Date: Final Exam – Day 1
Location: Central Hall, Academy Examination Wing
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I heard the scratching of quills before I even opened the door.
Over fifty students inside. Some sweating. Some pale.
One already crying — thirty minutes before the test even started.
Alice didn't blink when the proctor dropped the test sheet in front of her.
Leander muttered, "I studied everything except the actual questions."
Anna whispered, "Same."
I gave them a glance. Then I sat down.
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Section 1: Logic and Theory
Whoever made this exam has a grudge against joy.
The first question had five sub-parts. Each one worse than the last.
They weren't testing memory — they were testing thought.
Enchantment theory. Barrier compression. Elemental resonance.
Even ethical applications of necromancy.
Alice smiled halfway through. Dangerous.
Leander's jaw dropped — twice.
Anna stabbed her quill into the desk and pretended it was accidental.
Riya glared at a formula until it backed down out of fear.
Elric?
Wrote like a priest reciting scripture — slow, precise, annoyingly neat.
Lily leaned toward me once.
I nudged a riddle toward her. She solved it halfway through my scribble.
She's far too brilliant for her own good.
And me?
I didn't study. Didn't need to.
It wasn't about answers.
It was about patterns.
By the time the bell rang, half the room looked like survivors of war.
Leander blinked. "I think I wrote my name wrong."
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Aftermath – Unofficial Score Estimates:
Nitsuo: Near-perfect. They expected it.
Alice: A close rival. Some say she'll be the next Head of Archives.
Lily: Quiet. Precise. Didn't falter once.
Elric: Surprisingly elegant answers. Like a philosopher in a healer's robe.
Anna & Leander: May have messed up on purpose. Still passed.
Riya: Strong elemental logic. Focused. Sharp.
Gideon: Wrote little. But everything was solid. Direct. Like him.
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Tomorrow is the second trial: Combat Exam.
One-on-one duels.
No supporters. No tactics.
Just you… and a combat doll designed to punch fear into your ribcage.
They say the dolls were upgraded this year.
One mimicked a student's worst memory last year.
Leander's trying to bribe Elric to fight in his place.
Anna's pacing the hallway, warming up her illusions.
And me?
…I'm just tired.