The interment was quick and uninteresting. Rhaizen Gale was laid to rest by drunkards who didn't give a damn about his body or his funeral. All they could think about was how quickly the ceremony would end so they could return to their normal lives and forget about that miserable excuse for a man. They wanted the trials to begin so that a new champion could be chosen, one who was descended from royalty and had noble blood coursing through her veins.
Luciana was the one who was going to be chosen, as were the majority of IAA students and faculty thought. She had the numbers and the support to back it up. She had always been at the top of her class since her enrollment, and her grades had never slipped. She also showed remarkable promise on the battlefield, winning every tournament she participated in. She was occasionally beaten by Jalon Barr in combat tests and Cecily in alchemy tests, although overall she ranked higher than both when compared. Cecily's absence from“Today, Ithea has suffered a great loss. We've lost one of the best champions the kingdom has ever had. Rhaizen Gale's untimely death has caught us all off guard. We will honor him for his valor in combating the fearsome Trerth and defending the kingdom. I am eternally grateful for his service and unwavering love for this kingdom. But we must press on; the nation needs a new champion to defend us, and we have several exciting new candidates in the running. Luciana is my daughter. She is the most powerful alchemist among the contestants. I'm certain she'll be up to the challenge. As a result, I declare the Ithea's champion seat empty, and the trials to elect a new champion to begin anew. Luciana Vonner, Jalon Barr, Norval Greensmith, Cecily Ethel, and Nelanian Henfery will be the contestants who will take part in the trials. We wish them all the best, but for the time being, let us take a moment to remember our fallen hero.” The king concluded,
Students were racing across hallways and bumping into each other as the ruckus and disturbance continued.“They've arrived at the front gate!” Call the candidates! ” screamed one of the kids at another. The media flocked to the school gates, pleading with the professors and lecturers to release the candidates for Ithea's champion seat for an interview.“Please take a step back, everyone. Classes are still going on, and all of this unnecessary fuss is making things more difficult than they need to be. Simply wait for the students to take a break from their classes, and you will have the opportunity to interview them!”One of the school professors stated, waving his hands
“Get up, the school director wants to meet with all of the candidates in his office before we speak to the media,” Lucy said, her palms resting on her hips and her gaze fixed on him. Nelanian appeared to be in a state of flux, with no response to her comments. “Hey, am I talking to a rock?” She queried," We have to leave right now, I'm not going to repeat it again,” she stated emphatically, gripping the armrest of the chair in which Nelanian had seated. “I... I can't go out there like this,” Nelanian replied, alluding to the food stains on his tie and his shaggy hair. “Of course, that's why I came down here, you moron. You should clean up and get ready because all of us are going to address the media,” “I don’t want to address the media,”
Mr. Benjamin Starkridge, the school director, invited the four students into his office. He was a man of simplicity, thus the decor wasn't overly complicated. They took their places around his long oak office desk, while he adjusted his seat behind it. Mr. Starkridge didn't appear to mind when a small owl finch fluttered through the open window and landed on the frame."What happened to Nelanian?" He asked, gently sliding his fingers around each other as his hands clasped together, "I thought the instructions were explicit that all applicants for the champion of Ithea trials must attend this conference.""We should just forget about him; if he proceeds to perform the trials, he will only bring us shame. He might as well drop out of school altogether."“You shut up! Don't talk about him like that; Nelania
His vision was fuzzy while he was mending from his migraine. He appeared to be losing touch with reality. Thankfully, the several folks who came to meet him arrived just in time, before he was in anydanger. Cecily's screams shocked him awake, and he hadn't been breathing the whole time. His feeble hands slipped on one of the clothing strewn over the floor as a result of his collapse. When his skull collided with the wooden surface, Cecily, who was running full speed at him, let out a devilish cry."Nel! Are you OK, Nel?" Her short skirt flowed from side to side as she screamed, but she didn't seem to worry because her entire focus was on Nelanian. She knelt and supported his head with her hands, ensuring that it remained upright.Others were merely emulating her actions. They approached the smashed door and stood like scarecrows there. "What are you folks doing standing around for, can't you see he needs assistance?" Go ahead and call the school nurse, Norval!&nb
