EXAMINATION (2)
The twenty students gather around the middle. Looking at each other, Adrianne can sense the fear, some of them hold within. While some may appear strong, the dark aura, Adrianne was feeling was making her body feel excited.
"All of you, please take a seat in the middle. Make sure to wear the ring on your ring finger." A woman walks past, every student.
She was wearing a long sleeve black dress reaching below the knees. Her hands were carrying a set of golden sticks to be placed in the middle of the arena. The woman looked unpleased, probably because of her quirked eyebrows and eyes.
Her pointed nose and curvy lips told Adrianne, that the woman in front of them was once a gorgeous lady when she was still at an early age. Even though her features were already showing how old the woman was, Adrianne tilted her head as if thinking. The woman was familiar to her.
Adrianne came into realization when one by one, the students sat in the middle of the ground. Her feet start to take light steps as the crowd said their displeasure about her.
"Boo! Abigail the future Level E!"
"Weakshit, Abigail!"
"Level E!"
"Level E!"
"Level E!"
The students that came from Fortuna Academia bashed on loudly, getting the attention of other students besides them. The people, because of the words, have gotten curious about who was Abigail. And why does it seem like every student doesn't like that girl?
A young man, from afar, had noticed it. "Do you know who is Abigail?" He asked at the person, sitting beside him. They were seated on the left part, where every student who has successfully finished the examination was gathered.
"Hmm, I don't know young sir, but I think she's quite popular in their school." The man answered with uncertainty lingering in his voice.
At the same time the two people were talking, Adrianne already sat in the middle. She slowly slid in the ring on her finger. A red light blinks continuously. Hmm, it seems like they connected something through the accessory.
The same woman from earlier commanded them to close their eyes. And even though she found the rule so childish, Adrianne had no choice but to follow it.
Her sight changed as Adrianne closed her eyes. She was now alone in a forest. Towering trees, large stone formations, and the sound of birds chirping. That was what she could see.
Adrianne unconsciously followed the red roses scattered on the ground. It was the first thing she noticed after roaming her eyes around the area. She suddenly thought, 'Is this their test?'
She was almost caught off guard when she saw a transparent string tied down at her front. It was connected from one tree to another. Uhm, what the heck? Carefully lifting one of her feet, she jumped lightly on the air, passing by the string.
[ CONGRATULATIONS! YOU PASSED LEVEL I ]
An unknown voice echoed throughout the place. Adrianne continued to take a step. Seconds passed by. Before she could see a table shaped like a stone in the middle of the way.
'This must be the second test!' Adrianne thought before she runs at full speed.
Her breathing hitched as she holds on to the table for support. She saw hundreds of smaller stones on top. Her forehead knotted when the instruction told her to make a tower of stones. A 12-inch tower that she needs to build up.
Looking at the stones, she can fail now in here. She knew that she would automatically be at Level D if she fails this. But on the second note, she would like her schoolmates to be more 'happy' with her.
Chuckling, in less than no time, she finally made a tower. The same voice from earlier congratulating her. Adrianne passed on the other 2 tests. She was already in the final. The hardest one as they say.
Adrianne was surprised to see an old man. Standing still with a huge smile on his face. "Congratulations for passing the 4 challenges. Are you ready to face the final last?" The man uttered.
Adrianne nodded as a response, "I am," she answered with curiosity lingering in her voice.
"Listen to my question, and listen well. You have only one try. There are many books inside the Library of Fortuna Academia. How many letters are there in those books?"
Hearing the question, Adrianne thought that the question was nearly impossible. With all those books inside the library, how the heck can she even answer the question. Tilting her head, she looked at the man.
'How many letters are there in those books?', she can feel that there was something unusual with the question.
The old man opened his mouth, "You have 10 seconds to answer. 10… 9… 8…"
Adrianne didn't mind what the man had said to her. She keeps repeating the question in her head. How many letters are there in those books? Those books…
"10! There are 10 Letters." Adrianne answered.
The man clapped his hands, before turning away.
[ CONGRATULATIONS! YOU PASSED LEVEL V ]
Everything went dark, the moment the voice congratulated her. Hearing the silence, Adrianne steadily opened her eyes, adjusting to the bright light. She had grown puzzled when she can hear nothing at all.
It was the moment she noticed that she's already alone in the middle. The students, together with her earlier were now already sitting on the left side. And as the big screen announced, Adrianne was the only one who has successfully reached Level A among the 20 students that took the examination.