Date: One Month before The Final Exam
Location: Academy Dormitories – Common Study Hall
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One month.
That's all that's left before the final exam.
Three stages — one path forward:
Stage One: The written test. Magic theory, formation logic, and battle history. A scholar's nightmare and a tactician's playground.
Stage Two: Magical showcase. Students perform their most refined spell — proof of growth over the year.
Stage Three: One-on-one duels. To determine individual rankings.
Most students fear it.
We don't.
But we respect it.
And today, I saw something I hadn't noticed before.
Not just strength.
Not just talent.
Maturity.
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Leander has never been a scholar.
He stared at his exam prep booklet like it insulted his bloodline.
> "If I cast sleep on myself, do I still get credit for effort?"
Anna was no better — bouncing between questions and doodles of exploding monsters with "exam stress" scribbled on their heads. Riya, half-laughing, corrected half her answers in fire ink by mistake.
But across the room, Gideon sat quietly.
He didn't ask questions.
He didn't joke.
He just read.
Line by line.
Word by word.
Taking notes in a soldier's hand — clean, practical, precise.
He's never said much. But when he speaks, everyone listens.
> "I may not have talent," he told Riya when she asked how he memorized so much,
"but I was born into discipline."
Alice nodded slightly when she overheard. That's high praise, coming from her.
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Alice and Riya are our anchors today.
Riya teaches like she fights — with fire and joy. Alice, with calm precision and surgical detail.
They've taken over half the study hall at this point. Even students from other teams started listening in.
Elric, ever the peacemaker, floats between them — whispering advice, drawing diagrams, and passing out calming tea brewed from that weird herb he swears improves focus. (Tastes like wet socks, but he means well.)
---
Lily?
Still by the window.
Still the moon in a room full of stars.
She solved five problem sheets in a row without blinking. Her handwriting is neater than the textbooks. Every so often, I catch her glancing at me — brief, lingering, then gone.
---
Gideon stayed late today.
After the others left for dinner, I found him still working. His shield rested against the wall beside him. The light caught the edge — not just a weapon now. A symbol.
> "You're not staying behind," I said.
He didn't look up.
> "I never planned to."
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There's pride in this team.
But more than that…
There's resolve.
We've all bled, failed, nearly died together.
Now? We prepare together.
There's something sacred about that.
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> "A team's strength isn't just measured by their victories.
It's seen in how they prepare — together —
when no one is watching."