A few hours later, the panic that had swept through the academy slowly subsided, though traces of unease still lingered in the air.
Professors moved quickly to control the situation, announcing through multiple channels that the earthquake had been nothing more than a large-scale mock drill designed to test the students' emergency response and coordination.
The explanation was delivered firmly, leaving little room for debate, and most students accepted it without complaint.
No one argued with the professors. In truth, very few had the confidence to do so.
The drill had come unexpectedly and had overwhelmed them.
It exposed a clear weakness in the student's readiness to respond to the disasters.
While many senior students had managed to organize themselves into small defensive groups and coordinate responses within their own circles, they had failed to integrate the newly admitted first years.
