First Leap

From atop the stage, Kaela Drayven—the Archer Squad Leader—watched her team.

She was a woman with dark green eyes that gleamed like sharpened blades and short black hair adorned with small metal rings, each one representing a battle won in Aurora’s tournaments. Her light armor was reinforced at the shoulders and forearms, sculpted with details resembling stylized wings that symbolized the speed of her arrows.

In her hands was a bow made of black wood with indigo-blue runes, an extension of her own body. Scars marked her arms and crossed the left side of her face, adding to her aura of an indestructible veteran. A gray cloak wrapped around her shoulders like a scarf, bearing her Squad’s emblem: crossed arrows over a circle. A curved dagger rested at her belt, ready for close combat if necessary.

All the other teams had left the hall following their Leaders; Kaela, however, remained on the stage.

“She’s acting weird... She’s so quiet,” Diana whispered.

“What if she’s waiting for something?” Art replied.

“From us...?”

“With how long you’ve served in her Squad, I thought you’d be used to her by now.” Beside them, Sylvaine spoke through barely moving lips, her yellow eyes pointed downward in an attempt to avoid being caught talking. She was a Shieldbearer with long red hair and brown skin.

“We don’t exactly have the best relationship in the world...” Diana said, barely moving her lips.

“Can’t you all just stay quiet?”

Kenno interrupted them. His orange eyes remained fixed on the stage. He was a Support from one of the three major noble families. He wore a red tunic with golden details that complemented his brown hair without sacrificing his aristocratic style.

Taking advantage of the opening his friend had created in the conversation, Oliver, the Swordsman with long blond hair and ruby-colored eyes, saw an opportunity to stand out.

“Leave it to me, you useless fools!”

With calm steps, he left the formation and approached the stage. His eyes focused on the Leader as though no one else were around. His posture quickly straightened, radiating confidence.

“What are your orders, Leader?” A faint smile escaped him.

Kaela showed no reaction. Not even her cloak stirred in the light current of air that passed through the main hall. The silence echoed in Oliver’s mind, and his confident expression slowly crumbled.

“Oliver Everhart... minus one point,” she said coldly.

“What? But...”

The prince questioned her, unsure how to react. Accustomed to constant praise and special treatment that reminded him of his noble status at every turn, he felt the harsh contrast in his superior’s behavior.

Diana tried to hold back a laugh.

“I knew she’d do that.”

The rest of the team lowered their heads, trying not to mirror their archer friend’s reaction. The sounds of suppressed laughter echoed despite their efforts.

“Get back in formation, boy!” the Leader ordered.

Oliver walked back to the line with his head raised in disdain.

Soon, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed through the hall, marked by the metallic contact of armor against the floor. Two soldiers dressed in silver entered, holding their helmets against their chests. The urgency in their steps showed their determination to complete their task.

“Your transport is waiting, Leader!” one of the soldiers reported.

“The moment we’ve been waiting for has arrived, Warriors of Aurora!” Leader Kaela, assigned to command them on the mission, finally declared. “Show me why you’re here!”

She stepped down from the stage and headed for the exit. The team followed her in formation. They passed through the vast corridors made of white obsidian and golden runes that connected the main hall to the various areas of the base.

Along the way, they could see all of them: living quarters, training grounds, workshops and laboratories, observation towers, the infirmary, library, Leaders’ chamber, and prison.

After a few minutes, they reached the hangar—the transportation area—where they saw several Velaros. These vehicles were used to transport rare materials throughout the kingdom. They resembled ordinary carriages, except they were made entirely of black adamantite and had repulsion tubes in place of wheels. The tubes made the vehicles float by absorbing the driver’s mana and converting it into energy.

One of the vehicles stopped in front of the team. It had a sturdy design, necessary both for carrying heavy loads and providing protection, as well as several layers of paint that gave it a deep, almost opaque metallic sheen, as though it absorbed light rather than reflected it. Its sides were decorated with subtle bluish runic engravings that pulsed faintly whenever the vehicle was activated, indicating the flow of mana being converted into energy.

The repulsion tubes generated a magical suspension field. When activated, they released a faint mist—the remnants of condensed mana—and caused the Velaros to levitate gently, as though gliding through the air rather than traveling across the ground.

The front of each vehicle featured a reinforced cabin with a designated space where the driver could channel mana directly into the central mechanism, which was made of black adamantite in its pure state, taking full advantage of the material’s magical absorption capacity.

“We’re going inside those things?” Kenno asked with a look of disgust.

The Velaro came to life, emitting a hum like several birds hissing at once. The machine moved forward, its sound growing into a powerful rush of wind, the continuous magical current.