The press corps was thrown into a frenzy. Mr. Starkridge had told the students that they needed to leave the interview location. Cecily's outburst was to blame for everything. She'd dropped a massive bombshell in front of some of the four kingdoms' most powerful media companies. Mr. Starkridge gave them instructions to report to his office.Except for Norval, who was always the most docile of the group, the otherstudents followed with reluctance."What in the world do you think you're doing, kid? Do you have any idea what you've done to this school?" With red stinging eyes glaring Cecily down, he barked. She didn't seem to be fazed in the least. The adrenaline rushing through her veins and the rage seething in her mind propelled her intentions."Mr. Starkridge, tell us the truth! Did you know all this time that Nelanian had a brain tumor?" she inquired. Her classmates waited by her side, waiting for the answer as well."Of course not you
“During last night's interview, shocking truths emerge. More information is needed but based on what we know so far, it appears like two candidates for the champion of Ithea, Nelanian Henfery, and Cecily Ethel, will not participate in the next trials to elect a new champion. Nelanian declined to participate in the trials after learning that he had a brain tumour and that he would be unable to compete in them. Cecily, on the other hand, dropped out of the trials as soon as she learned of Nelanian's illness. She then opted out of the trials as well, making the decision on her own and without consulting her family. As expected, her move has sparked considerable controversy. Her father, who disapproved of her decision and hoped she would come to her senses, had been rooting for her and waiting for her to show off her skills in the trials. The instructors and staff here have praised her as a bright alchemist, possibly the most gifted of the group, and they are devastated to learn of her
‘Nelanian'From within his dream, a voice resonated. He didn't think about it, and he didn't pay it the attention it deserved.‘Wake up, Nelanian!'Once more, the voice reverberated. Nelanian sprung from his bed and sucked in a huge gulp of breath. His nose could only detect the odors of latex gloves, floor cleaners, and hospital food. He appeared to be lost in thought for a time as if he was pondering how he ended himself in the ward in the first place. A soft touch finally settled over his right hand after a few moments of recognition, and he could feel the feminine tenderness that accompanied it. When he turned to his right, he saw Cecily yelling for a nurse and attempting to calm him down.“Are you OK, Nelanian?” You had been asleep since yesterday!” Cecily continued to clutch his hand. He returned to his bed and calmed himself, recalling how he had ended himself in the infirmary. The nurse dashed into the ward
The interment was quick and uninteresting. Rhaizen Gale was laid to rest by drunkards who didn't give a damn about his body or his funeral. All they could think about was how quickly the ceremony would end so they could return to their normal lives and forget about that miserable excuse for a man. They wanted the trials to begin so that a new champion could be chosen, one who was descended from royalty and had noble blood coursing through her veins.Luciana was the one who was going to be chosen, as were the majority of IAA students and faculty thought. She had the numbers and the support to back it up. She had always been at the top of her class since her enrollment, and her grades had never slipped. She also showed remarkable promise on the battlefield, winning every tournament she participated in. She was occasionally beatenby Jalon Barr in combat tests and Cecily in alchemy tests, although overall she ranked higher than both when compared. Cecily's absence from
The students carried their luggage through the airport lobby. Jalon had to bear the weight of all four suitcases because the boys who had assisted him in loading them into the bus did not accompany him. Some of the flight attendants felt sorry for him and offered to assist him with his luggage.They walked through the congested airport, and some of the passengers in the lobby who were waiting for their flights recognised them. Others ran up to them and offered to carry their luggage, while others requested photographs and pictures.“All right, that's enough guys, we're here for the trials, not for show,” one of the professors stated, calmly asking airport security to keep the others from approaching the applicants any closer. They finally made it outside the airport, where a luxurious travelling coach was waiting for them. They were about to start packing their belongings when Norval noticed something.“Hey, Jalon, take a look. 
