"Miss, we are not informed that there will be an examination today," Alhan stated with a puzzled expression.
The student committee member then replied that it is what it is. I'm not surprised that the academy gives surprise examinations, but I'm curious why only the early-level students are called. I didn't hesitate to ask.
"Higher-level students are already examined before school starts. However, that's not the case for the early-level students."
"Won't the academy be impulsive to determine the representative on the first day?"
"No need to concern yourself. The academy is only looking for a potential representative. It will not be permanent." She then smiled and continued, "Don't underestimate the quality of this academy. I still have to announce to other booths, and please help yourselves when returning."
She then quickly left the booth.
Alhan seems worried about the exam. He even asked if I think it will affect our performance rates. Knowing we're in Central Academy, they're grading everything we do. In response to Alhan, I nodded and said yes.
It only took a few minutes before the bell rang, meaning the orientation period had ended. All the early-level students headed to their respective study halls to take the examination. When Alhan and I arrived, Rocher, our section adviser, was already in front of everybody. Leaning on her desk, she ignored all the students who entered and focused on the paperwork she was doing.
The academy assigned only a few of us to the study hall, so we were completed in no time. What's surprising is that Rocher knew without anybody calling her out. Her ignorance was probably an act to make some students think she was not paying attention and maybe skip the examination.
"I expected less of you to arrive on time." Rocher upsettingly stood up and distributed the exam papers one by one. Afterward, she went back in front and announced, "You have one hour to finish the test. Failing to do so will remove your name as a candidate for the potential representative for this section." Before she could finish her announcement, Natalie raised her hand reluctantly.
Of course, no matter how annoyed our adviser is with her, she needs to be professional and allow Natalie to ask questions.
"Wouldn't it be harsh for those who failed to finish in an hour miss?"
Rocher just stood there, waiting for Natalie's following upright statement.
"What if someone in this class is capable enough of being a representative but was never allowed because of failing to finish on time?"
Rocher sarcastically smiled and asked Natalie to sit down, she admitted that Natalie had a point, but certainly, she had an opposing statement enough to make Natalie quiet.
"Miss Sylph, everybody is capable, but there are rules we have to abide. The academy wouldn't be as prestigious if it weren't for the requirements the students and instructors must follow. Without criteria, chaos will ensue."
"Your answer did not correspond to my question." Natalie didn't hesitate to argue with the professor. She is a courageous one, more courageous than Lia at this age, but she shouldn't have discussed her upright principles with someone rational.
"That is because I'm not finished. My point is that the academy has many students, and all students have their flaws, conditions, etcetera, meaning to say that we can't give them special treatment. It depends on the circumstances, but if someone capable enough of being a representative was never allowed because they didn't finish on time, then, unfortunately, the academy will not give them special treatment."
Natalie, in dismay, quietly sat in her seat while waiting for the professor to start the test.
Poor Natalie, if she didn't die at that time, would she have suffered the cruel world of reality? Considering the fact that her peers left her out even though she's intelligent, how could they do that to an innocent girl like her? Lia has never experienced such and was loved by many, so why did the opposite happen to Natalie?
I realized that I accidentally stared at Lia while pondering my thoughts, so I quickly averted my gaze to the ceiling. I don't care if I look awkward as long as I don't embarrass myself more by looking at her. I have no idea why I was embarrassed! She doesn't even know I'm looking at her, but I was normal when I stared at Natalie a while ago.
"If none of you have questions, you can all start taking the test now," Rocher spoke with a hollow tone, and all students in the room started to answer the test.
I looked at my test paper and noticed that I did not remember any of the questions asked. If only I knew that I'd transmigrate back in time, I should've studied this before the last war I created. I helplessly muttered a sigh and relied on my knowledge to ace the test. Natalie will be the representative anyways, so no matter how different my score is from the last time, it won't affect this section.
---
An hour later, only half of the students finished on time. Lia, Natalie, Alhan, that Wendall student from another continent, and I are one of those students who completed. All the students who finished are told to wait before they announce the results. Thus, making the bulletin board in the halls for each section crowded.
Alhan and I were not that close to sticking around, so I took my chance to talk with Natalie. She's sitting on a bench alone.
"Hi..." I awkwardly greeted her as I walked toward her. "Can I sit beside you?" I asked with a tensed grin. She smiled and nodded, allowing me to sit beside her. I wanted to start a conversation but couldn't find the words to say. It was never this awkward with Lia.
