The drums rolled like thunder across the coliseum as the two hosts slowly rose from the center platform, the polished obsidian floor parting seamlessly beneath their feet. A roar of applause erupted from the crowd, hundreds of voices echoing across the dome as the spotlights fell on the rising figures—Cairo and Cyra, siblings and student icons of the Third Year. Both draped in dark crimson robes laced with gold, they stood tall, radiant under the shimmering lights, their presence alone commanding the gaze of all in attendance.
"Good morning, Crimora!" Cairo's voice boomed, yet carried an effortless calm that rolled over the crowd like warm silk. "To those present, and those watching from your essence screens at home—we welcome you to yet another thrilling Dungeon Evaluation Examination!"
The crowd cheered louder.
"Ah, I still remember two years ago," Cyra added, her voice lighter, dreamlike. "We stood where these first-years stand now... confused, terrified, and totally underprepared." She laughed softly, drawing smiles and knowing chuckles from older students.
As if on cue, the giant floating screens above flickered to life, playing a vibrant montage of previous dungeon evaluations. The camera showed teams bursting through flaming doors, essence shields deflecting blasts, aerial duels mid-dungeon, and a particularly dramatic moment of a student leaping off a collapsing bridge to catch a fallen teammate. The crowd responded in waves of cheers and laughter, some pointing to old classmates, others reliving past glory.
"As you can all see," Cairo commented, gesturing toward the screens, "the evaluation holds nothing but pure exhilaration and unfiltered brilliance."
"But this year," Cyra said, her tone shifting subtly, "we have a unique set of prodigies. The first Grade A talent in ten years. Two students already at Peak Rank 1 after just six months. And many more hidden stars waiting to shine."
Faces of outstanding Room A students appeared on the screens—Roy, arms folded with a cocky smile; Melissa, eyes fierce with crimson flame swirling behind her; and a few unknowns whose aura flared subtly even through the screen.
"Today's dungeon evaluation also comes with a special twist," Cairo announced. "Ten amazing Unawakened juniors will be joining the ten teams. One unawakened per team. Leaders must not only succeed—but protect them."
The camera panned to the front of Room A where the unawakened sat. Nicole waved eagerly, her golden eyes catching the light, drawing cheers from the crowd—and a wild scream from Varek and Racheal, proudly slamming their palms together.
"And now," Cairo said with finality, "we begin. Rooms B and C will open the day with their evaluation rounds. At Crimson Academy, no student is left behind. We elevate everyone—to their limits and beyond."
"So, ladies and gentlemen..." Cyra raised her hand.
"Let the Second Semester Evaluation—begin!"
The center stage trembled as the hosts' platform rose into the air, hovering for a clear aerial view. The floor below cracked into shifting tiles, rearranging itself into a wide-open field marked with glowing runes. At ten equidistant points across the arena, Second-Year students emerged from hidden elevators, stepping onto designated platforms.
Each wore a dampening belt, their aura suppressed to Early Rank 1, leveling the playing field. Behind each of them floated five shimmering marbles, spinning in a lazy orbit, held aloft by precise essence control.
On the screens above, the evaluation parameters blazed into view:
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ROOM C EVALUATION
Task: Retrieve a marble from one of the hosts before time runs out.
Requirement: Use essence to enhance speed and reflexes. No skills allowed.
Fail Condition: Run out of essence or finish without a marble.
Bonus: Points scale with speed of retrieval. First few earn highest scores.
Timer: 20:00
"There you have it, folks," Cairo narrated. "The rules have been set. Room C is already on the move."
Room C's nearly one hundred students began pouring into the field, their tracksuits fluttering in the wind, faces a mix of steel, fear, and burning determination. Each host radiated pressure, a soft aura shield cloaking them. No one could get closer than five meters—yet.
"Wait," Cyra leaned closer, reading the fine print. "Only fifty marbles? That means..."
"Yep," Cairo confirmed. "Half the students will fail. The clock starts... now."
