena, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, his black-and-red Codex floating beside him.

Across from him stood Bram Kain.

The man was enormous. Not just tall. Not just muscular.

Annoyingly enormous.

His shoulders were wider than a doorway. His arms looked like someone had replaced human limbs with tree trunks.

Kevin wiped the blood from his lips. “Are you done?”

Bram raised an eyebrow. “Done?”

“You’ve been talking for ten minutes.”

“I’ve been explaining how hopeless you are.”

“You’ve been explaining it badly.”

A few spectators snorted.

Bram’s face darkened.

Kevin smiled. “There. A facial expression. I was starting to think your forehead had swallowed your personality.”

“KEVIN!”

Bram charged.

“Ah.” Kevin’s smile vanished. “Here we go again.”

BOOM!

Bram’s fist hit the ground. Kevin leaped aside as the stone shattered beneath his feet.

“Still slow!”

Bram swung again. Kevin ducked. The fist passed over his head.

WHOOSH!

Kevin drove a kick into Bram’s knee.

Nothing.

He stared at his own leg. Then at Bram. Then back at his leg.

“…Did I just kick a building?”

Bram grinned. “My turn.”

“Oh, no.”

BANG!

Kevin flew across the arena and hit the wall hard enough to crack the stone.

Silence.

He slid slowly down. His vision swam. His ribs screamed. His body felt like it had been thrown down a mountain and then politely asked to do it again.

He tried to stand. His right knee buckled.

“Come on…”

He gripped the wall.

“Get up.”

His Codex floated beside him, its red-and-black pages flickering.

“You’d better have something useful in there.”

Silence.

“Seriously?”

Another flicker.

“That isn’t a spell.”

The pages began to turn. One. Then another.

Kevin stared. “You’re reading right now?”

The Codex glowed.

He sighed. “Fine. Take your time. I’m only dying.”

Bram stalked closer. “Your little book cannot save you.”

Kevin looked up. “It’s a Codex.”

“Whatever it is.”

“It’s smarter than you.”

The crowd burst into laughter.

Bram stopped.

Kevin smiled weakly. “I think you hurt its feelings.”

Bram’s eye twitched. “You’re still joking?”

“It’s either that or cry.”

Bram raised his fist.

Kevin’s face changed. The jokes vanished.

He knew he couldn’t survive another direct hit. His body was at its limit.

But something inside him refused to kneel.

He remembered the river. The night. The Codex blazing to life. The voice inside his own heart.

I won’t give up.

His fist clenched.

“I’m not losing.”

Bram vanished.

BOOM!

Kevin barely blocked the punch. Pain detonated through both arms. His feet dragged backward, gouging the stone.

“ARGH!”

Bram pushed harder. Kevin’s arms trembled.

“Give up!”

Kevin gritted his teeth. “No.”

“YOU’LL DIE!”

Kevin looked him dead in the eyes.

“Then you’ll have to kill me.”

The arena went silent.

Even Bram hesitated.

Kevin’s Codex flew open.

FWOOM!

Red-and-black light erupted from its pages. Everyone stepped back. The symbols began to move.

At the edge of the arena, Veyr narrowed his eyes. “Oh?”

A strange mark appeared. It twisted into a spell. Words burned across the page.

BLACK VEIL: NIGHTFALL BIND

Kevin’s eyes widened. “What is that?”

Veyr smiled. “That…” He laughed quietly. “…is interesting.”

Bram charged again.

Kevin raised his hand. “Black Veil…”

The shadows around him twisted.

“NIGHTFALL BIND!”

Dark chains exploded from the ground.

CRACK!

One coiled around Bram’s ankle. Another around his wrist. Another around his waist.

Bram roared. “What is this?!”

Kevin pulled his hand back. The chains tightened.

“Something you probably should have avoided.”

Bram tore one chain apart.

“Oh.”

He broke another.

“Oh, that’s not good.”

He snapped the last.

Kevin took one step back. “Okay…”

Bram smiled. “You thought that would stop me?”

