Lucy woke up to see a starry sky. The constellations were visible, and the moon's light gave the forest a mystical feeling.

She blinked her eyes drowsily still reeling from the strenuous activity she had done earlier in the day.

She turned on her side and felt the warm feeling of a blanket draped on her belly. She looked down to see a red cloth wrapped around her keeping her away from the cold.

She looked around, her eyes locking on to a figure in front of a fire not too far from her.

The figure was short, petite and curled up in a sitting position. She noticed the person wearing a black frilly dress and a loose black top.

She couldn't see her face from the place she was sitting, but her blonde hair was apparent to her. It was well brushed and had a light sheen to it that made her want to touch it.

She sat up, noticing with a bit of gratitude that she was no longer covered in blood. Her perfect skin was now visible, clean and healthy like a baby from a fresh bath.

She looked back at her supposed savior and was greeted with beautiful pink eyes. Her gaze was calm and gave a reassuring feeling.

"I thought you were going to sleep forever." The girl turned back towards the fire.

"You've been through quite the ordeal. When I found you, you were on the verge of death."

Lucy raised the blanket and checked her stomach. Then she reached behind her to touch her back.

The girl was right, she was as good as new. Though she couldn't say the same about her clothes.

Her dress was torn by the hem exposing her thighs. The collar was also messed up. It was easy to see she couldn't continue to wear this dress.

"Thank you," Lucy bowed her head in thanks. "You could have eliminated me to reduce the competition. I'm grateful you didn't."

The girl with pink eyes didn't turn to look at her when she replied, "Don't worry about it."

"There isn't much I can give you as a reason though." She shrugged her shoulders. "I just helped you on a whim."

Lucy looked away and gritted her teeth, 'Of course my loss or victory would be determined by someone else’s mood.'

She ran her hands through her long silver hair in frustration. If the first person to find her wasn't some good Samaritan, then that would have been it. No academy, no success and she would have to return home a failure.

'The disgrace.' Her father wouldn't even give her a reaction. She knew because he expected her to fail.

"Good Soreus, you seem quite angry for someone who is alive." The girl asked noticing her state.

Lucy looked at the girl, she had on simple clothes and didn't act with any airs. She was probably a commoner who was taking the exam to get prestige through the academy.

She looked down at her hand, "You wouldn't get it."

She didn't hear a comeback, the only sound that could be heard was the crackling of the fire. The two remained in silence.

Lucy was a bit puzzled; people would normally ask for further details rather than keeping shut.

But it appeared her savior liked to mind her business. The girl walked to a tree where a pile of branches was gathered.

She picked one up and returned to the fire. After adding the branch to the fire, she sat down again.

The two stopped conversing after that. Lucy was grateful. The last thing she wanted was to explain her daddy issues to a complete stranger.

"You know, I thought you'd still be asleep for a couple more days."

Lucy looked up to see the girl facing her again. "Heh, so you grew tired of the awkward silence?"

The girl ignored her attempt at a joke. "I don't think you realize how badly you were injured."

Lucy frowned, "I said I was grateful. What? Do you want an award?" This girl was really insufferable.

Did she only rescue me because she thought I could give her something?

Yes, Lucy was a noble, but she didn't bring anything of value with her. This was an exam for Soreus sake!

The girl shook her head, "I'm not talking about that." She sighed deeply, "You nobles are really unaware of your surroundings."

Lucy was confused for a moment. What did she mean surroundings?

They were in a forest, she knew that. They had a fire, that was obvious, and...

"Gahhh!!! I can see your tiny little head trying to make sense of what I'm saying." Rubbing her eyebrows in annoyance, the girl clicked her tongue.

"Then what is it!!" Lucy cried out frustratedly, "What am I missing?"

The girl just looked at her, then raised her finger upwards.

"What, is that supposed to be a one, or are you talking about something on your finger." Lucy was not liking this. The girl seemed to be adamant in speaking in riddles.

"Look up." She said, tired of waiting for her Lucy to figure it out.

Lucy did as she was told, lifting her gaze to stare at the starry sky. The view was the same as what she had seen earlier.

A myriad of shining stars in the expanse of space, their shine eclipsed by the brightness of the moon, which had taken on a blue hue.

The scene calmed her somehow, distracting her from her bleak future.

She had been unconscious for quite some time now, so that could mean she had already failed the test.

Her father... She didn't want to think about that for now. But it was safe to say the current moment was the only peace she would feel for a while.

"Why are you still staring?" Lucy was brought back to reality by her companion’s voice, "I hope you realize the situation we're in now."

'We?' Lucy thought with confusion, "If you had the time to save me, I assume you had completed the test yourself?"

The girl shook her head, "That's the issue..."

"The test isn't over."