**Chapter 67 – The Second Day of Tests – Part 1**
The second day of tests began under an overcast sky with a cold wind blowing in from the forest. The air inside the academy felt heavier than the day before, as if the institution were now evaluating the candidates with an entirely different kind of pressure after the first screening had passed.
In the morning, all the candidates who had passed the previous day were gathered in the large central courtyard. Aria stood at the center, accompanied by three new evaluators: a middle-aged human man named Master Harlan (a specialist in tactics and teamwork), a dwarf named Master Vorga (known for being extremely strict), and a tall, serious elf named Master Thalor (responsible for assessing emotional control).
Aria spoke in a firm voice:
— Today will no longer be about individual power. Today we will see how you work as a group, how you think under pressure, and how you handle situations you cannot solve alone. Being strong by yourself is not enough here. The academy wants to know if you can be strong together.
The candidates were divided into mixed teams of six. The family had been deliberately separated — each member was placed in a different group alongside candidates they barely knew.
Joker ended up with Kael (the skinny human who had nearly drowned in the mud the day before), Elowen (the agile elf), two young orcs, and a red-furred fox beastkin named Mira.
Harley was grouped with Jax (the wolf beastkin), Borak (the orc who had failed the previous day and was being re-evaluated), Lira (the green-scaled dragonewt), and two more humans.
Astrid, Rina, Marina, Sylvara, Lirien, and Kuroe were also scattered across different teams, with none of them placed together.
The first exercise of the day was a team coordination test. Each group received a flag that had to be carried to the top of a tall stone tower. There were strict rules, however: only one person could climb at a time, and while one climbed, the other five had to defend the base against simulated attacks from enchanted dummies that rose from the ground. If the flag fell or the team completely lost control of the base, the entire group would be penalized.
Master Harlan explained in a calm but serious tone:
— You will need to trust one another. If someone climbs too quickly without protection, the base falls. If everyone stays at the base defending, no one makes it up. Balance. Communication. Trust. That is what we are evaluating today.
The teams were called one by one.
Joker's group was among the first to enter the arena. Kael was already visibly nervous, gripping the flag far too tightly. Mira, the fox beastkin, tried to calm everyone with a soft voice. The two orcs seemed more interested in proving their strength than in strategy.
Joker observed his teammates in silence for a few seconds before speaking quietly:
— I'll climb first. While I'm going up, the four of you defend the base. When I reach the middle of the tower, one of you starts climbing. Don't rush. Don't panic.
Kael swallowed hard.
— And if the dummies come in force?
Joker gave a crooked smile, the shadows around his feet already stirring slightly.
— Then we break them before they reach the flag.
On the other side of the arena, Harley was already giving orders to her team as if she had been born to lead. Jax seemed to enjoy her confident posture. Borak grumbled but obeyed. Lira listened attentively, her green scales glowing faintly.
Harley pointed at the tower and spoke in a sweet yet firm voice:
— I climb last. Jax and Borak stay at the base defending. Lira climbs after me. The two humans stay in the middle to pass the flag. If anyone tries to steal it, I'll smash their face in with my hammer. Simple.
Master Vorga, watching from a distance, raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed by the girl's natural leadership.
The exercises began.
Joker's team did not have a smooth run. Kael panicked the moment the first dummies appeared and nearly dropped the flag. One of the orcs tried to climb alone without waiting for the signal, almost ruining everything. Joker had to use his shadows to stabilize the flag in mid-air while Elowen climbed with agile precision. In the end, the team passed, but with only an average score. Joker left the arena wearing a bored expression.
Harley's team, by contrast, performed far better. She coordinated everything with precision. When the dummies began appearing in greater numbers, she swung her hammer and unleashed a shockwave that sent several of them flying backward, buying time for Jax and Borak to reposition. By the time it was her turn to climb, the team had already settled into a perfect rhythm. They finished the exercise with one of the highest scores of the morning.
Once all the teams had completed the morning exercise, Master Harlan approached several groups to give feedback. He stopped near Harley and said:
— You have a natural instinct for leadership. But be careful. Leaders who give too many orders can end up alone when they need help the most.
Harley simply smiled and replied:
— I don't give orders by myself. I break things together with them.
Harley glanced across the arena to where Joker was leaning against a stone pillar, watching everything with a lazy smile. Their eyes met for a brief moment.
The second day was still far from over.
And the worst — or perhaps the most interesting part — had yet to come that afternoon.
**End of Part 1**
(continues in Part 1/2)