"Urgh… shit."
Absinthe finds himself suspended above the ground. It's nearly completely dark, but he senses that it's still the afternoon, so the sky is blocked out. He squints his eyes and realizes that he's in a forest, but the canopy of trees are wrapped with silk, denying the vast area sunlight.
He frowns as he looks down and realizes that he's stuck in a massive pattern of sticky threads, maybe a good twenty meters off the ground. The corners of the spiderweb are connected to other tall, thick trees in the vicinity.
"What a predicament we're in, isn't it? I'm sorry that your fine hair is tangled in this webbed mess. I'll wash it off for you after we get out," a feminine voice says to Absinthe from his left.
Absinthe turns his head and spots a young woman in a thick leather coat over a dark wool sweater. He can barely make out intricate tattoo patterns on her arms, the mark of an Invoker of Thalor, God of Storms.
As the woman takes a closer look at Absinthe, she frowns. "Feh. You're a man. Nevermind my offer."
Absinthe frowns back. "I should be the one disappointed by the fact that I didn't get stuck with a Sol Invoker. It's really damn dark here."
Under the cover of darkness, Absinthe's senses were heightened. He could hear the faintest rustling of leaves, the soft hum of insects, and the gentle flow of a nearby stream. The scent of damp earth and greenery filled the air, and he could feel the slight tremble of the web as the spider who spun it went about its business.
The woman smirked, a flash of white in the gloom. "Afraid of the dark, are you? It's quite unfortunate that I can't see your face properly, but I'm sure you're just as terrified as you sound."
Since the entire area is covered by darkness, Absinthe's body vanishes, reappearing above the webs, standing casually atop of it.
"Whoa! Is that Nocturna magic? Help me outta here before a shitty spider gobbles me for lunch! Let's… let's pretend I didn't say anything earlier."
"We're enemies aren't we? Once I find your heartspud I can eliminate you right here."
"No, wait! Wouldn't you rather want an ally? There're crazy powerhouse students like Princess Daphne and the other two favorites. So having someone in your corner might help your chances of passing!"
A silence emerges as beads of sweat drip down her face as she smiles awkwardly.
From the shadows in Absinthe's arm, he digs into his spatial storage. He grasps his prized weapon, but decides against it.
Instead he pulls out a silver dagger, cutting the webs around the woman. Once she's free, he pulls her up, and they both stand on the webs. By her side, she clutches her rugged wooden suitcase close to her.
"Whew, thanks for that. Name's Miriam Holtze," she holds out her hand, "let's pass this stormed thing, yeah?"
Absinthe eyes the proffered hand, then grasps it firmly. "Absinthe. Nice to meet you, Miriam. Let's survive this exam together."