The academy's grand lecture hall was a cacophony of nervous whispers, frantic page-flipping, and the occasional muffled sob. Students sat in clusters, their faces a spectrum of emotions, some pale with panic, others resigned to their fate. The air was thick with the scent of ink, parchment, and the faint aroma of desperation.
Cain, however, was blissfully unaware of the chaos. His head rested lazily on his desk, arms folded beneath him like a makeshift pillow. A soft snore escaped his lips, earning a few sideways glances from his peers. To Cain, exams were a distant problem, a future inconvenience he'd deal with… never, if he had his way.
Selene sat beside him, her long legs crossed elegantly as she tapped her nails against the desk in a rhythmic, almost hypnotic pattern. Her lips curled into a faint smirk as she glanced at Cain's sleeping form. "Charming," she muttered under her breath.
Across the room, Lyra was sharpening a dagger, the metallic *shink-shink* sound cutting through the murmurs. Her expression was one of utter boredom, as if the concept of exams was beneath her. Ravena, ever the picture of serenity, sipped tea from a delicate porcelain cup, her posture perfect, her demeanor unshakable. Because of course she did.
At the front of the hall, Orion, their ever so kind instructor, cleared his throat. The room fell silent, save for Cain's soft snoring. Orion's eyes twinkled with mischief as he delivered the blow.
"Students," he began, his voice smooth and deliberate, "your midterm exams begin in three days."
The silence that followed was deafening. Then, like a ripple effect, the room erupted into gasps, groans, and the sound of several books hitting the floor.
Cain's eyes fluttered open. He lifted his head slightly, his hair sticking up in all directions. "…Wait, what?" he mumbled, his voice thick with sleep.
Orion's smirk widened. "Three. Days," he repeated, enunciating each word as if savoring the chaos he'd unleashed.
Cain sat up abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor. "No, no. That's a mistake. I refuse."
The entire class turned to stare at him, their expressions a mix of disbelief and amusement. Orion chuckled, leaning casually against the podium. "Refuse?" he echoed, his tone dripping with mock curiosity.
Zane, Orion's ever-enthusiastic assistant, grinned from his spot beside the podium. "Too bad, Cain. Your academic suffering is mandatory."
Cain groaned, slumping back in his chair. "This school is a scam."
Selene patted his shoulder, her smirk widening. "And yet, you're still here."
Cain shot her a glare. "Against my will."
Later that evening, Cain dragged himself into the faction's study room, his expression one of pure misery. He collapsed into a chair, letting out a dramatic sigh. "I hate this."
Ravena, seated across from him, didn't even look up from her spellbook. Her fingers traced the intricate runes on the page with practiced ease. "It's just an exam," she said, her tone calm and infuriatingly reasonable.
Cain narrowed his eyes. "That's what they want you to think. Exams are a societal construct designed to crush our spirits and drain our will to live."
Ravena chuckled softly, finally glancing up at him. "You have two choices: suffer now and pass, or suffer later when Selene mocks you forever."
Cain considered this for a moment, his brow furrowing. Then, with a resigned sigh, he sat up. "…Fine. What are we studying?"
Ravena handed him a thick, leather-bound book. Cain opened it, his eyes scanning the page. He paused. Then, with a frown, he turned the book upside down. "…This is in another language."
Ravena blinked, her expression unreadable. "No, it's just upside down."
Cain squinted at the page, his nose scrunching in concentration. "…Still looks like gibberish."
Ravena sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. This was going to be a long night.
Outside, the moon hung high in the sky, casting an eerie glow over the training yard. Cain stood in the middle of the courtyard, his shoulders slumped, his movements sluggish. He swung his practice sword with all the enthusiasm of a man who'd rather be anywhere else.
Lyra, on the other hand, was a whirlwind of energy. She twirled her dagger with practiced ease, her movements fluid and precise. "You're slow," she remarked, her tone a matter of fact.
Cain groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "It's midnight. Who trains at midnight?"
Selene, lounging on a nearby bench with a glass of wine in hand, raised an eyebrow. "People who don't want to fail and embarrass themselves."
Cain shot her a glare. "I'm fine with embarrassment."
Selene smirked, taking a sip of her wine. "Good. Because Orion and Zane are making your exam the hardest in the class."
Cain froze, his sword slipping from his grasp and clattering to the ground. "…What."
Lyra grinned, her dagger glinting in the moonlight. "You really should've seen that coming."
Cain sighed, running a hand through his disheveled hair. "I am so tired."
Selene raised her glass in a mock toast. "Then fight faster, so we can all go home."
Three days later, Cain found himself seated in the exam hall, staring down at his test paper. The questions might as well have been written in hieroglyphics for all the sense they made to him. He turned the paper sideways, then upside down, then back to its original position. "This is not normal," he muttered under his breath.
At the front of the room, Orion grinned, his arms crossed as he watched Cain's struggle with obvious delight. Zane, standing beside him, winked. "Good luck," he mouthed, his expression far too cheerful for Cain's liking.
Cain put his head on the desk, letting out a long, drawn out groan. "I hate everything."
The sound of pens scratching against parchment filled the room, a symphony of academic despair. Cain closed his eyes, wishing he could wake up from this nightmare. But no, this was real. This was his life.
And exams, as it turned out, were indeed a scam.