"I now bestow upon thee, the Millennium Ring," Aknamkanon announces to a room full of the royal court. Kneeling down on his right knee, Mahad bows his head as the pharaoh puts the Millennium item around his neck. Behind him are five other people who have golden items of their own.

Aknadin, wielder of the Millennium Eye.

Shada, who holds the Millennium Key.

Karim, the owner of the Millennium Scale.

Isis, holder of the Millennium Necklace.

Seto, who owns the Millennium Rod.

Aside from Aknadin and Aknamkanon who owns the powerful pendant known as the Millennium Puzzle, all were able to go through the difficult process of becoming part of the royal court after the previous court members retired. Standing beside the pharaoh is his most trusted advisor Shimon, who was once the holder of the Millennium Key. And on the other side is Prince Atem who gazes down proudly at his close friend's newest achievement.

"Thank you my king," Mahad says. "Know that I take this role very seriously and it is an honor and privilege to serve you."

Mahad had already become the most powerful sorcerer in all of Egypt. And now he will be the new owner of one of the seven Millennium Items. He has worked tirelessly to get to this very moment and now the time is finally here, eight years later. But his day doesn't stop here. With him being the top magician, it is his duty to train the current magicians and recruit one more.

Though many are going for the magicians' trials, there is only one slot left and he plans on keeping things fair, even if a friend in particular is trying out for it as well.

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"You have quite the day ahead of you," Mahad says to Atem as they walk side by side. It is surprisingly pleasant out, a huge contrast from the typical hot, sunny days they're accustomed to getting. The clouds offer a lot of relief, though their grey appearance indicates there might be a storm brewing.

"Yes. Father and I will be spending quality time together. Hunting is what he wants to do today," Atem tells him.

"It's not everyday you get any free time. Cherish these moments," Mahad smiles a little. Eight years have seemed to just fly by. The person next to him isn't a little boy anymore and is growing by the day, though it seems he won't be getting much taller than he is now. His voice has become deeper and he is quite mature for his age.

Atem has seen a lot of growth in Mahad as well. Aside from his tall and strong stature, the sorcerer has achieved so much in such a short period of time. It's no wonder his father entrusted him with the Millennium Ring.

"I can only imagine the day you'll be having," Atem says, referring to the magicians' trials. "I heard there's going to be a nice turnout this year and apparently there's only one spot left?"

"That is correct." He looks away. "I hope a certain someone has been on top of her studies. Have you seen her today?"

Atem blinks. "You're asking me?"

Mahad turns his gaze to him as they start to walk past a tree. "Why yes. You two are practically inseparable. Which leads me to my next question."

A slim figure suddenly drops down in front of them, startling them both for a moment until they realize who it is. Atem sighs with relief. "Perfect timing…" he says under his breath.

"You called?" Mana asks with her hands behind her back and her lips curled into a smile. Her spiky hair jots halfway down her back and her hips have grown more curvaceous despite her small frame. She wears a short pleated skirt with a blouse that hangs off her shoulders along with matching anklets and bracelets.

Her aquamarine eyes zoom in on the item hanging around Mahad's neck and she edges forward to get a closer look. "You've finally done it," she says before dramatically dropping to her knees and bowing her head. "Oh great and powerful master. We are not worthy."

Atem stifles a chuckle by raising his fist to his lips to clear his throat while averting his gaze. Sweat goes down Mahad's face and he turns red with embarrassment. "Cease that at once!" he whispers loudly. "You'll attract unwanted attention!"

Mana giggles, standing to her feet.

"I trust you have been preparing for today?" the older sorcerer asks her.

"Of course! I've only been waiting on this moment for eight years."

"Please know I will not be giving you any special treatment just because we're friends."

Mana leans forward, winking one eye. "Not even a little bit of special treatment?"

Mahad dims his eyes. "Mana…"

"I'm only kidding! Don't be so serious all the time!"

"I have much work to do," he sighs, beginning to walk away. "I will see you at the trials. Don't be late."

