After the exam ended, everyone left the classroom and made their way to the training grounds for the next part of the test.

  Professor Gazeff was already there, along with several other professors.Even the Headmaster had arrived—sitting in a high-backed chair overlooking the grounds.

  This exam was a series of duels between first-year students.

  As per their houses, all students were divided.

  Calum, John stood with Phoenix House students.

  Edrin, Mimi stood with the Griffin House and Salena joined the Mermaid House group.

  The remaining students also joined their Unicorn and Centaur Houses.

  Beside each group, a banner bearing their house emblem fluttered in the cold wind.

  Right then, Professor Gazeff stepped forward and explained the rules in a clear voice to all students. When he finished, he began calling out names.

  One by one, students walked forward and entered the fighting ring.

  They picked their wooden weapons and sat facing each other. When Professor Gazeff gave the signal, the duels began.

  And there was not one arena, but four.

  All were placed across the wide ground. Wooden borders marked each one.

  Students stood around them. And the fight began.

  In the arena.The battle between the students had started. Some students rushed towards their opponents. Some waited. Some froze for a second before moving.

  Edrin was also one of them as he fought in the second arena.

  His opponent was a student from Centaur House. The boy had the same build as him and held a wooden axe with both hands while Edrin used a sword.

  The student attacked first. His swing was heavy and wide. The wooden axe cut through the air with force.

  Seeing the attack Edrin stepped back. The blade passed in front of his chest, barely missing him.

  The next strike came fast.

  Too fast.

  Edrin raised his sword and blocked it.

  Clang.

  Wood hit wood. The sound cracked sharp and loud.The force pushed Edrin back one step, but he managed to stay on his feet.

  With a smile on his face he moved to the side. His movements were smooth. The Centaur student attacked again but his movements were slow now and when the axe came down, Edrin stepped inside the guard.

  His sword struck once, a clean hit that jolted the axe right out of the boy's grip, ending the duel.

  Cheers erupted immediately.

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  Girls ran closer, clapping and shouting his name.

  "Edrin! That was amazing!"

  "You were so fast!"

  Mimi stood a little behind the others, smiling softly. Her eyes fixed on Edrin like any other girl.

  The other arenas.

  In one, a girl with red hair was knocked down but stood back up and kept fighting.In another, two boys fought with fists until one of them knocked down the other. Some students won quickly. Some lost just as fast.

  Then Professor Gazeff raised his voice and called another group of students.

  Calum also stepped forward, when his name was called. His arena was the third one where a student was already waiting for him inside with a strange smile.

  He looked relaxed, holding a wooden spear with the tip pointed toward the ground

  Calum picked up a wooden sword and held it loosely at his side.

  "Begin," Professor Gazeff said.

  The student lunged forward, spear aiming for Calum's chest. Calum stepped aside and the spear missed by a small distance.

  But the student didn't stop. He pulled back and thrust again. Then again.

  Calum moved each time. One step left. One step back. A slight turn of his body.

  His sword only blocked the incoming attacks.

  The attacks grew faster, and the smile on the student's face disappeared. His breathing grew heavier.

  But Calum continued to dodge.

  One minute.

  Two minute.

  And five minutes passed.

  The other professors and the headmaster also started watching this fight.

  Professor Gazeff's face darkened.

  "Attack!" he shouted. "What are you doing?!"

  " Attack. You*********. Damm.. it"

  Calum leaned back as the spear swept past his shoulder. He smiled lightly towards professor Gazeff. "Professor," he said calmly "I was hoping to go outside again."

  Gazeff stared at him with wide eyes.

  For a moment, no one spoke.

  And with a bitter look, professor Gazeff spat on the ground and turned his back. Clearly done with Calum's trickery.

  Seeing the leaving figure of professor Gazeffs, Calum let out a quiet breath.

  And the spear came again towards him.

  But this time, Calum moved forward. And with one swing. The sword struck the spear near the hands, sending it flying out of the student's grip to clatter on the ground.

