------
The courtyard was a sea of students, each one more nervous than the next.
The air was thick with anxiety, excitent, and a slight chill, as if the weather itself was preparing for what was coming.
The students gathered in small clusters, each whispering to one another about what the assessnt would entail.
For so, it was a reminder that they still had a lot to learn.
For others, it was just another day to prove they were the best—though, I was willing to bet, most of them were simply pretending to be confident.
It was all a front.
I leaned against the stone wall at the far side of the courtyard, arms crossed, observing them.
I wasn't too worried about the assessnt itself.
After all, I wasn't the one being tested.
My job was to supervise and evaluate.
Easy enough, or so I thought.
The loud "QUIET!" that rang out from Headmistress Emily was enough to silence the crowd instantly.
Students froze like deer caught in headlights.
You could practically feel the collective breath hold in the air.
Everyone knew that when Emily spoke, it wasn't just a suggestion—it was a command.
The courtyard might as well have been a tomb for how quiet it beca.
I shifted my gaze to Group Three, the ones I was assigned to supervise today. They were all standing in a loose formation, their faces a mix of determination and mild panic.
This was the mont that would determine whether they could take their training to the next level or if they were going to face the harsh reality of failure.
I glanced down at my wrist, activating my wristwatch to pull up their data.
It wasn't exactly cheating.
I called it "preparing for the inevitable."
After all, knowing what I was dealing with made my job easier.
------
• Silas Kingslay
• 16 Y/O
Rank: 2nd (Temporary)
Elent: Lightning
Skills: ??
Sword Art: ??
------
Ah, Silas. The guy who was walking around like he was the sun itself.
Confident, borderline cocky, with a hint of arrogance that didn't quite sit right with .
I watched him flick a glance at Ren, then at Lyrium, before he cracked his knuckles in a show of readiness.
Lightning. The way he moved, the way he carried himself—there was more to him than the average student realized.
But I didn't need to know all of it just yet. Lightning was fast. If he got it under control, he could be a serious threat.
--------
• Ren Sullivan
• 16 Y/O
Rank: 3rd (Temporary)
Elent: Fire
Skills: ??
Sword Art: ??
Ren. The laid-back kid who thought everything was a ga.
I couldn't figure him out, and that was probably his strength.
You could never predict what he'd do because he didn't seem to care about the outco. Fire was a tricky elent—adaptable, and unpredictable.
That was Ren in a nutshell.
He could dash from point A to point B in the blink of an eye, but what would happen when it was ti to face sothing solid and unyielding?
He might be too distracted by his own laid-back nature to take things seriously.
Then again, maybe that was exactly what made him dangerous.
------
• Lyrium Blackwood
• 16 Y/O
Rank: 15th (Temporary)
Elent: Lightning
Skills: ??
Sword Art: ??
Out of all the Students I've encountered so far, he was the most interesting one.
I don't have many information about him but,
He was the one who always seed a little too serious, a little too focused.
Lightning, yes, but there was sothing else lurking underneath—sothing that made him far more dangerous than anyone realized.
Sothing dark was in him. Sothing dangerous that we couldn't quite caught on. It was subtle, sneaky, and hard to track.
How would he handle this?
But one this is certain.
Could he keep his emotions in check, or would he let his hidden darkness take over when the pressure ca?
------
• Lily Broom
• 15 Y/0
Rank: 4th (Temporary)
Elent: Earth
Skills: ??
Sword Art: ??
------
Lily, according to her background was an energetic girl. She couldn't stand still for more than five seconds, always looking like she was about to jump into sothing.
Earth was about being grounded, strong, and reliable—but Lily?
She was anything but grounded.
It wasn't a matter of power;
it was a matter of focus.
Could she control that frantic energy of hers when it really mattered?
Or would she throw a tantrum the mont things got tough?
I rubbed my temples, feeling a headache brewing.
I could already tell this was going to be one of those assessnts where I needed to keep my eyes on everyone at all tis.
You never knew what kind of surprise one of these students might throw at you.
"Group Three," I called called out as I continued. "Silas Kingslay, Ren Sullivan, Lyrium Blackwood, and Lily Broom. Step forward."
The four of them slowly made their way to the front.
Silas moved with his usual cocky confidence, taking the lead without hesitation.
Ren, as always, took his sweet ti, not in a rush to do anything, like a person who had all the ti in the world.
Lyrium was the most subdued, his movents sharp and calculated.
He didn't speak, didn't make eye contact with anyone.
He was in his own head, and I was curious just how deep that headspace went.
Lily, on the other hand, practically skipped forward, her wide grin plastered on her face.
She was either overly confident or completely oblivious to the seriousness of the situation.
*******
The morning light stread through the large windows of one of the second-year classroom, casting warm hues across the space as the students settled into their familiar positions.
The air was thick with excitent and anticipation, yet there was a certain unease hanging in the room, palpable in the way the students fidgeted and whispered among themselves.
At the far end of the room, near the window, a young woman stood, her long white hair cascading down her back like snow, almost glowing in the light.
Her red eyes, vivid and piercing, were fixed on sothing unseen outside, her expression as calm and composed as ever.
