The room was still filled with murmurs and the scratching of styluses against exercise books when Mrs Floralie made the holograms floating above the desks disappear with a simple wave of her hand. The exercises had just ended, and the tension that had reigned throughout the session finally evaporated, replaced by a general sense of relaxation. Some students stretched, others laughed half-heartedly as they compared their mistakes, while still others rested their heads on their arms with a sigh of relief.
"Phew... It's finally over…" muttered Valentin, dropping his stylus onto the surface of his notebook.
Rosa, sitting to his left, gave him a wry smile.
"You always dramatise things. You didn't do that badly."
"Not that badly?!" he repeated, feigning shock. "Did you see what I did in exercise two? If this had been a real mission, I would have accidentally caused the collapse of a Beamlanternian inn... and potentially killed dozens of people."
Klein, sitting just behind them, let out a small, dry laugh.
"Honestly, coming from you, I think we would all have been surprised if the inn hadn't collapsed."
Rosa burst out laughing, while Valentin turned around quickly to elbow her in the ribs. Klein doubled over exaggeratedly, one hand on his chest as if he had just received a mortal wound.
"Betrayed by my own comrade…" he sighed dramatically, "So much hatred in such a small body!"
Valentin stifled a laugh and shook his head, while Rosa tried to catch her breath between giggles.
Mrs Floralie tapped gently on the edge of her desk, and the conversations gradually died down. Her natural elegance, always enhanced by her soft but firm voice, was enough to restore silence.
"I am proud of you," she said, scanning the class. "You have made great progress since your first lessons. Today's exercises were not easy, yet you showed seriousness, ingenuity and, for some, a good dose of humour."
A few discreet laughs erupted, but the atmosphere remained attentive. Valentin felt a rush of warmth in his chest: despite his clumsiness, he deeply loved these moments when Mrs Floralie recognised their efforts.
"Before we finish," she continued, "I have something important to tell you…"
She paused, and immediately the tension rose a notch. The students exchanged intrigued glances. Valentin felt Rosa sit up straight in her chair, her eyes shining with anticipation. An almost religious silence had settled over the room, as if everyone were holding their breath. Mrs Floralie clasped her hands in front of her, her smile softened by a glimmer of pride.
"Your guidance results are in."
A shiver ran through the classroom. Several students exchanged nervous glances, some began tapping their fingers impatiently on their desks, others sat up straight with a start. Valentin felt his stomach knot up: even though he had been waiting for this moment for weeks, he couldn't help but feel both nervous and excited. He caught the eye of Rosa, whose pupils were shining with excitement as she brought her thumb to her mouth, and Klein, who was frowning slightly, focused as if he were already taking an exam. All three of them exuded anxiety. Mrs Floralie snapped her fingers, and holograms appeared in front of their faces in unison, casting blue reflections on them. Characters gradually appeared on them, revealing each person's assignments.
"I'll let you discover your results," she announced simply.
A hubbub immediately erupted. Cries of joy, exclamations of surprise, sighs of relief or disappointment mingled in a nameless euphoric symphony.
"Great!" exclaimed a student in the back row, "Look! I'm going to the TMDD*! I believed in it so much that it came true!"
"The DTIA**... Awesome…"
"Oh, come on! You know that's a really important job!"
For his part, Valentin felt his heart sinking deeper and deeper. He was so stressed that he didn't even dare to read his result, preferring to scan the rest of the chaotic room. His fingers trembled as he played with one of his red locks along his shoulder. Rosa, next to him, pressed both hands against her mouth, stifling a cry of joy.
"Valentin! Valentin!" she cried, shaking him with all her might, "Look! Look what I got!"
He turned to her, avoiding at all costs meeting the eyes of his beloved.
"I'm going to DTSA***! Can you believe it?! It was exactly my first wish!"
"...That's great! Congratulations! Really…"
Her smile lit up the whole room. She was beaming. It warmed Valentin's heart.
"Hm. Looks like some people are lucky," Klein's voice said behind them.
Valentin turned slightly, just enough to see him pointing at his own hologram.
"DTSA," he announced calmly, as if it were a formality. "First wish accepted, as expected."
Rosa spun around to face him, her eyes shining.
"Wait... you too?! But that's incredible, we're going to be together!"
Klein shrugged, a hint of a smile on his lips.
