The auditorium at Babel University was more beautiful than Aurox had expected. Everything was polished wood, well-maintained, as if the space were older than the institution itself. The high ceiling formed a delicate arch, and the cushioned seats creaked softly when occupied. The group entered together, unhurried, observing the room, which was already half full.

  “Way better than Professor Cen’s cssroom,” commented Kael, choosing a seat near the stage. Nina nodded, yawning.

  Up front, two Hunters were already present. One of them was a young man with an easy smile and eyes that lit up whenever a girl passed by. He wore casual clothes, a half-zipped jacket, and a shiny chain around his neck. Aurox saw him cheerfully greet two students and then offer a demonstration of his power — something involving paper that transformed into small folded creatures.

  Next to him, a woman stood silently, her posture rigid. Her hair was tied in a bun, and the expression lines on her face revealed experience. She wore the official uniform of the urban support division, making it clear that neither of them were famous. They were support Hunters — the kind who reinforced local police or gave lectures at universities.

  Mika nudged Aurox and discreetly pointed to the stage. “His smile shines brighter than his skills.”

  “Maybe that’s part of the charm,” said Nina. “At least he’s not boring.”

  Kael adjusted in his seat, eyes fixed on the woman. “She looks like she knows more than she’ll say.”

  Aurox just watched. Sitting there, surrounded by his friends, he felt a strange peace. They ughed, whispered, made jokes about the flirty Hunter, and for a moment, everything felt normal.

  But then he felt it.

  A subtle chill, as if something in the room had shifted.

  His eyes turned to the back of the auditorium. There, among the shadows, leaning against the wall, was Dolei. Tall, always with a sloppily worn uniform and a smile that never meant anything good. His eyes were fixed on them, especially Kael. The sly smile that followed was a silent warning. Trouble was coming.

  Kael saw him too and didn’t react. But the tension in his jaw betrayed his awareness. Mika rolled her eyes. “That idiot again.”

  Before they could comment further, both instructors looked at their watches almost at the same time. The woman stood up first, adjusting the microphone with a light magical touch.

  “Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for coming. Let’s begin our lecture on this semester’s Combat Tournament. To start, a piece of news: this semester, the event will not only be open to the public but will also feature the presence of some important representatives... big names interested in evaluating students up close.”

  The murmuring was immediate.

  The cheerful Hunter added with an excited smile, “That means whoever stands out might get more than just campus fame. You’re being watched. Literally.”

  “Additionally,” the woman continued, ignoring her colleague’s attempt at suspense, “this semester’s prize will be significantly greater than usual. The winner will have the chance to receive private lessons from the Director of Babel.”

  The auditorium froze for a second. Even though few knew much about him, the Director was an almost legendary figure. A former high-ranking Hunter, rarely seen outside his office. Some said he possessed a gift so powerful that not even the university could fully track it.

  “Of course,” added the younger Hunter, “you still have to survive the tournament. But hey, let the fun begin.”

  Aurox felt his heart beat a little faster.

  For the first time, maybe... he was curious to see how far he could go.

  The questions started slowly. The more outgoing students made lighthearted comments — someone asked if the Hunters had funny stories, another asked what the strangest monster they had ever faced was.

  “I once fought a snail that spat acid and screamed with a child’s voice... but the weirdest thing was definitely my mission partner that week,” replied the cheerful Hunter, drawing ughter.

  The woman, on the other hand, answered directly and clearly, with no embellishments.

  A student raised her hand. “What’s the exact date of the tournament?”

  “One month from now,” the female Hunter replied. “The schedule will be published tomorrow.”

  “And how will the fights work? One-on-one? Teams?”

  “Individual combat system, one-on-one. No exceptions.”

  Another question came. “Will magical items be allowed?”

  “Only simple melee weapons. Nothing that provides direct magical advantage. We want to evaluate students’ control and creativity, not their artifacts.”

  A bolder student stood up and asked, ughing, “Is the paper Hunter single?”

  The auditorium burst into ughter. The Hunter smiled and leaned toward the microphone. “Unfortunately... yes. But I’m committed to my profession. I mean... most of the time.”

  More ughter.

  The female Hunter sighed deeply, as if she were already used to it.

  With the Q&A concluded, it was announced that registrations would be open right after the lecture. Some students rushed to the table by the door. Others hesitated.

  Aurox stood still.

  Mika looked at him. “Are you going?”

  He swallowed hard. “I don’t know... What if I—”

  Kael cut him off. “You’re going.”

  “You are,” Nina added, gently grabbing his wrist. “You need this. And we want to see you there.”

  For a moment, he thought of refusing. But the three of them looked at him with firm, confident eyes. Something he couldn’t see in himself, but maybe it was there, buried deep down.

  He walked to the table and wrote his name.

  Leaving the auditorium, the group walked with light steps, almost dancing between jokes.

  “I’m going to crush you in the tournament, Mika,” Kael said with a smirk.

  “You’ll trip on your own ego before that happens,” she replied.

  Nina ughed silently, floating in soft pulses as if gravity had turned to breeze.

  Aurox waved goodbye to them, headphones already on. The music gradually drowned out the world, repcing the campus buzz with a soundtrack of his own.

  He stopped under a tall, secluded tree.

  Lightly touched the back of his neck and whispered.

  “Listen.”

  The words floated in the air for a moment before disappearing. In his palm, the Book of Legends glowed faintly, and a small creature emerged. It looked like a dry leaf with thin legs and round eyes. Discreet. Almost invisible.

  Aurox smiled.

  “Keep watch. Let me know if something strange happens.”

  He pced the creature on the ground and walked away, hands in his pockets, eyes on the sky.