All eyes were fixed on Professor Vega.
She stood before the massive gates of Aurelian High, her posture straight, hands calmly folded behind her back. There was no unnecessary movement, no wasted breath.
She wasn't the type to build suspense for effect.
When she finally spoke, her voice was direct.
"The third test is simple."
A brief pause.
The morning wind brushed against the students, carrying a faint chill through the courtyard.
"The third test will be a face-to-face interview with the professors of Aurelian High."
A ripple of tension passed through the crowd.
"You will enter individually into a private examination room," Vega continued. "Once inside, a professor will question you. From the moment you enter, you will have fifteen minutes."
Her sharp eyes swept across the students.
"Use them wisely."
Silence followed.
No one spoke.
Some students swallowed nervously. The faint sound of nervous breathing filled the courtyard. A few clenched their fists, nails pressing into their palms. Others stood tall, forcing confidence onto their faces.
And some
Very few
remained completely still.
Jay was one of them.
He listened without changing expression, already dissecting the test in his mind.
No written examination.
No formulas.
No memorized answers.
This isn't about knowledge.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
They want judgment.
Decision-making under pressure.
Vega raised one hand and gestured toward the staff members waiting nearby.
"Follow them. They will guide you to the examination area."
With that, she turned and walked away.
No encouragement.
No reassurance.
Just instructions.
The students followed.
The building they were led into was enormous.
Its sleek architecture stood in sharp contrast to the traditional appearance of Aurelian's outer gates. Smooth walls reflected the soft white lights overhead, while the corridors stretched deeper into the building than most students could see.
Staff members quickly organized the students.
"Twenty students per batch," one announced. "The remaining students will wait until their turn."
The first group of twenty stepped forward.
One by one, they disappeared through the doors.
Then—
The doors closed.
Time passed.
Minutes became an hour.
Then two.
Students waited in uneasy silence. Some paced back and forth. Others whispered among themselves. A few sat against the walls with their eyes closed, trying to clear their minds.
Then—
"Next batch."
Jay opened his eyes.
He stepped forward.
Inside, a long corridor stretched ahead.
Twenty identical doors stood along the walls, evenly spaced.
No names.
No numbers.
No hints.
Jay studied them for a moment.
So even choosing the room is part of the test?
He dismissed the thought.
There was no reason to waste time.
He approached the nearest door, placed his hand on the handle, and pushed it open.
The room was simple.
A table.
Two chairs.
Soft lighting.
No windows.
Nothing else.
A professor sat across from him.
The man appeared calm and unreadable, his eyes studying Jay from the moment he entered.
"Sit."
Jay sat.
The professor glanced at the timer positioned on the table.
"Let's begin."
Question One
"You are leading a group through a collapsing city."
The professor's voice remained neutral.
"One wrong decision could result in casualties."
He paused.
"There is a narrow path that guarantees the survival of half your group. The longer route could save everyone but it may collapse before you reach the other side."
The professor looked directly at Jay.
"What do you choose?"
Jay answered without hesitation.
"The narrow path."
One eyebrow rose.
"Why?"
"Certainty."
Jay's voice remained calm.
"Saving half is better than risking everyone for a possibility."
The professor wrote something down.
Question Two
"You are lost in an unknown region."
The professor continued.
"You find two people hanging from a tree branch over a cliff. One is the king of your country. The other is a local beggar."
He leaned back.
"You can save only one."
Jay answered immediately.
"The beggar."
The professor paused.
"Why not the king?"
"He could reward you," he continued. "Wealth. Power. Protection."
Jay's gaze remained steady.
"If I save the king, we're still stranded in an unknown territory."
A pause.
"He becomes a liability."
The professor's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Then why save the beggar?"
Jay finally leaned back.
"You said he was local."
The professor waited.
"That changes everything."
Jay's eyes remained cold and focused.
"He knows the land. He knows how to survive there."
A brief pause.
"That is more valuable than a crown."
The professor's pen moved across the paper again.
This time
More slowly.
Question Three
The professor placed his pen down.
"You are ordered to complete a mission."
Jay waited.
"Completing it guarantees success—but innocent people will suffer."
A pause.
"Failing it saves them—but costs you everything."
The professor looked directly into Jay's eyes.
"What do you choose?"
For the first time, Jay didn't answer immediately.
Not because he was conflicted.
Because he was thinking.
Then—
"I complete the mission."
The professor's expression remained unchanged.
"You're certain?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Jay's voice was quiet.
"Because the mission has a defined objective."
He paused.
"If I abandon it, I don't know what comes next."
His eyes hardened slightly.
"Uncertainty creates more variables."
The professor stared at him.
Jay continued.
"A completed mission has an end."
Silence.
"Failure creates consequences I can no longer control."
The professor slowly picked up his pen.
And wrote.
The questions didn't stop.
As the minutes passed, the pace increased.
Faster.
Sharper.
More difficult.
Situations involving leadership.
Betrayal.
Sacrifice.
Trust.
Fear.
Power.
Every answer created another question.
There were no perfect choices.
No obvious solutions.
Only consequences.
Yet Jay remained calm.
He never rushed.
He never tried to impress the professor.
He simply analyzed the situation and answered.
His responses were concise.
Precise.
Sometimes ruthless.
Sometimes unexpectedly practical.
The professor's expression gradually became harder to read.
Fifteen minutes.
Almost gone.
Then—
Beep. Beep.
The sound cut through the silence.
The professor glanced at the timer.
He slowly exhaled.
"That's time."
Jay stood.
The professor pointed toward another door.
"You may leave through there."
Jay nodded once.
He turned and walked out.
Staff members directed him through another corridor.
Eventually, Jay entered a large hall.
And stopped.
One hundred students stood inside.
They were smiling.
Relieved.
Victorious.
Some were already congratulating one another.
Then Jay stepped fully into the room.
The smiles disappeared.
One by one, heads turned.
Silence crashed over the hall.
Why is he here?
Didn't they say only one hundred would pass?
Then why is there another student?
Confusion spread through the crowd.
Some students exchanged nervous glances.
Others stared at Jay with open suspicion.
Jay calmly observed them.
No confusion.
No fear.
Only understanding.
His eyes moved across the room.
One hundred students.
Yet he had been allowed inside.
That meant
Something was wrong.
Or perhaps…
Something had never been what they thought.
Jay's expression remained unchanged.
The test isn't over yet.
The thought came naturally.
Failing had never crossed his mind.
Not because he was arrogant.
But because
It wouldn't make sense.