“No! It would be good for stealth, but we don’t have time,” Leader Kaela replied. “Today we’re testing something new...” she added, pointing toward where Lucian’s team had gathered.

The vehicle cleared the way for the team to cross to the other side of the hangar, where several more were parked beneath covered structures beside an open area used for testing new equipment.

As they approached, everyone stared in astonishment at the structure in the testing field: a repulsion tube—the same kind used in the Velaros—scaled up tenfold, large enough to fit even a heavily built Warrior inside. The tube was connected to thick copper cables with a circumference greater than the arms of an adult human. They conducted the energy stored inside the black adamantite boxes into the repulsion tube.

When a large amount of energy was applied to a tube all at once, it overheated, creating a reaction that repelled anything in contact with it at hypersonic speed. The phenomenon was known as the Feringer Repulsion Effect, discovered by Ezekiel Feringer, a renowned former scientist from Aurora’s Department of Science who was responsible for some of the kingdom’s greatest technological advancements.

“Is that Mark?” Art asked, trying to connect the silhouette he could see inside the machine with the image of his Swordsman friend.

VVVVVVH! SSHHH!!

The rising hum began as the “turbine” gained power. Metallic cracks signaled the compression of magical energy before launch. The hissing grew louder, transforming into a pulsating metallic roar, like a swarm of mechanical bees intensifying until it became a piercing howl.

THOOOOM!!

The blast echoed throughout the hangar. The howl became a deep roar, like thunder preceding a powerful bolt of lightning. Markos was launched toward the sky at hypersonic speed. His scream grew fainter as he disappeared toward the top of the Dome.

“Eh?” Diana raised an eyebrow, confused.

“Get in line. You’re next,” Kaela said with a smile that revealed her satisfaction at seeing her team’s fear mixed with the adrenaline of trying something new.

“Do you know how this thing works?” Art asked.

“Don’t call me ma’am.” She looked irritated. “Instead of asking me, ask your friend how her father helped develop this beauty,” she added, glancing sideways at Diana.

“Ugh! She really never changes...” Diana whispered to herself.

At that moment, a sudden wave of sickness overtook Art’s body. He staggered as a sharp throbbing pain exploded inside his head. He pressed a hand against his temple as though he could contain the growing pain. His vision blurred; dark spots danced before his eyes while a deep ringing drowned out the world around him. The sensation became a pulsating wave scraping against his mind from within. He squeezed his eyes shut and gritted his teeth as a sharp stab pierced his skull. A groan escaped him before he could stop it.

“Ahhrg!”

“What is it, Art? Are you okay?” Diana approached him, worried.

“Yeah, it’s just an annoying headache. Probably because of how loud this thing is.”

“Yeah... my dad said he made something called an Air Cannon. This must be it.”

Once again, the machine was activated. The already-charged black adamantite boxes sent their energy into the repulsion tube, overloading it. The copper cables trembled in sync with the high-pitched sound it emitted.

VVVVVVVSHHH! THOOOOM!!

“And there goes Leader Lucian,” Sylvaine commented. The brown-skinned Shieldbearer’s long red hair whipped around in the wind created by the launch.

“Who wants to go first?” Kaela asked, smiling at her team.

“I’ll go last... A leader has to play his part,” Oliver said, feigning confidence.

“Scared?” Art shot back, provoking him.

“The rabble tests it first. Then royalty gets to use it.”

Sylvaine interrupted them by volunteering with a step forward. Her attitude silenced her companions, who turned their attention toward her. The Leader, on the other hand, was thrilled by the Shieldbearer’s initiative.

“Very good! Plus one point for you, girl!”

Pleased by the recognition, she secured her shield onto the mount on her back and stepped into the cannon. By this point, everyone had already grown accustomed to the noises the machine made.

After the Warrior was launched, the group’s Support decided it would be advantageous to volunteer next, despite his fear of heights. Kenno stepped forward, expecting to be rewarded as well. The group’s Leader, however, shattered his expectations within seconds.

“I wasn’t expecting that from you, Soldier. Looks like you’re tougher than you seem.”

“Thanks for the poi—Eh?”

Now confused, the boy stared at Kaela with his mouth hanging open, waiting for some response confirming the point he expected.

“Are you just going to stand there staring at me? Hurry up! Get in the cannon!”

The order echoed in the young Support’s mind. He had overcome his fear for the sake of the reward he imagined receiving. As he approached the machine, his eyes widened and he began sweating uncontrollably.

“Uh... Ah... I think I forgot... Where are my manners? Ladies first! My apologies, Diana! Haha!” he said, walking back toward the group.