Mana folds her arms, pouting her lips as she watches him leave. "I'm never late. What does he mean by that?"

"You have the tendency to oversleep," Atem points out, standing beside her.

Mana gives him a playful nudge on the arm, rolling her eyes. "Well I definitely won't be missing out on this. I have been practicing so hard!"

Atem smirks. "I know you have." In fact, he's witnessed her growth in real time. How she trained tirelessly ever since Mahad gave her a spell book. She'd drag him along for combat training, since he has been going through his own training in preparation to be pharaoh some day. Her training definitely had its moments where she'd goof off, occasionally getting them both in trouble when they'd go off track.

As much as he would protest it, he secretly enjoyed those moments they spent together without a care in the world.

"You'll be there to watch, right?" she asks.

His smile fades. "Unfortunately not. My father and I have a prior engagement." He can sense her disappointment by the way her shoulders slightly droop and her eyes lower for a brief moment.

"Oh okay. I understand." She hugs her arms and shrugs, managing to perk up. "Well, it's not everyday that you get moments like that. It should be fun!"

Atem nods. "You'll do fine. Just remember to pace yourself and…" He throws a light jab in her direction and she catches it in her palm with her quick reflexes.

"…Keep my guard up?" Mana finishes his sentence, smirking confidently.

His lips curl upward, returning a smirk of his won. "Precisely."

"Alright. Next time you see me, I'll finally be one of Mahad's students."

"I look forward to it."

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She can feel a lump in her throat as she stands in a straight line full of other sorcerers at the magicians' training grounds. She slightly bends forward to take it all in. There appears to be fourteen other sorcerers there, all men. Most are tall and very muscular in appearance, only making her more anxious. From the corner of her eye, she looks at the sorcerer standing to her right, then her view goes down to his overly toned legs.

She groans inwardly and drops her head. "If there's a race involved, I'm done for," she mumbles. Though she has been training for nearly a decade, one thing has constantly remained the same. She can't outrun anyone in a race even if she tried.

Taking a deep breath, she shakes those negative thoughts out of her head. She's worked hard for this and she can't allow her nerves to get the best of her.

"The duty of a sorcerer is not to be taken lightly," Mahad says, standing across all of them. "We are extremely imperative when it comes to wars and invasions. In fact, we are one of the first lines of defense."

He begins to walk back and forth as he explains the roles of a sorcerer, gazing at each and every prospective sorcerer with such intimidation it causes chills to go down their spine. Even Mana is thrown off by his current demeanor. She doesn't think she's ever seen him look this serious before.

"Before we proceed, think long and hard about what you're about to partake in. We seek more than just powerful sorcerers. We need those who are willing to put their lives on the line to keep the kingdom and all of Egypt safe."

'Keep Egypt safe…' Mana thinks in her mind, narrowing her eyes with determination. Her mind flashes back to the fateful day her village was overcome with intruders who caused nothing but death and destruction to her home. No one should have to go through that. No child deserves to lose their parents to such a tragedy.

"You sure you wanna go through with this?" The athletic sorcerer standing next to Mana asks.

She turns her head to her left to a man with no hair, a thick beard and standing at least two feet taller than her. "What?"

"Look around. You don't stand a chance."

Mana grins and shrugs her shoulders. "It's worth a shot, right?"

He raises an eyebrow.

Mahad looks up to the dark clouds in the sky before addressing the group again. "We cannot afford to delay the trials, so this time we shall keep it quite simple." Then he points to a large chasm off in the distance. "I will be waiting for you on the other side."

"Say what?" One sorcerer says with surprise.

"He wants us to go over that?"

"There will be obstacles along the way." Mahad explains.

Mana cocks her head to the side. "Wonder what kind of obstacles he's gonna throw at us."

"Please know that there is a possibility that you may not make it out alive."

That causes gasps from nearly all of the sorcerers who mumble their reservations and fears of moving forward.

"Did you hear that brat? If you die, you die," the man next to Mana reiterates to her.

