[The Stance Trial—]
The stance grounds buzzed with energy long before the first duel began. Students crowded the vast stone arena, wings were rustling, tails were flicking, chatter bouncing from wall to wall. Excitent mixed with nerves in the air like storm clouds about to burst. Valkyrie, Soda, Jasmine, and Rain stood shoulder to shoulder, their anticipation written on their faces.
"Okay, before this madness starts," Jasmine said with a mischievous grin, "I’ve got so people you need to et." She waved her hand, and two figures walked over from the crowd.
The first was a tall girl with silver streaks in her black hair and eyes that glowed faintly like clock dials. Her steps were deliberate and steady, as if the very rhythm of ti obeyed her.
"This is May," Rain said proudly, nudging the girl forward. "Angel of Ti."
"Angel of Ti?" Soda gasped, with her eyes wide open. "That sounds ridiculously powerful."
May gave a small, calm smile. "It has its limits. I can slow, pause, or even rewind ti— but only for about ten minutes back".
"So... that ans if you can reverse ti back... you can also fasten it? Damn... That’s hella of a power you got sis" Soda said.
"Uhm... you an the future? Nah... That’s beyond . Nobody touches that thread." She said with her voice soft, but her words carried weight.
"Oh...Still," Valkyrie said with genuine awe, "that’s incredible. Do you know how many mornings I’d fix if I could rewind ten minutes?"
Soda laughed, elbowing her. "You’d just rewind every ti you overslept."
Before Valkyrie could answer, the second newcor stepped up. She was a little shorter than May, with sharp eyes and an energy that felt restless, like sparks ready to leap. Her outfit shimred faintly, as though her very presence bent space around her.
"And this," Jasmine continued, "is Suki— the Angel of Portals."
Suki smirked, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Pretty self-explanatory, huh? I can open doors to anywhere. Other worlds, other realms, or just the other side of the cafeteria line when it’s too long."
That made Soda snort. "Forget angel of portals— you’re my angel of skipping lines."
Valkyrie chuckled, her nerves easing. "So you can take us anywhere?"
"Anywhere I’ve seen," Suki corrected, wagging a finger. "Or imagined with at least a picture, No peeking into places I don’t know yet. But still— dinsions, universes, hidden realms... let’s just say, if you get bored of one world, I’m your girl."
Before the laughter faded, Soda clapped her hands together. "Girl...Speaking of introductions— it’s our turn too! Val, should I do the honors?"
Valkyrie raised a brow. "Since when do you ask permission Soda?"
Soda grinned, ignoring the jab. "Ladies, et Tekna— the Angel of Technology. She can literally talk to machines, upgrade anything, and probably hack the universe if she wanted to."
Tekna adjusted with a shy smile. "I prefer engineering genius, but Soda’s version works."
"Cool," Suki muttered. "So you’re the one I’ll call when I break my communicator again."
"Uhm...I do more than fix broken gadgets suki.... you know..." Tekna corrected.
"And last but not least," Valkyrie added warmly, stepping aside, "this is Lily. Angel of Plants and Flowers. She can command earth and soil, make anything bloom— trust , our room slls like a garden thanks to her."
Lily twirled a fingertip, and a little vine sprouted instantly from the ground, curling into the shape of a heart. "Nature always listens, even in places like this," she said softly.
Rain’s eyes widened in wonder. "That’s beautiful."
Soda leaned closer to Valkyrie, whispering but not really hiding it: "So basically, between Light, Air, Ideas, Water, Ti, Portals, Plants, and Technology— we’re stacked."
"Stacked?" Valkyrie repeated, chuckling. "That’s one way to put it."
"Unstoppable is another," Jasmine added smugly.
The group shared a look, their excitent was building. Valkyrie felt sothing stir inside her chest— the sa warmth she’d felt when her light first burst to life. These weren’t just classmates anymore. They were becoming sothing more.
The horns blared across the stance grounds, summoning every student to silence.
The trial was about to begin.
***********************************************
"Attention, students," Miss Vivian’s voice rang clear across the wide expanse of the trial grounds, it was smooth yet firm, her golden hair catching the sunlight as her white and gold cloak swept behind her. "Today begins the Stance Trials, the first test that marks your path in Monster Academy. You will learn not only the strength of your powers, but the weight of control, courage, and restraint. Each battle is more than a fight— it is a lesson."
