Malek and Elara left the house early. The town institute was a thirty-minute walk from home. The morning air was cool and the road was already busy with other families heading the same direction.

  Elara walked ahead at her usual pace. Long strides that made Malek have to jog every few steps to keep up.

  "You know I have shorter legs, right?" Malek said.

  "Not my problem," Elara replied without slowing down.

  "You could walk slower."

  "You could walk faster."

  "I'm carrying supplies."

  Elara glanced back at the small satchel hanging from his shoulder. "That's a lunch bag."

  "Yeah, it has our lunch and a few things that I need, which makes it heavy too."

  "You're weak."

  "What?."

  Elara didn’t continue arguing; instead, she sped up her walking pace.

  Malek rolled his eyes but didn’t argue further. Elara liked being ahead. For some reason, he didn’t know why.

  He watched her back as they walked. She looked confident from the outside. Straight posture. Steady pace. But he'd seen her that morning before they left. Sitting on her bed staring at nothing. Hands clenched tight in her lap.

  She was nervous. She just hid it better than most people.

  Passing the institute’s test and qualifying for the Town Lord’s admission program meant everything to Elara. The highest performers would be offered training positions at Verdant’s Awakening Institution—full education, access to resources, and powerful connections.

  For someone like Elara, who had been stuck as a Water Magician for five years without any real progress, this was more than an opportunity. It was her long-awaited chance.

  The town institute came into view after twenty minutes. It was a large stone building with wide steps leading to the entrance. Banners hung from the upper windows with the institution's symbol—a circle with seven points radiating outward.

  There were already dozens of people gathered outside. Young awakened standing with their families. Some looked excited. Others looked terrified.

  Malek recognized a few faces from the village. Neighbors. Distant relatives. Kids he'd seen around but never bothered talking to.

  One of them noticed him and waved. A boy about Elara's age named Terris. His family lived three houses down.

  "Malek! Elara! You're here too?" Terris jogged over with a grin. "Didn't think you'd bother, Malek. You just got registered, right?"

  "Yeah. Just came to see what it's about."

  "Good luck anyway." Terris glanced at Elara. "You're definitely getting in, right? You're the best water mage in town after all."

  Elara's expression didn't change. "We'll see."

  Terris didn't seem to notice the tension. He kept talking about his own chances and how his fire magic had improved lately. Malek nodded along politely but stopped paying attention after a few seconds.

  His eyes scanned the crowd instead.

  Most of the kids here were older. Fifteen to eighteen. A few younger ones scattered in the mix. One or two looked unranked, probably hoping to pass on raw potential alone.

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  Then Malek spotted someone he recognized and immediately regretted it.

  Joran.

  A kid from the east side of town. Same age as Malek. Awakened a year ago as a Combat Mage, Also the most annoying person Malek had ever met.

  Joran noticed him at the same time and his face lit up with a smug grin. He walked over with exaggerated confidence.

  "Well, well. If it isn't the great Alchemist," Joran said loud enough for people nearby to hear. "What are you doing here, Malek? Aren't you supposed to be grinding herbs or something?"

  Malek didn't react. "Just observing."

  "Observing." Joran laughed. "Right. Because you definitely have a shot at getting in."

  "I never said I did."

  "Good. Because you don't." Joran crossed his arms. "Zero-Class crafters don't get into combat institutions. You know that, right?"

  Elara's voice cut in before Malek could respond. "Joran, why are you still talking?"

  Joran turned to her, still grinning. "Just making sure your little brother knows his place."

  "His place is wherever he wants it to be. Now go bother someone else."

  Joran opened his mouth to say something else but another voice interrupted.

  "Joran! Get over here!"

  A taller boy stood near the entrance steps. Broad shoulders. Expensive-looking clothes. Malek didn't know his name but he recognized the type.

  Joran immediately straightened up. "Coming, Vance!" He shot Malek one last smirk before jogging off.

  Elara watched him go with narrowed eyes. "He's still as insufferable as ever."

  "Yeah," Malek agreed.

  "You okay?"

  "Yeh."

  Elara looked at him for a moment longer, then nodded. "Let's go inside."

  ---

  The interior of the institute was larger than it looked from outside. High ceilings. Stone floors polished smooth. Wide hallways leading off in multiple directions.

  A clerk stood near the entrance with a clipboard. She directed people to different waiting areas based on their class and rank.

  "Name?" she asked when Malek and Elara reached her.

  "Elara. Water Magician. Rank 10"

  The clerk wrote it down. "Room Three on the left."

  Elara nodded and looked at Malek. "See you after."

  "Good luck."

  She gave him a small smile and walked off toward the designated room.

  Malek stepped forward. "Malek. Alchemist. Unranked."

  The clerk paused and looked up at him. "Unranked?"

  "Yes."

  She frowned slightly but wrote it down anyway. "Room Five. Down the hall, last door on the right."

  Malek followed her directions. Room Five was smaller than the others. Only about ten people inside. Most of them looked around his age or younger. All of them had the same nervous energy.

  He found a spot near the back and sat down on one of the benches.

  A few minutes later, Joran walked in. Of course he did.

  Joran spotted Malek immediately and sat down directly across from him with that same smug expression.

  "Guess they put all the trash in one room," Joran said.

  Malek ignored him.

  "Hey, I'm talking to you."

  "I know."

  "You really think you have a chance here?"

  "Not particularly."

  That seemed to throw Joran off. He'd probably been expecting an argument. "Then why come?"

  "Why can't I?"

  Joran snorted. "Waste of time if you ask me."

  "Good thing I didn't ask you."

  Someone laughed quietly from the corner. Joran's face turned red but before he could respond, the door opened.

  An instructor walked in. She was middle-aged with sharp features and gray streaks in her dark hair. She wore practical robes with the institution's symbol embroidered on the chest.

  Everyone went quiet immediately.

  The instructor stopped at the front of the room and looked at them with an expression that suggested she'd rather be anywhere else.

  "I'm Instructor Aael," she said. Her voice was flat and direct. "This is the preliminary assessment for unranked applicants. The test will evaluate your mana control, practical application, and adaptability under pressure."

  She pulled a small crystal from her pocket and held it up. It glowed faintly blue.

  "You will be tested individually. When your name is called, follow me to the testing chamber. Results will be posted by evening. Any questions?"

  No one spoke.

  "Good." Aael looked down at a list in her hand. "First applicant. Malek."

  Every head in the room turned to look at him.

  Malek stood slowly, ignoring the stares.

  Joran's smug grin was gone now. He looked annoyed.

  Malek walked to the front of the room. Instructor Aael turned without a word and walked out the door.

  He followed.

  The hallway outside was empty and quiet. Their footsteps echoed on the stone floor.

  "You're recently awakened," Aael said without looking back.

  "Yes. A few weeks ago."

  "And you're taking this test why?"

  "To see where I stand."

  Aael didn't respond to that. She led him down a side corridor and stopped in front of a heavy wooden door. She pushed it open.

  Inside was a circular chamber. Empty except for a single pedestal in the center. On the pedestal sat three items: a dried herb, a vial of clear liquid, and a small flame burning without fuel.

  Aael gestured toward the pedestal. "Your test is simple. Use those three components to create something useful. You have ten minutes."

  Malek stared at the items. "That's it?"

  "That's it."

  "What counts as useful?"

  "That's for you to decide."

  Aael stepped back and crossed her arms. A small hourglass appeared in her hand. She turned it over.

  "Your time starts now."