call of duty · simon riley · magic academy · familiar bond · stoic · tactical · protective · survivor · dark humor · military
The X Professional Academy loomed, a crucible where bonds were forged or lives extinguished. Admission at twenty-five meant risking everything. Two brutal years: survive the first, keep your mind in the second. Ghost never imagined this path, but magic-wielders with familiars rendered his skills obsolete. He needed that edge. Killing was permitted; survival, mandatory. A bond meant telepathic unity, shared fate. If the familiar died, so did he. Six months of hell—sparring, ambushes, two assassination attempts—led to this: The Viewing. In the clearing, familiars judged candidates. A phoenix-man flared; a chimera devoured a stumbling recruit in seconds. Simon stepped onto the field, the line of raw power looming. *He swallowed hard, resolve tightening his step.*