The conversation and the email.

The window in the library was open, and a gentle summer breeze wafted in. Miss Marzestra looked at Argenius, seemingly scanning him. It remained silent for a few seconds, then she opened her mouth. "Argenius, right?" she asked. "Uh, yes," Argenius replied. The professor nodded and looked at her notepad. "What do you envision your future to be like?" she asked. "Take your time with the answer; we have all the time in the world. You're the last student for today," she added. Argenius nodded and thought. He hadn't come up with a proper idea of what he wanted to be. He had thought about it many times, but a good idea hadn't come to him yet. He thought for a few more seconds and then said, "I don't have a reasonable idea yet, so I will continue with school for now, maybe pursue higher education, but I haven't made a decision yet."

Miss Marzestra nodded understandingly and said, "That's quite normal. Students your age often struggle to commit to a career. I have a software that helps young people understand their interests and talents. If you're interested, we can sit down at my laptop." She pulled out a bag from behind her chair, opened it, and took out a futuristic-looking laptop. She opened an app and turned the screen towards Argenius. "Please take a close look at the questions and think about them," Miss Marzestra placed a ball next to the laptop. "A mouse," she added. Argenius took it in his hand and was about to start answering the questions when the mouse fell apart. It formed a crack and then broke in half.

Argenius looked at the professor. "Uh..." Miss Marzestra looked somewhat surprised and then said, "Uh, don't worry, it was already very old, so everything is fine." She reached into her bag again and pulled out another mouse. "Here's a spare mouse," she said. Argenius nodded, took the mouse, and started answering the questions.

When he finished, he pushed the laptop back to Miss Marzestra. She looked at the screen for a few seconds and then said, "Okay, I think that's enough. Please give me your email address, and I'll send you the results." Argenius wrote it down on a piece of paper and asked, "Is there anything else you need?" "No," said Miss Marzestra with a smile and a shake of her head.

Argenius thanked her and left the room, feeling like Miss Marzestra had scrutinized him from head to toe. As he stepped into the hallway, a gust of air brushed past him. He looked back but could only see Miss Marzestra, who was watching him with an inscrutable smile. "Is there anything else you'd like to say?" she asked. Argenius shook his head, continued, and closed the door behind him.

When he left the school, he saw Elina and Johanna waiting for him. Elina waved to him, and Argenius walked over to them, immediately asking, "So, how did it go with the professor?" Johanna blushed. "Not good. She gave me a questionnaire after I told her I wanted to become a veterinarian, but I couldn't answer half of the questions."

"Well, it went quite well for me," said Elina. "She talked to me for a while and then mentioned that she wanted my email address to recommend some careers or universities. Elina and Johanna looked at Argenius with penetrating eyes.

He understood the hint and started telling them, "She asked me what I wanted to become, and when I told her I had no idea yet, she gave me software where I had to answer some questions. But then I accidentally broke the mouse, but she said it was already old, so everything is fine."

"And what was the result?" Elina and Johanna asked in unison. "So far, nothing. She said she would send me an email with my test results." Argenius shrugged. "Maybe I'll get a spot at her academy," he added with a laugh.

The three students put on their jackets and started walking home. Halfway there, Johanna said her goodbyes and waved to them. The rest of the way, the siblings remained silent. When they arrived home, their mother wasn't there yet. Argenius surfed the internet for a while until he received an email from the professor. He opened it and read:

Dear Mr. Atilas, I am delighted to inform you that you are the first person in years to achieve such a good result in our test. Accordingly, I am pleased to offer you a place of study at Pengan Academy. I hope you will consider the offer carefully. We would appreciate a positive response as your special talents align well with our strict guidelines for inviting new students. Your thoughtful and interesting responses have impressed the members of our student committee. Therefore, we have decided to spare you our usual committee process and move you directly into our shortlist. This means it's your decision whether you want to shape your future with us. In the end, we hope that you will choose to study at our academy. If you decide to study at our academy, we would be happy to welcome you on September 1st, 20XX. You don't need to worry about study materials, as they will be provided by the academy.

Best regards, Hanna Hamago Teresa Marzestra

Beneath her signature was a strange symbol. It somewhat resembled a dove with a letter in its beak, but several lines disrupting that impression.

Argenius thought about the offer. His mother had already told them weeks ago that it was their decision, and she wouldn't interfere. That meant if he decided to accept the offer, there would be nothing standing in his way.

Argenius didn't have anything against the idea of attending a recognized and prestigious academy. On the contrary, his gut feeling urged him to accept the study placement. So, he quickly replied with a "Yes." He opened his email program and began to write: Dear Ms. Marzestra, I would be delighted to accept your offer. Best regards,

Argenius Atilas.

Argenius looked over his email once more and then pressed send.