He glanced at Kael. The transformation was dramatic. Gone was the cheerful boy. A stressed office worker had taken his place. His quill was half eaten. Eyes hollow.
Ethan did not want him to fail. But seeing Kael in this state was oddly satisfying.
After four hours, papers were collected and marked immediately. Ethan marveled that Starfall did everything faster than Earth schools.
The results were posted soon. Ethan hurried with Aimi cheering in his head.
The House Aurelian heir, and someone Ethan did not recognize. They scored a perfect 100.
What surprised Ethan was his name came only in third position. The second position was held by someone else, as well.
"I am pretty confident in the problem solving part I did by myself. Hey Aimi, did you remember things incorrectly in the first part? It's one thing to not be first, but third? "
Aimi rolled her virtual eyes.
Temari cheered, her name was in the 200s.
Kael kept scanning. And scanning. And scanning.
"Start from the bottom," Ethan advised wisely.
There it was. Rank 499. Kael Vale.
Kael nearly collapsed in relief. His stomach roared like a hunting beast.
Ethan patted his shoulder.
"Good job. Minion One and Two. Food awaits."
Kael nodded with the enthusiasm of a man who had survived war.
...…..
Lyra Vale looked proudly at her sons and Temari. All three managed to clear the first trial. Ethan even managed to snatch the third position.
She always suspected Ethan was some genius reincarnated, but his priorities are distracted on making toys.
Temari also has shown good interest towards studying, Lyra had good enough confidence in her.
But she hardly believed Kael could pass the test even with one more year of studying.
"Probably…. the other participants were just dumber this time."
All the three children ate their fill heartily. Ethan and Temari went to sleep as soon as they are done with dinner.
Kael went to his room, but his facade of being tired disappeared as soon as he closed the door.
"What is wrong with me? Am I possessed by someone? How did I complete the answers?"
During the exam, Kael was devastated looking at the questions. He thought he was done for. All the big talks about saving House Vale's honor? Please earth just split open and let me hide,
Then, a voice echoed in his skull:
"This time, let me help you out, kid. You're so much dumber than your predecessors."
An old and tired voice echoed inside Kael's head.
Kael remembered his vision blurring… reality slipping…
And when he came to his senses, most of his answers were filled in. Correctly.
Now, Kael was convinced:
"Some grumpy dead wizard has attached his angry soul to me."
In a panic, he began reciting every holy verse, heroic chant, and bedtime prayer he ever knew. Mumbling into the night like a cautious exorcist. "I am too young for all this nonsense."
Next Morning…
Ethan rose before sunrise.
Trial Two will start around ten. That Rowan guy had not said much about how the trial will be conducted.
But Ethan has read enough novels in his previous life to know about these silly tropes.
He first went to Temari, only to find her already brushing her teeth.
"Minion Number Two," he declared, pointing dramatically, "join me for breakfast. We have a strategic discussion for Trial Two."
Temari rolled her eyes, foam around her mouth. "Mhm."
Then Ethan knocked on Kael's door.
Kael opened it… after Ethan threatened to break it down.
He looked terrifying.
His face looked like a Panda. Hair like a bird's failed nest.
Expression of a man who'd seen the afterlife.
Ethan blinked once.
Twice.
Internally screaming "Aren't you too young for doing these things?" but externally calm.
"Minion Number One," he said slowly, "join us for strategic discussion."
Kael just nodded like a zombie.
Breakfast Briefing
Both Lyra and Temari stared at Kael as he sat down like a wilted plant.
"Trial pressure," Kael croaked, waving a trembling hand.
Ethan cleared his throat like a general at war councils.
"I am 99% certain the second trial will be an illusion trial. Designed to show us what we fear the most. We simply do not believe what we see.
If we are allowed to enter together, just look for me. I will bring us out from the maze.
That's the winning strategy."
Lyra, Temari, and Kael all leaned forward, intrigued.
"How do you know?" Lyra asked.
Ethan sniffed confidently.
"In stories, they either test resolve with stairs or illusions. Since the Starfall people didn't bring any stairs, and I do not think the Maze of Stars will have stairs inside...…."
He tapped his temple.
"It's obviously illusions."
Temari raised a hand.
"What if it is stairs?"
Ethan went dead serious.
"Then we endure. Every step becomes heavier than the last. Eyes forward no matter the pain. And, just in case… allow a drop or two of your blood to fall on the steps. Sometimes they might just recognise your bloodline and become your pet"
Kael and Temari: "Hmm. Yes. That sounds right."
Lyra stared.
"These kids….. why do they have such ridiculous imaginations? Stairs? I will have to find that author who keeps writing these BS"
Ethan pretended not to hear.
With bags packed and nerves buzzing, Ethan, Kael, Temari, and Lyra left the villa and headed toward the stadium.
Kael kept on praying silently.
Please don't be illusions of ghosts.
I already have a real ghost problem…
The stadium was already packed with people by the time Ethan and his gang reached their spot. Participants are already discussing how the Starfall Academy will test their resolve.
No shady figure selling a leaked method to cross the maze of stars this time. Some silkpants beat the guy up after failing the first trial.
Ethan was getting bored waiting for Rowan, but this time a woman in her early twenties came up instead of the middle-aged guy.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, I was eating the Silver-Fish stew, you know the local delicacy of fogward town. I really liked the trinket I bought from the night mar...….ahem ahem...
The second trial will be conducted in the maze of stars.
The maze is the newest innovation of our Dreamcraft department. All you have to do is enter the maze and navigate through it before the hourglass empties."
Marine pulled out a big hourglass from who knows where and put it down on the tall podium for everyone to see. Unlike the normal ones, this one worked in reverse. The sand flowed from the bottom half to the top half.
"Now the trial officially starts. Anyone who comes out of the maze before the hourglass fills up will pass the trial. Good Luck." Marine disappeared behind the podium.
...…..
"That's cool! Is that some magical sand that defies gravity? The Academy is getting more mysterious every day.
But using an hourglass to create more psychological pressure? Clever. How much time do we have?" Ethan asked Aimi.
"Looking at the rate of sand falling…er rising, it will take around one hour fifteen minutes to fill the upper half."
"Let's go! I am not afraid of ghosts." Kael cracked his knuckles.
"Wait a little bit, the woman did not specify what will happen after entering the maze. Let the cannon fo....other kids test the ground" Ethan stopped both Kael and Temari. Nobody wants to be the first guinea pig to the maze.
After five minutes, the kids lost patience, and one guy with tattoos stepped up for the challenge.
He gave some war cry, while his friends cheered him up. The guy swaggered into the maze.
Nothing happened for five minutes. "The trial must be easy. There is no need to panic, we can enter together and ...…." Before Temari could finish her words, the tattooed guy came running back, screaming something about never lying to his mother ever again. He even kowtowed before his father and asked for a beating for not being a filial son all these years.
"Alleavated heart beat, sweating even in this cold weather. Fight or flight response detected. You were right Ethan, the maze most likely showed the illusion of his inner fears."
With his hypothesis confirmed, Ethan became confident.
"Hmph! just a maze. Common Kael and Temari, remember the strategy we discussed. Do not believe in anything you see there. Just find me or keep on following the left wall, you will get out of the maze at some point."
Ethan put his hands in his pockets, while his two minions followed after him, head held high.
With Aimi, there is no need to care about illusions, he would just shut his eyes and let Aimi guide him through.
Two black eyes like night stared at Ethan's back until he entered the maze.
"Interesting, a Vale who does not charge in blindly and even knows how to get out of a maze. Fufufu, I will have to keep an eye on you little Ethan"
Ruth Dravencourt pulled her cloak tighter around her and entered the maze.