From that night on she did not go to join the others. She told herself she was busy.

  Still, the memory followed her.

  Rowana noticed first.

  “You’re not sleeping,” she said one night.

  “I am.”

  Tessa glanced up from her book. “You’re awake before dawn.”

  Lysara didn’t argue. She focused on her notes and research.

  She increased her dosage.

  Her frustration was mounting with no new answer in sight.

  Midterm came and went.

  Role Realignment — First Years

  Effective Immediately

  Names listed. Categories assigned.

  Mage Track — Continued

  Knight Track — Continued

  Hybrid Support — Pending Review

  Observation & Role Comprehension — Assigned

  Observation came naturally.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  She sat on the edge of the field, marking inefficiencies—where energy bled away, where form failed under strain, where students pushed past safe limits because stopping felt worse.

  Patterns emerged quickly.

  The librarian began setting books aside without being asked.

  The weeks compressed into routine. Observation. Notes. Library. Lab.

  Nothing escalated.

  Nothing eased.

  Finally, the end of the term showed up.

  “Tomorrow,” Rowana said too casually, “we’re eating breakfast together.”

  The stronger potions held the corruption still, her stomach less so.

  Silence stretched.

  Then Lysara nodded once.

  Tomorrow, the evaluations would begin.

  Just get through this, she told herself.

  Lysara slept lightly.

  ***

  Applied Apothecary came first.

  The work was dense and exacting. Lysara moved steadily, never rushing, never stalling. She corrected what needed correcting and left the rest alone.

  ***

  Foundations of Alchemy followed.

  This exam was not about brilliance. It was about whether a structure held when the margin narrowed.

  ***

  The Physical Evaluation took place outdoors.

  The course was not difficult.

  Packed earth gave way to loose gravel near the incline. Wind cut across the exposed stretch unevenly. A shallow drop lay half-hidden by shadow where the path narrowed.

  She watched the ground. Not long—just long enough to see how dust shifted underfoot, how weight traveled when speed increased. She adjusted her route immediately, choosing a longer path with better footing.

  It cost her position.

  She didn’t care.

  Halfway through, she slowed again—not from fatigue, but assessment. She took stock: breath steady, legs responsive, awareness intact. Others pushed harder, eager to recover lost ground.

  She finished behind them.

  Standing.

  When the evaluation ended, several students sat heavily where they stopped. One was assisted off the course. Another laughed shakily, adrenaline wearing thin.

  Lysara drank water and waited.

  The ranger overseeing the course watched her—not while she moved, but after.

  They made a note.

  ***

  The remaining examinations blurred together—Magical Theory, Ethics.

  By the time the bells quieted, her body ached from sustained attention.

  There was nothing left to do. Nothing yet to know.

  She turned away from the main corridors instead.