The entire academy buzzed with anticipation.
The hallways had been filled for weeks with nervous conversations, fifth-year students exchanging rumors and speculations about what was coming. Some with excitement. Others with terror.
The end-of-semester exams for fifth year...
You wouldn't just compete against your classmates. You wouldn't just demonstrate your competence before neutral evaluators judging by established standards.
No.
This semester, you'd compete against the other main academies of the kingdom.
It would be the first time students from the three great educational institutions would meet in a formal competitive setting. A preview of what would come at year's end, when the interscholastic competitions would become even more intense and complex.
This was their first taste.
The first real test against their peers from other institutions.
And everyone knew the results would matter.
Matter a lot.
