"Leif, are you ready? Today is the big day," The voice of my father rang out, its direction coming from the doorway of my bedroom.

I sat up, rubbing my eyes slowly, still trying to process what he is talking about.

The drafting... right, it's today.

The drafting day is the day that I have been preparing myself for the past few years. It's when we Crested Humans are given our own status tablets, examined, and assigned to a School.

"I think I am," I answered my father as I looked back at him, my mother suddenly sprang out to appear from behind him, opening the door completely before walking towards me.

She then had her hand reach out to lightly ruffle my tousled hair, "That's our boy, I'm sure you'll get into a great School. Now, go eat breakfast first, you'll need the energy."

I nodded, swinging my legs off the side of the bed to stand up straight, "I'll get dressed first," I then told them.

My parents nodded back and gave me a smile before leaving my bedroom to head downstairs ahead of me.

I quickly made my way to my dresser to change into a new set of clothes, something decent and proper enough to appeal at the drafting. Once I finished buttoning up the last few buttons, I gave myself a quick glance in the mirror before heading out of the room and down the stairs.

As I entered the kitchen, I found my parents sitting at the table as usual with the breakfast spread out in front of them.

Except for the fact that it wasn't the 'usual'.

It was an unusual sight, to be exact, with luxurious items like smoked salmon, fresh berries, and even a pastry selection. It was much more than our usual simple fare, it even made me wonder how and where'd they get all these ingredients.

"Isn't this a bit much for breakfast?" I asked, raising an eyebrow while pulling out a chair to sit down.

My mother chuckled, placing a plate in front of me, "We thought we'd make today special," she answered.

My father added, "It's not just a big day for you, Leif. It's a big day for us too. We want to make sure you're well-prepared."

"So, eat up," my mother chimed in, pushing a plate of salmon toward me. "It may be a breakfast feast, but you still need to finish breakfast on time."

"Thanks, Mom, Dad," I said with a chuckle. And with that, I dug into the delicious feast that was meticulously prepared by my parents. It was a shame that I couldn't take much more time to enjoy it, but nevertheless, it was a delight to have that kind of breakfast prepared every once in a while.

Once finished, I swung my bag over my shoulder and stood up from the table, "Time to head out, I'll get going now," I announced. My parents gave each other a glance before walking me to the front door of our home.

"Remember what I taught you, Leif," my father said to me, to which I responded with a firm nod.

"And don't forget to control your ice, okay?" my mother added. I could also notice her wringing her hands a bit. "We hope that you'll find a suitable partner, you deserve it."

"Thanks again, I really appreciate it," I said before wrapping them into a tight hug. My parents gladly returned the embrace, I could almost feel their emotions pouring through it. That was understandable, they were sending me off and I won't be home for a while, anyway.

After a while, I broke away from the hug and turned towards the path leading away from our home, "I'll see you soon, Mom and Dad," I said with a final wave and smile towards my parents, before beginning my trip to the drafting office located near the center of the town.

After a brisk walk through the streets, I finally arrived at the drafting office. I looked around and saw Crested Humans of all sorts lined up, some of them were even playing a little bit with their elements, and some were chattering anxiously or standing in silence, waiting for their turn. As I joined the end of the line, a staff member guided me further in.

I waited patiently, observing the people around me. We were all here for the same purpose, hoping to join a School and unlock our potential. After a seemingly endless period of waiting, I finally reached the front of the line.

"State your name and your category, please," a receptionist behind a glass window asked, her gaze already on me.

"Leif Frostmourne," I said with a clear tone. "I'm enrolling as a Wielder."

She jotted down the information without breaking eye contact. Once she finished, she pointed towards a door to my left, "Wielders are to be examined in that room. Please proceed there."

"Thank you," I murmured, before making my way toward the indicated door. As I stepped through, the door closed behind me with an ominous thunk, completely isolating the outside noise coming from the previous room.

