"Why is she taking the exam?! There's no way this is fair! First-years don't even know magic and she can do chantless spells? This is a sham! Someone definitely taught her magic beforehand!" He yells, clearly angry. The testers seem annoyed though.
"Professor, your input is irrelevant and I request you are to leave. I will dismiss your insolence this one time, but do not interupt again." One of them says, I realize this time it's not the old woman to the oldest looking one speaking, he looks incredibly annoyed.
I can tell the man's still furious, but he reluctantly leaves. Also, what's this about first years not knowing magic? I thought all nobles did magic, that's why Dad would have me learn minor spells for things like basic self defense.
I raise my hand. "You may speak" The old woman says. I clear my throat.
"I wasn't aware first-years couldn't do magic yet. Is it uncommon for children to know magic?" I ask. They all look dumbfounded. "Have you been doing magic as a child?"
I nod in answer.
"Yes, it's very uncommon. Most childrens' bodies aren't compatitable with magic and if they learn too hastily they are at risk of permanently damaging their internal organs and can be lethal. A child needs to grasp their bodily functions perfectly to use magic without harming themselves, and even then, it's mentally exhausting." The old woman says. "Even if you were taught previously, being able to use magic as a child makes you a genius undoubtely."
Me, a genius? What a laughable thought. Though that did raise a few questions about Dad's parenting. And if they're acknowledging me so openly, does that mean I've been accepted? We haven't even been able to do the third test yet?
The old woman smiles. "We definitely could do with a few more geniuses at our school." She says, almost like she was sensing my confusion. Which, with magic, may not entirely be out of the question.
I look to the fancy box on the desk next to me once more. Are we not going to do the third test then?
The woman laughs. "Oh, you must be curious about the Valg box? The third test isn't a practical assesment, it's just to idenity any possible affinties. If you'd like, you can go ahead and open it."
I carefully look at the 'Valg' box once more, the swirling dark wood looked like throns and roses against a very muddy glass. I carefully walk closer and open the Valg Box.
I gasp, as soon as I open it I feel a cool shiver down my spine and a clear image of a scorpion being crushed my the foot of an unknown creature races through my mind. I see flashes of a white-haired figure, but before I can see their face, my world turns black.
____________________
I wake up admist a conversation. I lay on a comfortable surface, possibly a bed.
"I think Professor Sendler is to blame for this, aparently he lead the poor thing through the garden of morality? Unless you're a high-tier mage or have an incredibly low mana, being exposed to high-tier magic shortly after can be lethal. It's a miracle she's pulling through."
What? That asshole professor nearly killed me? I clench my teeth in anger and abruptly open my eyes.
I'm laying in a bed, with two people seated at the other side of the room. The one talking earlier- I assume, is one of the testers, the really old one. Beside him, sits a boy around my age, wearing the Greendale uniform. They both are absorbed in their conversation. I clear my throat and they look in my direction.
"Where am I?" I ask, though my voice surprises me because of it's rather raspy sounding, as if I were screaming before I lost consciousness
"You're not obligated to speak, it might damage your vocal cords, ok? I'll explain everything so just rest up." The tester says.
"I'm Professor Razin, I'm head of the magical runes department at Greendale Academy. After you suddenly collapsed during your entrance exam we relocated you at our medical center. You don't have and physical trauma except for the bruises from falling, but that was easily healed." He says. Professor of magical runes? I remember trying to learn about them, they hurt my head and it was really confusing.
"And this is my grandson- Louis Razin." Louis nods his head and offers his hand for me to shake, to which I reluctantly take. "Nice you meet you Dara, I'm Louis. I'm the student representative for the first years. Apologies if I'm intruding, but as the representative I felt the need to introduce you to the school grounds, but unfortunately you collapsed." Louis says, and to be honest, something about the way he talks pisses me off. Like he's blaming 'me' for distrupting his schduele, he seems like the type anyways. And the more I look at him, the closer he resembles that black-haired escort that tried to kill me.
The only difference was Louis had really dark eyes while that other guy had green eyes, also, the age difference. Besides that, they both had the same cold disposition and incredibly pale skin, compared to Professor Razin, they didn't look similar in the slightest. It was a bit disorientating. Though I don't have the effort to ask if they're biologically related or not.
But that raises a whole bunch of new questions. Why would someone be waiting to give me a tour if I was in the process of being accepted or not? Was my acceptance guranteed? Was mom behind this? If she is, how on earth can she pull strings like that? What's the point of even taking the test! They even changed the test I was supposed to take.
But, just in case I am mistaken. "Have I been accepted then?" I ask, my voice steadier this time, up still raspy.