Arianne considered her choice for a moment, then nodded to herself, decision made.
"Mage, then."
She stepped toward the vortex beneath the mage statue, but Michael's hand caught her shoulder before she got too close.
Arianne glanced back at him.
"You don't need to be too worried about all this," Michael said. "Just try your best. That's all that actually matters here. A good performance shapes your class and whatever extra reward comes with it, but even a mediocre one still gets you a class."
"And you're safe," he added. "Whatever the trial throws at you, it won't actually be able to kill you. So you can go in with a little more confidence than you're probably feeling right now."
Arianne managed a small, nervous smile.
"That obvious?"
"A bit."
She exhaled, some of the tension easing out of her shoulders.
