“First off, why don’t you come with me and see some of Scalefall? Get a little taste of what we’ve got in store for you if you’re accepted,” Headmaster Guildenstern said, a slight delight in her voice. 

“I’m still kinda wary about being thrown into an exam we’re not prepared for,” Remilia spoke up. “I mean, don’t you give people an outline, some prep time or something?” 

Schala sighed. “Scalefall’s got a long history of impromptu examinations,” she informed. “In life, things’ll hit us unprepared. Like demon attacks or someone getting a bit too excitable with their power. We got to be able to handle what’s thrown at us at a moment’s notice.” 

“You’ve done your research,” Guildenstern commented. 

“I read a lot,” Schala retorted. “I made sure I had a little bit of knowledge when I applied.” 

“Applied for us both, Schal,” Remilia reminded. 

“It happened, we’re here now, so try to prep yourself,” Schala reassured. “We can handle this; tauntine made sure of that.” 

“Come along now, girls. Your potential destiny awaits.” 

Remilia exhaled through her nostrils. “Just keep building pressure, why don’t you?” 

Guildenstern snapped her fingers, and the void warped and morphed, giving way to an elegant castle ground surrounded by a thick forest. The twins sighed in relief to be on terra firma again; standing in the void made them feel like they’d been standing on clouds. 

Walking on brown pebbles up a pathway reserved for cars, the trio approached the front of the school, which bore a large granite sign that had the words “Scalefall Academy, est. 1585 A.D.” etched onto it.  

Laying on top of it like a cat was a faux-mohawked young man in a brown vest with a black shirt & slacks. He slurped from a transparent cup with boba tea in it, watching the trio approach, a small smirk on his face. 

“Late morning, Mr. Reeves?” Guildenstern spoke up as they approached. 

The young man loudly slurped one last time and then tossed his cup, which disappeared. “I heard you were bringing in some new blood, so I thought I’d be the first to lay eyes on them. And they’re twins too! Double the fun,” he spoke in English. 

The twins looked at each other and shared a grimace. 

“I can tell he’s going to be a treat,” Schala said, her French back on display. 

“That’s if we get in. But we dealt with guys like him before,” Remilia responded in French. 

“Yeah, with a bunch of paper cuts,” Schala added. 

“Girls, that’s impolite,” Guildenstern said. 

“We can’t speak much English,” Schala informed. With a heavy accent, she said simply, “It’s nice to meet you.” 

“My dreams have come true! French twins?” Reeves said. “I’ve never had—” 

“Down, boy,” Guildenstern said. “Don’t make me castrate you.” 

The trio walked away, Guildenstern shaking her head. “That’s Matthias Reeves, one of the Premier Seniors here. He’s aced every single exam in the school. The only one left is his Mastery exam, and he’s probably gonna knock that one out of the park. It’s quite boring to watch his exams; there’s no unexpected spells he uses.” 

“Jack of all trades,” Schala said. 

“And a master of none. How ironic,” Remilia finished. 

She looked back at him, swiping her dreadlocks dramatically, and gave him a wink. Reeves chuckled and winked right back. 

“Yep, thought so,” Remilia uttered under her breath. 

“Where exactly are we?” Schala asked. 

“Louisiana. New Orleans to be exact. Right in the heart of the Deep South,” Guildenstern replied as she looked proudly into the sky. 

The air felt different than France. It was certainly a lot warmer; it was autumn, and the temperature lowered, but in Louisiana, balmy wind caressed their cheeks. Schala and Remilia looked around the grounds as they walked; students with sun-kissed skin congregated, moving in and out of buildings. 

Guildenstern spoke, “Founded by the African Diaspora amid the Grand Migration, Scalefall focuses on a myriad of sorcery arts from cultures around the world. Our great leaders, those who fought to lead our people to freedom from oppression, great minds who understood what sorcery had to offer have gathered behind these walls. You won’t find a sorcerer who won’t speak highly of Scalefall’s education.” 

She led the twins into the largest building in the middle of the campus. They stepped onto polished marble floor, and their boots clacked on the ground as they passed by statues of great black leaders of times past.  

“We became a haven from the world’s…ignorance. This goes doubly so for us who’ve had to hide our power. Our skin had already marked us a target. We dedicate ourselves to continue the legacy of our blessing for centuries to come.” 

Guildenstern opened a pair of large doors, and they entered a room with a large magic circle on the ground. Arcane symbols outlined the circle, and as they drew closer, it began to glow and pulsate gold. 

“Our accommodations are among the elite of our world. Our faculty and staff were handpicked over centuries of screening; you’ll be learning from some of the greatest living sorcerers around.” 

“I’m sorry,” Schala spoke up, “but while everything sounds good and all, we can’t really get excited until we see what this exam has in store for us.” 

Remilia nodded in agreement. “Don’t blow smoke up our asses, then kill our dreams.” 

Guildenstern smiled. “Observant pair, aren’t you?”  

She turned and looked at the twins; Schala rubbed her hands while Remilia slid hers in her pocket and gripped at her legs. 

“You two are the spitting image of your mother. I knew her years ago; one of the strongest sorcerers I’ve ever known, and one of my closest friends. Well, the word “was” should be added to that; at one time we were closer than sisters, but then we had a sort of…falling out.” 

“Falling out?” Remilia asked. 

“She had a, let’s say, different vision on how to handle the Civil War. That’s where our ideals split. She and her husband turned their backs on us after the exile.” 

“Exile?” Schala said loudly. Her voice echoed off the polished walls. 

Guildenstern motioned for Schala to lower her voice. “Yes, exile. Revealing our magic to those in the Topside is the one rule that can’t be broken no matter what. Slip-ups here and there can be written off as hallucinations, but blatant showcases of grand magic, irrefutable proof of the existence of sorcery to the...Ordinaires, will bring the full might of the Sorcery Society down on you.” 

The twins listened intently while Guildenstern narrowed her eyes and wrenched her lips. “We must get back on subject,” she said while she led them to a pair of brown double doors that were considerably smaller than the last pair. “The exam will start soon.” 

Guildenstern opened the door, and the twins were met with the sight of a room filled with sorcerers their age and up. All turned toward them as the door closed. 

“Great, we’re the last ones here,” Remilia uttered. 

“Buck up, sis. At least we’re here,” Schala reassured. 

“Be seated, you all!” A deep baritone voice called from the opposite end of the room. 

Pacing on a small stage, an onyx-skinned man with a brush cut and a violet suit took a mental head count of the students – fifty with the addition of Schala and Remilia – as they sat at brown tables with wooden chairs. In front of each student was a test packet with a yellow cover page. 

“Welcome, welcome. You may address me as Headmaster Esper or Mr. Esper. As expected, you all have questions; in due time, we will answer them. Right now, your only task is to pass the examination before you. You will have one hour.” 

Esper snapped his fingers and an hourglass manifested on the stage next to him. The sands of time began to pour without command. 

“Begin.”