"Asna, let's go train" said Kai, my best friend.
"Why should I?" I protested,"Today is the day they select the top ten students to become the magicians of Hestia and you are well aware that I'm far off that list.Even if I train now, there's nothing I can change. I'm specialized in healing magic and brains and these attributes have been deemed useless over the past century."
"That doesn't mean you shouldn't try, this is a world of limitless possibilities you know."
"Fine!" I said and allowed myself to be dragged by the boy who has always been by my side through thick and thin.
We spent the next two hours sparring and after we concluded our training session I looked at Kai with a face filled with injustice.
"What?" Kai asked with a confused expression.
"Don't what me. You drag me down here every afternoon and just give me a one sided beat down. You're basically bullying me!"
"Alright I think you hit your head hard." Kai said in a teasing tone.
"Even though today you will become a magician of Hestia and receive the highest honour anybody would kill for, you still insist on bullying me first." I said with a pout.
"Today I'll become a magician of Hestia. These words I've been waiting to say ever since I was born. Although I'll get the highest honour in this world it still means nothing if I'm separated from my best friend." Kai said with a sad expression.
I didn't know what to say at that moment. A part of me was a happy for Kai and a part was sad. It was at this moment that I wished for, more than anything in my life, that I was born with better magic.....but these circumstances were beyond my control. I wasn't lucky enough to be blessed with insane athletic abilities and void magic like Kai. I was but a healing magician who was a cut smarter than the rest. Even so I was proud of my best friend and I would always be there for him.
We hurriedly left the training grounds for the grand hall because in a few minutes a grand gathering would be held in order to name the next magicians of Hestia and honour them and Kai had to be there as soon as possible.
"Students, today marks exactly a century since our forefathers signed a contract with Deus, stating that we must put the fate of our planet and our lives on the line every century. This school was established to train the next generation and select the best of the best to represent our dear planet. Over the century, millions upon millions of candidates have stood in this very hall. Every year the top ten students of the final year students are selected to become the magicians of Hestia and move to another school whose sole purpose is to train them to become astounding magicians and fighters. This year will be no different.... Uhm....at least that's what I would like to say. This year there will be a slight change. Only the top five students will be selected to become the magicians of Hestia and these students are none other than Michelle Austin, Kai Carter, Joanna Arthur, Spencer Carlson and Cyril Johnson. The other five will be selected through special means." The headmaster finished off quickly.
The moment he ended his statement pandemonium broke out. Some were smirking because there was a chance that they could be selected as one of the five that would be shortlisted. The members of the top ten students who numbered from six to ten all had their dreams crushed at the worse possible timing. Some were shocked and didn't know how to react and some were beyond angry. You can pretty much guess who they are. Some had excited expressions. Kai was part of this group because his dream had finally become a reality. And then, there was my group, we were pretty nonchalant about the news. As a matter of fact we couldn't care less. This new development wouldn't affect us at all so it was neither beneficial nor detrimental to us. But that's where we were wrong.
"Ehem!" The headmaster cleared his throat.
"About the selection of the other five, it has been unanimously decided that the remaining students will take a written exam on healing magic, fighting styles, strategic battles and the history of Hestia. The exam will be held exactly a month later. Good day students and good luck in your upcoming endeavor."
This statement crushed the hopes and dreams of most of the students who were thinking that it would be a battle royale or one on one battles which they could easily win. Sucks to be them I guess. Getting heart broken twice in a single day is really something that sends you to a world of pain.
All in all, this was great news for me. Healing magic was my specialty but it was quite useless in battles. It was for this reason that I was a bottom ranker. And about the other things the exam would cover, I may not look it but I was the smartest student in the entire world of Hestia but since knowledge had no place in this world, my smarts were as useless as my healing magic.
After the headmaster's statement, my nonchalant expression could no longer be seen. A broad smile was plastered on my face. It was finally my time to shine and I wouldn't let it go by. I finally had an opportunity to stand by Kai and I would take it no questions asked.
For me, this was the day when everything and I mean everything changed.