86 The Storm Part 3

"What did you do?" the examiner looked upon me with the most serious eyes.

Whatever I just did, though, I knew I shouldn't be showing off. I could already imagine the stern face of Professor Whitaker, already chiding me for the stupidity of my actions.

But it felt weird. I knew I shouldn't be meddling with these kinds of strange magic (and especially not now during the Test of Waning), but at that moment, I had felt a pull. Before my mind could even register it, I was already doing it. I had no excuses, but I knew I should think things through very carefully from now on.

"Well?" the ageless faced man asked again, making me flinch out of my thoughts.

I shook my head, already calming myself down until my heartbeat steadied. "I don't understand your question, sir examiner."

He stared down at me for a long second, but I held my ground.

Fortunately, Kendra came to the rescue. "Oh, sir! About that earlier, Eleftherion was only worried about me because I was a girl. Oh, but I really am fine! I'm ready to take the test now."

"Right!" Joren came forward bravely. "He was only helping her out."

"Helping?" the examiner asked. "In what way?"

"I, uh-" Joren mumbled, his confidence dwindling by the second.

"I couldn't really help her, of course!" I ventured. "I just kept asking if Kendra was alright the past few minutes. I figured that she could gain back her strength within the time limit."

"And I did! Geez, Eleftherion. You didn't have to make such a fuss about it!" Kendra continued on without missing a beat, smiling all the way.

I knew all this lying wouldn't trick the man. After all, he should have sensed something irregular to make him come here in the first place. But if this really blows off into a problem...

"Alright, then. I was mistaken," the man said, which almost made me act suspiciously by shouting out in surprise. Thankfully, I hid it with a timely cough. Through my fist, I stared at him through my lashes.

'Why is he suddenly letting this go?' I thought.

However, he was already turning his body to go back to the center of the hall, his movements brisk. My mind didn't even have time to take this all in.

I found myself looking at my friends. Joren looked happy to see I wasn't in trouble. Albert had a troubled look on his face. The high prince had pursed lips, while Kendra only looked at me with a small, nervous smile.

When the examiner started his last warnings about the time limit again up on his podium, I inched closer towards the smaller girl. "Are you really feeling fine?"

"Yes!" she whispered back with wide eyes. "What did you do?"

"... I didn't do anything," I said with a shake of a head. I knew that this old school probably had ears on its walls as well like the Order, so it would be better to simply lie about this now. Well, lies beget negative emotions, and so for the next moments, I had to suffer from the hard stares from the noble girl.

I was actually very grateful when the time finally reached its limit. I found it odd how I suddenly felt happy to take a test which I was just nervous to take bare minutes ago.

"Test takers, come forward."

I observed how some of the first years could barely even stand up from their seats on the ground. Sighing, I knew I couldn't give everyone my help, so I walked on forward with my team of five.

"Alright," said the examiner when a couple more students decided to leave. "Now, a pre-test will be done as of now."

Almost immediately, sick-looking students started to scream in protest.

"Why is there a pre-test?"

"Didn't we just get blasted with magic earlier?"

"I'm here for the Test of Waning, not other stupid tests!"

I already expected it, and my hands already moved to hold the arms right beside me. I also saw how Charles began to cover up Albert with his arm. A split second later, a weaker pressure of magic pushed down at us, immediately shutting up the complaining students.

"Now," the ageless man drawled out. "If you don't like this process, then I suggest you leave now. I don't care anymore. If another mouth dares to utter useless complaints, then you will find your little arses out of this hall, whether you like it or not."

His words created the forced silence even more deafening. Then, the pressure was released, and this time, all of the students managed to keep standing.

"Good," he muttered. "It seems you're not all completely weak."

After he observed us with a slow turn of his head, he then continued on after a single, loud clap of his hands. "Within five minutes, you are to form a group of six. If you don't find the correct number within the time limit, then you're disqualified from taking the test."

Upon his clap, a tiny professor who looked like a thin girl in adult's clothes hopped on up to the platform and started to lay some kind of rocks onto the bare floor. The students didn't even move around and only stared at the small professor as she hopped around in a circle, placing rock after rock, forming a sort of circular shape on the ground.

