Morning arrived quietly over Reikosha Academy.
Thin rays of sunlight slipped through the tall windows of the main academic building, painting long golden lines across the polished stone floors. Normally the halls would be filled with the usual chatter of students rushing between classes, but today the atmosphere was different.
Tense.
Focused.
Every first-year student knew what day it was.
The Base Energy examination.
Kairo walked through the corridor with his notebook held tightly under his arm. Even though he had studied late into the night, his stomach still felt heavy with nervous energy. Around him, groups of students whispered to each other while reviewing their notes one last time.
Some looked confident.
Others looked just as worried as he felt.
At the entrance of the classroom, Kimimaru leaned against the wall with his usual calm expression, flipping slowly through a thin notebook. His handwriting was as neat as always, every diagram perfectly drawn.
"You're going to wear a hole in that notebook if you keep gripping it like that," Kimimaru said without looking up.
Kairo exhaled slowly. "Easy for you to say. You actually understand this stuff."
Kimimaru closed the notebook.
"Understanding comes from repetition. You practiced yesterday."
"Barely."
"Still counts."
Before Kairo could respond, Tyouro suddenly appeared from behind them carrying three pieces of bread stacked awkwardly in his hands.
"Breakfast of champions!" he announced proudly.
Yura followed a few steps behind him, arms folded and expression calm.
"You're eating again?" Kimimaru asked.
Tyouro shrugged. "Thinking burns energy."
Yura glanced at Kairo's nervous face and shook her head slightly.
"You're overthinking."
Kairo blinked. "How can I not overthink? This test determines our energy placement."
"That's not what matters," Yura said.
Kairo frowned. "Then what does?"
She answered simply.
"Control."
Before the conversation could continue, the classroom door opened.
Professor Shougo Takahano stepped inside.
The room immediately quieted.
Even the students still talking in the hallway fell silent as they took their seats.
Takahano placed a stack of examination papers on the desk and adjusted his glasses.
His calm presence filled the room without effort.
"Good morning," he said.
The class responded in unison.
"Good morning, Professor."
Takahano looked across the rows of students.
"Today's exam will test your understanding of Base Energy theory. That means Reikou, Yami, and Hikari. However, this is not simply a memorization test."
Several students straightened nervously.
"Energy is not a collection of definitions," Takahano continued. "It is a relationship between your mind, your body, and the world around you. If you only memorize words, you will fail to understand the meaning behind them."
He began passing the exam papers down the rows.
Kairo received his sheet and stared at the first question.
Explain the difference between Reikou energy and Yami energy in terms of origin and control.
He swallowed.
That one he remembered.
Reikou came from the life force within living beings.
Yami originated from destructive imbalance and void.
Control methods were completely different.
He began writing slowly.
Around the room, pens scratched across paper.
Some students finished quickly, their confidence obvious. Others hesitated between answers, struggling to remember specific explanations from Takahano's lectures.
Kairo kept writing carefully.
Every once in a while he paused to think about the way Takahano had demonstrated Hikari energy in the arena. The calm glow in the professor's hand had explained more than any lecture.
Energy wasn't just theory.
It was feeling.
Halfway through the test, Kairo noticed something strange.
Kimimaru had already finished.
Instead of sitting idle, he simply closed his eyes quietly as if meditating.
Kairo raised an eyebrow.
Show-off.
Near the window, Yura continued writing with precise movements, her posture perfectly straight. Tyouro, meanwhile, had filled nearly half the page with diagrams explaining energy flow.
Somehow he had even drawn arrows.
Thirty minutes later, Takahano stood up again.
"Time."
A few students groaned quietly as papers were collected.
Kairo handed his sheet forward, feeling both relieved and uncertain.
The professor stacked the papers neatly before speaking again.
"The written test is only the first part."
Several students looked confused.
Kairo's stomach dropped.
Of course there was more.
Takahano turned toward the door.
"The second part of today's evaluation will take place in the training grounds."
A wave of murmurs spread through the classroom.
"Practical control?" someone whispered.
Takahano opened the door and stepped into the hallway.
"Yes."
He looked back at them.
"You will demonstrate your ability to manifest Base Energy under pressure."
Kairo exchanged a glance with Kimimaru.
Kimimaru simply stood and stretched his shoulders.
"Good," he said quietly.
Tyouro grinned.
"Now the fun part begins."
Yura walked past them toward the door.
But as Kairo stood up to follow, Takahano's voice spoke again.
"Kairo."
He froze.
The professor's calm eyes met his.
"Don't rush your energy."
Kairo blinked.
Takahano's expression softened slightly.
"Remember the river."
Then he turned and walked away.
Kairo stood there for a moment, thinking about those words.
The river.
Kimimaru lightly tapped his shoulder as he passed.
"Come on."
The four of them walked toward the training grounds together.
Outside, the wind moved gently across the academy fields, carrying the distant sounds of other classes beginning their exercises.
Kairo could already feel the faint vibration of Reikou inside his chest again.
This time, it wasn't nervous.
It felt ready.
The real test was about to begin.