So it was survival of the fittest, then? What kind of academy ran exams like this—where death wasn't just a possibility but practically written into the fine print? Students could get killed, and the academy's rules made it sound like they didn't care at all.
Then reality hit me like a brick.
'Oh… wait. That's right. It was me.'
I blinked, feeling a bead of cold sweat run down my temple. 'But I don't remember writing this! In my draft, the main characters all just… passed! Easy! That was it. I didn't think about the extras…'
I let my eyes wander across the nervous faces of the other students, some clutching their robes tightly, others whispering prayers under their breath. A pang of guilt shot through me.
'I'm sorry. Truly. I didn't mean for you background characters to end up as sacrifices to make the heroes shine.'
A commanding voice broke through my spiral of thought.
"Nice to meet you all. I am Archmage Gusion Eresby."
