Students shuffled toward the Academy's central courtyard, their hushed conversations creating a backdrop of anxious murmurs. Vel joined the growing crowd, morning mist still clinging to the stone pathways around them.
"I'm confident about my performance, but I can't help feeling nervous," Celia said, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of her sleeve.
Vel gave a small shrug, remembering his conversation with Lyvenna. "Let's go."
Truth be told, he was more interested in his friend's results than his own.
They joined the growing crowd converging toward a massive bulletin board in the courtyard center. Three sections divided the board—standard, elite, and the smallest on the left marked with a swirling cloud symbol for unstable attunement.
"I'll check mine and meet you after?" Celia suggested, nodding toward the larger middle section.
"See you in a bit," Vel agreed, giving her a reassuring nod before they parted ways in the crowd.
Vel worked his way through the press of bodies toward the unstable section. The list was short—only five names where there had been six candidates. His eyes found his own name at the top: Velarian Novalance. Below were Tomas, Mira, Rohen, and Enya.
Someone hadn't made the cut.
The weight of that missing name pressed against his chest. If he could only unravel the true nature of Chaos attunement faster, prove what he suspected about these "unstable" students—maybe fewer would face rejection like this.
Before he could dwell further on this, familiar voices approached.
"Did you see? We made it!" Tomas's excited voice broke through the general murmur of the crowd.
"Well, looks like we all survived the culling," he said, managing a grin.
Mira approached, her auburn hair tied back more neatly than usual. She glanced at the list, eyes narrowing as she counted the names.
"Who didn't make it?" she asked, her voice softer than normal.
Tomas scratched his head. "I thought there were six of us during the assessments."
In the distance, Enya walked over, her steps measured and deliberate. When she reached them, she pointed at the list. "Lars. He was with us during the strategy test."
"Lars?" Vel remembered the older student who'd failed his first entrance test. He couldn't believe Lars hadn't made it this time either. The boy with sandy hair who hadn't talked much to any of them during assessments—part of Vel felt regret, part curiosity about what had gone wrong.
"Maybe he fumbled the knowledge test," Tomas suggested, "or something else happened."
Around the standard and elite lists, the emotions ran in complete opposite directions. Accepted students hugged each other, voices raised in excitement as they compared class assignments. Meanwhile, those who couldn't find their names stood frozen, some fighting back tears while others walked away in stunned silence.
Despite Lars's absence weighing on him, Vel felt grateful for the small group they'd formed among the "unstable" students. At least they had each other.
Vel stepped away from his group and scanned the courtyard for Celia. He spotted her near the standard list, standing on tiptoe to see over taller students. Her shoulders tensed as she searched, fingers tucking and untucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
Despite her strong performance in the physical assessments, the knowledge test had been challenging. And after that confrontation with Lysithea Fairwind, who knew what could happen.
Suddenly, her posture changed. Her spine straightened, and even from a distance, Vel could see the smile that broke across her face. She pressed her fingertip against her name, as if making sure it was really there, then whirled around scanning the crowd. When their eyes met, she dashed toward him, weaving through clusters of students.
"I've made it!" she exclaimed as she reached him, practically bouncing with excitement. "I've actually made it!"
Vel grinned at her excitement. "Of course you made it," he said, genuinely happy for her success.
"It was the written portion I was worried about," Celia admitted, lowering her voice. "After that incident with Lysithea, I thought maybe they'd..." She trailed off, shaking her head as if to dispel the thought.
"Looks like they judged you on merit after all," Vel said, squeezing her shoulder reassuringly.
Approaching footsteps interrupted their celebration. Vel turned to find Severin Thornwood approaching, flanked by two other students who lifted their chins and smirked at the crowd. Unlike during the entrance examinations, where nervousness had been universal, Severin now carried himself with the confidence of someone who had expected nothing less than success.
"Well, if it isn't the village savant and his orphan friend," Severin said, his voice carrying just enough to draw attention from nearby students. "I see the Academy's charity quota has been filled this year."
Celia's posture went rigid beside him.
"The Academy has a long tradition of identifying those with genuine potential," Severin continued, his gaze moving deliberately from Celia to Vel. "Though I suppose even institutions with standards occasionally make exceptions for... special cases."
The way he emphasized "special cases" made it sound like a disease rather than a distinction. His companions exchanged knowing smirks, clearly relishing the encounter.
Severin's gaze slid to Tomas, who stood awkwardly beside Vel.
"I see you've found your place among the... peculiarities," Severin said to Tomas with a dismissive wave. "A shame. Your family was hoping you might demonstrate a proper Fire specialization like your cousins."
He paused, letting the words sink in before continuing with false sympathy.
"Fire specialization was quite competitive this year. Only one in six made it through." He paused with a slight smile. "Since I'm here, that means five others... well, weren't quite up to standard." His gaze lingered on Tomas. "Though I suppose your... unique circumstances spared you that particular humiliation."
Tomas's face flushed, his fingers curling into fists at his sides. The irony wasn't lost on him—his unstable attunement had likely saved him from outright disqualification. Before he could respond, Severin turned his attention back to Celia.
"Interesting loyalty you display, Miss Freznoria," he remarked. "Though I suppose orphans must cling to whatever connections they can form."
As quickly as he had approached, Severin turned away, his companions trailing behind him.
Vel watched them go, then let out a dramatic sigh. "He spent all that effort just to greet us. What a nice man."
The deadpan delivery broke the tension. Tomas snorted, and Mira rolled her eyes.
Celia's shoulders relaxed slightly, though her expression remained stormy. "One day that mouth of his is going to meet my fist."
"I'd pay to see that," Mira muttered.
As they turned to leave, Vel spotted Kein near the elite section, surrounded by admirers. Their eyes met briefly across the courtyard—something cold and distant in Kein's gaze before he deliberately looked away.
A clear voice suddenly rang out above the crowd's chatter.
"All students whose names appear on these boards! Take note."
An instructor in formal Academy robes announced from a raised platform at the edge of the courtyard, her voice magically amplified to carry over the crowd.
"Report to your assigned homeroom instructor as listed at the bottom of each section. Your first day of classes begins after tomorrow. Those who require lodging arrangements should speak with administrative staff immediately following this announcement."
Looking back at the unstable section, Vel spotted a line at the bottom:
Instructor: Lyvenna Thalassan
He smiled. At least they'd have someone who understood their situation.
"Who did you get?" Celia asked, peering over.
"Lyvenna. Honestly, that's probably the best outcome we could hope for."
"Lucky. I'm with someone named Caldwen. Never heard of them."
Before Vel could respond, a familiar voice carried across the courtyard.
"Of course we'd be in the same class. Instructor Caldwen specifically requested the most promising students."
Celia froze. Lysithea Fairwind stood at the center of a group near the standard section, copper-blonde hair catching the light.
"You've got to be kidding me," she whispered.
Vel followed her stare, immediately grasping the problem. "She's in your class?"
Celia nodded grimly. "After what happened during the exam..."
Lysithea's gaze swept across the courtyard and locked onto Celia. Her expression hardened into a cold smile before she turned back to her companions, saying something that made them laugh.
"This is going to be problematic," Vel muttered.