13. Exam
1186 Words
For Rivan, five days of focusing on academics felt like five years of torture. He spent his time in the library, the heavy wooden desk before him feeling like a weight pinning him down.
Currently, Rivan and Isla were studying together. Tall bookshelves whispered promises of knowledge around them.
"Look at this, Rivan," Isla said, tapping a thick book titled Theory of Resion Power. "Aethel classification level eight and above. This will definitely appear on the exam."
Rivan exhaled, staring at the complex meanings written on the page. "My head feels like it's going to burst. I know the basics, but details like these…”
"—and all of this is your fault! You said the monthly exams were split in two, and that each student could only take one. But Madam Margen said we’re required to take both,” Rivan complained, collapsing limply onto the desk.
Isla cleared her throat, pushing away her guilt and embarrassment. “Sorry, I only found out as well.”
A faint sigh of resignation slipped out as Rivan tilted his head. He hoped that he could at least answer half of the comprehension exam tomorrow.
“Isla, do you think the rumor is true?” Rivan whispered softly.
Thud!
The comprehension book slammed shut, and Isla turned around, irritated. Her voice rose as she replied, "Fake! I’m certain of it. Sister Lunara would never do that. Besides, why would she kill her friend’s parents?”
"I don't want to believe it either, but when I asked Nathan about Lunara, he didn't answer, and his expression changed." Rivan responded, sounding annoyed.
"Let's just focus on studying," he added.
An awkward silence settled between them. Rivan muttered something quietly but said nothing more. He truly wanted to think positively about the rumor, yet he knew nothing about Lunara and Nathan.
He could feel Nathan's hatred whenever Lunara was mentioned. This made him hesitate to dig deeper.
They studied until evening and returned to their respective dorms. Exhaustion consumed Rivan as he lay down.
Even when the dorm door opened, he didn’t have the energy to turn and face his roommate.
"I don't care how much it costs. Get that information.” Noah’s voice echoed loudly.
Rivan turned his back and covered his ears with a pillow. He tried to sleep, but Noah’s phone conversation kept him awake.
“Can you be quiet? You’re disturbing my sleep,” Rivan snapped.
Noah ignored him, continuing to speak at the same volume. "Useless. Forget it. I’ll go myself.”
Rivan took a breath to calm himself. He wouldn’t let his emotions control him anymore. His training with Nathan couldn't be for nothing.
No—wait! Rivan’s eyes widened, and he sat up abruptly. "Since when am I this emotional? Can small things mess up my feelings? I wasn’t like this before.”
As far as he could remember, he had always been patient. Why had he become like this now? He remembered—it started with that cycle.
His hands clenched tightly. This power was a disaster; his family died because of it, and now he was drifting further from his old self.
Rivan lay back down, pulling the blanket tightly over himself. The more he thought about it, the more he feared he would realize how much he had changed.
....
Five minutes had passed since the comprehension exam began, and Rivan flipped through the pages. His head throbbed as he stared at a jumble of letters that he recognized individually but couldn’t understand when put together.
"How many types of echo?" he muttered. “Kangaroo and grasshopper are the only two I know.”
His pen moved quickly as he wrote down any answers he understood. His eyes froze on another question. “How many types is Resion divided into?”
"Five." Rivan wrote the answer smoothly.
His lips moved slowly as he read each question. He skipped the difficult ones, focusing only on the ones he could answer.
That's how he spent the rest of the exam. He wouldn’t be able to answer many questions, but at least he wouldn’t submit a blank sheet.
Rivan stretched; his shoulders and waist ached from bending over and maintaining the same position. "After this is the power exam."
"All right, I need to recharge." Rivan walked away. "Cafeteria, I'm coming."
He scooped various types of mushrooms into his bowl and paired them with rice and several other dishes. He sat in the corner by a window.
“May I sit here?” A boy around his age asked softly.
Rivan nodded, chewing his food. "Sure."
"Thank you," the boy said as he pulled the chair in front of Rivan. "I'm Tris from Room B."
Rivan swallowed his food and shook his hand. "Rivan from Room D."
“Rivan? You mean that Rivan—the Arcane of Room D?” Tris exclaimed in awe.
Rivan tilted his head slightly, confused. "Huh? Rivan of Room D?"
“Yes! The one who revealed an Arcane type on registration day,” Tris explained excitedly.
"Haha..." Rivan laughed awkwardly. He had never known he had such a tacky nickname. He'd rather be known as the fallen genius than as Rivan of Room D.
“But why were you placed in Room D? Not Room A?” Tris asked again.
Rivan cleared his throat and answered seriously, "Because Room A cannot withstand the brilliance of a Rivan Aster."
"Wow," Tris breathed, her eyes sparkling.
Seeing her like that made Rivan feel guilty. Those innocent eyes and genuine trust hit him hard.
"Don't think about it too much. You should eat your food before it gets cold.” Rivan pointed at Tris’s plate with his spoon.
Tris nodded hurriedly. Silence settled between them again. Rivan returned to his meal, and Tris did the same.
"Want to go to the arena together?" Tris asked once they had finished eating.
"Sure," Rivan replied.
They walked side by side, not talking much. Rivan, however, felt comfortable with the quiet atmosphere.
“How was your exam earlier?” Rivan asked.
Tris sighed softly and his face paled as he remembered it. "I failed. It was so difficult. Especially with that sudden announcement. You know, last year, students could choose one exam, so I didn’t study much, thinking it would be the same.”
Apparently, Tris and Isla weren't the only ones misled—many students experienced the same thing. Hearing Tris say that made Rivan feel a bit relieved. There was still hope that he wouldn't place last.
"Same here. My friend told me that, too, but five days ago, Madam Margen informed our dorm about the rule change," Rivan complained.
Then he added, "I'm sure they did it on purpose. They wanted to see who actually studied well.”
“Agreed!” Tris nodded seriously.
Before they realized it, they had arrived at the arena gate. Its grandeur and oppressive aura made Rivan unconsciously hold his breath.
The long-awaited day had finally arrived—the day he would fight Noah, that infuriating guy. Rivan was determined to defeat him and take first place.
- Writer