"How's the surprise test?" She asked with an oddly sad voice. I shrugged my shoulders and replied, "I have no idea." She uttered a sigh. "I think I won't pass; my argument with our adviser probably influenced my performance."
I knew it; she was worried about her performance rate. I warmly smiled and reassured her that she would pass. I even mentioned how sure I am that she'll be our section's representative. I also praised her courage for speaking up in class a while ago. It is irrational, but I make exceptions when it comes to love.
"Thank you, may I know who you are?" She asked.
I forgot that we're still strangers from the same section, and because of that, I even forgot to introduce myself. WHAT A SHAME, RAPHAEL! I composed myself and confidently introduced my name. "I am Raphael Olphiticus from the West." She then followed, "I am Natalie Sylph from the East. It is nice to meet you."
Albeit things are going smoothly between Natalie and me, it feels uneasy. I can't seem to be myself when talking to her as if I'm uncomfortable being with Nat. This feeling kept bugging me; I couldn't afford to continue our conversation, and I thought she could read the room and realize that I was concerned about something. However, her kind-looking expressions didn't even notice.
"I apologize, but I should go. I am...uh...anxious about...umm...." My long streak of straightforward answering ended, and I stuttered in front of her. I looked away from Natalie, coincidentally staring at Lia while trying to find an excuse to end our conversation.
Unexpectedly, Lia caught my attention.
She was alone, standing in front of the bulletin, eagerly waiting for the academy to announce the scores. The moment I set my eyes on her, everything went quiet. Despite the busy crowd, she's the only one I can clearly see. I think I'm hallucinating, but there is a spotlight only for her. It felt like the rest of the world didn't matter. It was calm and soothing. I've completely forgotten about the uneasiness I felt with Natalie.
Just looking at her felt so warm; it was a lot more majestic and beautiful than the night sky. I am clueless about the reason why, but I am not frustrated. I like what I'm feeling.
Natalie noticed I was gazing at Lia, so she snapped me back to reality. "Perhaps she is the reason?" I didn't understand her question and answered yes, quickly walking away from her as if my body had its own mind, and before I knew it, I went to Lia.
"..."
What did I do?! It was my chance to leave a good impression on Natalie, yet I went to the person I was planning to kill.
Lia looked at me with a cold expression. "You always seemed troubled."
I am perplexed how Lia always noticed I was anxious about something. Still, before I could ask, Qary, the head of early-level students, called everyone's attention because she would announce the potential representatives for every section. I am interested to see Lia's reaction when they call Natalie, hoping to use the slightest flaws I could find against her.
She announced according to the number of candidates in a class, from the fewest candidates to the one with the most number. She went through each bulletin board with a helper that pinned the score for every section. As a surprise, our section had the most candidates, so Qary had to see us last.
I can see that almost everyone is nervous. Unfortunately, that doesn't apply to me since I'm from the future, and I already know who the head will announce.
The moment Qary reached our section, she had a smirk on her face. The crowds were still noisy but soon went quiet after she clapped to call everyone's attention.
"The section with the most candidates is surprisingly the section with the fewest students. Before I proceed, I would like to inform you that the test you took was a combination of all the tests for the higher levels."
That said, everyone was stunned—no wonder only a few managed to finish on time.
Qary smiled in satisfaction and continued, "The academy is right on putting all of you in the same section. As for the representative, three candidates outdid everyone else. Although we expected more from one of them, it doesn't matter. The potential representative for this section will be..."
'Natalie Sylph,' I thought to myself.
"Raphael Olphiticus"
WHAT?! MY NAME?! I... I don't understand! As everybody clapped for me, I was puzzled by the result. I am confident that the representative was not me, so why was my name called?!
My reactions are nothing but baffled. I purposely looked at Lia, and she had the same reaction; I knew she wanted that spot so bad. She was astounded as she looked at me in a perplexed way.
"It was supposed to be Natalie." She uttered.
I was startled. The tense suffocating aura when we first met immersed. I felt like she was the same Lia I once manipulated and tricked. I also remembered the day she threw me off the cliff.
The woman standing before me was the girl I underestimated, the lady I hated, and the woman I feared.
I was unable to do anything than utter her name once more, but this time it was intended for someone from the past,
"Lia?"