The crowd of angels and devils hushed, though an electric energy buzzed through them. For so, this was their mont to shine. For others, dread hung heavy.
Miss Vivian clasped her hands. "The rules are simple. You will be paired. You will be tested. No one is here to die, only to prove themselves. Do not mistake trial for destruction."
Then, beside her, a new figure stepped forward. Mr. Ohio. The devil instructor towered over most, his dark crimson cloak lined with silver threads, his presence was heavy like thunderclouds rolling before a storm. His voice was deep as hell, carrying power without effort.
"My devils," he began, his eyes sweeping across his students, "rember this. You are devils, not demons."
The devils shifted in their seats, whispers rippling until Ohio’s gaze silenced them.
"There is a difference," he continued. "Demons are chaos with no restraint. Devils,"— his tone sharpened "are cunning, disciplined and purposeful. Do not sha your nature. You are not beasts. You are forces."
A murmur of pride flickered among the devil students, though one leaned lazily against the wall with a smirk. Stephanie.
"Blah, blah, blah," she muttered under her breath, flicking her long hair back, her scarlet lips curling into a sneer. "Save us the sermon, old man. We ca here to fight."
Soda, sitting beside Valkyrie, heard it and muttered quietly, "Of course she’d say that."
Valkyrie gave Soda a sharp look, whispering back, "Don’t let her get to you."
But Soda’s jaw was already tight.
Miss Vivian raised a silver dice in her hand, its sides glowing faintly with enchanted light. "The dice will decide who takes the lead in each pairing."
The first nas were drawn, and the announcent hit Soda like a thunderclap.
"Stephanie... versus Soda."
Soda froze in her seat. "Oh no," she breathed, her hands tightening around the edges of the bench.
Jasmine leaned forward imdiately, whispering quickly into her ear. "Hey, don’t panic. You’ve trained, Soda. You’ve got this."
Rain nodded too, her soft voice filled with reassurance. "You’re not alone. Just breathe. Fight like the air— flowing and untouchable. That’s who you are soda"
But the encouragent didn’t drown out Stephanie’s cruel grin. She stood with deliberate slowness, her boots clicking against the floor as if each step announced her superiority. They both made their way slowly to the battle field.
"Well, well, Soda," Stephanie purred, her voice dripping with mockery. "Looks like you’ll finally get the honor of losing to . Don’t worry, I’ll go easy enough so you can crawl back to your little friends in one piece."
Soda pushed herself to her feet, her face was pale but her eyes were hardening. "Don’t flatter yourself. I don’t need to go easy with you. I can do this for days with no sweat outta my skin."
The crowd erupted in "oooohs" and whispers, half anticipating Soda’s defeat, half intrigued by her boldness.
Miss Vivian’s voice sliced through the noise. "Silence." Instantly the students stilled.
"Competitors, to the stance field."
The two girls walked onto the broad circle of the trial platform, the air between them already sparking with tension. Valkyrie, Jasmine, Rain, Tekna, Lily, May and Suki leaned forward in their seats, with their chests tight.
Miss Vivian lifted the enchanted dice, the faint glow pulsing brighter. She released it into the air. The dice spun, shimred, and landed with a soft chi. The runes glowed scarlet— the devil’s mark.
"It favors Stephanie," Vivian declared.
Stephanie smirked triumphantly and stepped closer to the edge of the circle. "How perfect. I get to choose the field."
Her eyes glead with malicious delight as she dragged out the words. "Let’s make it... a graveyard."
A ripple of unease swept through the audience. The choice wasn’t forbidden, but it was cruel— designed to unsettle her opponent and to intimidate them.
Vivian, calm as ever, reached to the panel beside her podium. With a press of her slender hand, the ground beneath the stance field rumbled. Ancient chanisms churned, the glowing runes that lined the circle shifting as if alive.
The field suddenly darkened. Grass withered to ash. Pale tombstones erupted from the earth, crooked and cracked. A black iron fence spiraled up around the periter, and eerie blue mist curled low across the ground.
Students gasped in awe as the entire arena transford, locked under a shimring do of protective glass. The graveyard shimred under phantom moonlight.
Stephanie spread her arms wide, her smile was wicked. "Ahhh, feels like ho already."
Soda swallowed hard, but raised her chin. "Then let’s make you regret it."
The bell chid— the trial had begun.
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