Prana Chronicles: Sword of the Cosmos

The exam takers were assigned dormitories, with four candidates sharing each room. To no one's surprise, Yu, Callen, and Blaze were placed together. Their camaraderie had grown since their journey to Solhaven, but the fourth addition to their group was unexpected.

The door creaked open, and a tall, lean figure entered. His face was partially obscured by a hood, and his sharp, calculating eyes scanned the room.

"Name's BD," he said curtly, dropping his bag onto the bed closest to the window.

"BD?" Blaze repeated, raising an eyebrow. "That's... unique."

"Short for something?" Callen asked.

"Just BD," the newcomer replied, offering no further explanation.

Despite his mysterious demeanor, BD wasn't unfriendly. As the evening progressed, the four boys shared stories about their backgrounds, their aspirations, and their reasons for taking the exam. BD, however, remained vague about his past, deflecting questions with a sharp wit that made it hard to press him.

The next morning, Yu and Blaze were up early, training in the courtyard. Callen, true to form, overslept, and BD, though awake, seemed content to lounge in bed until Callen stirred.

"You two are unbelievable," Yu muttered as he returned to the dorm to drag them out of bed.

By the time they arrived at the examination hall, the candidates were divided into smaller groups for the written test. The hall was filled with long tables, each equipped with a set of questions about Astrodies, strategies, and moral dilemmas.

One question caught Callen's attention:

"If you had the chance to save yourself or save someone else from an Astrodie attack, what would you do?"

Callen hesitated, then wrote: "I would try my best to save the person, even if it meant risking my life."

Yu and Blaze had similar answers, though Blaze added a practical note: "It depends on who I'm saving. Some lives are worth more than others in the grand scheme of things."

BD's answer was starkly different: "Kill the Astrodie. Save yourself first, then others if possible."

After the test, the candidates gathered in the canteen for lunch. The room buzzed with conversations about the questions, with some candidates confident and others visibly anxious.

Callen, Yu, Blaze, and BD ate together, discussing their answers.

"You're too idealistic," BD said, addressing Callen. "In real combat, hesitation gets people killed. Focus on the enemy first."

"Maybe," Callen replied, "but if we don't help each other, what's the point of being an Astro Hunter?"

Yu chuckled. "You two are like fire and ice. Let's see whose approach works better."

The group spent the rest of the day training, refining their techniques and preparing for the challenges ahead.

In the evening, the results were announced. The instructors reviewed the answer sheets, and the candidates gathered in the main hall, waiting anxiously.

Out of the 96 who started, only 80 remained. Many were eliminated for answers deemed impractical or foolish.

Callen, Yu, Blaze, and BD all passed, their names among the 80 listed on the board.

The next day began with the physical test. It started with a grueling warm-up that left most candidates gasping for breath.

"This... is just the warm-up?" Callen panted, hands on his knees.

Blaze wasn't faring much better, though he managed to grin through his exhaustion. "They're trying to kill us before the test even starts."

Yu, on the other hand, moved through the exercises with practiced ease, barely breaking a sweat. BD also performed admirably, his endurance and strength evident.

The test included weightlifting, endurance runs, speed drills, and sword combat. By the end of the day, only 51 candidates remained.

Callen, Blaze, and Yu all performed well, with Yu standing out as one of the top contenders. BD, while less conspicuous, also passed without issue.

On the third day, the candidates gathered in a grand hall where a massive crystal orb sat on an elevated platform. Around it, intricate symbols glowed faintly, pulsating with energy.

Station Master Darius stood at the front, flanked by prominent instructors and city officials.

"Today," he began, "we measure your Prana levels. This test is not about strength alone but about potential. Prana is a gift, a power we have yet to fully understand. It connects us to the Sun God, to the very essence of life and energy."

He gestured to the crystal orb. "The process is simple. Sit beneath the circle, meditate, and resonate with your Prana. The crystal will reveal your level through color:

Base: Red color

Flow: Orange color

Core: Yellow color

Pulse: Green color

Voice: Blue color

Vision: Indigo color

Crown: White color

Most of you will fall within lower than Base . Only a rare few ever reach above."

The candidates lined up, each taking their turn under the orb. The chapter ended as Callen, Yu, Blaze, and BD stepped forward, anticipation thick in the air.