Dorian and Emmett waved to their parents and then headed into the locker rooms. They were already in their athletic wear, but took the opportunity to use the restroom and get some water. There were more faculty to lead the Candidates out to a specific section of the stands that were set aside for them. 

As the boys were walking along, Dorian stopped dead in his tracks when he caught a glance of a cute girl. She was slightly shorter than him, had rainbow-striped faerie wings, and was dressed in bright, colorful workout clothes. Her long brown hair was pulled into a ponytail, her skin was a light shade of mocha, and her eyes were a vibrant bluish-purple. She was busy talking to another girl in Spanish, then turned when she noticed someone was staring at her.

“What are you looking at?” she asked Dorian, crossing her arms. 

“Oh! Um… I… Hehehe… Umm…” he stumbled over his words, a deep blush coming to his cheeks. 

“What, do you think I’m cute or something?” she inquired, raising an eyebrow. 

“No! I mean -” before he could finish, she cut him off.

“So you’re calling me ugly, then?” she snapped. 

“No! I just… Um…. aw crap…” Dorian just groaned and facepalmed. The girl threw her head back and laughed heartily.

“Relax dude, I’m just playing!” she said and cackled a few more times. 

“Oh… Hehehe…” he just chuckled and shook his head. 

“That was… tragic, dude,” Emmett added with a smirk. 

“Oh come on, that would have worked on you too!” the girl insisted. 

“Nope!” Emmett replied, then winked. “Not unless you were a boy!”

“OH! Okay, I see you! Cool!” she responded. “I’m Selena, by the way. Selena Luna.”

“Emmett Haldeman.”

“Dorian Vex.”

Soon their attention was drawn to a figure floating above the field, who had magically amplified his voice to be heard across the entire stadium. A few drones with cameras were flying around his general vicinity, transmitting the feeds to holographic screens that were floating in various locations throughout the stands. 

“Good afternoon, everyone!” He greeted them in a deep, friendly voice. He was a dogfolk with bright blue eyes and a fur pattern similar to a Siberian Husky. He was quite tall and chubby and clad in a glittery cobalt robe over a black suit and an elegant crimson necktie. 

“Welcome to the Qrowdell Academy Entrance Exam! I am Principal Howler! I know, I know - funny name for a funny guy, right?” he said with a cackle as he flew around. He then turned serious. “Candidates, listen closely! Your academic capabilities will be determined from your middle school records, so this test will focus exclusively on how you conduct yourselves in a simulated crisis, and how effectively you can use magical combat while minimizing civilian casualties.”

He pointed to a few areas of the field, and the drones buzzed around to show hundreds of black, corrupted-looking flowers with closed bulbs spread about. There were also enchanted wooden dummies walking up and down the streets. 

“When the Exam begins, those nasty-looking flowers will begin spitting out artificial monsters that you’ll need to destroy,” Principal Howler explained. “You will receive five points for every monster that you defeat, whether that is solo or with other Candidates in a group. But you’ll lose twice as many - ten points - for every dummy that is injured by your actions. But you can actually gain ten points if you save a dummy from danger!”

He pointed to a few circles of white runes that were painted on the ground in various locations. “Those are Healing Circles. It's unlikely anyone with a basic understanding of magic would be severely injured in this Exam, but they are there just in case.”

He then pointed over to another part of the stands where a large group of powerful-looking Pro Battlemages were sitting. “These are the coaches who will be deciding whether you pass or fail. Each one will pick three Candidates to be their apprentices, and they will serve as your mentors for the entire four years you’d be studying at Qrowdell. But be aware - you must be sponsored by a coach in order to be admitted as a student. Each one has their own qualifications they look for, so they will be watching a lot more than just your point totals. If no coach chooses to sponsor you, then it is considered a fail.”

Principal Howler pointed his finger up and shot a sparkle of light higher up in the air, which shifted into a giant floating timer. It then split into multiple copies that spread out so they could be seen from anywhere in the stadium. 

“I will start these timers in fifteen minutes, which will prompt the flowers to start spawning monsters. You will then have exactly thirty minutes to show us what you can do! If you need to take care of anything before the Exam begins, please do so now and then make your way down to the Starting Zone!” Howler pointed to a large slab of concrete right in front of the stands where the Candidates were sitting. It was surrounded by a fence with a tall double-doored gate blocking access to the main part of the field. 

It seemed like at least two hundred teens were piling into the Starting Zone, all vibrating with anticipation as they anxiously waited for the timers to start…