The students in the training ground clearing froze mid-conversation when a faint, deep thud rolled through the forest. The ground trembled slightly beneath their feet, sending ripples through the grass and dirt. Another thud followed, heavier this time. A few birds perched in the nearby trees shrieked and took off into the sky, scattering like white petals against the midday light.

"Did you hear that?" one of the students whispered, her voice trembling.

A murmur spread quickly across the clearing. The sound came again—steady, rhythmic, like something massive was walking closer. Each impact carried a faint vibration through the soil, enough to make their boots shift slightly in the dirt.

"It... it sounds like footsteps," another said, clutching his broom tightly. "But they're too heavy to be human."

Canopy, who had been sitting on a fallen log, stood up slowly, his usual carefree grin gone. "That's no ordinary noise," he muttered, his tone sharpened with a seriousness that silenced those around him. "It might be… a monster."

The word alone sent a chill through the group. A few students looked toward the trees where the noise echoed from, their eyes wide and uncertain.

"But… why is Professor Galahad taking so long?" one girl asked, her voice cracking slightly. "I thought he can bring back the High Princess right away…"

"Maybe they're… hurt?" another student murmured, his grip tightening around his broom.

The wind picked up, rustling through the trees. Shadows flickered in the distance as another thud came, louder, closer. The tremor shook the nearby leaves loose, and a sense of unease rippled through the entire clearing.

Canopy's eyes narrowed toward the forest. "Everyone… stay alert," he said quietly, though his voice carried a thread of unease. "Something big is coming… and it's heading this way."

The students swallowed hard, the air thick with fear and anticipation. Every heartbeat matched the rhythm of the approaching steps.

The earth trembled again... louder this time... rhythmic and heavy. The sound of thud... thud... thud... echoed between the trees like the slow beat of a giant's heart. Leaves shivered loose from their branches, fluttering down through streaks of light.

Canopy's breath caught in his throat as he turned toward the others. "Get back! Everyone, hide behind the far trees!" he shouted, his voice breaking slightly from the growing tension. "There's no professor here... no one is monitoring to protect us! If that's a real threat, we're in trouble!"

The moment those words left his mouth, panic erupted.

The students scattered in all directions, boots pounding against the grassy dirt. Some tripped, others stumbled, their voices blending into frightened shouts.

"Calm down! Everyone calm down!" Canopy yelled again, trying to regain control. His voice carried through the clearing, cutting through the chaos—but no one listened. They ran like frightened animals, their robes fluttering, their brooms clattering.

"I said calm down!" he barked, his tone snapping with irritation and fear.

That finally made them stop. One by one, the students slowed, breathing hard, their faces pale. The sound of their hurried steps faded, replaced by the faint hum of the forest wind.

One student's voice trembled. "But... what are we supposed to do?"

Another shouted nervously, "Come on, man, we're trying to protect ourselves! We can't just stand here!"

Canopy's jaw tightened, his eyes flashing. "Protect yourselves?!" he repeated, his voice sharp and heavy. "Is running around like headless chickens your idea of protecting yourselves?!"

The ground shook again—THUD!—this time close enough that a few of them nearly lost balance. The vibration rolled beneath their feet like a low growl from the earth.

Then... silence, broken only by the rustle of leaves.

One of the students gasped and pointed past Canopy's shoulder. "I-It's so big..." she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I-I've never seen anything like that... Whose golem is that? I thought... I thought golems that huge were rare!"

Canopy's expression shifted. His heart pounded as he slowly turned toward the sound.

Through the veil of dust and leaves, a colossal figure emerged from between the giant trees. Each step it took crushed branches and sent vibrations across the soil. Its massive stone limbs gleamed faintly under the sunlight, streaked with moss and grassy stoney earth. Blue light pulsed deep inside its chest and its eyes like a heartbeat.

And then—Canopy's eyes widened.

"Wait a minute..." he muttered, squinting hard. "There's... something riding on its hands."

The students, huddled together now, took small steps backward, eyes fixed on the towering silhouette. The air was thick with tension, and even the birds had gone silent.

As the giant moved closer, the midday light broke across its form... and at last, the students could see her silver hair glinting faintly in the sun.

The giant golem's shadow stretched across the entire clearing, swallowing the sunlight as it stepped forward. Its stone form rumbled softly with each movement, blue light pulsing from its core like a heartbeat.

