The room buzzed with disbelief. Even Emilia stared, wide-eyed, at the six pills on the table.
Ace let the silence stretch for a moment longer.
Then he smirked.
"Well, I suppose you all are not completely without a surprise after all."
The students chuckled, some nervously, others with newfound excitement.
Ace clapped his hands.
"Alright. Next."
Following Clara's impressive display, the classroom atmosphere shifted.
Confidence began to blossom, and one by one, more students stood up, each eager to prove themselves.
Some failed. Others barely managed a single cracked pill. But a few succeeded, adding a glimmer of hope to the group's potential.
Among them, another one soon stood out with quiet astonishment.
Anna.
She walked to the cauldron with neither the flair of Clara nor the nerves of Emilia. She simply moved with a steady grace, her calm focus radiating with each step.