She radiated an aura of icy perfection—too perfect, almost unreal—like she didn't belong to this world.
Across the room, a group of second-year students gathered around, chatting quietly about the day's events.
Their voices were hushed, as if they knew there was sothing bigger at play, but none dared voice their concerns too loudly.
"Today's the day," one of them said, a boy with short, ssy hair who glanced around the room. "The first-years' physical assessnt. That's when we'll see what they're really made of."
"Yeah, the 'fresh at' test, right?" a girl with freckles on her cheeks laughed nervously, looking over at the young woman by the window. "I an, it's always interesting to see who's going to be able to handle it and who's going to break under pressure."
The boy nodded, twirling a pen in his fingers absentmindedly. "Honestly, I don't expect much from them. First-years are usually just... well, first-years. The ones who stand out tend to be obvious."
"You're telling ," the freckled girl agreed.
"Most of them will be stumbling over their own feet. It's gonna be a disaster."
The mood in the room seed to lift slightly as they spoke more freely, moving from idle concerns to playful banter.
"Yeah, but there's always one or two that surprise us," the tall boy said with a shrug. "The ones who sohow manage to shine despite everything. I think it'll be interesting to see how they hold up."
"True," the freckled girl agreed, her eyes scanning the others. "I an, have you heard about the guy who's supposed to have lightning powers?"
Another student perked up at that.
"Lightning? Seriously? Now that could be interesting. If he actually knows how to control it, he might not be half bad."
The tall boy chuckled. "You're really buying into rumors, huh? That's just what they all say about the first-years. There's always one with 'special powers' or so sort of secret talent."
The freckled girl nodded slowly, though her curiosity was clearly piqued. "I wonder who he is. I an, with all the rumors going around, I wouldn't be surprised if so of them had sothing really impressive."
The boy with the ssy hair rolled his eyes.
"Let's not get carried away. They're all just a bunch of rookies. Let them prove themselves first, and then we'll see. Right now, I'm more concerned about how many of them are going to fail miserably."
The discussion shifted again, this ti focusing on the more general aspects of the first-year assessnt.
The second-years were particularly fixated on which students might fail, as it was always a point of pride to see how well their peers perford in comparison to the newer initiates.
They spoke of the students who would probably excel—like Margaret Windsor, who was always poised and perfect in everything she did, and Silas Kingslay, who was rumored to have a natural gift for Lightning.
"Margaret Windsor... She'll top the list, no doubt," the freckled girl mused, her voice filled with admiration. "I saw yesterday. Her control over ice is flawless. She makes it look like she's born with it."
The boy nodded, smirking slightly. "I an, if you could freeze a person with just a glance, you'd probably feel pretty confident, too."
They all laughed, but the conversation moved on quickly.
"Silas Kingslay's Lightning affinity is bound to catch attention, too," the ssy-haired boy said. "If he can keep that under control, he'll make a big impression. His Lightning's got the potential to electricute the whole field, though."
"Yeah, but let's be honest," the freckled girl said, leaning back in her chair with a knowing grin. "I don't know for others but in my perspective, he looks like a cocky and arrogant bastard. One slip-up and that's the end of it."
The boy with ssy hair raised an eyebrow.
"You don't think he's good?"
She shrugged. "I think he's good, but I wouldn't be surprised if he tries to show off too much and electricute himself out in the process."
As they continued discussing the potential of various students, the group seed to grow more animated, but there was one topic that none of them dared touch—the identity of the mysterious first-year with the rumored lightning powers.
The tall boy raised his eyebrows, his voice dropping slightly in a mock-serious tone.
"You think we'll see soone like that today?
A total wildcard?"
"I don't know," the freckled girl said, clearly intrigued. "But I think the first-years are about to have one hell of a day. You know how it goes—the ones who seem like they've got it all together are usually the ones who crumble when it matters."
The door to the room creaked open just slightly, and the group paused.
They turned to see the young woman by the window still standing there, her back to them.
Her expression remained unreadable, but as her gaze flicked toward the door, she spoke, almost as if addressing herself more than anyone in particular.
"The first-years are always full of surprises," she said softly, her voice carrying an eerie calm. "But it's never the ones you expect."
Her words hung in the air, as cryptic as ever, and her gaze seed to drift sowhere far beyond the room.
The group of second-years exchanged uncertain glances, but no one spoke.
They all knew better than to challenge her presence.
With a small, barely noticeable smile, the young woman turned and walked toward the door, leaving the room in her wake.
For a mont, the room was silent, save for the soft hum of murmurs that seed to surround them.
"Does anyone else find her... kind of intimidating?" the freckled girl asked after a beat.
"Yeah, definitely," the ssy-haired boy replied. "But that's just how she is. Always a mystery."
"Anyway, enough about that," the tall boy said, eager to return to the topic of the first years.
"Let's see how they all handle it today. I bet there'll be so good entertainnt."
They all nodded in agreent, their attention once again on the upcoming physical assessnt.
The first-year students were about to face their trial by fire, and the second-years were waiting to see who would rise to the challenge—and who would fall.
But none of them knew that this year, the biggest surprise wasn't going to co from the typical standouts.
Soone else was about to make their mark.
Soone who would change everything.
---
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