At ElderGlow Academy, the rising sun painted the eastern sky in molten gold, casting slanted rays through the high arched windows of the Great Assembly Hall.
It was a magnificent structure—towering stone columns veined with silver-threaded runes, banners of navy and pearl fluttering from the ceiling, and rows of enchanted chandeliers that shimmered with light but never flickered.
The hall had not been this full in years.
Over seventy students stood in silent formations, each group of four belonging to a team—each team representing a year from ElderGlow and the other institutes. These group would all be participating in the contest.
They were the academy's pride: handpicked, battle-trained, and tested under fire and intellect. Today, however, they were not warriors, not students. They were hosts.
