It was time. The exams were upon them. Flee in terror!

Which, granted, a lot of the students did. Gnosis never really looked down on substance using, since Alchemy was a subject and potions and other materials were regularly used to increase abilities, steady the mind or just kick back. But Michael had never seen so many students partake before, not at once. The hallways of Gnosis were filled with stoners look-a-likes, burned out figures or both. Of course, some students, not being able to deal with the stress of this highly unusual situation, tried to take matters into their own hands.

In an unseen before coalition, almost a fourth of the fifth-year students banded together to force the high-mage council to relent on this ‘stupid transgression’ to their education. Well, they said it was unseen before, but given the millennia long history of Gnosis, everything had probably happened at least once before. And the fifth-years were in the right. They had the most reason to rebel, since for them these finals would decide if they became full mages of Gnosis or not. So they formed up, devised a strategy and marched in lockstep to the main hall to confront Kelunad.

They got thrashed.

Kelunad didn’t even got involved. The Bloodlinked faction leader simply saw them, heard them out and decided they were a threat to his faction’s authority. At least Michael got to see how they fought. Which was exactly like he imagined they did. They fought as one, shared magic and displayed a level of coordination that could probably only be achieved by blood-magic or years and years of experience of fighting together. In this case, both.

That being said, that little display of rebellion happened Friday. I was Sunday night now and Michael was lying in bed with Erea, thinking about the next day. His room, since hers as eternally messy.

“C’mon. You really think they stood a chance?”

“I mean, they were going for Kelunad, not the entire Bloodlinked faction.”

“And you think he’s have been easier?” she incredulously asked.

“…nah. I guess I just wanted them to win.”

“Yeah.” She said after a moment. “I get that. My faction leader really didn’t turn out the way I thought he would.”

“Thinking about joining Alex and me in the Ascentionalist?”

“Hah! That’d be the day. No, pretty boy, I’m still a Martial through and through. I’m just… not the kind of Martial Kelunad is.”

“Yeah. Though if he gets his way, every Martial will be like him. Everyone, really.”

He hadn’t told Erea about the gnomes or… Kelunad’s plan. And it was easy for them, since she wasn’t the type to pry. But it still hung in the air.

“Michael. Whatever happens, I’m here, alright? I mean it. Whatever happens.”

“I know. And the same’s true for me.” He told her, along with a kiss.

“Good. Now I’ll have to stop with the mushy bits, else I lose my status as a Martial.” She said. “You ready for tomorrow?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” He sighed. “Do they always have all the exams in one day? Or is this new too.”

“Eh, sometimes. They did the same last year, but in my First Year they split them out two per day. Depends on their mood I guess.”

“And you?” Michael asked. “Are you ready?”

“Sure. I’ll pass Battle Magic with flying honors. And, er… get at least a passing grade in everything else.”

“I would have expected no less from a prime example of a Martial like you.” He laughed and she swatted him. “Then that only leaves the stress. And waiting for tomorrow.”

“Hmm. I know of a good way to alleviate stress.” She grinned. “And pass the time. That is, if you don’t want to re-read those notes of yours for the umpteenth time.”

And what do you know, Michael didn’t feel like studying right now.

***

The entire First Year got shuffled inside a single hall. It wasn’t the main hall or any of the ones Michael had visited before. Amnea and Brither told them that was because this specific hall was reserved for exams only. It was warded to the high heavens with anti-cheating Spells. Exactly what those were, they didn’t say, but the upper years told them that they were real and almost impossible to evade. They also told them that a few idiots still tried to cheat in every exam and warned them that Gnosis only looks well upon competent cheater and not idiots. And that they weren’t competent yet.

They each had their desks, upon which lay a regular wand, a stack of papers and a writing instrument. Different varieties, since not every student had the same type of hands. Or hands at all, really.

The way they were seated had no rhyme or reason. Specifically so, Michael thought. From what he could see, groups of friends had been splintered off and faction members were seated as far away from other faction members as the arrangement could feasibly allow. He saw Micah and Bob and waved for them, along with a number of acquaintances, but that was it.

His first exam was for Basic Magical Theory. It was… laughably easy. He knew he had most of the questions right because of the way the papers on which they wrote worked. Once finished, their written answer changed hues, going perfectly green if the answer was correct and full, yellow if there was something more they could add, orange if something was wrong and red if completely missed the point.

What is the difference between magic and mana?

What is freeform mana?

Mana and magic both can have a _________ depending on their source and containment method, among other examples.

He wrote until his arm hurt. And then he wrote some more. He only stopped when all his answers were a splendid green and when the time ran out. Sinestra might not be herself right now, but when she’d came back, Michael thought she would be proud of him.

Next came the Magical Combat Primer exam. Though thanks to Nahlil, they all thought of it as Battle Magic. And unlike the previous exam, this one was only partly theoretical. That was why after Michael finished writing, his answers once again green, his desk disappeared, along with everything on it. Instead, Michael now stood inside a wide spell circle, inscribed n the ground by glowing sigils.

At least he had the wherewithal to stand as his desk quickly started to fade. A lot of the students were now sitting on the floor, surprised by the short fall.

“All right, stand up, you pests.” Nahlil’s voice thundered.

But only his voice. The centaur was nowhere to be seen.

“You will now attend the practical part of your Battle Magic course. And it is Battle Magic. Encircling you is a Spell circle. It is placed there to test you so don’t do anything stupid like try and break it. When the test will start, the circle will manifest a circular ward. This ward will both absorb your Spells and cast Spells back at you.”

Murmurs started to spread through the hall at the sound of this.

