In an instant, the chaotic currents that had once embraced the underwater realm surrendered to stillness. The icy liquid settled into perfect calm, leaving only the faint hiss of residual motion and the occasional bubble rising toward the fractured surface.

  A dazzling radiance pierced the frozen veil, sunlight streaming through the myriad apertures in the ice above. The frozen shards caught the light, scattering it into fractured rainbows that danced upon the water’s surface, illuminating the realm in surreal luminescence.

  Propelling herself upward with a burst of determined energy, Tee broke the surface, gasping as the crisp, frigid air filled her lungs. Every nerve in her body tingled with awareness, tuned to the imminent revelation before her.

  The world above was a tempest of motion: towering columns of water thundered down with unfathomable force, colliding with the ice and earth to produce a deafening symphony of spray, crashes, and hissing steam. The sheer power of it caused her to stumble slightly on the slick surface, her spiked boots scraping against frost-covered ice.

  As the waters receded, cascading into the abyssal depths from whence they came, her teammates emerged from the drenched terrain, each dripping with liquid remnants of the aquatic assault. Their movements were careful yet graceful, balancing atop fragile cracks in the ice while regrouping with cautious efficiency. Water clung to their hair, strands slick against their faces, and rivulets dripped from their chins in shimmering threads, catching the ethereal sunlight like molten silver.

  Perched at the edge of the frozen chaos, Miko squeezed the water from her back-length braid with a mixture of exasperation and curiosity. “What now?” she asked, her voice cutting through the residual roar of the falling water, seeking guidance amidst the aftermath.

  Tee’s gaze swept across the expanse, sharp and searching. The black-mantled adversaries they had rescued were nowhere to be found. Perhaps they had teleported away, leaving no trace.

  A small measure of relief washed over her; the flood had cleansed the battlefield, erasing any lingering signs of injury or blood. The last thing she wanted was for someone to interrogate her about an already chaotic scenario.

  Curiosity lifted Kie’s gaze toward the heavens. There, suspended impossibly in midair, floated the bound scroll, defying gravity with no visible support. “What’s that?” he exclaimed, eyes wide in awe.

  The vast expanse of blue sky behind it lent an almost divine majesty to the scene, making the levitating object seem both sacred and ominous.

  Zod, his chin resting thoughtfully against his hand, marveled at the phenomenon. “Remarkable,” he murmured, his voice tinged with admiration and wonder. “No strings. No visible levitation devices. How does it stay there?”

  Kie’s instincts immediately kicked in. He summoned a sword, his eyes gleaming with the thrill of action, but Tee intervened, stepping swiftly in his path. “Great idea,” she said with a sharp edge of sarcasm, “slice the scroll in half. That will really help us pass this test!” Her eyes conveyed urgency, tinged with reprimand. “What if we need it and you ruin everything with one careless swing?”

  Perplexed, Kie tilted his head. “How is damaging a scroll going to cost us the test?” he asked, genuinely seeking understanding, oblivious to the potential consequences.

  Tee offered no immediate answer. Instead, she retrieved her final glow stick, the vibrant neon stick pulsing faintly in her hand. With a precise throw, she struck the suspended scroll. A burst of luminescence erupted as the scroll’s ethereal suspension shattered, sending it gently spiraling down to the icy ground below.

  A triumphant smile curved her lips. “Now I stand at nine points,” she declared, the rush of adrenaline propelling her voice across the frozen landscape.

  “Oh no, you don’t!” Kie’s competitive spirit ignited. He lunged forward, the sounds of his boots scraping against ice and frost echoing through the crisp air. The two of them engaged in a spirited chase, darting across the treacherous terrain, their movements fluid, precise, yet playful.

  Miko, unbothered by their antics, casually tossed her dried braid over her shoulder and strolled alongside Zod and Saeda, savoring the rare moments of respite. Time seemed to stretch, each second lingering as they caught up to their fervent companions.

  As Miko mulled over Zod’s earlier curiosity, a glimmer of understanding crossed her eyes. “Maybe it was a locked anti-gravity field,” she said, her voice carrying a trace of knowledge, “like the ones in the Sky-Line museum.”

  Both Zod and Saeda exchanged glances, curiosity piqued. Zod lowered his voice, laden with intrigue. “You’ve been to the Sky-Line museum?” he asked, astonishment threading his tone. “Isn’t the entry cost equivalent to a year’s tuition at a Third-level Academy?”

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  Saeda interjected, her tone skeptical. “I heard it’s triple that amount,” she said, eyes narrowing, voice incredulous.

  Miko shrugged nonchalantly. “My dad paid for it, so I don’t know,” she admitted, her voice laced with a hint of mystery, leaving her companions to wonder at the breadth of her experiences.

  The moment of levity broke when Kie’s triumphant cry rang out. “Yes! I got it!” he exclaimed, brandishing the scroll in triumph, held tantalizingly out of Tee’s reach. Disappointment surged through Tee, but adrenaline still painted a flush across her cheeks.