“Have the applicants already left for the trials?” “The king inquired. He walked around Mr. Starkridge's office, tipping books and pens down on the dusty carpet and watching them roll.“Yes, sir, they left a few of hours ago. He said, swallowing hard and loosening his tie in agitation, “I assume they have already boarded the plane and are on their way to Sunset City as we speak.” The lady who had accompanied the king took a seat on one of the couches closer to the office door. While the two were speaking, she started fussing with her nails.“Mr. Starkridge, didn’t I tell you that letting the boy live was going to cause some, complications. I suggested that we just kill the boy right then and there and be done with it. But you had to resort to the slow and methodical approach of feeding him blue fire, how did it go? ” The king inquired as he rested his hand on one of the pens and picked it up.&ldq
The commotion and unrest raged on, students running across hallways and slamming on each other. “They are at the entrance! Call the candidates!” one of the students yelled at another. The media had flooded the schools gate, calling to the school teachers and lecturers to release the candidates for the seat of Ithea's champion for an interview with them.“Please step back people. Classes are
At the school's gates, a fleet of escort cars arrived. The arriving fleet was heard from afar by the idle camera crew who was sleeping the night away in the parking lot. They promptly turned on their cameras. One of the cars came to a standstill, and the back door opened a notch. Two young men dressed in casual clothing emerged and rolled out a red carpet across the pavement leading to the gates. The automobile then moved forward, making room for a limousine to enter the scene smoothly.The camera team fought for a good view of the gorgeous vehicle from both sides of the spread carpet. It came to rest exactly on the carpet, and the front doors opened, revealing two bodyguards. They dashed to the back of the vehicle and cautiously opened the back door.A lovely leg, adorned with pricey stilettos and a stunning gown, stepped out of the automobile. As she stepped out of the car and onto the carpet, the bodyguard extended his arm, and a feminine hand reached out and clutch
Luciana, Norval, and Jalon were all seated on the bench in front of the entrance to the sports complex's head office, where the manager normally sat. Their professors had summoned them to the office for an unscheduled meeting. Because the IAA had closed, the candidates needed to know what they should do after the trials. It was going to be a long, arduous month, and they had to be prepared since the school was closed indefinitely, which meant they could have to return home after the trials were through.It was going to be a long, arduous month, and they had to be prepared since the school was closed indefinitely, which meant they could have to return home after the trials were through.From inside the office, the secretary called to them. The door had been wide open, and there were two entries inside the office, one leading to the secretary's desk and the other, which had been locked, leading to the manager's office shortly after someone had been cleared to enter the offic
"She's awake," Luciana heard a voice say from within her dream. she was coming to. Jalon had snuck close to her. She fought to open her eyes and could hear footsteps rushing tothe other side of the room as she did so. Someone was up to no good, she realised right away. She straightened her back and lowered her feet from the top of the bed to the ground, resting them over a pair of sandals next to it. She was blasted with an increasingly terrible headache as soon as she did so, and all she could do was clutch her head. On the other side of the room, she could hear Jalon's quiet giggles. "Can you tell me what happened?" "How did I end up here?" Luciana inquired, struggling to regain her balance.“You've been out for quite some time." Norval tried hard not to laugh as he stated, "The medical staff brought you here after your match with th
“We welcome you all to the first phase of the Trials of Ithea! ” the announcer said, eliciting a chorus of shouts from the audience.“The participants of this first phase will be none other than the candidates themselves. Luciana Vonner, Ithea's very own princess! The cameras zoomed in on Luciana, who stood clueless, and she could see herself on the enormous screen hanging over the arena, as the announcer shouted. She finally decided to wave to the throng, and they greeted her warmly, singing her name and waving banners spelling out her name into the air. Others carried cut-outs of her face, which they waved in the air as well.The atmosphere was electric and it was justified for the students to feel nervous, they had never experienced a crow of that size.“We have the one and only Jalon Barr, the teen sensation!” announcedthe broadcaster. Give a warm welcome to the face of teenage fashion! ”
Nelanian returned to the shanty where he had been resting. His head throbbed with a headache, and he couldn't concentrate on anything for long. It hurt him in waves, inducing light drowsiness before assaulting him with a violent anguish that forced him fall out of his chair. He reached for a drink he'd made himself and drank two hefty tastes of it. He felt strong enough to walk again after a few moments of resting his mass on the chair, so he got to his feet and walked toward the shack's entrance.It was an aging house that could have easily been blown down by a strong enough breeze, termites had eaten through most of the walls, and it didn't even have a door. Nelanian had tied a sack he found near a farm, cut it, patched it together to form a curtain, and hung it over the door frame as his door. When he stepped outdoors, he spotted black clouds moving in from the south. A storm was approaching, and he needed to finish whatever he was working on before the rain caught him out