Chapter 140: Practical Exam

Elara:

I was far from mastering illusion magic, but at least I was no longer the complete beginner who had struggled to understand even the basic principles of it a few months ago.

Thanks to Kairo’s lessons, I had learned how to separate reality from illusion, how to recognize the tiny inconsistencies that gave illusions away, and most importantly, how to build a mental barrier strong enough to keep someone else’s magic from slipping too deeply into my mind.

I still made mistakes, and there were times when my illusions collapsed before I could properly shape them, but I had improved enough that I no longer felt helpless whenever illusion magic was involved. If I got a normal opponent today, I was confident I could at least secure the fifteen credit points required to pass the practical exam.

But I should have known better than to trust my luck for too long.

Neither Reign nor Liliana was present since they were third-year students, which was already one less problem to worry about. Other than Violet, I hadn’t interacted much with the second years either, so when I drew my number and turned toward the student I had been paired with, I initially felt relieved. But that relief lasted exactly three seconds.

The girl walking toward me had a familiar face, and although I couldn’t remember ever having an actual conversation with her, I recognized her immediately as someone who frequently stayed around Liliana. She wasn’t one of the girls who had openly confronted me before, but the look she gave me was enough. There was no nervousness about facing me, no curiosity, and certainly no friendliness. There was only a slow, unpleasant smile that made my stomach sink.

"Well, this should be interesting," she murmured as she took the empty seat beside me.

I glanced at the name written on the roster and finally remembered it. Aria.

Meanwhile, Violet had already moved toward her own opponent, a surprisingly harmless-looking boy with soft brown hair and an almost painfully innocent smile. She glanced back at me once before leaving, and I gave her a small reassuring nod.

I didn’t want her worrying unnecessarily. Besides, I had faced worse than one hostile second-year student. At least, that was what I told myself.

Aria sat with her arms crossed, studying me as if she were already imagining how the round would go, and the longer I watched her expression, the more certain I became that this wasn’t going to be an ordinary practical. Something about her was wrong. Then Professor Stroll stepped forward, and the murmuring classroom gradually fell silent.

"The theme for today’s practical is simple," Professor Stroll announced, her gaze moving across the room. "You will create an illusion of something you believe would frighten your opponent. One of you will attack, while the other will defend. If the attacker successfully completes the illusion and causes the opponent to genuinely react with fear, the attacker wins. If the defender prevents the illusion from forming or breaks it before the fear takes hold, the defender wins."

She paused, allowing the rules to settle over everyone before adding, "You will switch roles afterward. Remember, this is a practical examination. I will not interfere unless someone’s life is genuinely threatened. Your ability to handle another person’s magic independently is part of what you are being tested on."

My gaze flicked toward Violet. She was already watching me, and the concern in her eyes deepened the moment Aria stood. I didn’t need to ask why. The smirk spreading across Aria’s face told me everything.

"I’ll create the illusion," she announced before I could even volunteer, and the confidence in her voice made several students turn to look at us.

Violet immediately took a step forward, but Professor Stroll’s voice stopped her. "Stay where you are, Miss Vale. Interfering will cause both students to fail this round."

Violet hesitated and I didn’t miss the way her jaw tightened, but she eventually stopped. When she looked at me again, I gave her another small reassuring nod. I could handle this. Or at least, I hoped I could.

The practical began almost immediately.

Aria raised one hand, and shadowy silver light began gathering around her fingers. At first, I watched carefully, trying to identify what kind of illusion she was constructing. Then the classroom around me blurred. The desks disappeared. The walls dissolved. And suddenly I was standing in the middle of the academy courtyard with dozens of students surrounding me.

My heart gave one hard beat when I saw the person standing several feet away. Reign. Blonde hair, blue eyes, and that familiar arrogant expression. But this version of him wasn’t simply standing there. He was laughing. Around him, students were laughing too, and then I saw myself standing in the center of them, humiliated, helpless, and looking like I had just walked out of a garbage pile.

Aria had chosen this.

She hadn’t chosen spiders, monsters, death, darkness, or anything remotely abstract. She had deliberately chosen Reign humiliating me.

The illusion intensified just as the thought of it being anything but reality started taking root in my head.

Reign grabbed my arm and forced me to my knees while the crowd watched. Someone shouted that the so-called princess wasn’t even strong enough to defend herself. Another voice mocked me for needing Jasper to protect me. Reign’s expression twisted cruelly as he told me that I was nothing without the title I had inherited.

For several seconds, the entire class believed Aria had succeeded. I could hear gasps from somewhere beyond the illusion, and I knew the scene must have looked convincing from outside.

Violet’s voice reached me faintly, furious and frightened, but Professor Stroll stopped her again. "Do not interfere."

But something unexpected happened.

I didn’t feel afraid.

Months ago, perhaps I would have. The old Elara - the girl who had arrived at Moonveil unaware and unable to control her own magic, who had been terrified of her identity, terrified of the Regents, terrified of what everyone expected from her - might have been shaken by an illusion like this. But I wasn’t that girl anymore.

I looked at the false Reign standing over me and almost laughed. "You really think this scares me?" I asked quietly.

The illusion faltered.

Aria’s expression appeared in the corner of my vision, her confidence slipping as she realized something was wrong. She pushed harder, forcing the scene to become more brutal, but instead of surrendering to it, I felt something inside me become completely still.

Kairo had taught me that an illusion only became real when the mind accepted it. He had made me repeat the same exercise dozens of times until I could distinguish what belonged to my senses and what belonged to me.

I had struggled with it at first. I had failed more times than I could count. But now as I closed my eyes, the barrier constructed itself instantly with ease and the entire illusion shattered.

It didn’t fade or weakened. No, it shattered under the force of my mental shield slamming in place.

The courtyard exploded into fragments of silver light, collapsing inward until nothing remained except the classroom. I opened my eyes to find Reign’s illusion still standing directly in front of me for one final second.

I didn’t hesitate. I swung my hand and smacked him hard across the face. The sound echoed through the classroom as the false Reign vanished.