The stone halls of Ylthara's Hall of Sorcery echoed with a strange mix of silence and arcane hum. Kai stood beside Vepice as she signed her name in slanted handwriting on a polished obsidian register.
The clerk raised a brow at her with skeptical interest. "You've never been assessed?"
Vepice shook her head, brushing a bit of road dust from her cloak. "No."
The woman stared. "Not even once?"
Another clerk leaned over, clearly listening in. "What village did you say you were from?"
"She didn't," Kai replied coolly. "She grew up in the wilds southeast of here. Or rather, survived there. Alone."
The room grew uncomfortably quiet.
"That's… impossible," the first clerk muttered. "Those forests are crawling with arcane beasts."
Vepice gave them a simple smile. "I didn't say it was easy."
"I see…" The woman coughed and scribbled something on her parchment. "You're… either lying or very lucky. Either way, step into the waiting room on the left. We'll have someone ready shortly."
