“I'm sorry, but I need to go take the test now,” Talia said, interrupting the stream of questions from Nami and Lilo.

The two sisters exchanged confused glances.

“Test?” Nami asked, her brows furrowing. “But you're already Initiated, aren't you? I mean, you're the daughter of the Kraken Slayer...”

Talia shifted uncomfortably.

“It's... complicated. I Initiated myself, but I still need to prove my Primary Mana Channel Level meets the Academy's requirements.”

“Oh,” Lilo said, her eyes widening with understanding. “I see. Well, good luck, then! Not that you'll need it, of course.”

As Talia prepared to leave, she noticed Fiora slipping away.

A pang of guilt shot through her.

“Before I go,” Talia said, turning back to Nami, “I wanted to mention something about that girl. She's actually a really talented Water Rider with great potential. You should give her a chance.”

Nami's expression softened slightly. “Is that so? Well... we'll think about it.”

Talia nodded, hoping she'd done enough to smooth things over.

She made her way to the testing area, spotting Takai nervously fidgeting as he waited for his turn.

“Hey,” she called out, approaching her friend. “You ready for this?”

Takai gave her a shaky smile.

“As ready as I'll ever be, I guess. You?”

Talia took a deep breath, feeling the weight of everything riding on this moment.

“Yeah,” she said, trying to sound more confident than she felt. “Let's do this.”

They walked toward a huddled mass of people that were shielding the examiners.

“We can choose whom we go to?” Takai asked.

“It seems like it,” Talia commented, sizing up the small crowd. “You want to go first?”

“Sure.”

Takai stepped forward, making his way to the crowd, falling in line behind the other recruits.

His whole body felt heavy, and sweat beaded on his forehead despite the cool breeze coming from the lagoon.

Talia watched her friend's approach, noting the slight tremor in his hands and the way his Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard.

More guilt went through her as she realized she'd never actually asked Takai about his Primary Mana Channel Level.

Had he been struggling all this time?

It seemed at odds with his performance against the Abyssal Squids, but doubt gnawed at her, nonetheless.

Perhaps he had a strong Secondary Mana Channel like her, but his first was still weak.

It would be quite unusual, even though that was exactly Talia’s case.

Normally, when one was Initiated, their Primary Mana Channel would unlock, rising even by several levels.

That wouldn’t happen, of course, if one had a strong Primary Mana Channel to start with.

But the whole reason why the Academy received those who Initiated themselves or got Initiated by their family was because of this jump in power.

While it would be inefficient for the Academy to Initiate every single aspiring recruit, they were open to those with enough guts or resources to get Initiated on their own.

Well, they were open to them as long as their Primary Mana Channel was, at the very least, Level Two.

Finally, as the queue slowly whittled down, Takai found himself in front of an examiner.

The woman responsible for the testing stood tall and rigid, her gray hair pulled back so tightly it seemed to stretch her skin.

Her eyes, sharp and assessing, fixed on Takai as he approached.

“Name?” she asked.

“T-Takai, from Solara,” he stammered.

The examiner nodded curtly, her hands moving in practiced motions as she formed a globe of water between her palms.

The sphere hung there, perfectly still – a tiny ocean suspended in the air.

“You know the procedure. Maintain the globe's levitation for as long as you can.”

Takai nodded, his face ashen.

As the examiner removed her hands, leaving the globe floating between the two of them, Takai extended his palms.

For a heartbeat, the water sphere quivered in place like a leaf clinging to a branch in a storm.

Then, to the shock of everyone watching, it simply fell.

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The globe burst on impact with the ground, sending a spray of droplets across Takai's shoes and the examiner's robes.

The crowd's reaction was immediate.

Several people giggled.

Talia felt her stomach clench and a sour taste rise into her throat.

This couldn't be happening, not after everything they'd overcome.

Takai stood motionless, his eyes wide with disbelief and shame.

The examiner's mouth tightened, lips pressing into a bloodless line.

“I'm sorry for your trip, but that's a clear fail-”

“Wait!” Takai's voice cut through the murmurs, suddenly firm and clear.

He straightened his back, squaring his shoulders.

A determined glint sparked in his eye, replacing the earlier fear.

“I... I'd like to try again. Please.”

The examiner's eyebrow arched high, but she gave a curt nod.

“Very well. One more attempt,” she sighed.

As she formed another water globe, Takai took a deep breath.

His chest expanded fully, and as he exhaled, some of the tension seemed to leave his body.

Why do I care what these people think?

I've faced real danger.

I've fought monsters.

This is nothing.

This time, when the examiner removed her hands, Takai was ready.

The water globe remained aloft.

Seconds ticked by, stretching into a minute.

The whispers of the crowd finally quietened down.

Finally, after two full minutes, the globe touched Takai’s hand, and the examiner nodded.

“You pass,” she said, unable to keep the surprise from her voice. “Your Primary Mana Channel is... Level Six. Congratulations.”

A few people surprisingly cheered from the crowd.

Not everyone there was an asshole, apparently.

His face broke into a relieved grin as he turned to Talia, who stared at him with a mixture of amazement and pride.

“Takai, that was great!” she exclaimed as he rejoined her, clapping him on the back. “But... what happened the first time?”

Takai rubbed the back of his neck, with a sheepish look crossing his face.

“I just... froze. All those eyes on me, the pressure... But then, I mean, you know… If I can face an Abyssal Squid, I can definitely pass a test like this.”

Talia squeezed his shoulder, pride swelling in her chest at her friend's performance.

