I'm certain the guard will send me home when he signs the form and stamps it with the Royal Seal.
"You can head for the gymnasium for the physical exam," he instructs, handing me a small piece of paper. "Give this to the soldier at the entrance. Next!"
I open my mouth to thank him, but decide against it, leaving room for Hans to be interviewed. My steps are firm as I walk away, even though I'm trembling inside, adrenaline rushing through my veins.
I was accepted in the interview.
I still need to pass the next round, but I didn't think I'd be approved in the first one to begin with.
I don't want to get my hopes up, but it's hard not to.
Once I get inside the gym and take a look around, seeing the bunch of warriors evaluating the students, bile threatens to climb up my throat.
There's no way they will think I'm fit.
"Miss? Your paper." A soldier has his hand outstretched from behind a desk.
He looks so young. He's probably just a couple of years older than me.
"Sorry." I hurriedly give him the paper.
He nods, putting the form aside in a stack of files, and stands from his chair. "Come on, I'll take you to your instructor." He walks out from behind the desk, and I follow him. He glances at me from over his shoulder. "Are you nervous?"
I want to tell him I'm not, but one look at my clenched fists, and I know what he's referring to.
"Ah…yeah, it's a bit intimidating to be honest," I admit with a small smile, following him toward the center of the gymnasium where some of the approved students are…running?
This time, I can't resist the need to frown.
"Seems foolish, right?" There's a hint of amusement in his voice. "We just need to understand your physical aptitude. The real training will happen at the Academy, so you can worry about all of that later."
He gestures for me to take my position in the middle of a mat.
"Lieutenant Lewis will evaluate you and track your progress," he informs me as a woman, seemingly in her forties, approaches us with a stoic expression. She is dressed in a royal combat uniform with three insignias sewn to her chest, and a clipboard and a chronometer in her hands.
She looks so intimidating that I internally wish the kind, young man beside her were the one evaluating me instead.
"Good morning, Miss Kildare." She politely nods at me, her military posture impeccable. She has dark skin, low-cut silver-gray hair, and a confidence that gets my knees shaking as she studies me. "You'll go through a set of exercises to test your speed, strength, and reflexes. There might be some magical elements during the tasks, so don't be surprised or scared."
I swallow hard. How can I not be scared? I never had to deal with magic directly before.
"Since magic defense is one of the most important classes in the Academy, we need to guarantee you can handle it."
I clear my throat and prepare for her orders. "Okay, sure."
At this moment, Hans walks through the front door and is greeted by another soldier, looking a thousand times more confident than I could possibly be. Of course he would be accepted. I feel happy for him, but also for me. If I'm approved, at least I'll have a familiar face at the Academy.
"You'll start with a sprint," Lieutenant Lewis' voice brings me back to my task. "Back and forth for five minutes. No stop. Go!"
I don't have the time to prepare myself before she clicks her chronometer. My feet hit the mat as I start my first task, not daring to look at the others around me. I have no idea what she is looking for, but I can assume I need to be fast and precise, so that's what I focus on doing. It feels easy at first, but once I get to the second or third minute, my chest starts burning as my lungs expand to get as much air in as possible.
I should have prepared my cardio better. I regret that now. Five minutes sounded like a piece of cake before I started.
"Stop."
I skid to a halt, supporting my hands on my knees, breathing heavily. That got me sweating. At least the adrenaline pumping in my veins eased the anxiety that was overwhelming me.
The woman writes something on her clipboard.
"Next, we'll test your reflexes and defensive moves."
When she takes a step back out of the mat, I know I'm fucked. I don't have the chance to come up with a plan or a strategy when I see a sharp blade flying in my direction, coming out of nowhere.
I dodge it, tossing myself on the mat and rolling to the other side. My eyes dart from side to side as I get to my feet, trying to find who is throwing these weapons at me. But there's no one. There's now an invisible barrier surrounding me, and I only know that because I can feel the magnetic energy it exudes.
No one outside of this mat seems to know what's going on here except for Lieutenant Lewis, who has her sharp eyes on my every move.
So, this is what she meant when she said magical elements could be used.
I hear a whoosh sound behind me, and duck my head just in time to avoid a knife sticking into my shoulder. It still blazes over my skin, and it stings like hell, but I'm more concerned about what might have happened if it had hit me.
Are they really risking students getting harmed to acknowledge their skills?
Didn't the guy say this was a simple evaluation for physical aptitude?
The frequency of weapons being thrown—or better yet, flown at me—increases, and my movements grow clumsy and off-balance. I still manage to avoid getting hit every time, though.
"Alright, alright." Lieutenant Lewis steps on the mat again. "I'm slightly impressed. Most students get more than just a scratch."
She points at my shoulder, and her grin turns into what I dare think is a smile. But I don't want to get over my head. This must be nothing compared to what the Academy makes the students go through.
My head is still spinning, and I'm getting worried about what's coming next. If she decides that I can handle fire bombs or a windstorm, she can cut me off that list.
Thankfully, the next task isn't bad. Just some strength assessments, like moving blocks that are magically enchanted to weigh more than they should. I struggle with that at first, but manage to take it to the other side within the set time.
"Well, Miss Kildare…" She writes down her final notes, and I force my legs to stop bouncing.
Her black eyes take me in.
"You've been approved at the Haldorian Academy." She removes a paper from the clipboard and hands it to me. I notice the stamp of the Royal Army on it, along with two others—the Edraven family's coat of arms and the Academy's emblem.
With trembling fingers, I take the file and bow at her, unable to hide my wide smile.
I was accepted!
I ponder waiting for Hans, but then it occurs to me that the worst part comes now.
How the fuck will I tell my parents that I have to go to the capital and introduce myself at the Academy in two weeks?