After a brief welco and tour of the academy led by the staff and assigned seniors from the student council, the incoming freshn were prepared for the real challenge: the written exams, which would take place the very next day.
To the surprise of many, the exams were held at Killian Hall—an unexpected and prestigious location.
Killian Hall was known to be a place of exclusivity, reserved only for the top 10 students in each grade across their respective departnts.
Whether this choice of location was deliberate or not, it certainly gave the freshn a glimpse of the privileges they could enjoy if they rose to the top of the academy.
The re sight of Killian Hall, with its luxurious architecture and high-end facilities, left a lasting impression on all who entered.
Its gleaming hallways, state-of-the-art equipnt, and air of sophistication painted a clear picture of the rewards awaiting the elite.
For those who dread of academic or combat excellence, the allure of the hall's prestige and the generous allowances that ca with it were enough to light a fire in their hearts.
The honor of being among the top students of the academy wasn't just about status-it was a gateway to real power, wealth, and recognition in the world.
For Enna, however, the exam experience was a different story.
As she walked out of the examination room, her legs trembled beneath her, barely able to hold her up.
She felt as though the weight of the world had been dropped on her shoulders.
Every question from the exam replayed in her mind like a nightmare.
The formulas, historical events, and complex magical theories swirled in her head, making her dizzy all over again.
Her earlier excitent had evaporated, replaced by a crushing sense of inadequacy.
She glanced around, noticing the calm, confident faces of her peers.
They walked out of the exam hall with ease, so even chatting as if they hadn't just taken one of the most difficult exams of their lives.
Enna's heart sank even further.
She had entered the academy with excitent and ambition, but now, she felt small and uncertain.
Had she truly prepared enough? Could she really survive in a place this competitive? "Reina..."
"Yes?"
"I think I might not be able to enter the academy after all..." Enna's voice cracked as tears welled up in her eyes.
She clung to Reina's arm, her body trembling slightly with frustration and embarrassnt.
Earlier, she had acted so confident, even excited, before the exam began, but now it felt like all her confidence had been shattered into pieces.
How embarrassing!
She couldn't help but feel ashad.
Here she was, hugging Reina's arm like a helpless child, while Reina, with her usual composed and calm deanor, stood there unaffected by the ordeal they had just gone through.
In a twisted way, Enna found herself jealous of Reina. How could she remain so aloof and unfazed, even after that exam?
"I studied really hard; you know?" Enna continued, her voice growing more emotional as she vented her frustrations.
"But what was up with those questions? Those weren't ant for a re student to answer! I an-who even knows that much?!"
"I'm sure you did well enough to pass."
Enna's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Easy for you to say! You still have the practical exams to save you. But for students in the general departnt like , written exams are everything!"
She squeezed Reina's arm tighter, her frustration clear in her voice.
"If I fail this, there's nothing left to fall back on..."
Reina opened her mouth to respond but found herself at a loss for words.
She understood Enna's stress-she really did-but comforting others wasn't exactly her strong suit.
Letting out a small sigh, Reina reached out and gently patted Enna's back in an attempt to console her.
"You'll be fine..." she said softly, even though she wasn't sure if her words were enough. "Huhu~ what was even the point of all that hard work-" Enna mumbled, her shoulders slumping under the weight of her exhaustion and frustration.
Her mind was still swimming in the aftermath of the brutal exam, and she was starting to spiral into self-pity.
Before she could lant any further, a familiar voice broke through her thoughts, casual and almost mocking.
"Sup. Did you guys pass?"
Enna's eyes widened as she recognized the voice, while Reina's expression instantly
darkened, reflecting a mix of annoyance and disgust.
Both turned to see Flam standing there with her usual smug grin.
"Flam! You're here as well!"
Enna exclaid, a spark of excitent lighting up her face as she rushed over to grab
Flam's hand eagerly.
"Hm? I don't know how much the exam rattled your brain, but you should really only choose
one sickness."
Enna blinked in confusion.
"What do you an?"
Flam flicked her forehead lightly, her smirk widening.
"Being dumb or stupid-you should seriously pick one, Enna."
"T-That's an!" Enna's eyes imdiately welled up with more tears, her sensitive heart
unable to handle Flam's sharp words.
Seeing her reaction, Flam snickered and reached out to pinch Enna's cheeks.
"Kuku, you're too cute when you cry-" she teased, tugging at Enna's soft cheeks like she was
playing with a doll.
"Shtapp~" Enna mumbled through squished cheeks, trying to resist but finding it strangely comforting at the sa ti.
Despite the an-spirited teasing, there was sothing oddly warm about Flam's touch, like she was being cared for in her own strange way.
Reina, however, wasn't having any of it. Her eyes flared with anger as she watched the scene
unfold.
Without a second thought, she strode over and pulled Enna away from Flam's grasp,
glaring at her with cold intensity.
"What are you doing here?" Reina's voice was sharp, clearly not in the mood for gas.
Flam chuckled, completely unfazed by Reina's hostile tone. "Hm- Aggressive as ever. Still mad about what happened on the ship? And here I thought we were all friends now."
"Silence," Reina snapped, her eyes narrowing. "I don't rember befriending you."
Flam's grin only widened at that.
"Oh? But Enna might, right?" She turned her attention to the confused girl, who was still rubbing her cheeks from Flam's earlier pinch.
"Huh? Uh... well..." Enna stamred, caught off guard by the sudden shift. She glanced between the two of them, feeling the tension simring in the air.
