The group went over to the area where they were cataloguing the items students get.

A man who was obviously a staff member stood off to the side with a pen resting between his fingers and a small logbook open in his hand.

His glasses sat low on his nose, and his hair was neatly combed but slightly uneven at the ends. His shirt was buttoned all the way up, though the collar had begun to wrinkle.

His expression was flat, his eyelids half-lowered as he glanced down at the page without much interest.

"Excuse me, we'd like to get our stuff catalogued." Lucas said.

"Oh yes, right away. Just take out your items." He said.

The group took out the things they had gathered in the forest: the Moonpetals, the Crystal Spider webs and egg sacs, the various monster parts, the rare herbs and mushrooms, and finally, Celeste's piece of Starlight Ore.

The staff member recording their submission raised an eyebrow at the ore. "Starlight Ore? That's... impressive. And somewhat concerning. That deposit is in a very dangerous area."

"We noticed," Zacard said.

"Well, assuming everything checks out, you should score quite well. Maybe even to ten or twenty. Now, through the portal behind me. It'll take you directly to the academy infirmary for medical evaluation, then you're free to return to your dorms."

One by one, they stepped through the shimmering portal. Lucas went last but before leaving he took a final look at the Arvsen Forest behind them.

You three bosses, i'll be back for you. And when I am...

Lucas didn't think much more and just entered the portal.

The moment he stepped forward, the air changed. It thinned, then thickened, as if his skin were being pulled through warm syrup.

A soft pressure wrapped around his ankles first, then climbed up his legs, squeezing but never hurting.

His stomach dipped, the way it does at the top of a fast elevator, and a faint hum pressed against his ears.

Colors blurred at the edges of his sight though nothing around him was actually moving. His fingertips tingled, as if they were brushing against something that wasn't quite solid.

For a brief second, he felt both lighter and heavier, suspended between one step and the next, unsure where the ground really was. Then the pull released all at once, and he stumbled forward into stillness.

He was in the infirmary. The academy infirmary was packed from wall to wall. Cots lined both sides of the room, some neatly made, others rumpled where students sat or lay waiting.

Bandages piled high in wicker baskets near the entrance, and a faint smell of herbs drifted

Healers in simple robes wove through the crowd, sleeves pushed up, hands stained with salve.

A stack of wooden crutches leaned against the far wall, and next to them, a shelf crowded with jars, dried leaves, pale powders, and liquids glowing faintly, rattled each time someone brushed past.

"We're here." Damion said with a smile.

"This place is crowded as hell." Garrett said.

"I agree." Zacard said.

"Let's just hurry up and get this over with." Damion said.

The group moved forward and soon ran into a nurse that seemed to be important.

Her face was smooth and youthful, framed by soft, shoulder-length hair pinned loosely behind her ears. A few strands slipped free and brushed her cheeks when she leaned over a patient.

Her eyes were wide and clear, giving her an alert, gentle look. She wore a simple healer's robe tied at the waist, the pale fabric brushing her boots as she walked.

Light touches of color stood out against the clean white of her uniform. Her hands were small but steady, the fingers quick as she adjusted bandages or mixed herbs in a shallow bowl.

"Excuse me, ma'am. Can you help us fix up ourselves." Damion asked.

"Yes, sure." The nurse said. "But you'd have to wait because their are a lot of people with more severe injuries than your that need instant help. Just grab a seat over there. I'll call you when we can afford to deal with your case, okay?"

The nurse pointed at the corner she was talking about.

"Okay." Damion said, walking towards the pointed out corner.

The group slowly shambled over to the corner and sat in the available seats.

As Lucas sat, two nurses passed by him engaged in deep conversation. Lucas decided to eavesdrop to what they are saying.

"Another one with claw marks. That's what the fifteenth one today, isn't it??" Nurse 1 said.

"Seventeenth. I stopped counting after the broken bones hit double digits.".Nurse 2 said.

"Two days. They left these little children in the Arvsen Forest for two entire days. What were the instructors thinking?" Nurse 1 said.

"Building character," apparently. The vice headmaster's words, not mine. Though I notice HIS daughter got a convenient illness right before the test started." Nurse 2 said.

"Lucky girl. Unlike that poor boy in over in bed twelve. I heard that he tried climbing a tree to escape a pack of wolves. Fell twenty feet." Nurse 1 said.

"At least he's better of than the guy over bed seven. Ate poisonous berries because he didn't attend his professors herbology lectures. He'll recover, but...".Nurse 2 said.

"At least, no one died this year." Nurse 1 said.

"We claim we have quality. That girl they brought in an hour ago, the infection from the swamp water is spreading faster than I'd like." Nurse 2 said.

"We're running low on wound salve. I sent for more, but the apothecary can barely keep up with demand." Nurse 1 said.

"Every year they make these tests harder. Remember when midterms were just written examinations?" Nurse 2 said.

"Those were simpler times." Nurse 1 said.

"Of course they were. Clear bed twenty-three and fetch more clean linens." Nurse 2 said.

"Let's just hope with all of our hopes that there aren't that many more injured students." Nurse 1 said.

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