  “Now I’m at six points,” Kie declared triumphantly, though the spark in his eyes betrayed a playful challenge rather than true victory. Tee couldn’t suppress her own grin; the friendly rivalry crackled between them, a current of energy that was almost tangible.

  Kie passed the scroll to his companions, ensuring they witnessed the enigmatic pair of shaded circles gracing its surface. As another vortex materialized nearby, Miko deftly folded the scroll and tucked it safely into her pouch, preserving its secrets for later exploration.

  The group gathered around the glowing emerald portal, peering into its mesmerizing depths. The opening was wide enough for them all to jump through simultaneously, yet the notion remained unspoken, a tension threading through the air.

  “I have a bad feeling about this,” Saeda murmured, her voice flat and detached, planting seeds of doubt in their collective psyche. “We’re going to jump and break our bones.”

  Despite her caution, Zod moved first, taking a bold leap into the unknown. Pinching his nose shut, he exclaimed, “Through the rabbit hole I go!” and vanished into the portal with practiced audacity.

  Inspired by his courage, Kie followed, and Tee braced herself for the descent, eyes fixed on the icy expanse above. She hurtled downward, the frozen canopy whipping past in a blur, miles of crystalline ice stretching out in every direction. Gnarled branches reached out like skeletal hands, threatening to snag her path. Her boots struck the ground with a tremor, sending ripples through the frozen earth.

  Landing upright, unscathed amidst the aftermath, Tee allowed herself a moment of awe. Her eyes drifted upward, tracing the canopy and the lattice of branches above. “That drop should have caused major damage, and yet I’m fine,” she marveled, realization striking her with a rush of exhilaration.

  She barely had time to observe before Miko descended, forcing Tee to sidestep deftly to avoid collision. Above them, trees cracked as Miko and Saeda landed gracefully, dislodging dried leaves that showered across the forest floor. Cracks spread across the exposed ground, invisible to casual eyes, but Tee noted them instinctively.

  The forest surrounding them was dense, dominated by towering gray-barked trees, their trunks as wide as stout beer bottles. The ground beneath was carpeted with muted green, yellow, and brown leaves, each crunching beneath boots in delicate, staccato rhythms. A gust of wind swept through as if welcoming their arrival, lifting the leaves into a swirling tempest. Tee squinted through the airborne chaos, the earthy aroma of upturned soil and foliage filling her senses.

  The raucous cacophony threatened to drown out all other sounds, the force of the gusts pressing against her chest and limbs. Forward movement required balance and ingenuity; she extended her hands, grasping for tree trunks to steady herself.

  A sudden, sharp impact against her chin jolted her, and she yelped in surprise. Blood blossomed on her gloves, and she frantically scanned her surroundings, heart pounding.

  “We’re under attack!” Saeda’s voice cut through the wind, urgent and commanding. Tee tightened her grip on her summoned sword, ready to strike, yet the swirling leaves obscured her vision, leaving her unable to discern even the faintest movement.

  An instinctive impulse surged within her. She recalled her previous successful engagements, letting that memory guide her toward the origin of the threat. Her heartbeat quickened, echoing in her ears as the swirling leaves parted just enough to reveal a single figure before her.

  Dark green hair blended seamlessly with the foliage, symbols etched into their arms glowing with an eerie light. Leaves detached themselves from the storming wind and flew toward Tee like sharpened projectiles.

  Reacting with reflexive dexterity, she dodged, only to collide with a tree, her forehead striking it sharply. A shiver ran down her spine, every hair standing on end as danger radiated from her opponent.

  Another leaf-projected weapon embedded itself in the tree near her, and she narrowly avoided a punch aimed at her face, the force reverberating through the air. Pain exploded behind her nose as her body struggled to maintain balance.

  A hesitant hand hovered mid-air, trembling as it inched toward her throbbing nose. Warm blood trickled beneath the skin, pressure building with every heartbeat, but before her fingertips could make contact, a memory surged—the revolting slime coating the tree’s bark.

  The thought of smearing that filth across her face made her recoil, hand snapping back as though burned. Her stomach churned, a shiver rippling down her arms.

  "How did they do that?" she murmured, breath hitching between ragged pulls of air. The words were nearly stolen by the gusting wind, but they clung stubbornly to her lips. Bewilderment pooled in her chest, heavy and suffocating.

  The image replayed in her mind: the fist that had materialized out of nowhere, striking her square across the face. No warning. No trajectory. Just… there. She staggered, teeth clenched against the hot bloom of pain, trying to reconcile what her senses had just betrayed her with.

  Her gaze darted to the dagger now quivering in the tree’s trunk, its blade buried deep within the bark. A weapon shouldn’t move like that. It hadn’t been thrown—she was certain of it. It had appeared. As if the weapon itself bent the rules of distance, leaping through space rather than obeying the laws of motion.

  Teleportation?