"Apparently, yes. I guess I'll have to get used to your unbearable shopping trips…"
Rosa gave him a little nudge on the shoulder, feigning indignation, but already laughing. Valentin was happy for his friends. A shy smile appeared on his face. His anxiety grew a little more. He hoped with all his heart to be reunited with his friends. So his first wish had come true! Suddenly, Rosa, still buzzing with excitement, turned abruptly towards him.
"Right, what about you?! What are you waiting for? Spit it out! What did you get?!"
Valentin jumped, tightening his fingers around the strand of hair he was still playing with.
"Ah... Um... I haven't looked yet…" he mumbled, avoiding their gaze.
"What?!" exclaimed Rosa, scandalised. "What are you waiting for?! You're not going to...!"
Klein calmly placed his hand on Rosa's shoulder.
"Easy, Rosa. You can see he's panicking," Klein interrupted, staring at Valentin with teasing eyes. "I'm sure he's wet himself…"
The person in question's face flushed with shame and embarrassment. How could he say such a thing?!
"What?! What are you talking about?! Stop talking nonsense!"
Rosa and Klein both smiled broadly, stifling their giggles.
"Okay! Okay! I take back what I said!"
"Anyway! Enough mockery! Valentin, take a deep breath, it'll be okay. We're here for you!" Rosa reassured him, placing her hands on his arms. "And for Brightlook's sake, stop twirling your hair! You'll ruin it!"
He smiled slightly, then took a deep breath in before exhaling. He repeated this twice before feeling a change. It calmed him down a little.
"Shall we look now?" asked Rosa, an impatient smile on her lips.
"Okay…" muttered Valentin in response.
He slowly turned back to the hologram. Rosa finally rolled her eyes.
"Right, this is impossible, we'll never get anywhere with you."
She grabbed the transmitter that was projecting the hologram with a quick movement, immediately joined by Klein, who leaned over her shoulder.
"Hey!"
"We're going to do it for you!" declared Rosa, with a slight mischievous smile.
"I think I'll be fine, thanks... And what's with that smile?"
"Nothing! Nothing!"
Valentin sighed, but immediately held his breath when he saw the look on his friends' faces. Their eyebrows rose simultaneously, looking surprised. Then they exchanged glances. Silence fell. They reread the text, then exchanged glances again. Panic overwhelmed Valentin once more. He felt his heart sink.
"What?! What's wrong?!"
Rosa pressed her lips together, as if to hold back a sob. Klein, meanwhile, turned his head slightly away, shaking it faintly. Valentin's face paled.
"Enough! Tell me!" Valentin exclaimed, raising his voice.
"See for yourself…" Rosa replied simply, looking sad, as she handed him the transmitter.
"Oh no... no, no, no... You're joking, right? Tell me you're joking…" Valentin whispered, panicked.
His heart was pounding so hard it hurt. With a sudden movement, he snatched the transmitter from Rosa's hands. His eyes scanned the holographic screen frantically until they stopped abruptly on those few lines.
- [Announcement] -
-[Results of department preferences]-
[Valentin Bridge]
Please note the following information:
Assignment:
- DTSA (First preference)
Other assignments accepted:
- TACD (Second preference)
Please confirm your final choice by clicking on the assignment of your choice.
Valentin stood frozen for a moment. The knot that had formed in his chest suddenly seemed to have disappeared.
"...The DTSA?" he whispered.
He couldn't believe it. His first wish, granted? What kind of dream was this? Rosa burst out laughing, unable to contain her excitement any longer.
"Hahahaha! You should have seen your face! It was hilarious! You were as white as a sheet!"
"For someone who said they weren't making a big deal out of it…" said Klein, smiling slyly.
Valentin laughed nervously.
"I admit... I may have embellished the truth a little…"
Rosa patted him on the back, her eyes sparkling with pride.
"Welcome to the club!"
Valentin slumped into his chair, looking much more relaxed than before. He placed the transmitter back on his desk. The tension that had gripped his heart had eased. He suddenly felt lighter, more at ease. The anxiety he had felt, the heavy stress that had almost suffocated him while waiting for this announcement... it all seemed pointless now. Why had he put so much pressure on himself? Frankly, assuming that the only possible outcome of this announcement was a negative response, a rejection, was just stupid and irrational. Valentin let out a few more nervous laughs, feeling a sense of excitement growing inside him. He was going to start his practical training at the DSAT. He was finally going to do what he had always wanted to do, what he had always prepa
red for. To face dangers, challenges and missions. To protect the Timeline.