Azrael woke up slowly, feeling the weight of exhaustion pressing down on every muscle. He had been unconscious for three long days, and when he finally opened his eyes, the first people he saw were James and Sara, asleep in chairs beside his bed, as if they had not moved an inch the entire time.
"Ah… it hurts," he murmured, trying to move his arms. "I can barely move. Is this because of the battle?" Azrael said, his voice carrying both stress and frustration at the heaviness weighing him down.
The sound of his voice was enough to make James snap his eyes open.
"Ah, Azrael! You're awake!" he exclaimed, jumping to his feet.
Sara jolted awake at the shout.
"Ah—what is it, James? Why are you yelling?" she asked, still confused as she rubbed her eyes.
Both of them moved closer to the bed and began explaining what had happened. They told him he had been unconscious for a full three days, that he had lost the last two battles due to his absence, but that, in a way, he had also been lucky. One of those matches would have been against Jack, the prodigy swordsman, and the other against a foreigner with unknown abilities. They also told him that they had already finished their own trials: James had gone undefeated in alchemy, and Sara had only lost once in magic.
Azrael listened carefully, though his mind was still hazy.
"Hey, James," he said suddenly, curiosity flickering in his eyes. "What's your practical evaluation like?"
"My practical exam involves creating potions, tools, and weapons," James replied, growing animated as he spoke about his specialty. "I focused on potions, since that's my family's strong suit," he added with visible pride.
"You're impressive, James. Don't tell me you made that kind of potion… you know the one," Azrael said with a half-smile, unaware that Sara was listening closely.
Sara wrinkled her nose.
"You two are disgusting!" she exclaimed, though a smile tugged at her lips.
The three friends exchanged looks and burst into laughter, a light moment after so many days of tension. However, concern soon crept into Azrael's mind. He did not know whether he had managed to enter the academy after losing two matches.
James, as if reading his thoughts, delivered the news. Thanks to his high score on the theoretical exam and the single battle he had fought, Azrael had earned just enough points to be admitted… though he ranked second to last on the list.
"Whew! At least I got in," Azrael reflected with relief. "It would've been worse if I hadn't."
Sara nodded, looking at him knowingly.
"Well, Azrael, now that you're feeling better, you should get to know the academy in more detail," she suggested enthusiastically.
"Yeah, you can start exploring," James added in a friendly tone. "Just not today. Maybe tomorrow, or when you're fully recovered."
But Azrael had another question on his mind.
"Hey, James… who took first place among the swordsmen?" he asked, momentarily ignoring their suggestion.
James shuddered slightly.
"Ah, right… Jack took first place," he said, as if merely saying the name sent chills down his spine.
"And among the mages?" Azrael pressed, curious.
"I took first place," Sara said with a wide, proud smile.
Azrael then turned to James, expectant.
"And in alchemy? What rank did you get?"
James lowered his gaze slightly.
"I placed fifteenth. My potion wasn't as effective as I'd hoped," he confessed. "The competition among the other talents was intense."
"What!?" Azrael exclaimed, genuinely shocked.
From there, the three of them began analyzing the mistakes they had made, sharing experiences and lessons learned. The days passed as they talked, laughed, and prepared themselves mentally, until only one night remained before the start of classes at the prestigious Royal Academy.