Kevin swallowed. “No.” He pointed. “I thought it would annoy you.”

Bram charged.

Kevin grinned. “Mission accomplished.”

He slammed his palm into the ground. The shadows beneath Bram’s feet erupted.

BOOOOM!

Bram was flung into the air.

Kevin leaped after him.

For one moment, everything slowed. He saw Bram above him. He saw the Codex beside him. He saw the spell blazing.

His fist clenched.

“Black Veil…”

Dark energy wrapped around his arm.

“NIGHTFALL STRIKE!”

BOOOOOM!

His fist slammed into Bram’s chest. Bram crashed into the ground. The arena shook. Dust choked the air.

Silence.

Kevin landed badly. His legs gave out, and he dropped to one knee.

For several seconds, nobody moved.

Then—

Bram’s hand twitched.

Kevin’s eyes widened. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Bram slowly pushed himself up.

“Why are you built like this?”

Bram stood, blood running down his forehead.

Kevin looked at Veyr. “Can I complain?”

Veyr shrugged. “You’re welcome to.”

“To who?”

“To whoever is listening.”

Kevin looked up at the sky. “WHY DID YOU MAKE HIM LIKE THIS?!”

The spectators roared with laughter.

Bram charged one last time.

Kevin raised his hand. His Codex flashed. The darkness around Bram’s feet clamped tight.

CRACK!

Bram stumbled.

Kevin moved. One final strike.

BOOM!

Bram hit the ground.

This time—

He didn’t get up.

The arena fell silent.

Kevin remained standing for exactly three seconds.

Then—

THUD.

He collapsed.

Veyr sighed. “And there goes the idiot.”

A healer rushed over. “He’s unconscious!”

Veyr folded his arms. “Good.”

The healer stared. “Good?”

“He can’t argue with me.”

* * *

The Next Morning

Kevin woke with one thought.

Pain.

His second thought was:

Why does the ceiling hate me?

He blinked. Slowly sat up. His entire body screamed.

“Ahhh…”

“Finally,” said a voice from the doorway.

Veyr stood there.

“Why are you here?”

“To make sure you’re alive.”

“Disappointed?”

“Extremely.”

Kevin smiled. “Good morning to you too.”

Veyr tossed something onto the bed. Kevin caught it.

A black robe. The Veil Order’s symbol was stitched across the chest.

Kevin stared. “You passed.”

He looked at the robe. At Veyr. Back at the robe.

“I passed?”

“No.”

“What?”

“You didn’t pass.”

Kevin’s face fell.

Veyr smirked. “You survived.”

“That’s your definition of passing?”

“Here, yes.”

Kevin slowly pulled on the robe.

It fit.

For the first time, he felt like he belonged somewhere.

Then Veyr pointed at the door. “Your first assignment.”

Kevin stood. “What is it?”

“Cleaning.”

Kevin froze. “…Cleaning?”

“The training grounds.”

“You’re joking.”

“No.”

“The person who nearly died yesterday has to clean?”

“Yes.”

Kevin jabbed a finger at his chest. “I fought three senior members!”

Veyr stared at him. “No.”

“No?”

“You fought two.”

Kevin’s mouth fell open. He slowly looked toward the door.

“…Then what happened to the third?”

Veyr’s smile turned almost cruel. “Oh.”

Kevin waited.

“He gave up.”

“He… what?”

“He surrendered.”

“Before fighting me?”

“Yes.”

Kevin stared in disbelief. “Why?”

Veyr looked at him for a long moment. Then sighed. He walked over and rested a hand on Kevin’s shoulder.

“Kevin. You’ve been beaten unconscious, thrown through walls, and nearly turned into decorative blood on the training floor.”

Kevin’s eye twitched. “So?”

“So when the third senior saw you yesterday…” Veyr paused dramatically. “He looked at you.”

“And?”

“Then he looked at Bram.”

“And?”

“Then he looked back at you.” Veyr’s face went perfectly serious. “And decided that whatever reward they were offering wasn’t worth becoming your next medical bill.”