Standing atop its massive hand, Dila's silver hair shimmered against the wind. Her Archane staff glowed faintly beside her, her cape rippling as the golem halted before the stunned crowd of students.

Canopy's eyes widened, disbelief flashing through them. "P–Princess Dila!" he shouted, his voice carrying across the clearing.

The other students gasped at once, murmurs breaking out.

"It's really her...!"

"She's alive!"

"But... who's controlling that golem?!"

Their voices tangled together in awe and confusion.

Then someone pointed toward the golem's other hand, where Professor Galahad was seated against a patch of grassy dirt the golem had scooped up along with part of a tree. His body leaned weakly against the trunk, the faint shimmer of Dila's Cascade Barrier wrapping around him like protective railings.

"It's not the professor..." one student whispered. "He's injured... look—he's clutching his leg."

"Then... does that mean..." another began, eyes widening.

Before anyone could finish the thought, Dila raised her staff slightly and spoke with a steady tone, her voice echoing through the wind. "Earthrea... gently put us down."

The enormous creature rumbled in acknowledgment. Its right hand, carrying the professor, began to lower carefully toward the ground. The soil trembled softly beneath each controlled movement.

All eyes watched in silence as the professor was lowered, the golem's hand tilting slowly so that the dirt platform touched the grass. The Cascade Barrier shimmered, adjusting itself to keep him steady as he was released.

Then, the golem turned its attention to Dila.

She stood tall upon its palm, wind brushing strands of her silver hair across her face. As the hand descended, sunlight framed her in a soft glow. And when the golem's palm neared the ground, just a few inches away, Dila bent her knees and leapt down gracefully.

Her Sandals pressed into the soil as she landed. She held her Archane staff close, breathing faintly, her heart still racing.

No one spoke for several seconds. The clearing was filled only with the distant chirping of birds and the faint hum of the golem's core.

Then, at last, the students exhaled as if they'd been holding their breath all along.

"She... she controlled it..." one whispered.

"Dila Eldoria summoned that..." another said, her voice trembling with amazement.

"Unbelievable..."

Canopy stood frozen, his mouth slightly open. His usual occasional composure slipped away, replaced by something between awe and admiration.

Princess Dila... standing tall under the sun... the faint shimmer of magic still dancing around her... had just summoned and commanded a giant golem—alone.

The clearing, once filled with gasps of awe, slowly shifted into uneasy murmurs.

"Unbelievable... she can control a giant golem but not a broom?" one student whispered under his breath.

Another chuckled quietly, shaking his head. "What a joke... flying out of control like that... and yet she summoned that thing?"

More voices joined in—soft, overlapping tones of disbelief, mixed with nervous laughter.

The words reached Dila's ears like small daggers. She lowered her gaze, her grip tightening around her Archane staff. The faint wind carried the whispers, brushing against her trembling hands. Her chest felt heavy, her throat tightening as the earlier pride of saving the professor began to fade under the sting of quiet ridicule.

She turned her eyes away, unable to meet anyone's gaze. Her silver hair drifted softly around her face, hiding the sadness forming in her eyes.

Then, Canopy stepped forward, his expression darkening. "Hey... hey, hey!" he said sharply, spreading his arms in frustration. "Enough already!"

The students went silent for a moment, startled by his sudden outburst.

Before he could say more, a strained yet firm voice broke through the tension. "That's enough..."

Everyone turned.

Professor Galahad, still seated weakly against the dirt and tree the golem had carried him with, slowly adjusted his cracked glasses. The shattered lenses reflected fragments of sunlight, concealing his weary eyes, but his tone carried authority.

"It's not her fault," he said, his voice rough but steady. "It doesn't mean if she can't control a broom, she can't control anything. You all saw what she did today... she summoned that golem, carried us both here safely."

He took a slow breath, coughing lightly before continuing. "This was her first time handling a broom. Fear... especially fear of heights, can easily disrupt mana flow. Anyone here could have lost control in that situation."

The clearing grew quiet again. The students looked at each other, their faces softening, their shame visible. The early doubt died out completely.

Canopy exhaled, nodding in agreement, his eyes flickering toward Dila with a calm, understanding look.

Dila stayed silent, her lips pressed together as the professor's words reached her heart. The wind carried through the forest again, gentle this time... as if the world itself was trying to comfort her.

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