I returned to looking forward and found myself in a room filled with people around my age, if not, some even looked older. At the front, an examiner held court, looking at the individuals in front of him.

"Join the others," the examiner commanded, not even batting an eye toward me. "You're the last one for this batch."

Nodding in acknowledgment, I joined the huddled group, standing near the edge of the crowd. The room suddenly dimmed, plunging us into an eerie semi-darkness. I barely had time to register the change before a glowing magic circle flickered into existence beneath us.

A few gasps sounded off around the room, even I was just as surprised as the others. The examiner, however, seemed unfazed, "Stay quiet!" he ordered with a loud voice. "We will be transported to the examination grounds."

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

As the examiner started chanting the teleportation spell, I notice something pop-up at the center of my vision.

[[Now being transported to: Examination Grounds C]]

As the final word of the spell was voiced out by the examiner, the magic circle glowed brighter, and with a sudden jolt, the world started to shift around us.

In a matter of moments, everything changed. The world spun into a kaleidoscope of blurred colors, and then it all came to an abrupt stop. I blinked, trying to adjust to the sudden shift in surroundings. Gone were the confines of the room. Instead, I was standing on a patch of lush grass, surrounded by a group of equally startled applicants.

All around us was a vast forest as we stood in the middle of a huge clearing. Its tall trees swayed about as the wind passed by, followed by the rustling of leaves and the chirping of birds. It was oddly soothing, as if nature was trying to calm us down before taking on whatever this test has to offer.

The examiner, who had been transported with us, clapped his hands together loudly, capturing our attention. "Listen up, enough daydreaming," he called, his voice echoing in the clearing. "We will now begin the preparations for the test, hope your guts didn't get left behind after we teleported."

A lump formed in my throat as his words sunk in prompting me to swallow hard.

"First, line up," the examiner continued, motioning for us to form a horizontal line across the clearing. We immediately obeyed and scrambled to our places, standing beside each other.

As we settled into our positions, the examiner began to explain the situation. "This isn't just any forest," he began, his eyes scanning over us. "This is a specialized territory designed specifically to test Crested Humans. It's inhabited by D-Class Fallen."

Murmurs immediately started to circulate around the group at the mention of the Fallen, monstrous beings that I, along with many others, had heard about in the many stories and news warnings that circulated around Althea.

"Your objective," the examiner continued, "is to survive in this forest for three days. No weapons, no supplies, and no assistance. Only your elemental powers and wits to keep you safe and fed. So I trust that all of you decided to apply with the basic knowledge of defending yourself with your magic."

A heavy silence followed his words as every single one of us began contemplating the weight of the test. No food, no weapons, just us and our powers. Three days in a forest full of Fallen.

We're going to die.

"I must remind you, D-Class Fallen are not to be underestimated. They may be the lowest rank, but they are still dangerous. Be careless, and you risk losing your life. This is not a mere game, it's a test of survival," the examiner continued.

"This is ridiculous!" a female applicant burst out, breaking the momentary silence. "We didn't sign up for this! We didn't know that we could die!"

The examiner turned a stern gaze on her, but she didn't back down, "At least give us something to defend ourselves with!" she continued, her voice growing more and more filled with her frustration. "We're Wielders, yes, but we're powerless without a Fragmi! What are we supposed to do?!"

The examiner held up a hand, silencing her, "The purpose of this test is to evaluate Wielders, not Wielders and Fragmi. Your ability to adapt, survive, and utilize your own powers in adverse circumstances is what we're testing here. Didn't you at least train before going here to apply?"

His explanation seemed to hit her hard. The fiery defiance drained from her, replaced by a crushing wave of fear. The girl fell to her knees, tears welling up in her eyes, "I-I'm scared," she admitted as she continued to sob, "I-I don't want to die! I... want to go home..."

The examiner sighed and waved his hand. Causing a pop-up to materialize in front of each one of us.

[[Accept and Give Consent to the Examination Conditions?]]

"The prompt before you is asking for your final decision. Whether you wish to proceed or not is up to you."

