After returning to the academy, the students had gradually made their way to the infirmary, each one bearing varying degrees of exhaustion, scrapes, and bruises earned from the grueling trial of the day. The infirmary was crowded, not just with first-years but second-years as well, many of whom had been dispatched to equally harsh exercises elsewhere only teh instructors knew about.
Once treated, most students retreated to their dorms to wash off the grime and sweat that clung to them from the morning's exertions. By the time everyone converged on the cafeteria, the room had transformed into a hive of energy, buzzing with students carrying trays stacked with food, some searching for seats amid the chaos, others already seated and digging into their meals with lively chatter. Conversations rippled through the hall, everyone eager to recount their first day of rigorous training—the small triumphs, near misses, and unexpected challenges that had defined the day.
