1 Chapter 1 The Mirrors Trial

Ms. Elis squeezes my shoulders reassuringly. "Don't be nervous you will do just fine."

I let out a soft sigh. "Thanks for the encouragement but its been a week since I was summoned here and I still haven't made any progress with my powers."

She giggles poking my cheek. "You're right. It's only been a week, Have some faith in yourself. The Mirrors Trial is meant to show your future potential to everyone in the academy."

I turn my head slightly. "That's the part I'm worried about."

She nudges me from behind. "Come on you're the last one."

We step through the massive double doors to the auditorium, at least that's what they call this place. It looks like a massive sports arena that's packed to the rafters. The thumping of my heart is louder than the murmur of the crowd. Come on Ren calm down... This is nothing, It's just a test that will show everyone your true nature and you'll have no memory of it... that's not weird at all...

I shake my head slightly glancing down at Titan. He wags his tail happily licking my hand. The thumping slows and I give him a half-smile as I pat his head. The large black mirror has no reflection and sits on a large altar in the center of the room. It's like it's eating the light around it... Is this a black hole of some kind?

The headmaster's voice echos from the speakers. "Welcome everyone to the final day of our Fallen Lights Festival, I hope everyone has had a great time watching the broadcasts of our freshmen up until now."

The auditorium erupts with loud cheering. I just wanna get this over with already, my body feels like it's about to burst into flames. "Let's end this Festival with a bang shall we."

I think you are putting a little too much faith into my abilities their headmaster. I doubt my trial will last more than 5 minutes given what I've seen already. The strongest student in the freshman class didn't even last 10 minutes before getting devoured by a huge bear. The upperclassmen weren't too happy about that since they bet on her making it to at least 13 minutes.

The crystals around the mirror glow bright and everything goes black...

The cold frigid wind burns my cheeks as I stumble through the snow pulling Titan along as best I can. "Come on Titan!"

The haunting roar of the ice bears reverberates through my chest. Im not sure how fast my heart is beating but I know I'm running on empty right now...

Titan barks as a horned bear rises out of the snow next to us. "Holy-"

Snow gives beneath me sending me tumbling down a slope, I reach around frantically trying to stop myself. I catch a glimpse of a large dark fracture in the ground, I pull my Ice pick out stabbing it into the snow behind me trying to catch any type of rock or grass. "Come on!"

As I slip off the side my Axe catches a rock causing me to dangle above infinite darkness. I catch Titan as he slips off holding him close to my chest our weight isn't going to hold on this rock for much longer...

The roaring of the bears shakes the ground and the rocks give. "Damn bears!"

I let go of the ice pick wrapping my arms around Titan bracing for impact. I land a lot sooner than I thought I would. I groan rolling over on my side. "Titan are you okay?"

He licks my face wagging his tail. I reach up slightly. "I'll take that as a yes."

There's no way ill be able to climb back up that cliff at least I landed at the mouth of this cave, let's just hope I don't have any unwanted companions inside. I go in the glowing cave looking around for anything useful but my body is just too weak to handle much movement. I start a fire and sit against the wall trying to conserve my energy.

I look through my display to see just how bad my situation is... I have only enough food for 3 days and that's just feeding myself.

I cook Titan and me something to eat, he lays his head on my lap and I stroke his fur while watching the fire dance around. It's enchanting... I never knew why I was always so fascinated with fire. Maybe its the raw destructive power it has? Or just that it's so beautiful to watch and you can never just reach out and touch it.

I eat and sleep until my supplies run out. If I would have killed one of those bears we would be set right now. The pain in my stomach is unbearable none of those meals I made was enough to give me even a small sliver of energy. I pet Titans head seeing my knife gleam in the dim light of the fire.

I pick it up walking over to the mouth of the cave tossing it down into the darkness below. I wait for the clink to echo through the crevice and turn slowly seeing Titan raise his head slightly. I head over sitting next to him drifting off to sleep. I used too much of my energy... time to get some rest.

I wake up to the sound of a deep growl, it takes all I can to open my eyes fully and assess the situation. The fire is out and the only light is coming from the glowing green fungus in the cave. Titan has reverted back to his primal instincts...

I hold my hand up slightly speaking with a weak voice. "Easy boy-"

He barks lunging at me. I fall over and his body slams into the rock behind me crumbling it revealing a deeper area of the cave. I try to move out of the rubble getting to the middle of the room. He lunges again biting down on my shoulder. "ahh..."

