The days leading up to the mid-semester exams were nothing short of madness. Crownspire Academy, usually buzzing with chatter and laughter, now felt like a pressure cooker. Students crammed in study halls, pouring over dusty tomes of ancient ruins and tactical manuals, while others could be found in the training yard, practicing sword drills until their arms felt like lead.
Alex found himself caught in the whirlwind. For six months he had fought through the academy's relentless pace — the endless lectures, grueling physical training, simulation dungeons where even illusory monsters left him sweating. He had made mistakes, more than he cared to admit. He had been struck down in sparring sessions, misread tactical scenarios, and more than once collapsed in bed so tired he forgot to eat.
But he had also grown. His sword arm was sharper, his endurance longer, his instincts quicker. The boy who had stepped nervously into Crownspire half a year ago was slowly being forged into something stronger. Still, as he sat on his bunk late at night, books scattered around him, he couldn't help muttering, "Mid-sems, huh? Guess this is where we find out if I've been paying attention… or just pretending."
---
The Written Exam
The first day began with the written tests. Rows of students filled the great lecture hall, quills scratching furiously against parchment. The air smelled of ink and tension. Questions ranged from the historical alliances between kingdoms to identifying structural weaknesses in dungeon layouts.
Alex chewed his lip, scribbling furiously. He had studied hard, but some of the trick questions threw him off. One essay asked: "In what ways can ruins influence the future of Elyndor?" He stared at the words for a long moment, then wrote honestly, not just from books but from what he had felt in his months of study:
"Ruins are not only the past—they are warnings and guides. If we study them, we learn not just how kingdoms fell, but how to stop ourselves from making the same mistakes. They are both mirrors and maps."
He left the hall with cramped fingers, not entirely sure how well he had done, but at least proud of writing what he believed.
---
The Simulation Exam
If the written exam tested the mind, the second day tested everything else.
The students gathered before the massive illusion chamber, where Crownspire's artificers had created a sprawling dungeon simulation. Torches flared along the walls, and the Head Instructor's voice carried over the crowd:
"You will be dropped into E-rank dungeon environments. Your objective is survival and completion of given tasks. Remember—teamwork, resourcefulness, and composure matter as much as raw strength."
Alex swallowed hard. He was paired with three strangers—other students he barely knew. The moment they stepped inside, the world shifted. They stood in a dark cavern, the floor slick with moss, the echo of dripping water filling the air.
A roar tore through the chamber. Out of the shadows emerged creatures of illusion: fang-mouthed wolves, their eyes glowing like embers.
"Form up!" Alex shouted instinctively. The others hesitated, unsure, but Alex pushed forward. His training took over—the drills, the endless sparring, the lectures drilled into him. He blocked the first wolf's lunge, feeling the weight of the impact even though it wasn't real. His sword swung, sparks of light scattering as the beast dissolved into smoke.
The fight was messy. One teammate panicked, another froze, and Alex found himself shouting instructions more than fighting. "Left side—don't let it circle you! Keep your back to the wall!" By the end, they were bruised and exhausted, but alive. The final bell rang, signaling completion.
As the dungeon dissolved, one of his teammates muttered, "Didn't think you had it in you, Embervale boy."
Alex just laughed, chest heaving. "Didn't think I had it in me either."
---
Results Day
Two weeks later, the results were posted. Students crowded the notice board, shoving and stretching on tiptoes to see. The air was thick with nerves.
Alex pushed through the crowd, heart hammering. His eyes scanned the parchment until—there it was.
Rank: 12
Not at the top. Not the bottom. Well within the coveted top 20.
For a long moment he just stared, a smile tugging at his lips. "Twelfth, huh? Guess I'll take it."
Whispers rippled around him as others compared results. Some boasted, some sulked. Alex turned away, the parchment still burned into his mind. He hadn't been perfect, but he had proven himself.
---
Homecoming
That evening, letters of admission for the holiday leave were handed out. Fifteen days—just enough time to breathe. Alex packed his belongings, boarded the carriage bound for Embervale, and for the first time in months, felt the familiar rhythm of home drawing closer.
When he stepped through the gates of his family's estate, Fenrir came bounding forward, tail wagging furiously. The wolf nearly bowled him over, licking his face as Alex laughed, "Alright, alright, I missed you too!"
Inside, his parents waited. Gareth Darius, stern as always, gave a small approving nod. "Twelfth place. Respectable."
His mother pulled him into a hug, her voice soft. "I knew you'd manage. But tell me—are you eating well? Sleeping? You look thinner!"
Alex laughed, the tension of the past months melting away. Over dinner, his parents listened as he recounted the exams—the endless studying, the wolves in the simulation, the exhaustion and pride. Gareth listened quietly, then set his cup down.
"Remember, Alex," he said, his voice steady, "Crownspire will test not only your skill, but your spirit. Pride is good, but discipline will carry you further. Stay humble, stay sharp."
Alex nodded, the words sinking in.
For the next two weeks, he let himself rest. He sparred with his father in the mornings, walked the fields of Embervale in the afternoons, and lay under the stars with Fenrir by his side at night. The weight of academy life lifted, if only briefly.
But deep down, he knew this was just the beginning. When he returned, the trials would grow harder, the expectations higher. And though part of him longed to stay in the warmth of home, another part—stronger, fiercer—was ready to return.
Crownspire had tested him. Crownspire would test him again. And Alex Darius was determined to rise, no matter how many times he fell.