BWOOOOOOOM!
A blaring horn shattered the air.
The restriction fell.
Like lightning, the field erupted in motion.
Essence flared. Dozens of students activated body enhancements—some glowing at the legs, others enhancing vision or reaction time. The first rush hit the central host. A boy with short silver hair—Host Kaen—grinned as three students lunged at him from different angles.
His marbles danced.
With a flick of his fingers, he spun the marbles into a rapid orbit, creating a miniature storm around him. The first student reached in—too slow. The marble whipped sideways, striking their shoulder and knocking them flat. The second tried from the air—Kaen bent back smoothly and redirected the marble straight into their chest.
But the third—a quiet girl named Tessia—darted low. She slid on her knees, aura focused into her palm. Just as Kaen flicked the marble toward her, she rolled sideways, swiping it out of its path and yanking it into her essence band.
Success. The screen flashed her name.
"That's one!" Cyra cried out. "Tessia of Room C! That was clean, fast, and strategic."
Elsewhere, a student with a wild grin—Mikhal—roared as he bolted straight at his host. He didn't dodge, didn't feint. He rammed through the deflecting marbles, absorbing several hits as he bear-hugged one into his chest.
"Brute force! Not elegant, but effective," Cairo noted.
More names appeared. Jade, grinning wildly as she caught a marble by leaping from the back of another student. Lerik, who used a pulse of wind to blow two other students back before gracefully catching one.
The crowd roared.
As the timer ticked down to the 5-minute mark, only a few marbles remained.
The pressure intensified. Students began to circle the final hosts like wolves. Those who had failed in earlier attempts now grew desperate. They flared their essence wildly, even recklessly.
Then, with 2:00 left, the final marble was taken.
Silence.
Then chaos.
Students turned on one another.
No rules had been announced forbidding stealing—and with no marbles left, many took it as silent permission. A boy tackled Mikhal to the ground, fists flying. Jade got jumped by two students at once and launched a shockwave to escape. Others clutched their marbles like gold, weaving through the battlefield.
One girl—Rina—bit into her sleeve and tied the marble inside, dodging frenzied grabs as she screamed through the field.
"Things are getting wild!" Cyra said, half in shock. "They've resorted to theft!"
"Desperation does strange things," Cairo murmured. "It's ugly... but also very real."
A boy got slammed into the ground, marble flying from his grasp—only to be caught mid-air by someone else. Two others wrestled on the floor as their marbles cracked against each other.
Then—
BWOOOOOOOM!
The horn blared again. A wave of essence pulsed outward, freezing all students in place. The evaluation was over.
On the screens, names flickered across in ranked order.
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Top Performers:
1. Tessia – 45 Points
2. Jade – 42 Points
3. Lerik – 39 Points
...
Note: Students who secured a marble gained full points based on time of retrieval. Students who stole a marble received a flat 10 points, regardless of timing.
________________________________________
The students slumped, some collapsing to their knees in exhaustion. A few clutched their marbles with quiet pride, while others cursed or stared at empty hands, their expressions hollow. The Room C evaluation had come to a dramatic end—and the coliseum erupted, applause and cheers cascading like a wave. The past 20 minutes had been a blur of movement, desperation, and brilliance, with split screens barely capturing the chaos.
Names like Tessia, Jade, and Lerik lit up the conversation threads across the crowd—each having displayed a level of skill that etched them into public memory.
"Wow," Cyra breathed. "Even if they aren't Room A, these three could give anyone a run for their money."
Cairo nodded. "And that, dear Crimora, was only the beginning."
The field began to shimmer, platforms resetting as glowing lines restructured the terrain.
"Room B, are you ready?" Cairo shouted.
A fierce roar erupted as Room B students stood tall, aura humming low in their veins.
"You ready, partner?" June grinned at Fred, raising a glowing red bracelet marked with the number 1. Fred bumped fists with her, his own band pulsing in sync.
The screens flickered.
ROOM B EVALUATION