She...she had failed.
Elaine didn't want to accept it, but to feed herself with self-constructed lies would prove to be detrimental to nothing else but her honor and pride as a sorcerer. She absorbed the room, counting each of them carefully, reassuring that she hadn't been mistaken.
There was Adeline at the front of the crowd, looking as calm and flawless as ever. Elaine imagined that Marsh's test wouldn't be all that difficult for someone like her. Someone as notable and powerful as she was. She spotted Simon as well, a bit worse for wear but otherwise okay. His glasses were missing, forcing the boy to squint his eyes unnaturally.
Had he lost them fighting a deathstalker ? Elaine wondered.
It must have been tedious to navigate his way out of the Sunken Labyrinth with poor eyesight. Jack stood beside him. His uniform was a mess, covered in splotches of brownish sludge. Yes, their school uniforms were enchanted to "fix" themselves, however, they couldn't outright remove stains. He'd have to do the dirty work himself.
Sitting at a desk at the rear of the classroom was Mason, the silent giant himself. He had never shown her what kind of magic he specialized in. Even so, Elaine suspected he was a strong, capable mage. How did she come to this deduction? Well, for starters, where most of the others were exhausted, sweaty, and deprived of magical energy, by contrast, Mason appeared stoic and in control. He sat at his seat with his hands clasped before him, staring at her with his rockish gaze. A person chipped from stone.
Next to him, there was...Kliff Dresden. Elaine froze as he made eye contact with her, sitting slouched at the desk with his chin resting inside of a palm. He didn't look fatigued. That frown he brandished translated that he was bothered, or rather, frustrated by something. He exhaled out his nose and turned his head away from her, his glower blasting into a distant corner of the room.
"Elaine," Fearne called over to her left. She was leaning her weight into Custas, one of her arms slung over the boy's neck. "Are you alright?"
Elaine nodded. "Yes, I'm fine."
And from the looks of it, so were they. That light she'd briefly seen as she was attacked by the gargantuan deathstalker must have been them leaving the labyrinth. It definitely gave her peace of mind knowing that they weren't anywhere near her when her barrier detonated as unexpectedly as it did. They wouldn't be harmed by it per Professor Marsh's regulations on the pocket prison, but she still didn't want to risk it.
Speaking of Professor Marsh, the man stood in front of her with his hands in his pockets. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking behind his indifferent mask. But whenever he spoke in his apathetic tone, it always got the message across that he was constantly tired or disappointed by...well, everything that moved. This time was no exception.
"So, even after making such a bold declaration, you were still unable to complete Integrity's Rift. Interesting," he said.
If he was berating her, then he'd have to put more effort into sounding angry or disappointed. As things were, she felt like she was being lightly scolded for failing to bring her assignment to class on the day that it was due. Even so, Elaine hadn't forgotten the brief exchange she had had with the sorcerer. She knew what would be coming next.
Marsh sighed. "I suppose I needn't repeat myself on what happens to the students who failed to meet the criteria of this test."
"No, that isn't necessary, sir. I...I accept any punishment you give me," Elaine whispered, grimacing at the floor, each blink filling her eyes with more water. I'm sorry, everyone. I let you down. In the end, I couldn't keep my promise after all...
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YOU ARE READING
Radiance - The Alight Archives Book #1
FantasyA humble potion-maker with barely a token to her name. A bright, responsible daughter as well as a caring sister. A girl with big aspirations and a fiery yearning to study the mystic arts. And now she's a...sorcerer in training? After a life-alterin...