The large bronze doors of the examination hall slowly opened.
Dozens of students stood outside, waiting nervously as instructors directed them inside.
"Applicants for the first examination, enter in an orderly manner," one of the proctors announced.
The crowd began to move.
Lily walked quietly among them, her expression calm as always.
For many students, this academy was the most prestigious magic institution on the continent. Getting accepted meant fame, opportunity, and a future as a powerful mage.
For Lily, however, it was simply the next step in understanding magic.
Ahead of her, Olivia was fidgeting nervously.
She kept adjusting the ribbon in her hair, then fixing it again only seconds later.
What if the test is impossible…
What if they ask about advanced mana theory…
Wait… what if they ask something even worse?
Like ancient spell structures…
Olivia felt a chill run down her spine.
Oh no.
What if the questions are all essays?
She looked around anxiously.
Some students looked extremely confident.
One boy was even stretching his fingers like he was preparing for a battle instead of a written test.
Why does he look so calm?
Did he study everything?
Wait… what if everyone studied everything except me?!
Olivia almost turned around and walked out.
Then she spotted Lily calmly entering the hall behind her.
Lily looked completely relaxed.
That somehow made Olivia feel both relieved and more nervous at the same time.
How is she so calm…
Did she memorize the entire magic theory book?
Behind them, Kane walked silently.
He kept some distance from the others.
His eyes scanned the room carefully, though he tried to look uninterested.
In reality, his thoughts were far from calm.
Too many people.
Why are there so many applicants…
He quietly moved toward a corner seat.
Being near crowds made him uncomfortable.
Talking to people made it worse.
Earlier, when Lily had spoken to him, he hadn't known how to respond.
I probably sounded rude…
He frowned slightly.
That wasn't my intention.
But explaining that felt even harder.
So instead he simply stayed quiet.
Rows of desks filled the massive examination room.
Students took their seats while instructors walked between the rows.
Lily sat down near the middle of the room.
Olivia ended up a few seats away.
Kane sat near the back corner.
An elderly instructor stepped forward.
"The first examination will test your theoretical understanding of magic."
He gestured, and stacks of papers floated through the air, landing neatly on each desk.
"Begin."
The room immediately filled with the sound of pens moving across paper.
Lily glanced down at the test.
The first several questions were basic magical theory.
Mana flow.
Spell construction.
Rune compatibility.
None of them were particularly difficult.
She answered them one by one.
Meanwhile, Olivia stared at the paper like it was a dangerous enemy.
Okay… calm down…
Question one…
Explain the relationship between mana flow and spell stability.
Olivia blinked.
I definitely studied this.
I think.
Her mind raced.
Mana flow… mana flow…
Right!
She quickly began writing.
Then she stopped halfway through.
Wait… is that correct?
Or was that the opposite principle?
Her pen hovered above the paper.
Oh no.
What if I just wrote something completely wrong…
She glanced around nervously.
Everyone else looked focused.
Okay… no panicking.
Just keep writing.
Several rows behind her, Kane was writing quickly.
His movements were precise and efficient.
He didn't waste time thinking about unnecessary details.
Years of strict training had drilled magical theory deeply into his memory.
Still, his mind wandered occasionally.
I wonder how Lily is doing.
The thought surprised him.
He immediately frowned at himself.
Why did I think about that?
He forced his attention back to the test.
Time passed quietly.
One by one, students reached the final question.
Lily looked down at the last line of the exam.
What is magic?
She stared at the question.
Three simple words.
At first, the answer seemed obvious.
Magic is power.
Magic is energy.
Those were common definitions.
But something about them felt incomplete.
Power could exist without magic.
Energy could exist without magic.
Magic allowed people to manipulate the world.
It created fire from nothing.
It controlled wind and water.
It healed wounds.
It destroyed armies.
Magic could create beauty.
Magic could bring destruction.
The more Lily thought about it, the deeper her thoughts became.
Maybe magic wasn't just a tool.
Maybe it was something more fundamental.
Something that existed in everything.
Her thoughts continued expanding—
Until a loud voice interrupted them.
"Ten minutes remaining!"
Lily blinked.
Her thoughts scattered instantly.
She looked down at the blank answer space.
There wasn't enough time to write everything she had been thinking.
After a moment, she simply wrote one sentence.
Magic is everything.
She set her pen down.
"The examination has ended."
Students began standing and handing in their papers.
Some looked relieved.
Others looked completely exhausted.
Olivia practically collapsed onto her desk.
I survived.
I actually survived.
Then she suddenly sat up again.
Wait.
Did I forget to answer question six?
Panic filled her mind again.
But the proctors were already collecting the papers.
It was too late.
"…Well," she muttered quietly, "at least the last question was easy."
Students gathered again in the main hall.
The next examination would begin soon.
Lily stood quietly near one of the pillars.
"Miss Aedile!"
Olivia hurried toward her.
"How did you do?" she asked nervously.
"The questions were manageable," Lily replied.
Olivia sighed.
"Most of them were really difficult for me… but the last one was easy."
Lily tilted her head slightly.
The last one?
She didn't say anything.
Instead she spoke politely.
"Miss Holder, we are friends now. Please call me Lily."
Olivia blinked.
Then she smiled brightly.
"Okay! But only if you call me Olivia."
Nearby, Kane was standing quietly against the wall.
He had finished the exam earlier and had been there for a while.
Lily noticed him.
"Mr. Wall, you too. Please call me Lily."
Kane stiffened slightly.
He hesitated.
"Sure… Miss Lily," he said.
His voice sounded calm, almost distant.
"Can I call you Kane?" Lily asked.
Kane froze for a moment.
Part of him wanted to say yes.
But the words didn't come easily.
So instead he turned and began walking away.
"The next test is starting," he said.
Olivia blinked.
"…Was he always like that?"
Lily watched Kane's back as he walked down the hallway.
"I believe he is shy," she said thoughtfully.
Olivia stared at her.
"Shy?"
"He looked like he wanted to freeze the room."
Meanwhile, Kane slowed down slightly as he walked.
I should have answered.
He quietly muttered to himself.
"…She can call me Kane."