For some reason, it feels like I am heading to the Metorium for the first time and I can't help but feel a little excited. For the first time ever I am going to see what the Metorium looks like when there are a lot of people. Soon we get to the bookshop, as usual, Hugo only comes out of his office once we're in the shop.

"Good afternoon." we greet him and he nods at us before heading back to his office.

I begin going to the room where the portal is when Drew says. "Um, can you wait a bit, I'm waiting for the rest of my team to come."

"Oh," I say as I stop, the faces of Drew's team appearing in my mind. I haven't seen them ever since that day that I ran away. Thinking about it now makes me feel a bit embarrassed. I had been so scared then.

I find a chair and sit down, my eyes on the door. It doesn't take too long before I see someone come. The door opens and she walks in, even though I don't want to my heart can't help but thump as I see her. Lathia. God, but she is beautiful. I immediately shake my head to get that thought out of my head. I'm not dating Cassandra but for some reason that thought makes me feel like I'm cheating.

"Hey Drew," she says as she walks over to him and flicks his forehead playfully.

"Ow," Drew says sounding a bit offended. She doesn't apologize as she looks for a chair to sit on. Then she notices me and freezes for a moment. Not knowing what else to do I give her a small wave.

"Hey," she says recovering quickly as she waves back at me.

She takes a chair and sits beside Drew and they begin talking. I don't say anything as I watch them talk and joke, I suddenly feel like I am a third wheel. I pull out my phone and go to Reddit, wanting to pass the time. After some time the door opens and two other people walk in. I look up and fail to realize either of them. They waste no time heading for the room where the portal to the In-between is. They don't fully close the door behind them so I activate second sight, some part of me knowing they are Laen, yet wanting proof. A few seconds later I see the blue energy I have come to recognize as Uua wafting out of the room. I stop using second sight and turn back to my phone. So we're not the only Laen that use this portal. I am not too surprised by this discovery and push it out of my mind.

* * * * * *

Drew

Lathia turns to look at Ian who is focused on his phone. "You know," she says, "it's a bit weird thinking of him as one of us. When was the last time a new person joined?"

"Two years ago," I reply.

"Oh. Right. Sorry." she says, looking at me sympathetically.

I just shake my head as I sneak a little glance at Drew. "I'm just a little surprised he's taking the Apprentice exam today?"

"Wait what?" Lathia says looking shocked. "He's taking the exams today? But he just joined not too long ago."

"I know right. He was taught while we were still going to school. I guess the Eldest didn't want him to spend the rest of the summer learning the basics of magic with twelve-year-olds."

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Lathia snorts as she tries to suppress a laugh and fails. "Oh my god, I just remembered. All the lower levels are kids. Wow, I can't imagine being the only teen in a class full of children."

"I know. I feel kinda sorry for him. But at least if he passes the Apprentice exam he'll be with thirteen-year-olds."

"Is he good? At using magic?"

I nod. "I think he is. Can't really tell yet though, he hasn't tried to learn anything challenging yet."

She nods. "Are you going to watch his exam?"

I nod. "Where on earth are they? Why are they taking so much time?"

Lathia shrugs, then a cheeky smile appears on her face. "What if they went on a date again?"

My left eye twitches when she says that. Hopefully, that's not the reason why they are late, but I know they are capable of doing something like that. "I hope not."

"Relax," Lathia says, "they'll be here soon. And even if they aren't, it doesn't matter, I mean school isn't beginning today anyway."

"I know but Ian has to be at ATC by two for his exam. And I'm the one who told him to wait."

"Oh. Should I call them?"

I shake my head. "Just give them ten minutes."

Just as the ten minutes period is about to elapse, the door opens and they walk in.

"Finally," I say.

* * * * * *

Ian

I look up just as they enter. The twins, one blonde and the other a redhead -Daniel and David- and another redhead, a girl with a nerdy look, Emma.

"Glad you could make it," Drew says sarcastically.

"Sorry," the blonde twin says cheekily, "We got held up in traffic." They casually look around and notice me, all of a sudden their cheerful smiling faces become cold. I remember the last time I met them, how they almost wiped my brain clean, and can't help but tremble a bit. Those twins are dangerous. Emma also notices me and gives me a small nod. I nod back.

"C'mon let's go," Drew says, getting up from his chair. I follow him as he heads into the room where the portal is. There is only silence as we activate it and walk into the In-between. When I come out in the In-between I am stunned. I have never seen so many people gathered in this place before. It is positively crawling with people, who are coming from the different branches of the energy bridge, each and every one of them heading to the Metorium.

"Wow." I can't help but say. I had no idea the Laen were this much, and this is probably just a small portion of their true population. Each person is wearing similar-looking robes, with the only difference being the main color. I could see black, white, red, and blue mostly. Each robe sported a large version of the Laen noer on their backs. I look at Drew's group only to discover that white robes, similar to the other people's own, had appeared on them at some point. I can't help but wonder how these people got their robes, and when I'll be able to get mine. We begin walking towards the Metorium and at some point, Lathia falls in beside me.

"You're surprised," she says.

For a moment I am surprised that she wants to talk to me, then I nod. "Yeah. This is the most Laen I've ever seen gathered in one place."

"Compared to the Arena this is nothing."

Immediately the image of a small building with the sign 'ARENA' hung in front of it comes to mind. "That small building?" I ask uncertainly. From the look of things that 'small' building is not at all small. Just like I suspected.

"Trust me, it's anything but small. You only saw the surface, that's why you think it's small."

"The surface?"

She nods. "Most of it is underground. That building you saw is just the entrance."

"Ooh. That makes more sense than my theory."

"What was your theory?"

"I thought there was a portal in there leading to the real Arena, you know, like the bookshop leads here."

She laughs, making a sweet tinkling sound. "That's a really silly theory. We don't put portals on everything."

"Come on, you guys are a group of worldwide magical crime-fighters who access their base through a portal in a bookshop. You could have made an actual building, or even put the portal in a more hidden place, but no, you chose a bookshop. With the way you guys do things and with how small the building looked, is it really that far-fetched to assume it was actually just a portal."

"Hmm, good point."

"So, how do I get one of these robes?" I asked nodding at the one she is wearing.

"Oh, they'll give it to you once you've passed your Apprentice exam. The robes are used to show your level, like the one I'm wearing, only Protectors are allowed to wear it."

We continue to chat, pausing only when we pass through the portal at the end of the In-between and into the Metorium. As I come out of the portal, even though I expect it, I am still shocked by the sheer amount of people here. There were what looked like hundreds of people just moving to and fro. Still, I don't waste time marveling at the size of people, I had an exam after all. With Drew leading the way, we head to the ATC. On the way, Lathia, Drew and I talk. Emma keeps quiet, along with the twins, but while Emma keeps quiet probably because she is an introvert-at least she looks like one- I suspect the twins are only keeping quiet because I am here. Soon we get to the ATC and stop in front of Master Hogan's class where we finally separate.

"Good luck," Drew says as he finally leaves with his group.

I bring out my phone and check the time. 1.51 pm, there's still nine minutes before the exam begins. No signal? I notice the blank bar in the top corner of my phone. I soon push the thought away from my mind, I don't have time to think about that right now. I take a deep breath to calm my racing heart before pushing open the door and entering the classroom.