Adam watched the rector assess more students, each word spoken with the casual evenness of someone who had done this for millennia and had found everyone lacking either in character or potential.
Dozens took turns eagerly, yet none awakened even a spark of interest in the rector's single eye. But more importantly, the mage had yet to recommend the House of Exorcism.
That is, until a green-haired nine-year-old boy trembled before the table.
A spark, reflected by the hovering magic gems, flashed through the rector's eye. For a heartbeat, Adam saw something like interest or perhaps a slight anticipation, before it faded into the familiar evenness.
"You have little ambition, and the unknown doesn't interest you. But I see determination, protectiveness, and loyalty to your loved ones. House of Exorcism fits you, little one."
The boy froze, as if he had heard a death sentence.
Around Adam, hushed whispers exploded, and even the older students shook their heads.