Sure, a Level Six Primary Mana Channel wasn’t that impressive, but Takai had barely had a Level One by the time they had departed to Initiate themselves.

But as the examiner called for the next candidate, a knot of anxiety formed in her stomach, hard and cold.

It was her turn now, and she knew her Test wouldn't be nearly as straightforward.

“Next,” the examiner said again, looking at Talia with an annoyed frown.

“I—” Talia swallowed her words.

As she stepped forward, she saw someone she recognized.

“Riala!” Talia screamed, immediately jumping out of the queue.

She saw her older sister administering the Test.

Talia rushed toward her sister.

Riala stood tall and poised, her long white hair flowing down her back, completely different from Talia's auburn locks.

Despite being sisters, they looked strikingly different, except for their eyes.

Riala's purple eyes, so like Talia's, widened in surprise as she spotted her younger sister approaching.

Her lips curved into a small, restrained smile.

“Riala!” Talia called out again as she drew closer. “I can't believe you're here!”

However, as Talia took the place of a protesting recruit who had been about to take the Test, Riala’s face froze, and her smile turned into a scowl.

Talia slowed down and felt confusion wash over her for a moment.

But only for a moment.

The younger sister followed Riala’s gaze over her shoulder and understood what was happening.

“Riala, I—”

“No, of course. Of course, you take the glaive. It’s not like mother left precise instructions.”

“I—I listen, I didn’t pass the Test,” Talia sputtered. “I—I needed a weapon!”

“Conveniently, you took mother’s weapon,” Riala curled her lips downward.

“Listen,” Talia said, taking her older and taller sister’s arm and pulling her to the side. “I need help.”

“What now, Talia?” Riala sighed. “What are you up to?”

“This is serious!” Talia whispered urgently.

“I’m sure,” Riala said, passing a hand over her face and adjusting a lock of the snow-white hair.

“I’ll explain about the glaive, really,” Talia said, feeling extremely guilty about it. “I know I wasn’t supposed to, but… I really needed it. I would have died without it.”

“Talia, you’re holding up the line,” Riala sighed. “What do you need?”

Talia hunched closer to her sister and lowered her voice to a barely audible whisper, speaking right into Riala’s ear.

“I need you to help me cheat. My Primary Mana Channel is still at Level One. If you don’t help me out, they’re not going to let me in!”

Talia backed up to look at her older sister.

But there was no surprise, no indignation on Riala’s face.

Only annoyance.

“Is this another one of your pranks? An elaborate plan to embarrass me?”

“What?! No! Riala, please, I’m not lying!”

“Talia, I don’t know why you’re doing this. I’ve stopped questioning why you do anything. You’re our mother’s child: your Primary Mana Channel should be at least Level Seven—that is, if you had the worst possible luck. So, can you please just take the Test? My master will check on me soon, and I would like to avoid being embarrassed by your antics.”

Talia’s mouth hung open.

Riala truly didn’t believe her.

To be honest, if this was a moment where Talia could think rationally, she would have understood why.

Her relationship with her sister had always been somewhat strained.

Talia had always been the needy, attention-attracting child between the two.

But now, right when she needed Riala to believe her the most, her older sister didn’t believe her at all.

“Riala, fuck,” Talia swore. “I’m not going to pass the Test. I need you to keep the globe afloat for ten seconds. Please.”

Then, suddenly, before Talia could reply, a strong pressure enveloped all the recruits present.

Talia could feel her breath caught in her lungs, trapped.

“Riala,” a man with salt and pepper hair and a long crimson robe walked up to the girl with white hair.

“Elder Kahua,” Riala struggled to speak.

As Elder Kahua approached, his presence seemed to dominate the entire area.

The pressure in the air intensified, making several recruits faint on the spot.

What is he doing? Talia thought, gritting her teeth.

She glanced at Takai, who had come closer to her, and noticed that he was ghastly white.

Meanwhile, the crimson robe of the Elder rippled despite the lack of wind.

Elder Kahua was a middle-aged man with harsh eyes.

His irises were a stormy gray and held a penetrating gaze that seemed to pierce through anyone he looked at.

As he neared Riala and Talia, the Elder's expression remained impassive, but there was a hint of curiosity in his eyes as they flickered between the two sisters.

“Riala,” he called again, his voice deep and resonant. “Is there a problem here?”

Riala straightened immediately, her demeanor shifting from an annoyed sister to a respectful student in an instant.

“No, Elder Kahua. Just a minor delay. I'll handle it immediately.”

Elder Kahua's gaze settled on Talia, who felt as if she were being dissected by his scrutiny.

“And who might this be?”

Before Riala could answer, Talia gathered all her strength and stepped forward, mustering her courage.

“I'm Talia, sir. Riala's sister.”

A flicker of recognition passed over the Elder's face. “Ah, yes. The younger daughter of the Kraken Slayer. I've heard... interesting things about you.”

Talia swallowed hard, unsure whether to take that as a compliment or a warning.

She opened her mouth to speak, but Elder Kahua raised a hand, silencing her.

“Whatever discussion you two were having can wait. We have a schedule to keep and many more recruits to test.” He turned to Riala. “Proceed with the examination.”

Riala nodded, her face a mask of professionalism. “Of course, Elder. Talia, are you ready?”

Talia felt panic rise in her chest.

This was it.

Without Riala's help, she would fail spectacularly in front of not just her sister, but one of the most powerful figures at the Academy.

As Riala began forming the water globe, Talia gathered all her wits.

She had to find a way out of this, or everything she'd fought for would be lost.