Radiance - The Alight Archives Book #1

22. Question of Resolve

Now that the test had officially begun—his students having disintegrated into violet ash—the class had fallen unnaturally silent. Good, he liked it that way. Less noise, less distractions. A perfect setting for a structured seminar, or perhaps a period of quiet reading.

Although he couldn't indulge in those inviting alternatives. As a professor, he was expected to provide results, expected to produce Professional Sorcerers. Allan's eyes analyzed the multiple violet-colored yet translucent screens of magical energy hovering quietly in front of him. Each displayed within its frame a different student inside of the Sunken Labyrinth, and so there was a total of twenty-three magiscreens for him to look at.

A decent number, he supposed. Most of the students hadn't left their starting point yet—the sectors in which they had materialized were entirely random. Not even Allan himself knew exactly where they would manifest. They'd need to make a move on soon, however. Lest they intended on failing.

Students with a quicker intake had already initiated their search. He spotted Adeline Griffith on a bottom magiscreen to his left. She had conducted a brief investigation of her surroundings—scanning the place as swiftly as she could with a rapid whirl of her head—prior to deciding on the path ahead.

That Ice Magic of hers was in desperate need of improvement, but Allan knew the Glacial Girl could manage her own. She wouldn't have gained such an admirable reputation if she were just your average novice.

Even so, his own Observation Magic wasn't all-encompassing. There were certain angles and positions they couldn't accurately detail.

As such, Allan had already accepted that a handful of his students would inevitably escape his attention. It'd make assessing their performances...difficult, but what was he to do? Magic couldn't solve all the world's problems.

Abigail Bovine had disappeared from him entirely, but the ill-mannered girl did specialize in Earth Magic. Perhaps she had procured a method of burrowing underneath the labyrinth itself or concealing herself within its constructions. She might be blunt and rather hostile, but so it appeared she possessed a certain level of ingenuity when it came to casting magic.

Then there were those that preferred a more direct approach. Jack Durge had chosen to face off with one of the "obstacles" Allan had captured as a part of the test.

What did he specialize in again? he thought to himself. Ah, yes, that's right. Never would have imagined such a magic suited someone as abrasive as him.

He admitted he wasn't the best at remembering each of his students, a habit he was positive he would rectify the further along they progressed into the semester. That said, he'd made an effort to observe or check in with his fellow professors how their first days had gone, but even now he had trouble accurately accounting for all of them. It didn't help that he hadn't spent much time judging the students that had taken part in the Entrance Exam; he left that duty to the Exam Coordinators.

From the looks of it, Jack seemed to be handling his own, generating a tidal wave of muddy water to flood the environment and knock his opponent away in a violent, watery surge. He'd need to be careful though, otherwise, the grinning mage might wind up getting swamped in his own spell.

Lyra complained on his shoulder with an annoyed squeal.

Fine, Allan thought. I'll find them next.

"Find who?" said a voice beside him. "Uh oh. Another of your insanely difficult tests? And here I was thinking you'd go easy on the newbies this year. Guess I was setting myself up for disappointment on that one, huh?"

Allan sighed dryly. "You're early, Founder. Wasn't expecting you until next week. Typically you spend the first three or so days in Spellcasting or Magihistory."