Page 354 of Axis of Fire

Not just the students.

Even the air seemed to still.

An uneasy feeling stirred somewhere deep inside me.

A warning.

Though I wasn't yet sure whether it was something worth listening to.

“Do they even remember why these preparations exist?” Joelle demanded. The tension in her voice was impossible to miss. “Why the strongest students are hidden in the first place? Do they understand how reck—”

A cold look from Draksen cut her off before she could finish.

“The decisions of the Novers are not open for discussion.”

I swallowed.

Even during my conversations with Stasia, I'd begun to suspect that the leaders of Noveris were... far from trustworthy.

Now those suspicions felt increasingly justified.

“Of the traditional trials, only the Oracle of Truth and the Encounter with the Subconscious will remain unchanged,” Draksen continued.

“Of course they'd keep the most humiliating and dangerous ones,” Stasia muttered under her breath.

“As a result, today's objective is to become more familiar with each of you and your abilities. Afterward, we will conduct evaluations and divide you into smaller groups, each supervised by a separate trainer.”

Anxiety flared through me at once.

I'd never liked being tested.

First at school.

Now, apparently, with magic as well.

A moment later, a tall woman stepped up beside Draksen.

Her skin carried a warm caramel hue that matched her long, curly hair.

What stood out most, however, were her striking crimson eyes.

She appeared calm.

Yet there was something in her gaze that hinted at entire stories she had no intention of telling.

“Who is that?” I whispered to Stasia.

“Dilraba,” she whispered back. “One of the Strongest Twelve.”

“And what can she do?” I asked immediately.

Stasia nodded toward the woman.

“You're about to find out.”

Then the room erupted in blinding light.

Instinctively, I squeezed my eyes shut.