The week that followed the written examination felt longer than it should have.
Across the world, students waited.
In classrooms that still smelled faintly of ink and paper.
In crowded homes,where parents pretended not to watch their children too closely.
In quiet rooms where silence pressed heavier than noise.
Everywhere, the same tension lingered.
Tick… tick…
Time moved, but anticipation refused to loosen its grip.
Jay sat alone in his rented room, legs crossed, back straight. His device lay face-up on the table, dark and silent.
Seven days.
That was how long it had been since the examination ended.
Around him, the room was spotless. Too neat. Nothing out of place. He had already finished everything he needed to do twice over.
During the day, he trained lightly.
At night, he reviewed the behavioral notes again, refining his reactions, expressions, and pauses.
And in between—
He waited.
Ba-dump.
A slow, steady heartbeat.
He exhaled softly.
'Waiting is worse than action.'
A faint vibration broke the silence.
Jay's eyes shifted to the device.
Incoming call.
He answered without hesitation.
The screen lit up, revealing a familiar figure—Andy, lounging comfortably, one arm draped over the back of his chair, that same lazy grin plastered across his face.
"Well, well," Andy drawled. "Still alive?"
Jay stared at the screen, expression unchanged.
"Yes."
Andy clicked his tongue. "That's it? No 'Long time no see'? No respect for your senior?"
"You called," Jay replied calmly.
Andy laughed. "Cold as ever. So, how was the exam? Struggled? Sweated? Thought you might actually fail for once?"
Jay leaned back slightly. "It was manageable."
"Manageable," Andy repeated, amused. "You know, for normal kids, that exam was hell. I heard some were shaking so bad they couldn't even hold their pens."
Jay's gaze didn't waver.
"Pressure reveals flaws."
Andy's grin widened. "Hah. Still saying scary things with that straight face. You're really planning to live as a 'normal student,' huh?"
"Yes."
"Boring," Andy sighed dramatically. "But hey, results are in a few minutes. Think you'll make it?"
Jay paused for half a second.
"I will."
Andy studied him, then chuckled. "Same confidence as always. Fine. Don't disappoint me, kid."
The call ended.
The room fell silent again.
Jay glanced at the time.
00:03:17 remaining
Three minutes.
Elsewhere, the world held its breath.
In Stella, massive public screens flickered to life. Crowds gathered, eyes glued upward, voices overlapping in anxious whispers.
"Do you think our region did well?"
"My nephew took the exam—he hasn't slept in days."
"They say only a thousand pass."
Hope and fear mixed freely in the air.
Glup.
Some swallowed hard.
In a lavish hall, Aric stood surrounded by attendants. He checked his device once, scoffed lightly, and folded his arms.
"Took them long enough," he muttered. "If I weren't on the list, the exam would be flawed."
Confidence—no, certainty oozed from every word.
Far to the north, in Glacia, Neva sat at her desk, posture perfect. Her device rested beside her book.
It chimed.
She picked it up calmly.
One glance.
Nothing more.
No smile. No relief. No surprise.
'As expected.'
She placed the device down and returned to her reading, heartbeat steady, breathing even.
Elsewhere, Jay's screen suddenly lit up.
A sharp tone echoed through the room.
At the same time, across cities, regions, and continents—
Names began to appear.
Not ranked.
Not categorized.
Just listed.
One by one.
Crowds leaned forward.
Cheers erupted when familiar, prestigious names appeared.
Pride bloomed when expected candidates passed.
But then—
A murmur.
Some names didn't belong.
"Who's that?"
"I've never heard of them."
"A common background…? How did they pass?"
Disgust slipped into voices once filled with excitement.
"They must have been lucky."
"They won't last anyway."
The world was quick to judge.
Quick to dismiss.
Jay's device vibrated again.
A direct message.
"CONGRATULATIONS. YOU HAVE PASSED THE FIRST EXAMINATION OF AURELIAN HIGH SCHOOL."
He read it once.
Then locked the screen.
"That's done," he said quietly.
He stood, arms stretching above his head, joints cracking softly.
"On to the next one."
Outside, celebrations and complaints collided. Pride and jealousy walked side by side. Some rejoiced. Others burned with envy.
And for the thousand who passed—
Another message spread across every screen, every channel, every corner of the world:
"CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES.
THE SECOND EXAMINATION WILL BE HELD AT AURELIAN HIGH SCHOOL.
ALL PASSED STUDENTS ARE TO GATHER IN THE WESTERN REGION, OCIANA.
PREPARE FOR DEPARTURE TO AURORA ISLE."
The real trial was about to begin.
And the world watched—unequal, unforgiving, and restless.