Two months had passed in a flash. During this time, Clock had slowly grown accustomed to his new body and lifestyle, and he had gained many insights.
He found that although he possessed all of Jack's memories, most were blurry, like a dream. However, as time went on, they became clearer, as if they were truly his own. He realized he could easily lose his sense of self and fully become Jack if he wasn't careful.
When the day of the exams finally arrived, he woke up early, took a bath, and dressed in his best clothes.
They were rather unique, consisting of a deep black cotton vest, a cheap cloak, dark brown trousers made of some coarse fabric, a small leather belt, a pair of black boots, and a big hat. These hats were the symbolic characteristic of sorcerers. Each hat was unique; in his case, Jack's hat had a reddish tint, with a red ribbon on top and some runes carved out of red ink.
Uncle Sam had worked hard to collect money to buy this set. It was very expensive for them, but for the interview, Jack absolutely needed to be at least averagely presentable. Uncle Sam had even bought a small bottle of perfume, which was still very costly.
Jack felt a little guilty.
"If you want to repay me, then work hard and lead a good life, Jack… you've grown so much… no, this isn't time to get sentimental. Let's have breakfast; you'll have to go soon," Sam cheered Jack up.
"Don't worry, I'll do my best, Uncle Sam," Jack gave him a reassuring smile.
They soon had their breakfast—a light meal of bread with some tea. Jack and Sam enjoyed their company. If Jack was selected and passed with the top score, he would be given a special room in the academy with all his essential needs. However, he would not be allowed to visit home until the seasonal breaks. Both Sam and Jack were sad but knew that such hardships were essential for growth.
Jack finally got up from the floor. "Thanks, Uncle, for everything. Now I should get going."
"Take care…" Uncle Sam said in a sad tone, trying his best not to cry. "I know you're going to ace the exams. Do your best. Just know, even if something goes wrong, you can always count on your uncle. I am very proud of you, Jack."
Jack felt emotional.
'Jack was sure a lucky guy... no, I guess he wasn't, because he lost his body to me. I wonder what happened to him... Okay! I don't have time for this now, let's go,' Jack composed himself and bid farewell to Sam.
Jack crossed the small bridge and traversed through the marketplace, along the narrow and small streets.
He was feeling nervous—who wouldn't? He thought as he walked toward the Sorcerer Academy with his notes in his hand. He was determined to revise until the last second, and indeed he did.
However, at the gates of the academy, he was met by a disturbing scene: a man was running away from some guards. He couldn't outrun them, though; he was caught and killed right on the spot, a sword piercing through his heart, after which his body was dragged away.
'Damnation… I need to be careful. I can't act suspicious… wait, why am I thinking that? I am not here to do anything wrong—'
"Hey, you! Why are you standing there? Are you here for the exam or not?" Jack was interrupted by a guard. His voice was deep and low.
"Yes—yes, sir. How did you know?" Jack tried to produce a smile.
"Your hat. Now go fast; the writing exam is about to start," the guard said in an expressionless tone.
"Ah—yes—yes, I mean, thanks. I am going."
Jack bowed to the guard, paid his respects, and walked off toward the gate, after gaining some distance he was finally able to take a deep breath. Yes, it was an unsettling event that he had seen, but he could not dwell on it. He thought of only one thing: it was finally time to show off his two months of hard work.