“Urgh! How pathetic!” Kaela muttered, covering her eyes with one hand. “That’s an order! Get in the cannon!”

Now hanging his head, Kenno reluctantly placed his trembling feet inside the tube. As he activated the mechanisms, the machine’s operator tried to hide his laughter at the scene he had just witnessed.

VVVVVVVSHHH! THOOOOM!!

The young Support screamed as he was launched. The sound grew weaker as he disappeared into the distance.

“Sounds like I can still hear him screaming.” Diana smiled.

“And remember to give the kid another point. I think he screamed the loudest...” the Leader said, her voice wavering somewhere between sarcasm and seriousness.

Art and Diana laughed. Oliver, on the other hand, maintained his disdainful posture. With his arms crossed, he glanced sideways at the others.

“You’re next, Your Highness!” Kaela ordered.

“But...”

“Want to lose another point?” she interrupted, her expression serious.

The prince placed his right hand on the hilt of the sword resting at his waist, tilting it slightly backward. With calm steps and perfect posture, he walked past everyone with his head held high and his chin slightly raised. He brushed the dust from his family crest: the face of a black bull with golden horns.

Once he was far enough away, he muttered irritably:

“Who does she think she is?”

Oliver stepped into the cannon. He crossed his arms and closed his eyes. Throughout the launch, he remained silent from beginning to end.

VVVVVVVSHHH! THOOOOM!!

“Inventor!” Kaela looked at Diana.

“I’m an Archer!” she replied as she headed toward the Cannon. “Can’t that woman go a single day without messing with me?” she muttered to herself.

Diana picked up her bow, made from luminis wood and black adamantite, a gift Marian—Art’s mother—had given her when she was a child. She held it in front of her body with both hands so it would fit easily inside the tube. Near the sight window and grip of the bow was an inscription: “To Sarah’s princess. With love, Marian!”

Already inside the machine and ready to be launched into Aurora’s sky, she quickly examined the mechanisms of her father’s creation while thinking through how it worked.

“...The machine operator must be a Mage. He probably charges the black adamantite boxes with mana, then the excess energy in the tube creates the Feringer Repulsion Effect... but what about the landing? Maybe the route is already magi—” She stopped when she looked at Art, who had once again placed a hand against his head, his teeth clenched in obvious pain. “What’s happening to you, Art?” she wondered aloud just before being launched.

After his friend’s launch, Art continued hiding his condition. Sweat covered his face as he pretended everything was normal so the Leader wouldn’t notice his condition and prevent him from joining the mission.

“Come on, kid! Hurry up!” Kaela urged him.

“...” Art wiped the sweat from his forehead and pushed back his hair. He was trying to regain control of himself.

As he stepped into the Cannon, he realized something was missing.

“Strange! She didn’t give us any instructions. Could it be...”

VVVVVVVSHHH! THOOOOM!!

The launch cut him off. The young Attack Mage was now shooting toward the sky at incredible speed. He could barely focus his eyes on the scenery around him until he reached the highest point of his flight, where his vertical speed dropped close to zero. At that moment, he managed to calm himself and steady his breathing.

“This is insane!...”

During those few seconds, Art marveled at the view. He could see the entire kingdom below and the translucent texture of the Dome—only a few meters above him—reflected in his blue eyes.

When he turned his gaze toward the outside world, he felt as though time had stopped. The great ice-covered mountains to the north, the forests surrounding the kingdom to the east, and the horizon of the “endless” sea to the west made him feel free, allowing him to forget for a moment about the barrier standing between him and the vastness of nature.

But when he looked toward the barren lands to the south, he saw the sprawling camps of the creatures that constantly attacked the Dome. At that moment, his vision blurred as the intense headache returned.

Unite them!

A woman’s voice echoed through his mind, pulling him back to reality.

“What the hell is that?” He placed a hand against his face, connecting the voice to the persistent pain in his head.

Then he realized he was in free fall, plummeting toward the Forest Reserve in the western part of the kingdom, near the Rural Zone.

It was where the farmers responsible for tending the crops and animals essential to Aurora’s food supply and survival lived. The area was marked by natural springs and fertile land suitable for cultivation, along with simple houses built only from mud, wood, stone, and foliage.

“What?!” Art nearly screamed in fear of the fall. He stopped, however, when he noticed the reddish force field surrounding him, preventing him from accelerating. “Mr. Raymond really is incredible!” he added with a faint smile, relieved.

Moments later, he reached the mission site in the middle of a dense forest of towering trees.

As he landed gently, he noticed the pain in his head fading away, but the voice he had heard still lingered in his thoughts.