26. Ena 1317 of the solar calendar, the capital of Rout Nitis-Rout-en

Luke POV

We come to the gate. There we hand over our invitations and show our stamp. They will then inform us of the exact location of the test.

The Academy is divided into two circles, the outer and the inner. In the inner one, there are educational buildings, dormitories, a dining hall... While the outer ring is divided into twelve parts.

We pass through the gate and enter the garden marked with the number six. A long path stretches through its center to the inner circle. However, we do not go there, but instead they lead us to the left to the seventh garden. There they line us up and our first test begins.

They are tests of physical ability and potential. Half of the participants drop out here. If a person is infected with a communicable disease, they are written off and sometimes executed on the spot. When it comes to potential, it is about predicting our future possibilities and abilities.

As the lines move forward, we too eventually get to one of the booths for inspection. Arthur goes first. First they cut his palm until he flinches. Then they let him pour his blood into a bowl.

When the small bowl is half full, the maid goes to the tester's left and bandages his wound with a white cloth. Meanwhile, the tester pulls out a small odd gem and drops it into the bowl.

There will be a splash before the stone starts to change color. The potential is marked from white, through yellow and orange to red. If a person suffers from a disability or other problem that does not threaten others, the gem takes on colors from gray, which represents white talent with poor health, through khaki, brown to purple. The darkness of the color determines the level. In the end, it's black, or colors almost similar to it. In order for a person to have a chance of acceptance, the stone must glow at least orange or brown, but not everyone with a brown stone has a chance of acceptance. If the stone gets too dark the person will not be accepted regardless of the potential.

Arthur's color is orange. He has a very good potential that is not seen very often. Most people tend to have plain yellow or light yellow.

Mia is also being tested, she also has an orange one. Then Ezra follows. His color is a bit lighter than Mi's. Eon, on the other hand, has it redder compared to Arthur.

Now it's time for me. I know I will have a darker color. Because of my illness, but I believe it won't be black. I move my legs and take a step forward before reaching out. At the same time, they ask me my name.

When she runs over me, I jerk her. It hurts. It's a strange feeling watching the blood trickle down my palm in numb pain, slowly dripping into the bowl, making a ripple on impact and raising the liquid level.

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They remove the bowl and bandage the wound. As they tighten it, pain shoots through my palm and my face contorts a little.

My attention is shifted to the pebble falling into the bowl. Sweat runs down my face. I'm nervous as the gem slowly darkens. I close my eyes. When I open them again, the color is determined. Brown. They finally let me through, I was so scared.

They give me a special piece of paper with my name on it. Below it are the names of the testing disciplines, and after the first one is added a rating in numerical form, probably the numerical designation of my brown color.

I join the others and together we wait for Sara. I really want to know her talent, luckily I don't have to wait too long.

And I will see the result very soon indeed. This result surprises me, but I'm not too shocked, Sára has the skills, even if it doesn't seem like it at first glance. Its color is almost the same as the blood in the bowl. Wine.

The testers are very surprised, but they don't discuss it too much, it's not the first red that has appeared. They send him on to further tests just like us. Fortunately, we all had better talent than the yellow one. That's why we're going to the eighth garden together.

We pass through the gate and in front of us are many boys and girls of our years. Here the row progresses more slowly than in the seventh garden. The will is not evaluated so quickly, but we still get to the turn before dark.

I'm the first to start this time. I hand over my paper of information and in return they hand me a big ball like a fist. There is a paved path in front of me, and at the end of it is a large ball on a stand.

My job is to get as close to her as possible without dropping the ball. Meanwhile, the object in my hands will radiate pressure, and as I get closer it will start to increase.

I take the first step over the line and feel a tickle in my mind. I ignore it. I slowly place my feet one step at a time and the pressure increases. From tickling to dull pain.

As the pressure increases, I can't take it anymore. It's like being hit in the head with a hammer, but it's not as painful as my illness. I can still continue when I feel another agent joining the pressure. He has a disease. It paralyzes me for a second and the orb falls out of my hands. I quit.

I don't feel any pain anymore, just a slight discomfort. An assistant comes up to me and takes the ball and tells me to go back to the evaluator's table. There they give me back my data sheet and tell me I passed. I look at my score and ignore Arturo who was following me.

We will all pass, after all, if we do not have a strong will, we cannot survive in the slums. According to the steps we took, our mutual order was as follows: Surprisingly, Sara was the best, then I was, followed by Eon, Artur, Mia and finally Ezra just half a step behind her.

We go to the ninth garden and the first stars appear above our heads. Night has already fallen and the entire area is lit up with beams. We pass through the gate and meet other boys and girls.

I can only sigh quietly, more waiting. This will be for a long time, but we have no choice but to endure it.

Minutes pass slowly and two hours later we finally learn about the third exam and it's our turn. It's a written test and nobody seems to drop out here, as I haven't seen anyone leave yet. I would say that these tests will be taken into account in case of indecisive admission, but I don't know exactly.

They lead us to the interior of the school. Finally, I have the opportunity to see the academy with my own eyes. It is a huge lavish complex. If we succeed, we will study here.