"Alright and that's all the time we have for today," the teacher said wrapping up his history class.
'Phew. Thankfully he started a new topic today.' Emmia thanked her lucky stars.
'Now I have to make up the chapters that I missed,' Emmia thought sourly gazing at the list which she copied from Luna.
"Hey Ica, what's the next class?" Emmia asked her brother only to find him completely knocked out.
'Actually, now that I think about it, how many classes did he miss?' Emmia felt her eye twitch. Here she was panicking that she had so much work to make up, while Icarth was just sleeping peacefully, probably having missed more classes than her.
"Luna, what's the next class?" Emmia asked her friend instead.
'Argh, this rescheduling just had to happen when I was in a coma.' Emmia thought frustrated at her luck.
'I really need to get that new timetable,' Emmia made a mental note as she waited for Luna to answer.
"...It's UE" Luna managed to get out just as Melvin Homes walked into class with a small bag hanging from his shoulders.
"Good morning class, as I mentioned, today we will have the test as planned."
Emmia froze like a deer in headlights.
'...test...'
'...a test...' Her thoughts refused to work as they kept repeating what Melvin had said,
'....I'm doomed.' Emmia concluded with closed eyes.
'But I'm not giving up,' Emmia opened her eyes with determination.
'I may not know anything, but I can still do something!'
As the test paper was being passed around, Emmia glanced at Luna and Icarth.
Luna was impassive like always.
'Looks like she prepared,' Emmia noted as she turned away.
'WHAT THE F***!' Luna screamed in her head.
'I FORGOT THERE WAS A TEST! HOW DID I MANAGE TO FORGET!!!' Luna panicked as she calmly leafed through her notes, trying to imprint everything into her memory at a glance.
'Ah, I was too preoccupied with Emmia's condition that I must've forgotten.' Luna thought suddenly as she figured out why she had forgotten.
'Ahh, just try to remember everything now,' Luna thought with a small sigh.
Emmia glanced at Icarth and found him lounging on his desk, eyes half open.
'He's not worried?' Emmia thought surprised.
'Well, I guess he must've studied,' Emmia thought as the test paper arrived in front of her.
'Alright I need to focus,' Emmia shifted her attention to the test.
'I can do this!' Emmia hyped herself up inside and started to solve.
Next to her, Icarth gazed at the paper with a serenity like no other.
'I have ascended above the mortal plane,' Icarth thought with a mind as calm as a still lake.
Putting his pen down, Icarth wrote his name and then proceeded to write what he thought were the answers to each question.
Q: What are the different ways to use Universal Energy?
Icarth: Attacking and defending in fights.
Emmia: Universal Energy is the world's vast energy source that can be used in a multitude of things and...
Luna: Universal Energy can be used in the following ways: Gifts, Energy sources, Material reinforcement, Body reinforcement,...
Q: What are the different ways to use Universal Energy as fuel?
Icarth: Activate your gift and it automatically uses it as fuel.
Emmia: Universal Energy is the ultimate fuel source, widely regarded by the world's engineers as the ultimate elixir. It can be used in a multitude of ways as fuel such as.....
Luna: The different ways are: Universal Energy Converter, Materials from monsters that utilize universal energy such as the light star, the ignition stone, etc, and ....
Q: Explain how to use Universal energy efficiently in fights?
Icarth: Use all your power to end it quickly. Unless it's a spar, then conserve your energy to make it fun.
Emmia: Universal energy penultimately needs to be rationed for each ability that needs to be.....
Luna: 'Damn, what is this? Does he just want our opinion on this? I'll answer this at the end.'
....
....
Like this, time was soon over.
"Alright, time's up. I'll be around to collect the papers now,' Melvin announced and started to collect the papers.
Icarth had gone back to lounging on the desk having answered whatever he thought was right on the paper.
Emmia turned in her paper with a sense of finality.
'I'm so screwed...I hope he gives me a half decent grade for my ramblings....' Emmia prayed in her heart.
'I could've done better,' Luna thought slightly unsatisfied with her performance.
Picking up more papers, Melvin had some.....reservations about some of them.
But Melvin kept them to himself and collected the last paper from Hanna.
"Alright, we still have some time till the end of the period, let's discuss the test now shall we?" Melvin said with a smile.
A myriad of reactions swept through the class most of which were of the sorts.
"Please no."
"Don't destroy our hopes so soon."
"Evil incarnate."
Vollax muttered, "I knew it. He's a sadistic bastard."
Emmia felt her soul leave her while Icarth decided to take a nap.
Shui, Hanna, and Tea tensed up as they whispered to each other about what were their answers.
Ragnar snorted as Melvin started going through each question and what were the expected answers.
'Useless class.' Ragnar thought with disdain.
'I should've skipped and practiced my techniques instead.'
The class dragged on with Melvin discussing each question with a smile on his face.
"And that's all, I'll have your papers returned by next week," Melvin announced placing the bundle in his bag.
"And now, time for our next session."
A chill swept through the class as Melvin ordered the class to head to their practice hall.
-------------------------
Emmia sat down a couple of feet away from Luna. The class had spread out again in the large hall just like during their first session.
Wiping her sweaty palms on her clothes, Emmia took a deep breath to calm her nerves.
Glancing at Luna, Emmia saw her shooting her a thumbs up.
Grinning, Emmia returned the thumbs up as Luna blinked slowly.
"Alright, everyone get ready, I'll be starting now," Melvin warned his class as he started to control the universal energy around him.
Universal energy started to move and flow unnaturally.
Icarth, Sefir, Luna, and a few others such as Ragnar could see the flow of universal energy as it flooded the room. It kept increasing in density until the temperature of the room started to rise.
Melvin finally activated his gift and a forge materialized around him.