Duel Lyceum

Entering Duel Lyceum (1)

'Lyder, are you ready?'

'Yes.'

'Do you have everything?'

'Yes.'

'Are you sure?'

'Yes.'

'Are you sure you're ready?'

'Yes!' Lyder said, slamming the wardrobe shut and returning to inspect his deck one last time. 'Stop nagging – I'm so goddamn nervous right now!' Every card was there, just as it had been last night and every other time he had checked. He shoved them into his deck container and strapped it to his belt, still feeling that he might have miscounted.

Lyder put on his jacket, slid on his bag and ran down the stairs.

'Lyder, stop running around the house.' His mum sighed.

'Sorry, I need to hurry up. I don't want to miss the bus.' He grabbed two slices of toast and left through the front door.

'So, I can expect you back tonight?' she called after him.

'Mum, it's a boarding school,' he said. Well, it was a boarding school assuming he passed the entrance exam. He made it just in time for the bus and found the nearest free seat next to a boy his age – fifteen. The boy looked annoyed that someone had the gall to sit next to him.

'There's plenty of free seats.' He rolled his eyes at Lyder. 'Oh, you have a deck. Are you going to Duel Lyceum too?'

'Sure am.' Lyder decided to ignore his first remark. 'I'm Lyder. You?'

'Jones. Well, at least I know that there will be no competition for at least one spot.' Jones pulled out his headphones and turned towards the window. It was Lyder's turn to roll his eyes. The rest of the trip past by in awkward and nervous silence. By the time the bus rolled to a stop in front of the examination centre, Lyder felt sweat rolling from his forehead and noticed that his heart was on the verge of breaking through his chest.

He pressed his ticket to the machine, realised he had never touched on, and stepped off the bus. Jones had already entered the building by the time Lyder even looked at it. It was grey and depressing, what he imagined a jail would look like. He double checked the address on the slip, felt confident that this was the correct place, and walked up to the examination centre. He was not alone in this confusion. Other exam takers loitered around, checking their phones to ensure that this was the correct location despite its drab exterior.

He opened the door, met an assistant, and was led down the hallway into a small grey room. The assistant smiled at him as she closed the door. 'Please wait until you are ready to be examined.'

Lyder passed the time in silence and boredom, inspecting each of his cards and reciting his combos. It felt like an hour later that he was summoned from the room and was guided through another door. The next room he entered was a small stadium. An assistant inspected the match, pen scratching over the clipboard, and a middle-aged man stood on the other side of the stadium.

'Lyder Karrigan, is it?' the assistant asked.

'Yes.'

'Lyder,' his opponent said, 'I'm Sebastian. Let's have a good match, ok? Are you familiar with the examination process?'

'Not too sure on the intricacies. Sebastian,' Lyder added, eager to show respect.

'A win or a loss does not mean a pass or a fail. We judge your response to each situation. Just play your best and I am sure you will pass.' Sebastian pulled out a coin. 'Heads or tails.'