"You're joking."
Pearl stared at the notice board, then at me, then back at the board. Her finger traced the list of names under "A-Class" and stopped at mine. Amara Cole. Right there between Kai Arden and Malachi Della.
"This has to be a mistake," I said, my voice coming out higher than I intended. "There's no way. Check again."
Des leaned in closer, squinting at the parchment. "It's definitely your name. See? Right there. A-Class."
"But I have just one star," I said, panic rising in my chest. "1-Star students don't go to A-Class. That's for the elite. The—"
"Apparently talented?" Pearl offered, grinning. "Amara, you got a perfect score in the exam. A perfect score. The first in the university's history. Did you think they'd just stick you in D-Class after that?"
Yes. That's exactly what I thought. That's what I'd been hoping for, actually. D-Class sounded perfect. Quiet. Unassuming. A place where I could blend in and not have everyone staring at me all the time.
"Where are you two?" I asked, already knowing the answer would make everything worse.
"B-Class," Des said, pointing to his name further down the board. "Both of us."
"So I'm alone."
"You're not alone," Pearl said quickly. "You're just... in a different class. We'll still see you in the dorms and in the common areas and the lib—"
"I'm the only 1-Star in A-Class," I interrupted, scanning the list again. Every other name had a ranking beside it. 3-Star. 4-Star. 5-Star. And then there was me. Amara Cole - 1-Star.
I stuck out worse than a stain on white silk.
"Maybe it'll be fine," Des offered, but even he didn't sound convinced. "Maybe no one will care about the star rankings."
We all knew that was a lie. Everyone cared about star rankings. It was the first thing people noticed, the first thing they judged you on. And now I'd be walking into a classroom full of the university's best and brightest, carrying my pathetic single star for everyone to see.
"I need to fix this," I muttered, already turning away from the board.
"Fix what?" Pearl called after me.
"This. All of this."
I didn't wait for their response. My feet carried me through the corridors, past groups of students celebrating their class placements, past the library, past the dining hall, until I reached the administrative wing of the university.
The Headmaster's office sat at the end of a long hallway lined with portraits of previous headmasters, all of them looking stern and important. I'd practiced my speech the entire walk here. I had it memorized. I knew exactly what to say.
I knocked on the heavy wooden door.
"Enter," came a voice from inside.
The office was exactly what you'd expect from someone who ran an entire magical university. Books everywhere. Artifacts on shelves. A massive desk covered in papers and scrolls. And behind that desk sat Headmaster Aldric Benov in his whole headmaster regalia.
"Miss Cole," he said, not looking up from whatever he was writing. "I was wondering when you'd arrive."
That threw me off. "You were expecting me?"
"After your performance during the examination, I suspected you might have concerns about your class placement." He set down his quill and finally looked at me. "Please, sit."
I sat in the chair across from his desk, my prepared speech suddenly feeling flimsy in my mind.
"Headmaster Aldric," I began, trying to sound calm and reasonable, "I'm here to request a transfer to D-Class."
His eyebrows rose slightly. "D-Class? Not B-Class or C-Class, but D-Class specifically?"
"Yes, sir." I launched into the speech I'd practiced. "I don't think I'm qualified for A-Class. My star ranking is only 1-Star, and everyone else in that class is significantly more powerful than me. I believe I would learn better with students at my level, where I wouldn't be constantly struggling to keep up. It would be better for everyone if I were placed somewhere more... appropriate."
Headmaster Aldric leaned back in his chair, studying me with those sharp eyes. The silence stretched out uncomfortably.
"Miss Cole," he finally said, "do you know why we have different class levels?"
"Because of power rankings and talent?" I offered.
"Partially," he acknowledged. "But more importantly, we separate students based on their potential for growth and their ability to handle complex magic, both in theory and other aspects. Power is only one aspect of being a mage. Intelligence, creativity, adaptability... These matter just as much, if not more."
I shifted in my seat. This wasn't going the way I'd planned.
"Your perfect score on the intelligence examination wasn't luck," he continued. "Professor Corvin showed me your answers.You didn't just solve the problems; you decoded advanced magical theory on another level. You cited references from texts that are considered lost or forbidden. That's real understanding, not just head knowledge."
My face burned. "But my star ranking..."
"Is a measure of your current magical power, not your potential or your mind." He leaned forward, his expression serious. "Miss Cole, do you remember the Shadowbeast incident during your assessment?"
How could I forget?
"Yes sir."
"What you did then; surviving an encounter with a creature that has killed experienced mages, and more importantly, protecting your teammates despite having such low magic power, that is truly impressive."
I blinked. "I... I just did what I had to do."
"Precisely." He nodded. "And that is exactly the quality we value most at Arethia University. Raw power is useful, Miss Cole, but it means nothing without the courage and quick thinking to use it effectively."
He pulled out a folder from his desk. "I should also tell you that your placement in A class was not arbitrary. Professor Thorne and Professor Corvin both specifically recommended you. They saw something in you that magic tester didn't capture."
I felt my throat lock up. "They... recommended me?"
"They did. And after seeing your performance on this exam, I'm confident they made the right choice." He smiled again.
"But I'll be the only 1-Star," I said, my voice smaller than I intended. "Everyone will think I don't belong there."
"Let them think what they want." His tone was firm but not unkind. "Miss Cole, I've been running this university for twenty-three years. Do you know what I've learned in that time?"
I shook my head.
"The students who succeed aren't always the most powerful. They're the ones who are willing to work hard, who ask questions, who don't let their ego get in the way of learning." He smiled slightly. "Your request for a transfer to D-Class, your humility and self-awareness, those are traits of a true scholar. They're refreshing, honestly. Most students in your position would be demanding special privileges or bragging about their perfect score."
"I'm not trying to be humble," I admitted. "I'm just terrified."
I'm terrified of the attention and of everyone finding out what I am actually capable of.
"Good," he said, surprising me. "Fear means you understand the challenge ahead. It means you won't take your placement for granted." He picked up his quill again, a clear sign that the conversation was ending. "Your request for transfer is denied, Miss Cole. You belong in A-Class, whether you believe it or not. I suggest you focus less on what others think and more on proving to yourself that you deserve to be there."
I sat there, stunned. This was the opposite of what I wanted.
"Is there anything else?" he asked, already turning back to his papers.
"No, sir," I managed to say.
"Then I'll see you at the A-Class orientation tomorrow morning. Don't be late."
I stood on shaky legs and made my way to the door. Just before I left, he called out, "Miss Cole?"
I turned back.
"Your modesty is admirable, but don't let it become self-doubt. You earned your place in A-Class. Now go show it."
I nodded and stepped out into the hallway, the door closing behind me with a soft click.
Well. That went terribly.
I was stuck in A-Class. With Serena, who already hated me. With Malachi and Kai and every other talented, powerful student in the entire first-year class. And I was the only 1-Star among them.
Tomorrow morning, I'd walk into that classroom and everyone would stare. They'd wonder what I was doing there.
Suddenly, I felt myself bump into something that felt too warm to be a wall. This scenerio feels very familiar.
"Woah there."