THIRD PERSON'S POV
.
.
.
The written tests were finally over after months of anticipation.
Students could now walk around leisurely while waiting for their results. Only the occasional friendly matches still took place.
Which the school continued to monitor and evaluate carefully.
The number of friendly matches helped determine a group's threat level in addition to the other tests. Too many matches and victories could increase it, while repeated losses lowered it. No matches at all was considered tactical behavior and required clarification.
.
.
.
Group 16's Apartment
.
.
Nora winced as Sarah tended to her injuries.
"Can't you just use sorcery?"
she mumbled, trying to suppress another yelp.
"I can, but I need to treat it properly first so I don't miss anything. Sometimes relying too much on sorcery can make things worse."
Sarah responded calmly as she removed her disposable gloves and examined Nora's cleaned cuts with satisfaction. Rubbing her hands together, a soft green glow appeared around them before she placed them gently over the injuries.
Slowly, the wounds began to heal.
Nora let out a relieved sigh as the pain gradually faded away.
The others finally returned from their latest sparring session, laughing and chatting loudly.
Nkechi immediately bounced over to Nora and Sarah.
"Hey princess, how are you feeling now?"
Nora shrugged weakly.
"Okay, I guess. There's nothing friendly about those matches."
"You're just not used to it, crybaby. By next term, you'll be a pro."
James grinned as he slumped down beside Nora and draped an arm lazily over her shoulder while Sarah packed away her medical kit.
Nora forced a smile before staring down at her hands, clenching and unclenching them quietly.
The others watched her in silence.
Ever since the physical assessment preparations began, Nora had started doubting herself more and more.
Coupled with the ridicule from other students and the academy's overwhelming expectations, the pressure only kept growing.
Billy scratched lightly at his arm before suddenly smiling.
"Oh! Let's check the school gossip site."
"Yes!"
Nkechi gasped dramatically.
"I've been so behind lately I feel like I'm already twenty and suffering from adult life."
She stretched her back exaggeratedly to emphasize her suffering.
"Maybe if you stopped eating so many sweets, you'd actually feel your age. Newly fifteen."
Nkechi scoffed and immediately threw a cushion at James.
Everyone laughed before pulling out their phones and scrolling through the academy's gossip site.
Normal posts filled the homepage.
Students' daily activities.
Training clips.
Random confessions.
Then came the juicy sections.
##School's Heartthrob This Year
##Queen Bee
##Elite Seniors
##Top Medical Ace
##Battle Lord
##Best Captain
As they scrolled through the countless trending topics, a strange sense of calm washed over them.
No school.
No competition.
No expectations.
Just teenagers and their phones.
"OMG! Sarah's Top Medical Ace!"
Nkechi squealed.
"Really? Let me see!"
James immediately leaned over excitedly as they scrolled through the rankings.
"Richard's second!"
"Nora's fifth! AND that's without sorcery!"
The group erupted into cheers.
For the first time in a while, Nora allowed herself a genuine smile.
Like the universe had finally rewarded her.
"What about Best Captain?"
she asked.
The others shrugged.
"It's obviously George. Everyone's obsessed with him,"
Nkechi replied while continuing to scroll.
"Youngest Rising Member — me, as it should be."
She nodded proudly before continuing.
"Strongest Rookie — Ivy. Most Wanted Boys — Donald, Richard, George, Nathan, Albert, James. No surprise there... Wait, what's Daniel doing there?"
"Well... he is attractive,"
Sarah mumbled softly.
"Yeah. Attractive with a terrible attitude,"
James scoffed.
Richard lightly hit James as they both glanced toward Sarah, who simply pursed her lips while staring at her phone.
"Yeah, he's more of a player and jerk than attractive,"
Nora muttered irritably.
"Nora,"
Sarah called gently.
"What? He used my sister. Do you expect me to like him?"
Silence fell over the room.
Sometimes they forgot Nora was Ivy's twin sister.
Nora rolled her eyes and returned to her phone.
But the more she read, the paler her expression became.
The others noticed immediately and slowly checked their own screens.
The chat section was exploding with comparisons and criticism.
<
<
<
<
<
<>
<
<
<
<
<
<
<
<
<
"Nora, stop reading."
Sarah reached for her phone gently.
"Don't listen to them."
Nora pulled her hand away and continued reading.
"It's okay..."
she muttered quietly.
"They're just... voicing out their thoughts..."
<
<
Nora's hands trembled harder as she continued scrolling through the comments.
Richard stared at her worriedly.
"Don't accept—"
"I will."
Everyone froze.
Nora slowly stood up, gripping her phone tightly.
"I'm not weak. If Ivy can excel, then so can I. I'll just train harder and prove them wrong."
The others exchanged uneasy glances but said nothing.
"Hey... Team 5 responded."
Immediately, everyone looked back at their screens.
The usernames that rarely interacted publicly were now actively typing.
Donald_4W <
Lily_Everly🥰 <
Greatest_Genius <
George_4W
Fiona, Nathan, and Zoe immediately liked George's comment.
"Damn..."
James muttered, amused.
"Even their texting is intimidating."
Ivy_da_Vinci <
Nkechi let out a whistle but froze at the final comment.
Nora_gorgeous_Vinci <>