Her mind raced, trying to find sothing, anything, to ease the growing conflict.
"I an... we all got along on the ship, right? Maybe we can all be friends...?"
Or at least be friendly with each other.
Reina crossed her arms, clearly unimpressed, while Flam's grin softened into sothing
more mischievous.
"See? Even Enna thinks we could all be friends."
Reina shot Enna a look, but the poor girl was still too caught up in her desire for everyone to
get along, missing the underlying tension between the two.
In her mind, a bit of positivity might be the key to putting their differences aside.
Flam stretched her arms lazily, looking like she had all the ti in the world. "Well, Reina, I guess we'll just have to try harder to beco friends~," Flam said with a teasing smile that bordered on playful mockery.
She twirled a strand of her hair between her fingers, eyes gleaming with mischief. Then, with a dramatic flair, she added, "So now that we're all technically friends, why don't
we tour the academy together? I'm pretty sure the short tour we had yesterday wasn't enough to showcase all the highlights the academy has, right?"
Reina's expression remained flat, her distrust for Flam evident in the way she crossed her arms. "You sound like you know a lot about it," she remarked coolly, her tone devoid of
warmth.
"Oh, but I do~," Flam purred, her grin widening. "Though I can't tell you the reason why, fufu~. Anyway, how about it? Why don't you two join for a little tour?"
'Haah- how annoying' Despite her outward confidence, Flam couldn't help but ntally wince as she recalled
Snow's angry voice and piercing gaze that had practically frozen her to her core.
She was here under strict orders, forced to apologize or make ands in so way, shape, or
form to the people she had "technically bothered."
That, unfortunately, included both Enna and Reina.
While Enna was tolerable, even cute, Reina was a different matter altogether.
Flam's feelings toward her were laced with disdain.
Every ti she looked at Reina, she felt a sense of deep disappointnt.
As soone who admired power and strength above all else, Flam found it disgusting that
soone of the sa bloodline as Riley could be so... weak.
It was a bitter pill to swallow, knowing that Reina lacked the potential to rise to any
significant power.
In Flam's eyes, this made her inferior.
Of course, Flam had similar contempt for most weak people, but the fact that Reina was
Riley's sister only amplified her distaste.
How could soone like Riley, with his imnse talent and presence, be related to soone
so diocre?
Granted she was still technically assessing Riley's true worth at the mont.
It was still infuriating.
If it weren't for Snow's orders, Flam would have gladly avoided Reina altogether.
But here she was, trying her best to play nice, all while biting back her true thoughts.
Enna, on the other hand, once again oblivious to the tension, had her wide eyes lighting up at the idea of exploring the academy.
Together with her so-called new friends!
She glanced between Reina and Flam, her natural optimism getting the better of her.
"That sounds fun!" she chirped, clearly excited by the prospect.
"We didn't get to see much yesterday, and I've been dying to explore the place mor- "
"Can we join in as well?"
The excited words were abruptly interrupted by a gentle yet commanding voice that seed
to resonate with authority, instantly grabbing the attention of the three girls.
Near the grand staircase, two figures gracefully descended from the second floor of the
examination hall.
The first, a robed girl with a slender and elegant silhouette, wore an outfit similar to Flam's but with a sleeker design, accentuating her poised deanor. Although her hood obscured most of her face, the visible part of her lips held a kind,
welcoming smile.
"Vanessa!" Enna's eyes lit up with recognition, and before anyone could stop her, she shot
out of Reina's arms and rushed toward Vanessa like a child reuniting with a long-lost friend. Her excitent was palpable, almost infectious.
Vanessa, slightly taken aback by the incoming ball of energy, reacted quickly, catching Enna before she could trip over her own feet.
She embraced her gently, her smile widening with warmth as she held Enna close. "Fufu,
you're still rushing into things, Enna," she teased, patting the girl's head affectionately. "Ah-hahaha," Enna laughed awkwardly, a blush spreading across her cheeks as she scratched her head, realizing how hasty she had been.
The excitent and embarrassnt mixed, making her more flustered than before.
Vanessa, still gently holding Enna, turned her attention to Flam.
Her smile was kind, but there was a subtle confidence in her eyes.
"So, how about it? Can we join as well?" she asked, though it was less of a request and more of
an invitation as if the choice had already been made.
Vanessa casually gestured toward the other figure standing just behind her. Flam's curiosity imdiately piqued as her gaze shifted from Vanessa to the woman
standing in the background.
Unlike Vanessa's soft elegance, this second figure radiated an aura of authority and power
that far surpassed that of a re student.
She was taller, with long, flowing platinum blonde hair that shimred like starlight in the
academy's soft lighting.
Her striking crimson eyes were sharp and deep, almost glowing with a quiet intensity.
The regal air that surrounded her left little doubt about her status-she was no ordinary
student.
For a mont, Flam's usually playful expression faltered, replaced by a flicker of surprise
and intrigue.
She recognized her imdiately-the heir to one of the most powerful kingdoms in the
realm, a figure of imnse political and magical influence.
'Stacia Alger Del Luna'
The princess was renowned not only for her beauty but also for her unmatched skills in
combat and strategy.
Why soone of her caliber was walking casually among students was a mystery in itself, but Flam quickly reminded herself not to question the whims of royalty. Understanding the mindset of royals was often a futile endeavor, after all. Shaking her head slightly, Flam regained her composure and flashed her usual
mischievous grin. "Sure-"
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