I glanced around, everyone seemed to be thinking about their own decision, the girl's small outburst earlier surely gave everyone second thoughts. But I focused back on my own prompt, as this was my own decision to make.

With a sigh, I nodded and mentally hit the 'accept' option in the prompt.

There's no backing out now.

A small cheer erupted from the girl who had been sobbing earlier. She seemed overjoyed at the prospect of being able to leave safely, to perhaps train more before attempting this again. However, the examiner quickly silenced her cheers.

"Those who choose to return home now," he said. "won't be permitted to apply again for 10 years."

"W-What...?"The girl froze for a few seconds once again, but after a moment, she finally resigned and nodded. "I'd rather go home..."

With that admission, the examiner began a teleportation spell, the very same one he used earlier. The familiar magic circle appeared around the girl, glowing brighter and brighter until, in a flash, she disappeared, and we assumed that she was sent back to the drafting office.

The examiner then looked back at us as he offered one last chance to back out, "Anyone else? Any more quitters?"

I held my breath, waiting. But to my surprise, it seems like everyone else had made the same decision I had.

The examiner nodded, seemingly satisfied with our responses, and took a step back. With a wave of his hand, he conjured a similar magic circle that we'd seen twice before. Just as I was about to question it, he suddenly announced, "The examination is now officially underway. What you do next is completely up to you - you may work together, or survive on your own. From this moment onward, the Drafting Committee takes no responsibility for any casualties that may occur. Good luck."

Then, all of a sudden, he raised a small whistle to his lips. He blew into it, but strangely, it didn't make a sound. Instead, the circle beneath his feet started to glow brighter, and in a blink, he was gone.

Before we could even get a grasp of the situation, a low rumble echoed from behind us. We all spun around, and our eyes widened in horror as a stampede of large, abyss-like creatures was charging at us, a group of monsters that are none other than the Fallen.

They moved so fast, with such horrifying swiftness. We barely had any time to conjure an elemental skill, let alone defend ourselves.

Feeling the panic of the other applicants around me, I found myself yelling out to the group, "Scatter! Try to shake them off! We'll regroup once we've lost them!" And with that, I sprinted away, plunging myself into the depths of the forest.

Running as fast as my legs would carry me, I dared to glance over my shoulder. One of the Fallen was right on my tail. Without stopping, I flung my arm out behind me and muttered a spell under my breath.

"[[Ice Bolt!]]"

In an instant, a flurry of sharp, glittering ice shards flew toward the creature. The blast hit it, causing it to stagger a bit, but it wasn't enough to completely stop it. It let out a terrifying roar, shaking the trees around us as it resumed its chase.

Think fast, Leif.

I darted my eyes around the area while continuing my mad sprint, then I saw it. A downhill area strewn with large boulders. Without a second thought, I rushed toward it and picked a large boulder to hide behind.

I hunkered down, holding my breath to fulfill a complete silence as the rampaging Fallen approached, and then it slowed down into a few steps, it was clearly looking for me.

Suddenly, I caught a flicker of movement in my peripheral vision. I cautiously peeked around the boulder, only to see one of the other applicants from earlier. Our eyes met, and I quickly shook my head, trying to silently warn him of the impending danger. But he didn't seem to understand my signals. Instead, he looked relieved and glad to finally see another person.

His relief, however, was short-lived when a sudden, bone-chilling roar echoed throughout the forest, freezing the applicant in his tracks. I clamped my hand over my mouth, remaining as quiet as possible while the applicant began to frantically ask for my help.

"H-Hey! Help me out here! Come on!" He yelled.

Then, out of nowhere, a mass of dark tendrils shot out from the shadows, wrapping themselves around the applicant. His words turned into terrified screams as he was violently yanked away.

I forced my eyes shut, I could feel my breathing hasten and my heart pounding loudly as I listened to the fading screams of agony coming from the direction where the other applicant was pulled towards.

I could only imagine the horror of what happened to him.