"Well?" the man's stern voice stabbed into our ears, and like a collective realization, we started to erupt into noise and movement.

The crown prince was soon beside me before I could even move. "Therion, we're lacking a single member."

I nodded, still transfixed on the stones up on the platform. "Who do you think should we choose?"

"Well," Albert said from beside us. "We don't have much time to actually choose. I suggest we ask around now while we can. We're only looking for one, after all."

"Well, I don't really care who we get," Joren said with a nonchalant shrug. "With Therion and the high prince here, we're probably too overpowered now anyway."

Kendra giggled while I rolled my eyes. She said, "Let's go find someone now! I'll help!"

Then, we started to go around, with Albert choosing to leave himself behind on our spot so we can signal to him when we find a potential teammate. Before long, we were too busy asking around first years to keep track of time.

When I passed by the center, though, my eyes trailed back on the platform, where the mysterious rocks lie. Up close, they glowed with a faint glow, but it didn't feel weak. In fact, it almost seemed as though there was great power that was only being held down.

I was woken up from my daydreaming when I heard my name from across the room. I looked up in surprise, turning to see Albert's tall figure waving down at me. Based on the smile on his face, I guessed they had already found a teammate. After making my way back to them, I found myself in my second bout of surprise in the past minute.

"H-Hi," the new teammate murmured.

I gaped at her- I mean, him.

"You're the one who was in the baths!" I shouted quite rudely.

He glared at me. "Yes, but I would like it if you don't go prodding back to that topic."

"Ehh?" Joren asked with wide, curious green eyes. "What's this? Jordan, you know Therion?"

The boy with the porcelain doll face huffed with gusto. "If you really will step upon my pride any further, I will leave this group at once. I only have a halfhearted wish to go through the test anyway."

"No, no!" Joren shouted in a panic. "Come on, Jordan! I was only joking!"

With him facing away like that with his nose pointed up, the new boy really did look like a haughty, young girl from a noble family. He then lashed out with closed eyes, "No! I'm not joining this team if that rude boy is here!"

Worried about the time and seeing a still missing person, I edged towards the black-haired prince. "Who found this guy?"

He chuckled softly. "Kendra managed to reel him in. She says he's a strong one from her magic control classes."

I sighed. "Well, he doesn't seem easy to work with."

"And whose fault is that?" he asked me with amused eyes.

I growled at him, and whispered, "Oh, come on. I only mistook him for a girl!"

His brows went up. "Well, he does seem very petite."

"Right?!" I whispered back. "I'm not the wrong one here."

"But you two in the baths together..." Albert murmured. "It must've been a sight... Like the pot calling the kettle black."

It took a moment for me to understand his meaning, but I felt no shame or anger, just curiosity and fear. "You think I look like a girl?"

He blinked down at me, and then shook his head with a chuckle. "Forget it."

But thinking that I've had enough of this scary topic, I asked him another question to change the topic. "Where's Prince Charles?"

Albert took only a second to look up and say, "Well, speak of the devil."

Charles had somehow snuck up onto our group without us noticing. He had seen the new arrival and was already calmly observing the scene. I approached him and stood by his side, talking to him in hushed tones, "He won't join us because I'm here."

He looked at me in surprise. "Really? I never imagined you to be in a fight."

I rolled my eyes. "It was childishly petty."

"Petty and childish," he murmured, but his eyes were already studying the boy. I saw as his thick, dark brows furrowed in seriousness. He mumbled, "Grayish eyes. Pale complexion. And bluish white hair."

"Shouldn't we be looking for another teammate now?" I asked, worried about the time.

But then, he was smiling down at me, a twinkle on his warm eyes. "Trust me."

Then, he strutted forward in his best, princely stride and stopped right in front of the newcomer. The boy seemed to realize he was with company, so he peeked his eyes open. "Wh-Who are you?"

Charles immediately held out a hand to him, a winning smile on his face. "I'm Charles of House Mond, Crown Prince of the Mond Empire."

Immediately, the boy stiffened and then jumped into attention. His light hued eyes went wide in shock or adoration or a mixture of both. Then, before we could do anything about it, he had suddenly collapsed himself into a full on bow, knees and palms flat on the ground. "Crown Prince Charles, it is an honor! I am not worthy to be in your presence!"

