Jasmine stirred in her sleep, her eyes fluttering open as the sound of a trumpet pierced the air. She glanced at her three roommates, who were still sleeping soundly, oblivious to the noise.
Wondering if she was the only one who'd heard it, she gently tapped Lydia's shoulder. When Lydia didn't stir, Jasmine's voice rose in a shout, and just as she was about to panic, Lydia's eyes flickered open.
"Didn't you hear the trumpet?" Jasmine asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.
Lydia blinked a few times before responding, "No, I was sleeping too deeply. It must have been the wake-up call."
Jasmine sighed in relief as they both woke ruby and Amanda. They all took turns using the bathroom before wearing some comfortable outfits with their weapons intact, in case they needed it.
As everyone gathered, Professor Flynn greeted them with a cheerful, "Good morning, beings! I hope you guys rested well." Jasmine wondered if they should eat breakfast or prepare more before the exam, but before she could voice her thoughts, Professor Flynn continued.
"The theme of this exam is unity," he announced. "It will be divided into three sections: unity by tolerance, unity by peace, and unity by strength. Today, we'll start with unity by tolerance. You'll all be divided into twenty groups of ten members each, grouped by spirit animals. The spirit animal that appears on your palm will indicate your group."
Everyone looked at their palms as Professor Flynn instructed, "Wolf group, stay to the left. Eagle group, go to the right…" and so on.
Jasmine's palm showed a fox, so she joined her group. Unfortunately, her team consisted of three dragons, three demons, two witches, and two humans, including her. It seemed everyone had a mixed group and the tension palpable. Even Jasmine's teammates seemed to be on bad terms, but she felt surprisingly calm and unaffected by the animosity.
Professor Flynn gave them some time to socialize with their team members, despite knowing they wouldn't get along.
"Hi, I'm jasmine. Nice to meet you all." Jasmine introduced, breaking the awkward silence. Her teammates glared at her, their expression suggesting they'd rather she be quiet. So she pouted and stood back in place.
Just as the silence became unbearable, Professor Flynn announced, "The examination is about to begin. As I mentioned earlier, today's focus is unity by harmony. You'll be sharing meals with your team members for 15 minutes. Any sign of disgust or intolerance towards any member will result in disqualification – not just for the individual, but for the entire team" He paused, "Additionally, 50% of each being's extra- natural power will be temporarily removed during the exam and restored afterward.
The challenge seemed nearly impossible, given the disunity among the team members. The extra-natural beings seemed displeased hearing 50% of their powers would be taken away. Jasmine, on the other hand, felt nervous, knowing she had to get into the academy to escape her life back home. She had always ruled her family, but after meeting new friends, she felt a glimmer of hope for change.
Professor Flynn gave them more time to discuss with their teammates again, though he knew he was still wasting his time, the beings would never do that. But he had hope, if the four of them, leaders could attain peace, why can't they?
Jasmine paced back and forth, sweating, as she tried to think of a plan. Her teammates barely acknowledged each other, exchanging icy glances. It seemed impossible for them to win. Just as Jasmine felt like giving up, a cold hand rested on her shoulder, sending shivers down her spine. Yet, it also brought a sense of calm. She turned around, her hair blowing in the wind, and wondered who was behind the unexpected gesture.
The man's face was more precious than any gem Jasmine had seen back in the palace. His scarlet eyes seemed to pierce through her, while his carved eyebrows ended in a star shape. His peach lips and dark, ink-black hair, which fell below his chest, were striking.
He handed her a glass of water, saying, "Have some water, that's what it's called, right?" Immediately, Jasmine's gaze snapped back to reality as she took the water.
"H-How did you know my name?" Jasmine stuttered, feeling shy for the first time in her life.
"I'm in your team," he replied nonchalantly. Jasmine didn't remember seeing him among her teammates, but she might have missed him. With only two humans on the team, including herself and possibly Blackwood, she wondered if he was an extra-natural being?
"Who are you?" she asked curiosity evident in her voice.
"Just call me the Devil." With that, he walked away, leaving Jasmine shaken. He knew Jasmine would come back to find him even after the exam and that's what he wanted. Dealing with someone like her would be easy but if his father sent him on this mission and not one of his minions knowing fully well how powerful he is, that only means one thing, Jasmine is more of a problem than he thinks she is.
Jasmine had been shaking in her knees after her encounter with that man, the devil? No, he could not be the devil, maybe he was just joking, she tried to convince herself. she cleared her thoughts as she made her way to her teammates knowing the devil would be there.
As Jasmine scanned her teammates, she counted nine members, excluding her. The mysterious man was nowhere to be seen, making her wonder if he'd been lying about being on her team. Before she could ponder further, one of her dragon teammates, who had been silent until now, spoke up.
"Hey, human girl, let's go. The exam has begun."
Jasmine's mind was foggy, and she couldn't recall when Professor Flynn had announced the start of the examination. She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts, and joined her teammates in the dining hall.
They all sat down according to their groups and prepared themselves as foods appeared on the table. Jasmine gazed at her teammates, who avoided eye contact, their focus fixed on the food. She still wondered where the so called devil was, but she didn't want to think about that at that moment. The professor had announced for them to dig in but just as she was about to take a bite, Professor Flynn's voice interrupted her.
"The eagles, wolves, bears, snakes and tigers have been eliminated. Fifteen groups remain."
So soon? Jasmine thought to herself. Her teammates seemed to be doing well and she was happy for that. Now, it just remained 15 groups, could they make it?
As the meal progressed, Jasmine carefully avoided physical contact with the non-human members, knowing they hated it. However, when she put her hand down, it accidentally brushed one of the witches.
The witches hated physical contact the most and they showed sign of disgust when that happens. At that moment, jasmine knew it was the end for her team.
"Team…"