"That's pretty intense." She begins to reach her arm over her head in a stretching motion. Then she does the same for the opposite side, only annoying the man even more with her nonchalant attitude.

"Humph…suit yourself."

With his hands behind his back, Mahad looks out to the group of sorcerers from the other side of the chasm with a serious expression. In reality, this test will be more than just who will make it over to the other side quicker. There is more to being a sorcerer than speed and strength. Now, it's time to see who will display the traits he is looking for.

"Begin!"

On cue, the sorcerers dash in the direction of the finish line. All except Mana, that is. So far there is a clear path aside from the huge leap they will have to take in order to get to Mahad's side. But she wonders if there is more to this challenge. She doesn't see any of the obstacles Mahad talked about earlier.

"What's the catch?" she asks herself aloud. Just as she finishes that question, she feels something hovering behind her. Slowly looking over her shoulder, she sees a floating figure wearing purple and carrying a green staff. Its glowing eyes stare directly at her as it prepares its attack. "Eep! Sorry I asked!"

A glowing green sphere emits from its staff, sending her into a panic. She searches frantically in her mind for a solution.

Run?

No, it would just continue to pursue her with ease. Shoot a counter of her own? She groans. That would be great if she knew how to do that on command.

Maybe a forcefield will suffice for now.

The blast shoots out from Illusion Magician, taking her out of her thoughts. It's too late for a magical shield now.

"No!" Mana cries, crossing her arms over her body.

Mahad silently watches before shaking his head. 'She has a lot of work to do…' His magician flies off, going for its next targets. 'If they thought this would be easy, they're really in for a shock.'

Soon, the playing field begins to change and becomes more tedious. Deep sinkholes form, taking sorcerers down in groups, while his magician continues to rain magical spheres upon others.

"This is crazy!" one sorcerer yells in a panic. "I'm getting outta here!" He leads a massive group in the opposite direction, retreating from the trial, only leaving three more.

A larger sorcerer falls to the ground as he tries to make a run toward the finish. Sitting up, he grabs hold of his leg, grimacing in pain. "Ack! It's hurt bad!" His head shoots up when he sees the Illusion Magician levitating over him. "Oh no you don't!" He aims his palm and shoots a small blast that fails to do any damage at all.

Smoke emits from Mahad's shoulder as he stands unfazed from the damage his monster has sustained. 'So far, he is the only one to be able to counter with a blast of his own. Impressive.'

He then looks to his left, seeing a sorcerer headed toward the end of the cliff. He notes this sorcerer in particular was initially standing next to Mana before the trials began. And the fact that he has not displayed any magic at all, only relying on brute strength and athleticism to get by. 'I could easily send my Illusion Magician to wipe him out. But I'm curious to see how he'll make it over the chasm.'

The injured sorcerer shields his face as the Illusion Magician prepares to shoot another attack. With his leg in bad shape, he is sure he is a goner.

"Not like this!" He cries, shutting his eyes.

The blast shoots out from the green staff, but doesn't make any contact with the injured man. When he reopens his eyes, he sees a girl with her hands outstretched and a pink barrier around them.

"I got you!" Mana assures him, clenching her teeth to hold off the attack.

"You're…saving me…?"

"Can you fire off another blast?"

"Uh…yeah, but—"

"Great! Your time to shine!"

The man narrows his eyes with determination, nodding his head. The moment Mana removes her shield, he fires off a counter blast with all the energy within him, managing to send the Illusion Magician backwards.

"Ha! Way to go!" Mana cheers.

A drop of sweat goes down Mahad's face after feeling the effects from the blast. "Now that's something. She saved him. Then came up with a strategy on the spot to work as a team."

Mana hovers her hand over his injured leg, chanting a silent spell in order to heal it. To his fascination, the pain quickly fades and he is able to stand on his two feet again.

"Your healing abilities are incredible," the man compliments. "I have never been able to heal at such a fast rate. I guess I was not blessed in that department."

