Three months had passed like water does through open fingers.
Ren waited outside in the stands of one of the ten 'temporary auditoriums'... 'Small' buildings for evaluations that earth elementals had generated.
The structures were impressive in their uniformity, each one identical to the others.
He was waiting his turn for what was a semi-private exam where only some acquaintances could be seen being evaluated since they'd been distributed "randomly". Luckily he and Min were together.
Min descended from the platform showing mostly relief with a bit of frustration. His posture was slouched in a way that spoke of bone-deep exhaustion.
"How did it go?" Ren asked when his friend approached, making room on the bench beside him.
"Nine out of ten," Min responded, dropping into the seat with the grace of a dropped sack of potatoes. "Failed the posture before his majesty one. Apparently my back was too 'stoic' according to the evaluator."
