"So I'm the traitor now, huh?" Frey let out a soft chuckle, but his killing intent surged, blanketing Aegon and everyone who had gathered around him.
"There's a fundamental difference between us, Aegon. If I wanted you all dead… you would be."
If he truly were the traitor, half the elite class would've fallen before they even realized what was happening.
"Then do it."
Even under Frey's pressure, Aegon didn't flinch.
In that moment, Frey was ready to cut him down—ready to clash with the entire elite class if that's what it took to silence the serpent that had hissed in his ear for far too long.
Snow Lionheart saw it clearly. His counterpart was about to make a move he couldn't take back.
And so, Snow resolved to stop him.
Ghost, Danzo, and Sansa all followed, bracing themselves for what could be the beginning of a disaster.
But—just before it could all spiral into chaos…
Everyone froze the moment something crashed down from the sky, shaking the ground and triggering an ear-splitting explosion.
From within the swirling sandstorm, a man emerged—his aura explosive, his fiery brown hair wild, and his eyes glowing fiercely as if searching for something.
And he quickly found it.
The Elite Class recognized him at once. That man was the sole glimmer of hope in the sea of despair they were trapped in.
"Professor Phoenix!!"
One of the girls—most likely Emilia—screamed and ran straight toward him.
Phoenix Sunlight exhaled deeply in relief. He had finally found them.
Judging by the intense aura surrounding him and the sweat soaking his body, it was clear he'd been searching for them for quite some time.
Most of the students were overjoyed to see him. Others, however, sought answers.
"Professor Phoenix…"
Snow Lionheart was the first to step forward.
"What exactly happened? And… are we truly inside Ultras territory?"
Somewhere deep inside, he still hoped this was all part of the test. But Phoenix's answer wasn't what he wanted to hear.
"I'm not sure what happened exactly. All I know is that something went wrong the moment you entered the gate. So I rushed in after you."
Upon entering the gate, he was pulled along with them—only to be spat out moments later when Frey tampered with the system. Because he hadn't gone in at the same time, he ended up several kilometers away.
Phoenix went silent for a long moment, then finally spoke with firm resolve, realizing that hiding the truth would only make things worse.
"You need to understand, kids... this isn't a test. We're truly somewhere inside the continent of Ultras."
That confirmation crushed the last shred of hope the elite class had been holding onto—that all of this might've been part of some extreme trial.
Elsewhere, Frey and Aegon were still locked in a tense stare, even after Phoenix's sudden arrival.
"Kikikiki… would you look at that?"
Both turned their heads at once toward the third person beside them, who burst out laughing.
With his towering build and blond hair—the mark of House Valerion—Daemon chimed in from the side.
He had remained neutral despite being Aegon's cousin.
"Why not just fight it out already? Simple and honest."
Daemon's words were laced with meaning, aimed directly at Aegon. The prince preferred scheming in the shadows, while Daemon believed in straightforward action.
That might be the biggest reason Daemon despised him.
Aegon simply shrugged with the same ever-present smile and made his way toward Phoenix, who had already taken note of the tension between him and Frey.
"Those methods suit you better, Daemon. But how about this instead?"
With just a few well-placed hand gestures, Aegon managed to draw the attention of everyone around him.
"Since we've fallen into this deadly trap, we need to find a way to survive. In other words—we need to find a way home."
"And how exactly do you propose we do that?" Sansa snapped on purpose, clearly unimpressed.
The continent of Ultras was leagues away from the Empire, separated by the Demon Sea, which swarmed with the most deadly Nightmare Beasts.
Crossing that entire distance and making it out alive was beyond impossible.
But Aegon had already considered that.
"Teleportation gates," he said.
Phoenix narrowed his eyes.
"There are no direct teleportation gates between the Empire and Ultras," Selena interjected—but Aegon chuckled.
"You actually believe that?"
"Compared to your claim, that's the more logical assumption. Are you seriously saying there are gates connecting us to our worst enemies?!"
The Empire and Ultras were on the brink of war. The idea of direct gates linking them was absurd.
"Then you're even more naïve than I thought," Aegon replied, making Selena scowl.
"What?"
"How do you think the Ultras have been launching their attacks until now? By crossing the entire Demon Sea each time?"
"That's…"
Come to think of it, their appearances had often been abrupt—without warning.
"There must be gates somewhere… isn't that right, Professor Phoenix?"
Aegon turned his words deliberately to the strongest man among them.
The Lord of Sunlight remained silent.
In truth, he couldn't deny what Aegon had said. The Empire had long suspected the existence of such teleportation gates—and had even discovered a few.
Gates left over from the First War, more than three hundred years ago. The likelihood of there being an extra one or two they still hadn't uncovered was very real.
"The prince is right."
The moment Phoenix said those words, Aegon's smile widened.
In truth, he was certain of the gates' existence. He had used one himself once, during secret negotiations with the Ultras.
Of course, he didn't mention that to anyone.
"What now, Frey? Still think I'm the traitor? I just gave you half the solution."
Aegon never missed a chance to provoke Frey.
The latter said nothing. Meanwhile, the prince wrapped up his argument by giving the group a direction.
"We have to find one of those gates."
That was their only hope.
"But... how? Are you suggesting we scour an entire continent where everyone wants us dead?"
Danzo frowned as he spoke, while Aegon simply shrugged, making it clear that he'd done his part. Whether they succeeded in finding the gates or not was entirely up to them.
"Professor Phoenix, I trust this responsibility falls to you."
Aegon spoke with a smile, while Phoenix let out a sigh.
"I promise you—I won't let anything happen to you. Not while I still draw breath."
Aegon nodded cheerfully. "Yes, I'm sure you will."
Some of the students felt slightly reassured. After all, Phoenix was powerful.
It all sounded like a normal conversation.
But it was anything but normal. Aegon had just subtly pushed all the responsibility onto Phoenix—and all the blame, should anything go wrong.
After all, their presence here was the result of the temple's negligence. They had allowed such a catastrophe to unfold.
Phoenix couldn't help but wonder: how had the Ultras pulled it off?
How did they bypass the temple's defenses and sabotage the gate so thoroughly, right under their noses?
Cold sweat crept down his back every time he thought about it.
"With all due respect... Professor Phoenix, I don't need your protection."
Frey Starlight's voice snapped Phoenix out of his thoughts.
The young man before him, radiating a terrifying aura and power, declared that he would not hide behind anyone.
"We'll fight for ourselves. Isn't that the whole point of all that training?"
Taking the same stance, Snow followed his friend's lead.
And they weren't the only ones. A surprising number of students expressed their willingness to fight.
Despite knowing how dangerous their situation was, they stayed composed. Phoenix couldn't help but smile at the sight.
"Then let's do it. We'll make it out of here—together."
Phoenix declared.
With mixed feelings, twenty-two individuals began a journey into the unknown across a deadly continent.
A group bound by friendships, rivalries, and a multitude of emotions.
How would it all end?
Back then, Frey had no idea just how dark the future that awaited him on that continent truly was.