Sorren pushed himself up from the grass with a broad grin. "Ha! I guess we'll find out!" he laughed, striding toward the circle with surprising confidence. He took his position at the centre and went still—unusually motionless for someone who was usually so animated. The gathered recruits watched in anticipation as the runes flickered to life. The now familiar glow quickly transformed into something entirely different: a deep orange that pulsed vibrantly across the dirt like a living thing.

"Impressive!" Gerald couldn't mask his excitement as he hunched over his notebook, quill flying across the page. A genuine smile broke through his professional facade. "That orange indicates fire—the hottest elements within its spectrum. I'd rank you somewhere between five and six out of ten."

The collective gasp that followed made it clear how extraordinary this was; even Gerald seemed surprised by his own assessment.

"I think you have a bright future ahead of you, lad!" he added with unexpected warmth.

"That's awesome!" Mack hollered from their group. He bounded over and smacked Sorren's back with such enthusiasm that his friend stumbled forward.

"Watch it!" Sorren laughed, not bothering to hide his pride as he steadied himself.

As Sorren re-joined them—practically radiating satisfaction—Gai felt the knot in his stomach pull tighter. His turn was coming soon.

"My name is Louis, sir." The words tumbled out a touch too fast as Louis stepped forward, his fingers instinctively brushing back a dark lock of hair that had fallen across his eyes. He paused at the edge of the circle, took a deep breath, then moved into position with careful steps. The moment his feet settled in the centre, the runes responded—illuminating with a clear blue light that spread outward in a steady pulse. The glow climbed upward, washing over Louis in its cool radiance, transforming the nervous boy into something almost ethereal against the earthy backdrop.

Gerald leaned forward, his perpetual scowl softening into something closer to intrigue. His quill moved swiftly across his notes, the scratching sound cutting through the silence. "Very nice, Louis," he said, voice maintaining its professional edge despite the hint of genuine interest behind it. "That sky blue—it points to air and sensory abilities, which can be very broad in their scope. Not something we see every day." He tapped his quill against the page thoughtfully. "Could mean you've got some rather specialized talents waiting to be developed."

Louis blinked, his lips parting in surprise as he stared down at the glowing runes beneath his feet. "Thank you, sir," he murmured, barely audible.

Gerald tapped his quill against his chin, studying his notes. "Power rank of three at this stage. Respectable for a preliminary test. Well done. Take your seat."

Louis stepped out of the circle, a flush of pride warming his cheeks as he made his way back to Gai. He dropped down beside his friend with a small, sheepish grin. "I guess that wasn't so terrible," he said quietly, glancing at the others.

Gai's response was just a faint smile that never reached his eyes. His hands twisted restlessly in his lap as he avoided Louis's gaze.

"Next," Gerald called, his voice cutting through the murmurs.

Mack stood with a confident ease that contrasted sharply with Louis's earlier nervousness. He squared his broad shoulders and strode toward the circle, footsteps steady on the packed dirt.

As Mack took position, Louis leaned toward Gai. "It must've been a mistake last time," he whispered, careful to keep his voice below Gerald's hearing. "I'm sure you'll be fine."

Gai's jaw clenched visibly. For a moment, it seemed he wouldn't answer at all. "I don't want to talk about it right now," he finally muttered, each word clipped and tense.

Louis swallowed hard and leaned back, catching Sorren's eye. The silent exchange between them spoke volumes.

"You were already tested?" Sorren asked Gai cautiously, keeping his voice low.

"Yes." The single word landed like a stone, daring them to ask anything more. Gai fixed his gaze firmly on the ground.

Their attention snapped back to the circle as Mack's runes sparked to life—bright white light flickering before pale blue streaks rippled outward like water.

"Interesting," Gerald murmured, rising to his feet for a closer look. "Your name?"

"Mack," came the easy reply.

Gerald jotted something down. "A rare combination affinity," he announced, pausing as excited whispers spread through the group. "The white and blue interplay suggests ties to water elements, air manipulation... possibly even healing capabilities."

Mack's eyebrow lifted slightly at the last part, the corner of his mouth twitching upward in a barely suppressed smirk.

"Your power ranking sits easily at a five—exceptional for this stage." Gerald gestured toward the waiting recruits. "Further tests will determine specifics later. Well done."

"Wow," Louis breathed as Mack settled beside Sorren, returning to his friends. His grin widened, showing admiration for his friends. "Mack! Sorren! You guys are amazing! You must have incredible lineage or something!"

Mack chuckled softly at Louis's enthusiasm and lay back comfortably against the grassy field with an easy-going shrug. "Something like that," he replied with a wink that only intensified Louis's admiration.

“Next.”

The word hung heavier in the air this time as all eyes turned toward Gai.

He rose slowly—reluctantly—as though every movement required monumental effort. His face was pale beneath his dark curls, and sweat gleamed faintly at his temples despite the coolness of the morning.

Louis reached out instinctively but stopped short of grabbing Gai’s arm. “Hey... you’re good,” he offered quietly. But Gai didn’t respond; he simply walked forward with deliberate steps that seemed heavier than they should have been.

When he reached the circle’s edge, Gai hesitated for a heartbeat before stepping inside. His breathing grew shallow and ragged almost immediately—as if invisible hands were tightening around his chest—and beads of sweat began to roll down his neck.

“It’s all right,” Gerald said gently from where he stood nearby. His tone softened just enough to sound almost fatherly—a stark contrast to his previous brisk demeanor. “Don’t concern yourself with your friends’ results. This is only preliminary.” He gave Gai an encouraging nod before asking firmly: “Your name?”

“Gai... sir,” came the reply—a hoarse whisper laced with strain.

Seconds passed.

Nothing happened.

The runes remained dark—silent—unmoving.

“Hmm,” Gerald muttered under his breath as he exchanged a quick look with Oswald before stepping closer to examine the circle more closely. “Do you feel anything unusual?” he asked Gai directly.

“No... nothing unusual,” Gai mumbled through clenched teeth.

The silence stretched unbearably long as Gerald circled the edge of the glowing platform while Oswald crouched low to inspect individual runes for signs of damage or malfunction.

“Your score is zero. No affinity detected.” Gerald straightened with an audible sigh and gestured toward Gai dismissively. “Sit down for now,” he instructed firmly but not unkindly. “We’ll try again later.”

Gai didn’t wait for further prompting; he practically fled from the circle back toward his friends—his cheeks burning crimson with humiliation while whispers swirled around him like vultures circling prey.

Louis opened his mouth to say something—anything—but before he could speak, another boy had already stepped forward eagerly into the now-functional circle behind them, the runes immediately flickering to a dull green glow.

As the boy stepped out, Oswald leaned toward Gerald, voice lowered but not enough to escape nearby ears.

"What does it mean?" he murmured, eyes darting toward Gai.

Gerald's mouth tightened. "This is not the time or place to discuss this, Oswald."

The remainder of the testing blurred together for Gai. He sat rigid, painfully aware of the silence from his friends and the sideways glances from other recruits. He could almost hear their unspoken mockery. Only Louis offered a reassuring smile, though it did little to ease the knot in Gai's stomach.

When the final recruit finished, Gerald gathered his notes and addressed the group.

"Right then, lads. Well done. Your dormitory's the first I've tested today, and you've shown quite varied results." His gaze lingered deliberately on Gai and his friends. "Oswald will take you from here while I move on to the next group."

"On your feet, lads. Back to the dormitory, double file," Oswald commanded, already striding away. The boys scrambled up, quickly falling into formation behind him.