Kevin’s jaw dropped. “You’re saying he was scared of me?”

“No.”

His expression fell. “He was scared of Bram?”

“No.”

“Then what?”

Veyr smiled. “He was scared of having to explain to his mother why he’d been beaten by someone who was already half-dead.”

“That doesn’t even make sense.”

“It made perfect sense to him.” Veyr walked to the door and turned. “He said, and I quote: ‘I have dignity. I will not participate in whatever suicidal nonsense that boy is doing.’”

Kevin’s jaw dropped. “So he just quit? Because of me?”

“No.”

Kevin sagged with relief. “Oh.”

“Because of the possibility of having to fight you.”

His relief vanished. “That is the same thing!”

“Not really.”

“It absolutely is!”

Veyr shrugged. “Either way, congratulations.”

“For what?”

“You scared a senior member without even touching him.”

Kevin blinked. “That sounds impressive.”

“It would be…” Veyr paused. “…if he hadn’t watched you get beaten unconscious first.”

Kevin’s smile died.

Veyr walked out.

Kevin stood in stunned silence.

Then.

“WAIT!”

Veyr stopped outside.

“THAT WASN’T AN INSULT! THAT WAS A WHOLE FUNERAL!”

Veyr smiled. “Good.”

Kevin looked down at himself. The new robe. The bruised arms. The bandaged ribs. The exhausted body.

“I hate this place.”

“You’ve been here for one day!” Veyr shouted from the hallway.

“AND I’VE ALREADY AGED TWENTY YEARS!”

Veyr laughed.

Kevin sighed. Then looked at the robe again.

And despite everything, he smiled.

He had passed.

Not because he was the strongest. Not because he had beaten everyone.

But because, for the first time, someone had looked at him and decided he was worth taking seriously.

Even if that someone had apparently chosen running away as the safest way to show respect.

Kevin grabbed the broom.

“Fine.”

He walked toward the door.

“If I’m going to be a member of this ridiculous Order…” He looked at the broom. “…I might as well become the strongest janitor alive.”

* * *

The New Recruit

By noon, Kevin had discovered something important.

Cleaning the Veil Order was harder than fighting Bram.

Training grounds. Hallways. Storage rooms. Courtyards. And somehow, someone had managed to spill magical ink on a ceiling.

Kevin stared upward. “How?”

“I’m wondering the same thing,” said a voice behind him.

A boy stood there, around Kevin’s age. Dark hair. Sharp eyes. A Veil robe that was still perfectly clean.

Kevin eyed the robe. Then his broom. Then the boy.

“You’re new.”

“Just arrived.”

Kevin sighed. “Congratulations.”

“For what?”

“You’re about to regret it.”

“Why?”

Kevin held up the broom. “Because they give you this.”

The boy stared. “…A broom?”

“Yes.”

“And?”

Kevin looked offended. “You clearly haven’t suffered enough.”

The boy laughed. “My name is—”

GONG!

A bell rang across the entire compound.

Both boys looked up.

The magical sky-screen above the Veil Order flickered. The laughter around the compound died.

Veyr stepped out of the main building, his expression changed.

Kevin noticed at once. “What is it?”

Veyr didn’t answer.

The sky-screen glowed. A message began to form.

“What does that mean?” the new recruit asked.

“I don’t know.”

The message finished.

And the entire Veil Order went silent.

ALL NEW RECRUITS ARE TO REPORT TO THE CENTRAL HALL IMMEDIATELY.

Kevin slowly lowered his broom. He looked at the new recruit.

The boy looked back.

Kevin sighed. “I knew this place was too peaceful.”

“Kevin,” Veyr said from behind them.

“Yes?”

“Leave the broom.”

Kevin looked at it. “Can I bring it?”

“No.”

“Why?”

Veyr smiled. “You’ll need both hands.”

Kevin’s smile vanished. “…For what?”

Veyr didn’t answer.

The bell rang again.

GONG!

And somewhere beyond the walls of the Veil Order…

Something answered.

BOOM.