"You can still do other cool things! I wish I could shoot magical blasts on command," Mana tells him as she looks away. "But I panic…"

He stands to his feet. "Our abilities are tied to our emotions. And that can either be used to your advantage or disadvantage."

Mana looks down to the palms of her hands. Is it really as simple as getting out of her own head in order to unleash what she's really capable of?

"Let's get a move on," the man says, seeing Illusion Magician about to get back up.

"Right!"

They both make a run for the edge of the chasm where the other fellow sorcerer also stands.

The athletic sorcerer clenches his teeth anxiously. "Shoot! They've caught up with me! And I still haven't figured out a way to get across!"

"Time for me to repay the favor," the uninjured man says to Mana. "I can easily summon a portal and—"

"No. You go ahead."

His eyes widen. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Mana nods with a confident smile. "I'm gonna put what you said to the test and use my emotions to my advantage!"

"Very well then. Good luck!"

Sliding her feet shoulder length apart, she balls her fists and closes her eyes, going into deep concentration. Many years have led to this moment and she doesn't plan on failing. She wants to show Mahad her potential and there's nothing she wants more than to become his official student. Though he has helped her here and there leading up to this day, her magician based training has mostly been all on her own.

'I can do this!' She thinks to herself, her eyes snapping open as she runs toward the edge to everyone's shock.

Mahad's eyes go wide. 'What is she doing?! It will be impossible for her to jump such a distance! Unless…'

He watches as her eyes glow pink with determination as her feet leave the ground. Everything seems to be happening in slow motion. Her arms are wide and her knees are bent while she stares at her end goal. All she has to do is keep her eyes on the prize and don't look down.

Straightening her legs, she kicks off in midair, beginning to levitate across the chasm to Mahad's amazement. In his years of knowing her, he has never seen her look this determined before. On the flip side, he knows he shouldn't be surprised. This is the same girl that was able to do her very first spell within a short period of time without even knowing if she was capable of doing such things.

With a hard landing, she tumbles on the ground, just as the uninjured sorcerer makes his way to the other side as well, leaving the athletic magician alone.

Grunting, she sits up and rubs her head. When it registers that she has been successful in flying, she immediately jumps to her feet, cheering with her fists raised in the air.

"I did it!" she exclaims happily as the other magician joins her side. "Did you see that?!"

"I did," he responds, still in a state of shock. Clearing his throat, he looks ahead to where Mahad is standing. "Come on. We can still do this together."

"Okay, let's go!" They both turn their backs, leaving the athletic sorcerer more furious than before.

"They think they can make me look like a fool?!" He backs up a few feet before making a dash for the edge.

Hearing quick footsteps, Mana turns around just as the athletic sorcerer takes a huge leap. At one point, it looks like he just might make it all the way. But the horror in his eyes say otherwise as he begins to fall.

He shuts his eyes. 'Dammit, no! I couldn't make it!'

He can feel his stomach rise into his chest, but the feeling only lasts for a brief second before his arm is grabbed, bringing his falling to a screeching halt. Looking up, he's sees it is none other than the girl trying to help him up.

"I'm not letting you go!" Mana yells down to him.

"You foolish girl. You will not make me look bad in front of the great Mahad, do you hear me!"

Mana grunts, trying to pull him up. "Can you please toss your manly pride to the side for just this once?! I'm trying to help you!"

"Well here's a harsh lesson in life…"

"Huh?"

His free hand glows orange to her surprise. "Everyone ain't worth saving!" Balling up his fist, he punches the side of the gorge, causing a huge explosion.

"Mana?!" Mahad gasps before rushing forward with the other remaining sorcerer. In her place is a huge crater and black smoke that rises into the air. As he gets to the end of the chasm, his heart drops. Though the athletic soccer is able to keep his hold at a lower part of the rocky wall, Mana is nowhere to be seen.

"She's gone…!" The uninjured soccer says.

Mahad's heart drops into his stomach. "No…"

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AN: Apologies for the long update! I was having technical difficulties but I'm back. I hope you're continuing to enjoy the story! Leave a review and let me know you're still here!