Azrael walked forward, unfazed by the crushing pressure surrounding him. The weight of the soul gates bore down on his shoulders, but his steps remained steady, controlled, each one placed with effortless precision.
51... 52... 53...
The arena trembled with energy.
People shouted from the stands, their voices rising in a mix of excitement and disbelief.
"He's still going!"
"That's Azrael of House Rodeny! Of course, he'd make it this far!
"But no one has passed the 80th gate in decades!"
The tension in the air was palpable. Even the judges, who had seen countless trials before, exchanged subtle glances, their carefully measured expressions betraying the flicker of intrigue in their eyes.
Azrael didn't stop.
60... 70... 80...
Students who had fallen stood in stunned silence, watching him continue his relentless march.
But suddenly footsteps echoed behind him.
Another figure was moving forward.
Atlas.
The young commoner stepped past the previous gates, his pace slower but no less determined. His breath came steady, his posture firm, his eyes locked onto the path ahead. Every step was a challenge, yet he met it head-on, refusing to falter. And the crowd noticed him.
"Wait—"
"Atlas is still going!"
"He's keeping up with Azrael!"
"A commoner is competing with a Rodeny noble?!"
"Who is he actually? What's his real identity?"
Gasps rippled through the stands like wildfire. The contrast between them couldn't be more striking, Azrael, the heir to a powerful noble house, his strength expected, his dominance almost inevitable.
And then there was Atlas, a boy with no family name, no status, no legacy, yet here he was, standing shoulder to shoulder with a legend in the making.
The air crackled with tension.
80....
90...
91... 92...
Dune's heart pounded as he watched his friend. Then, slowly, a grin spread across his face. "Keep going...you can do this!"
Despite his own failure, despite the bitter sting of being thrown back, pride burned in his chest. He had always known Atlas was strong, but this, this was something else entirely.
His fists clenched at his sides. Go, Atlas.
But not everyone felt the same way.
Ned stood frozen, his entire body stiff. His breath was caught in his throat, his fingers trembling at his sides. He had only made it to Gate 15. He had fallen, while Atlas kept going.
His mind reeled. How? Why?
Atlas had always been strong, sure, but was he really this much stronger? What made him so special? His chest tightened, something ugly twisting deep in his stomach. He wasn't even angry anymore. He was just...numb.
95... 96... 97...
A hush fell over the arena, the deafening roar of the crowd fading into **anticipation.** People held their breath, their eyes locked onto the two figures pushing toward the end of the path.
Azrael and Atlas moved in sync now, two silhouettes against the endless stretch of the trial.
98... 99...
And then...
They reached the 100th gate. For a heartbeat, the world stood still. Then the arena exploded.
"THEY DID IT!"
"100 GATES! TWO PEOPLE REACHED 100 GATES!"
"THIS IS HISTORY IN THE MAKING!"
The thunderous roar of the crowd shook the very ground beneath them. People leapt from their seats, shouting, clapping, screaming their names.
Even the highest officials, King Aramir, Damion, Ramires, Magma, all of them were watching now with shocked expressions, their usual indifference shattered by what they had just witnessed.
Dune let out a breathless laugh, shaking his head in disbelief. Atlas actually did it. He couldn't stop grinning. But amidst the chaos, Ned did not cheer. He stood there, motionless, his body cold, his mind blank. His gaze locked onto the two figures standing at the very end of the gates, the ones who had made it.
Ramires' hoarse voice echoed through the arena, filled with disbelief.
"Unbelievable... We have never seen anything like this before! And now, not only have we witnessed one person with 100% potential,
but two! Can you all believe that?"
He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in before continuing. "Atlas... and Azrael Rodeny from the Rodeny family... You two are now officially part of Bloodrose Academy!"
A stunned silence hung in the air before the crowd erupted into deafening cheers.
Dune grinned, his heart pounding in his chest. Atlas actually did it. He felt a surge of pride, no one deserved this more than Atlas, not after everything he had been through.
Atlas stood still, trying to process what had just happened. His breathing was uneven, his hands trembling slightly. Did I really do this? He never expected his own soul to be this powerful, never imagined he could walk through all 100 gates and reach the final one.
Yet, here he was.
His gaze drifted across the arena, searching for a familiar face. When he spotted Dune, he couldn't help but smile.
Dune met his eyes and waved, his expression full of pride. Atlas exhaled, his grip tightening at his sides.
This was just the beginning.