  The match was finally over.

  Silence followed, then noise came again.

  Calum headed back to his group with a blank expression, looking as if nothing happened.

  Soon, it was John's turn. He stepped into the fourth arena, his knuckles white as he gripped his wooden spear with both hands. Though his shoulders were bunched with tension, his hands remained steady.

  Standing across from him, was his opponent.

  A boy smaller than him. But his eyes were sharp, looking for victory.

  They began.

  The small boy attacked first, darting in with fast strikes. John blocked once, then twice. His arms shook slightly, but he held.

  Suddenly! a strike slipped through and hit John's side.

  " Aah"

  John stepped back as he breathed in. His chest rose and fell.

  At that time he remembered Calum's fighting advice (Remember what Calum said.

  Wait for the opening.) and right then he stepped forward and struck the boy's head with his spear.

  The boy stumbled and John followed with another strike. Then one more.

  The opponent fell back and dropped his weapon.

  The match was over.

  John walked back to his group with a satisfying smile on his face. It was quiet and real.

  And today he did not look for Mimi. It was as if she no longer existed in his thoughts. His mind was set on his goals.

  After all the matches ended, the headmaster stood up from his chair. And spoke in a calm voice.

  He said they all had done well in their first exam, but there is still so much to learn.

  Also he reminded them that winter was coming. The days would grow cold. So they had to take care of themselves.Then he left with the professors.

  The students also began dispersing, heading back to their house towers.

  As the last voices died down, silence fell over the academy once more.

  ….

  GRIFFIN TOWER.

  Today, the Griffin Tower was loud in the evening.

  Now that the first exam was over, their seniors had organized a celebration. Golden lights burned along the stone walls. Long tables were filled with food that had appeared mysteriously. Bread. Meat. Fruit. Warm soup. Sweet drinks.

  The Griffin hall was packed.

  Laughter echoed off the high ceiling. Plates clattered. Chairs scraped.

  Suddenly, someone banged a cup against the wall."WE SURVIVED THE FIRST EXAM!"

  Cheers erupted.

  Edrin stood near the center of the room.

  Several students surrounded him. They patted him on the back. Some praised his duel. Others only laughed and raised their cups.

  Mimi stood close by.

  She held a cup in both hands. Her smile was quiet and her eyes followed Edrin when he moved.

  Music began near the end of the hall. Someone had brought out an old enchanted box.

  The tune was cheerful and fast.

  Some students danced. Some tried to dance but failed. Others watched and laughed.

  Similar celebrations were happening in the other towers too.

  PHEONIX TOWER.

  In the Phoenix Tower, only here the celebration was kind a different.

  The seniors had also prepared it.

  They moved the tables aside and set chairs in wide circles. Food was placed carefully, not thrown about. Drinks were poured evenly.

  The fire in the common room burned low and steady.

  Calum sat near the back, leaning against the stone wall and John sat beside him. They both had plates full of food in their hands.

  A senior stood near the fire and raised his cup.

  "Good luck to all of you." A few quiet laughs followed.

  "I can see the confusion on your faces," the senior continued. "You're wondering why the party is so quiet. The truth is, Phoenix Tower just isn't the loud, rowdy type."

  He lowered his cup.

  "And in the future, when you stand in our places, you'll understand why."

  Students then started to eat while they spoke in low voices. Some smiled, some looked tired.

  Calum listened more than he spoke and John chatted with others, the broken boy was slowly recovering.

  As the night deepened, the room grew darker. The fire became the only light. Shadows of the students stretched long across the walls.

  Suddenly someone spoke up from the circle.

  "Since we're all here," a senior girl said, "we should tell stories."

  A few heads turned.

  "What kind of stories?" someone asked.

  She smiled faintly.

  "The kind you hear after dark, hehe "

  No one laughed, they understood she was talking about horror stories.

  The senior nodded slowly. "Fine, Mary"

  Then they all sat closer to the fire, and she began her horror story.