“Pipe down! As you are all First Years, the Spells will be basic. You are in no danger. At the start of the test, you will cast Spells at the barrier. You will know what Spells to cast because their names will appear written on it. If you do not know them all, cast what you do. Do not cast anything else! Your casting will be evaluated based on cast time, Spell power and Spell manifestation. The next part of the test will consist of Spells being cast at you. There you are allowed to protect yourself with any ward or defensive Spell you know. You are not allowed to dodge. For bonus points, to the students that wish to try, a third part of the test will become available. There you will have to hit moving targets along the ward, while being fired at. This last part is optional. The test will commence in ten seconds. Good luck!”

A shimmering circular barrier appeared around Michael, tinted slightly blue. An on it, a countdown.

Alright. Here goes.

When the timer hit zero, three Spells spelled themselves out in mid-air and Michael wanted to laugh. Instead, he focused and cast |Bolt|, |Dart| and a raw push of magic, since that was what was required of him. It took him less than five seconds and each of the Spells and the non-Spell turned green.

His second trial started right after, with an identical counter. He figured the testing was more likely to take into account the finesse of his Spell rather than how flashy his Spell was, so he opted for |Barrier|, instead of |Fire Shield|. And it was the right choice, since even though the Spells were low-level, the attack lasted for roughly a minute, the angle and speed of the Spell coming at him increasing constantly until the end. He felt his magic dwindle, but he held on and finished this part of the test by being rewarded with the green color of victory.

Out of the corner of his eye se saw some other students go for Elemental type Spells and failing to maintain them for the whole duration of the test.

Good call, then. And now for the finale.

A final countdown appeared and when it hit zero, moving circles appeared, some moving lazily across the barrier while others zipped across it. He started to fire at them, once again using |Bolt| instead of other Spells and managed to hit a few before Spells started to be casted at him. It was… difficult. I wasn’t like a real fight, where the adrenaline sharpened your instincts. This was methodical and precise. Like an Olympic archer versus wartime archery. Even so, by the end of the test he had managed to hit all but three of the flying targets. Unfortunately, he also got hit once. It didn’t hurt, but it ruined his almost perfect streak. The words that announced his test over were green, but a light green. Not like before.

Damn. Almost. Still, it was a bonus round.

The students were allowed a short break after that, but they were not allowed to leave their desks. Michael spent that time getting his heartbeat in order, while focusing on the sensation of his mana replenishing itself.

Next was Practical Alchemy. Once again, it was a partly theoretical exam, but with a bonus round that allowed the students that wanted to partake to try and brew a low-level Potion. Michael spent all the allotted time, but by the end of it, he still had two answers that were yellow and a few that were only light green. It was no wonder that he decided to brew a potion from the list he had been offered. He chose an Invigoration Potion and by the end of it, he thought the color, consistency and smell of it were correct. He wasn’t allowed to taste it, though, even if he wanted to.

The next exams were more of a blur and not as fortuitous as the previous ones. He had remembered all the details regarding the animal species, magical and otherwise, that he had learned, even though he hadn’t paid that much attention in that Class. Micah’s notes worked like a charm. One answer yellow, but at least the others were proper green.

Introduction to General Races was a breeze. His friends numbered a lycan and a gaindel, his circle of contacts a dwarf, centaur and volpix and his girlfiend was an Elf. Not to mention his mentors or his other acquaintances. Yeah, he knew enough to turn his answers all green and exactly the shade he preferred.

Next came PE. Where the harpy or whatever she was had them run around the hall, through a minimalist obstacle course, while dodging flying projectiles.

I swear she’s only kept here because she’s someone’s niece.

He still got rewarded with a green mark of excellence. He hadn’t finished first, but all the missions he went on worked to build a physique on his previously scrawny self.

And my cardio sessions with Erea certainly didn’t hurt.

They were allowed one more break after this and once again Michael used it to gain balance. Two more tests. Two more tests and he could be allowed to leave and learn if anything had happened in the academy at large.

He hadn’t forgotten.

The exams were stressful and he was giving it his all, but… no. He hadn’t forgotten. Kelunad could be making his move and Michael was stuck there. He had place proximity wards via Scrolls, but… yeah.

Still, he had to actually finish this before he could check. And Kelunad making a move was only a possibility. One of many scenarios. He had to focus.

Applied Magical Workings was the most the most difficult exam. Not because it was that hard, but just because it was… boring. Both the Class and the exam. He only seldomly managed to gather up enough focus to pay attention to that particular teacher and it showed. Even with his notes and their study sessions, he still had three yellow answers left at the end of his time. He almost had an orange one two, but he managed to upgrade it in the nick of time.

The test for Bound Magic Primer was surprisingly easy. The theory part of it was surprisingly easy, because of Melissa’s help and the bonus part consisting of empowering a pre-inscribed rune was also easy, again because of Melissa’s help. Though his |Middling Mana Channeling| Skill also helped.

Then again, if I think back to the way I got the basic version of my Skill, I guess I can thank Melissa for that too.

And that was the end of it. Michael tiredly put down his enchanted pen, when he noticed the green colored words changing. Turning to cursive and selling out a new sentence.

Oh, c’mon. You can’t change my results after I already got them!

But the new message had nothing to do with the exams. The message they spelled was this.

It’s time.

Michael was standing on a hallway, somewhere in Gnosis. He vaguely remembered getting there, but not why. Leaving the hall, waving at others and hurrying along to his unconscious destination. And now that he was here and he sobered up, he felt the spine-chilling effect of apprehension.

As if triggered by that, an old man suddenly appeared before him. His features distorted.

“Well met again, Mage Michael. Now, it’s time for you to remember.”