The na imdiately stirred mixed reactions.
One professor frowned in concern. "Is he alright?"
"If he were in danger, the ergency talisman would have gone off," another reassured.
A third gave a dismissive snort. "Or he’s too stubborn to use it. I told you so of them are reckless and arrogant."
Among the crowd, a few students exchanged glances. So whispered that they hadn’t seen him since the deeper part of the forest. Others shrugged, assuming he had taken a longer route back.
Cecelia, standing toward the edge of her group, felt her chest tighten. Her fingers curled into her palm as she whispered under her breath, almost as if speaking to herself.
"Kael... where are you?"
Kael, Racing the Clock
Kael’s pack was so full it pulled at his shoulders with every step, the weight making the straps bite into his skin. He ignored the discomfort—this load was worth it.
Earlier, during the exam, he’d stashed away the beast materials he couldn’t carry at the ti. He had hidden them in a hollow at the far corner of the hunting zone, covering the spot with leaves and dirt.
Now that the fight with the boss was over and the exam nearing its end, he had finally co back for them.
One by one, he had packed the materials into his bag—fangs, hides, rare bones, and chunks of beast cores that could fetch a decent price.
It was a haul that could last him three weeks’ worth of supplies, maybe more. If he sold it all, he could finally afford a good sword and so back up elixirs. That would an fewer worries about his gear snapping in the middle of a fight.
But there was one problem.
He glanced up at the sky. The sun had already climbed higher than he liked, streaks of light filtering through the forest canopy.
(Tch... ti’s bad. I need to move.)
If he was late returning, the professors would start noticing. And if they decided to search the forest, there was a chance they’d stumble across his hiding spot—or worse, think he was still out here because of trouble.
His jaw tightened.
(If I go late, I know the professors are gonna co and check things. Better hurry before that happens.)
His steady walk beca a brisk jog, and then a full-on run. The forest blurred past him, shadows and sunlight flickering over his vision.
Branches whipped against his arms, roots caught at his boots, but he didn’t slow. Every second counted.
He pushed himself harder, the sound of his own breathing loud in his ears. There was no way he was going to lose this haul—not after risking so much to get it.
Waiting
Back at the terminal, the air had shifted. The earlier light chatter had thinned into an undercurrent of tension. Even the professors’ voices, though calm, carried a sharper edge.
"Four minutes until the cutoff," Yulia said, glancing at the large sand tir set beside the collection table.
professor Slyvia crossed her arms. "Should we send a retrieval team?"
Kalden shook his head firmly. "Not until the ti expires. He could be on his way. Sending a team too soon might disrupt the exam process."
The students waiting nearby were less restrained. Their whispers traveled in hushed waves through the crowd.
"Maybe he got lost."
"Or maybe he’s dead."
"No way. He’s too stubborn for that.", soone murmured.
"I still say he brought this on himself."
A few of them exchanged knowing looks, their expressions leaning more toward amusent than concern.
Then Cecelia’s voice broke through the murmurs, sharp and clear.
"Stop talking like that. You don’t know what happened."
Her words made several students glance away, so shifting uncomfortably. A few fell silent, but others kept the sa faint smirks, unwilling to admit they’d gone too far.
The sand in the tir kept falling, each grain counting down the seconds, and the unspoken question hung in the air—Where was Kael?
Kael’s breath burned in his lungs, each inhale sharp and hot. His legs felt like they were filled with lead, every step a strain, but he refused to slow.
The pack on his back seed to grow heavier with every stride, the straps digging into his shoulders as if trying to pull him down.
When he finally crested a low, grassy hill, the distant silhouette of Elaris City’s gates ca into view. The sight jolted him like a spark to his veins.
(Just a little more. Don’t stop now.)
He lengthened his stride, boots hamring the dirt path in a steady, desperate rhythm. The forest blurred at the edges of his vision—branches whipping past, leaves scattering in the wind of his passing.
Every muscle scread for him to stop, but his mind scread louder: Keep going.
Back at the terminal, the atmosphere was tight enough to snap. The sand in the tir had almost run out.
"One minute left," Yulia announced, her voice cutting through the murmurs.
Every head turned toward the forest path. Conversations stopped. The only sound was the faint whistle of the wind.
Then—
A figure burst through the treeline away from the terminal, leaves scattering in his wake.
Kael.
He was running at full tilt, his uniform sared with mud and streaked with dried blood. Sweat clung to his hair, plastering strands to his forehead.
The bulging pack on his back bounced heavily with each step, yet he didn’t slow—not even for a heartbeat.
"It’s him!" Cecelia’s voice broke the silence, relief plain in her tone.
Kael’s boots pounded the last stretch of dirt road toward the terminal. The seconds bled away.
His chest burned. His legs threatened to give out. But he didn’t stop.
At the very last mont, just as the final grains of sand slid through the tir’s narrow neck, his palm slamd against the rune-carved stone of the terminal arch. The magic etched into the stone flared faintly, registering his arrival.
"Madam Sylvia," he gasped, looking up at the stern-faced professor overseeing the record logs.
His voice was hoarse but unshaken.
"I have... done it." Kael said, smiling brightly.
Reviews
All reviews (0)