I wince reaching around beside me grabbing a large rock I hold it up slightly looking at his wild eyes. I sigh weakly dropping the rock resting my hand on his head. I hear a squeak glancing to my left seeing a large cave mouse hiding in a little crack. That must be what Titan was sniffing around for when we first came in here.

I grab it quickly crushing its head tossing it away from me. Titan bolts over to it devouring it. I breathe heavily feeling my body heat up as everything starts getting blurry. Is this what death feels like?

Im sleepy again...

A cold sensation envelops my body and I burst awake sitting up in a pond of glowing water. I reach over feeling my wound it's gone? The crystals on the ceiling have been dripping mana into this water making it an incredibly powerful source of mana. How did I-

I glance over at the bank seeing Titan with his head on his paws wagging his tail slightly seeing if I'm angry with him. I laugh slightly. "You aren't yourself when you're hungry huh?"

He jumps into the water coming over to me licking my face. I pat his head. "Thanks for saving me."

He gets out coming over with a bunch of dead cave mice. I put them in my inventory thanking him. He barks heading over to a large stone door. "This is the gate back to the academy I was looking for! let activate this thing and get out of here."

I touch the door and it bursts open with cold air blasting us across the room into the pond of mana. A legendary horned bear comes out of the room with the gate mirror inside. "Of course it would be guarded by a damn bear!"

If I can just get around that thing and Activate the gate we will be taken back. I get up running for the door but the horned bear uses his wind slash to blow me against the wall. I groan hearing Titan barking. "What are you-"

He runs to the other side of the room trying to get his attention. He's making an opening for me? I get up running into the room turning the gate on. The portal opens and I hear Titan yelp the bear has slashed him in the side with a wind slash.

I look at the gate for a moment... I stop everything and hit myself in the face as hard as I can. "What the hell am I thinking."

I turn holding my hand out the bear goes for another slash but a ball of black chains appear around Titan blocking the attack. "Get away from him!"

He turns roaring at me I put all my power into my legs jumping high into the air attaching two chains to his arms yanking myself down with all my might kicking a massive hole in his chest rolling through the water landing on my knees as his body bursts into blue light flowing into my body. I disperse the chain barrier touching his head. "Titan stay with me I will heal you."

His blood is turning the pond red he lifts his head slightly licking my cheek laying it down. "T-Titan?"

I lift his head. "Come on stay with me. I told you we were going to get out of here together remember."

I hold a healing spell over his wound but nothing is happening. "Work already!"

Tears fill my eyes slowly making it hard to see. "T-Titan..."

I look through my display frantically. "There has to be a way! come on! I know this thing has one."

I find a spell I can afford to buy with the money I just got from killing that legendary horned bear. I allocate all my stat points so it will be that much more effective, I hold my hand against his body. "Gates of eternity, bind my soul through time and space, awaken this spirit as my divine servant. Greater Spirit Pact."

black chains wrap around Titan floating him into the air above me. One of them goes through my chest glowing bright blue. I gasp trying to stay focused as all my power is sapped out. I reach down cupping the water into my hands drinking it to replenish my mana over and over again as his body grows to the size of a small truck.

His body is healed and laid down in front of me I can barely think or move. I fall forward on his body breathing heavily. I hear a heartbeat and tear up slightly. "M-Master?"

I turn my head slightly. "So you can talk now?"

He chuckles. "It seems so, Why would you go so far for me? I am just your pet."

I reach over touching his head. "I did it because you're my pet... We are a family, we go home together. no matter what."

He wags his tail in the water. "Understood."

I buy vials filling them with the mana water and loot the crystals around the room while resting against his body. "Let's get out of here."

He helps me up and we make our way to the gate. I see my reflection on a dark crystal on the wall and everything goes black...

My alarm goes off and I sit up quickly looking at the time. "Damn Titan I told you to wake me up early today!"

I rush around my room looking for my things equipping my formal clothes for my job interview. My body is washed and dried instantly when I equip something so it makes getting ready easier. He crawls out from under the covers in his puppy form speaking with his cute high pitched voice. "We had a hard workout yesterday I thought we could sleep in."

I glance back as I am packing my backpack. "Any day but today buddy."

He wags his tail. "Do we have time for breakfast big brother?"

He gives me puppy dog eyes and I turn my head sighing. "Fine..."

He floats pasting me going into the kitchen. "I'll set the table!"

That brat... He better be glad I worked on dynamic movements yesterday.