Michael was forced to wait as countless teens were called up before him, his worry growing with each and every passing moment. By now, his doubts had wormed there way into his heart, pushing him even closer to the edge.
He had also noticed that many of those who Michael thought would pass, were sent into the right-most door instead. This only bred uncertainty in the grand hall, leading to a tension that one could cut with a knife.
But perhaps no one felt as tense as Michael.
"You there, what is your name?" A high pitched voice called, causing him to flinch.
Michael looked around, trying to see who the examiner was talking to. But from a quick glance, he realized that there was no other youth in the vicinity.
Eh!? I’m the last one left?
He had been so caught up in his own crisis that he didn’t even realize he was the last person who had yet to be tested.
"Michael Ellis, sir." He spoke up, his throat dry.
"Hmm," the tall examiner flipped through the pages of his registry book, looking a little puzzled.
"Professor Stark, Michael is part of the Winterborne household." Charles stood up from behind the desk, addressing the man.
"Oh, I see," He muttered, flipping through the book once more. "Here it is, Michael Winterborne. Why did you not say that in the first place?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.
They registered me with their last name... Michael’s brow twitched with annoyance. He knew that they had intended on marrying him into the family, but this felt a little too brazen.
"Excuse me professor... Is it possible to have my family name recorded correctly?" he asked politely.
However, the man looked down at him impassively, "You will only properly register if you pass the examination. Otherwise what would be the point in changing it now if you fail?"
Ah... he’s got a point.
It was difficult to argue with such a logic.
"So? Are you going to begin your exam, or are you waiting for an invitation?"
"R-Right." Michael flinched, quickly striding towards the first orb nervously.
Michael placed his hand above the glass orb and let out a deep breath, composing himself. Then he made contact. Google seaʀᴄh novel•fire.net
The surface of the glass was surprisingly warm.
"Remember, open up your inner palace."
Michael did as he was told, nudging the invisible barrier that protected his inner palace open, something that was surprisingly easy. Using his minds eye, he watched on, waiting for something to happen.
It was then that he felt something enter his body through his hand, traveling up through his meridians. The foreign substance was like a colorless mana, dancing through his own red mana unimpeded.
Unlike the time where he’d experienced the tyrannical mana of the violet mage, it was clear that whatever this substance was, it didn’t mean him any harm.
But that didn’t stop him from being nervous.
He watched cautiously as the colorless mana made its way to his inner palace, casually strolling through the entrance as if it lived there. Michael eyed his soul, the pure white version of himself that was seated in the lotus pose.
The colorless mana swirled around it, as if probing his soul. The feeling made his head ache, almost forcing a groan out of his mouth.
But just then, his once still and silent soul raised its head, pulsing with vibrant light. It waved its hand once, like waving off a fly, causing the entirety of his inner palace to tremble.
Michael let out a shout of pain.
Meanwhile, the orb beneath his hand had begun to react. A dark violet mist circulated from within, spinning like it was a tornado. It quickly grew in size, taking up all the available space.
An almighty thundercrack sounded within the hall, followed by the appearance of a single resplendent white ring. It orbited around the glass orb, a complete contrast to the darkness within.
The professor and three students stood dumbstruck as they watched what was occurring in front of them.
"A white birthright ring!? That can’t be right?"
"Professor, is the orb broken?"
Professor Stark stood silently for a few moments, watching as Michael screamed out in pain. Eventually, he stepped forward and waved his hand, forcing the pained youth away from the pedestal.
Michael who was suddenly freed from his painful encounter felt a cold sweat materialize on his back as he gasped for air. The actions of his soul had reminded him of his episode back when he had first met Charles.
As he stood there with his hands on his knees, the silence in the grand hall was concerning.
"Michael Ellis was it?" The professor asked, his footsteps breaking through the silence as he approached.
The tall man stopped in front of him, his height looming over the youth. Though Michael was quite tall for his age, this professor made him feel like a kid in front of him.
Professor Stark brought his hand up to his long chin, tapping it gently, deep in thought. His brown eyes stared down at him, shimmering with magic for a brief moment, seemingly piercing directly into his soul.
"I can sense the Arcana on you, boy." He said, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
"What!?" Two of the students yelled out in shock.
Only Charles seemed to be the only one who was not surprised.
"Professor, I tutored Michael for some time at the Winterborne manor. He has indeed entered the Arcana and ascended from Ember mage to a Crimson mage." Charles spoke, his tone even.
"Hmm? And you did not advise against it?" Professor Stark turned, raising an eyebrow.
"I’m afraid this was around three years ago, on the day we first met."
"I see..." The tall man turned back around and evaluated Michael once more, "Those who have touched the Arcana can no longer be read by the soul density evaluation orb." He stated calmly.
"It seems that I’ll have to conduct the test personally."
Before Michael could respond, Professor Stark placed a hand upon his head, his long fingernails digging into his skull.
Michael wanted to cry out in pain, but his body was frozen in place.