Night settled over Iron Gate Academy like a blanket, swallowing the last traces of daylight and replacing them with a cold silence that stretched across the academy. The loud cheers of the afternoon training sessions had faded away, leaving only the sound of distant conversations and footsteps traveling through the academy grounds.Across the neatly trimmed lawns shimmering beneath the moonlight, rows of lanterns cast long shadows across the stone pathways that connect the dormitories and training halls. Students lingered on the path as they were finally returning to their rooms after an exhausting day of training. Among them was Luke walking confidently down the pathway with three of his friends surrounding him. The confidence on his face was obvious, and his lips carried the familiar smirk.A blonde-haired girl walked beside him, with her eyes practically glowing with admiration. "Today was amazing, Luke," she said excitedly. "The way you defeated your opponent during the sparring

Luke shifted his gaze from Ryan's face to his friend groaning on the ground. The boy's body was curled to one side, with both hands clutching his stomach as painful groans escaped his lips and every attempt to rise only ended with him collapsing back down.Even the girl standing beside Luke seemed shaken by the unexpected outcome of the fight. Her eyes moved between Ryan and the injured student several times, as though her mind were struggling to accept what she had just witnessed."No way! Did a Tier Three student seriously defeat a Tier Two in less than a minute?" she muttered with disbelief masking her features.She lowered her gaze toward the fallen student. "There has to be some mistake,’ she quickly added, as her brain tried to make excuses for her.The other boy standing beside Luke looked far less surprised and more furious. He clenched his fists tighter until his knuckles turned white, and the sight of his friend lying helplessly on the ground seemed to ignite a fire inside h

The days seemed to disappear faster than Ryan could keep track of them. Ever since the announcement of the Iron Gate Academy Competition, time itself had felt strange. What had once seemed like a distant event slowly transformed into an approaching reality, and now, before anyone truly realized it, the day had finally arrived. The academy had not slept. Even long before dawn, the dormitory buildings were alive with energy. Excitement flowed through every corridor like an unstoppable current. From the chatter and distant noise Ryan could tell students had already started to gather in groups, discussing most of which were wagers about who would advance through the competition. Inside his room, Ryan lay on his bed with the ceiling staring back at him in the darkness. He hasn't slept, and every attempt was useless. Outside his room, distant voices echoed through the hallway. The academy felt more alive at this hour than it normally did during the middle of the day. Ryan slowly rai

Distant silence clouded the air as Ryan walked beside Olisa and John, slowly making their way across a section of Iron Gate Academy he had never seen before.The path itself caught his attention, as it was unlike the student walkways that connected the dormitories, classrooms, and training facilities.This route was wider and noticeably with stone pavement maintained to a degree that made the rest of the academy seem ordinary in comparison.Ryan subtly glanced around as he had expected students to flood the premises, but the emptiness made him glance at the other figure beside him until his gaze rested on the description.‘Official route,’ he scanned the latter crest on the tall academy banners that hung from metal poles lining both sides of the path, and the Iron Gate crest fluttered proudly in the morning breeze.Ahead, he could see academy personnel in their official uniform moving through the area, and as they disappeared out of sight, a distant roar soared through the air.Ryan r

One by one, every student, followed by instructors and council members, rose from their designated platform, and within moments, every person inside the enormous arena was on their feet.Ryan followed suit, then the sound of a loud drummed echoed and a single voice started the academy national anthem. Within seconds, the entire arena was singing.Ryan found himself looking around at the level of synchronization, and for the first time since arriving at Iron Gate Academy, he truly understood why people spoke about the institution with such reverence.When the final verse ended, silence briefly settled over the arena. Then the enormous gates beneath the grandstand slowly opened. A figure emerges from the tunnel stretching underneath the spectator section.The crowd immediately recognized him as the host, and cheers erupted instantly.The man walked confidently toward the center platform with a bright smile stretching across his face. He looked comfortable beneath the attention of thousa