"Ah-" Charles muttered, his eyes obviously showing his panicked feelings, although he remained calm on the outside. "Please... Rise."

Then, the boy got up as fast as he had come down, a flush of heat on his pale cheeks. "This one is called Jordan of House Lunaris. Please have me as one of your servant members in the team!"

'Lunaris? Like the City?' I wondered.

"I-uh," Charles mumbled. "I don't really require... servants, but we do need another student to make up our team of six. If you wish to join us, as equals, then you're more than welcome!"

The boy spluttered, his face looking oddly overwhelmed. Before he could self-combust, Joren made the right choice of gathering the boy up with an arm. "He's in, then!" the red head declared.

"Good!" I said loudly with a round of applause.

Then, like we were just given the right amount of time, the examiner started to speak. "Time's up. Those with groups, come forward and those without, I hope you don't struggle too much as you leave the hall."

Then, instructors with baskets came towards us. Our instructor told us to choose an envelope from the basket at random. Kendra picked up a sealed envelope, a single number written on its back.

"Five..." Albert muttered. "What does this mean?"

But the instructor had already moved on. And quickly after, the examiner had announced, "One by one, groups starting from number one will be teleported into the actual test area. Instructions are placed on the envelopes you have received, but you will only be able to open it once you have reached the destination. Is this understood?"

For a moment, there was only silence, and then he nodded. "Good. Group one, step into the platform."

"What?!" Kendra screamed softly. "We won't even know what the test will be like?"

But I had a different question. "But how are they going to segregate the first years from the other years?"

Charles and Albert also jumped in shock at my words, while Joren and Kendra only tilted their heads.

Then, Albert exclaimed, "Oh no! This was that kind of test! We weren't supposed to simply make teams in that time. We were supposed to discern that we would be joining the other years in the test as well! I mean, why else would we all be placed in one big hall? We should have teamed up with stronger upper years!"

"But..." Kendra frowned. "That's unfair for us first years. How are we even supposed to make teams with those stronger than us?"

Albert sighed. "The Test of Waning is infamous for giving unfair and weird tests like this. We can't do anything about it. We just have to accept that we chose the wrong cycle to take it. There are years when the tests are very easy, after all. Maybe... this will be, too?"

Joren then snorted. "Come on, team! There's nothin' we can do about this. 'Sides, we already came to form a team together. Do ya really want us to split up just to team up with older strangers?"

His words struck us hard, making Albert gape at him for a moment, and me laugh into the tense air. Still chuckling, I said, "Joren's said it! It doesn't matter. We have our team, and if you ask me, it's a darn good one! Let's take this test!"

The five of us shouted a short battle cry, while the newcomer Jordan simply stared at us with round eyes. "Y-You are really going to take the same test that's also meant for inner rings?"

I shrugged. "Sure. It's not like we'll die, right?"

Albert mumbled, "Some students did come back with heavy injuries..."

"There are rumors of one getting a coma for a whole year," Jordan complained.

But Charles only laughed it off. "Come now, man up, all of you! Well, Kendra, you-uh, woman up? We can do this!"

"Well," Albert continued, pushing up his glasses in thought. "It's definitely worth the risk. Besides, we still don't know the rules of the test. It might actually work in our favor."

"See?" I said. "Even the smartest one of us agrees!"

Then, the examiner called out, "Group number five, come forward!"

I stared at each of them with a half nervous-excited smile. "Come on!"

When we came up on the platform and recited our names to the tiny professor, I found myself admiring the stones again.

"Step inside the circle," the professor said in a high-pitched voice. "Good, good. Now take a deep breath. This will feel very weird the first time, but don't worry. The place you'll be landing on will be a safe area, so you can rest for a short time."

Making sure the envelope was held tight by Kendra, I nodded my head at the professor. "We're ready."

Staring at my impromptu team, I felt energy rise within me. Surprisingly, I felt a bigger hand grab at my own. Charles was looking down at me with a sidewards smile. He whispered, "Be prepared. This is going to make you feel nauseous."

I smiled back at him, but before I could say anything else, I felt the spell starting. Instead, I simply held on to his hand a little bit tighter.

Right before the teleportation, I found myself thinking, 'What could possibly go wrong?"