Chapter 5: Second Exam

I watched as the curtain was lowered, blocking my view of Anna's giddy face and any indication of what the exam might be.

Most of the examinees have entered the academy grounds now, but none have come out. In fact, I was the last one in this line and the others were either done or only had one examinee left. It's weird how I haven't seen anyone leave though.

Twiddling my thumbs together as I waited for my turn, I looked around in awe. We were actually standing in front of the academy entrance which is usually closee by the intricately fashioned metal gate that is wider than two cars. The gate was open now but there was a magic barrier that prevented anyone from seeing inside. The examinees were lined up to enter tall tents with curtains that -- I presume -- were also enchanted to block visibility. This was light magic, a sub-element of fire.

No outsiders know what the academy actually looked like due to the light barrier. There were also conspiracy theories that this area is all a ruse and the real academy is somewhere else. As a matter of fact, some former examinees claimed that they were teleported to the real academy grounds for their exams.

Every year, the second exam was different, challenging potential students on something new that the dean wanted to prioritize, so no one ever knew what the exam could be. Apparently one year, pass and fail was decided on your spice tolerance for food.

"Please enter" The examiner in front of me lifted the tent curtain and gestured me to go in.

I inhaled and stepped in, I was the last one of all the examinees.

Inside the tent was dark, and it became pitch black as the curtain was lowered behind me. It was so dark that I couldn't see my hand in front of me. My pace slowed down to a halt as I waited for some light to come on.

Huh? It's been at least 30 seconds since the curtain was closed, but there's no lights. Is it broken?

I took a few steps left and right with my hands extended in front of me in an attempt to feel out the edge of the tent or something but, strangely, there was nothing.

Nothing in front of me, nothing above me, and the entrance I came from wasn't behind me. The only thing I could feel was the solid ground beneath me.

Is this part of the exam? I crossed my arms together and stood still, maybe they're fixing it? I waited to see if my eyes would adjust to the darkness.

After another few seconds, my patience ran out.

I raised my arms in front of me, palms facing forward and ran straight ahead. I'm impatient and lazy! Don't make me use my brain. I'll break this tent if I have to!

I ran forward without stopping, my breath quickening rapidly and I still didn't run into anything. What is this, this tent is that long? I kept running forward until my legs became sore. Just as I was about to give up, my hands suddenly bumped into something hard.

Finally!

I gulped, catching my breath while feeling around at this hard... thing.

A door? My hands bumped into something cold and smooth, a door handle. I twisted it and pushed, the inside of the tent suddenly was flooded with light, blinding me like a flash grenade.

I stood in the doorway stunned for a moment while my eyes readjusted to the light, my heart still pounding from my unexpected exercise.

"Ah, Welcome!" a joyful voice boomed towards me.

I looked over to see a blurry figure finally coming into focus. It was a large, round man with a pair of thin-framed glasses. His glasses had a tiny chain attached to them, hooking around his neck so he could take them off and hang them without losing the.

He was standing in front of a white board with some words projected on it. A classroom?

I turned around to see that I was in a small auditorium-like classroom. The long rows of built-in seats had equally long desks attached to them, each row more elevated than the last to ensure all audience members could see and hear the instructor.

"Yin!" A bubbly voice chimed in the back. I saw a hand shoot up and pink pompom hair bouncing side to side.

"Take a seat, you're the last one" the examiner at the front of the class told me.

I turned and walked up the stairs towards Anna as she waved me over. Some of the other examinees following me with their gazes full of curiousity.

"Come sit" Anna patted the seat next to her.

I climbed over the bench and sat down, getting a full view of the room now. There were no more than 200 examinees in the class, dispersed into small groups dotted around the lecture hall. The hall wasn't full, but it didn't feel empty either. It could perhaps fit around 300 to 400 students.

"Now then" the round examiner started "First off congratulations on making it thus far!"

"Where are the others? Are there other rooms like this?" An examinee near the front suddenly interrupted.

"I'm afraid no, this is all the examinees left."

"Then what about the others, where did they go?"

"They failed, so they were removed from the examination grounds."

"What do you mean failed? My sister isn't here yet. The examinee argued "that wasn't even the exam, since you said we're going to take the exam here."

"Yes, we are going to take the exam now, but that was part of the exam too" the examiner adjusted his glasses, seemingly unfazed "that was part of the exam and it was important for filtering out people who don't meet our entrance requirements."

"What? What could a blacked out endless place even test. You had to be lucky to even find this place? I used my lighter and walked around and there was nothing in all directions until this door suddenly showed up."

"It tested your bravery to walk into the unknown and your luck."

"Ah, how is having a lighter bravery or luck?" another examinee asked, shooting the complainer a dirty look.

"They were lucky to have access to a lighter." The examiner grinned "Now let's move on, time is tight. The second exam this year will be an interview with several long-time instructors at the academy."

"What? Interview? No test?" Anna whispered.

I shrugged. Works for me.

"You will be asked a series of questions by each participating instructor for 5 minutes then, at the sound of the horn, you must leave their table and move to the next instructor. Once all the examinees have been questioned by all the instructors the exam will be concluded. You will receive your results in a few days time."

The whiteboard had some photos depicting a bunch of small round tables with one seat on each side like a speed dating venue.

"We're going to speed date the instructors" I said, craning my neck to see the photos more clearly.

"What?" Anna turned to me, clearly alarmed.

"Any questions?" The examiner asked, looking around the room.

"How will it be determined whether or not we will pass the exam?" a girl near the back of the class asked.

"Well, the instructors will deliberate and decide, you'll receive a pin with a number as identification so you can be notified and instructors won't know your identity."

"So, what's the criteria for passing?"

"Whether the instructors like you or not"

It was speed dating. We're speed dating our instructors.