Aiden's attention shifted when the Fae girl — the same one who had ignored the wolf boy's attempt to show off — rose from her seat. She moved with a grace that was almost unreal, her long hair swaying with each step as she crossed the hall toward the teachers. There was a quiet dignity in the way she held herself, as though she were aware that every eye in the room was following her.
She reached the front, where the three teachers stood, and took one of the gleaming needles from the tray. Without hesitation, she pricked her finger, letting a single bead of blood roll down and fall onto the surface of the globe.
The reaction was immediate.
The white section of the globe — the part that represented the Fae — lit up with such brilliance that it momentarily outshone the already dazzling display from the werewolf boy earlier. The glow was pure and intense, casting a silvery-white hue over the faces of the nearby students.
Miss Flecine had barely drawn breath to speak when another voice cut through the moment.
Mr Bertain, the Fae instructor, had stepped forward so suddenly that even Aiden flinched. He let out a booming laugh that echoed through the hall, the sound so strange and unrestrained that it made several students glance at each other in confusion.
The girl herself took a cautious step back, her composure faltering for the first time.
Mr Gareth, the werewolf teacher, was quick to voice what many were probably thinking. "Mr Bertain," he said sharply, "why are you laughing like someone who has suddenly lost their mind? Look — you've scared the poor girl so much she had to step back from you."
The Fae teacher seemed unbothered by the rebuke. He turned to the girl, his tone shifting to something almost apologetic. "Girl, forgive me. I'm just… happy. Happy that our race has gained another student with high potential like yours. Your reading is even a little higher than that wolf boy's earlier."
That last part made Mr Gareth's expression tighten.
"They are both high-potential students," the werewolf teacher countered, his voice edged with irritation. "And it's not as though that small difference makes the girl from your race superior to the boy from mine."
Mr Bertain gave a short, mocking snicker. "Do you even believe the nonsense you're saying?"
Mr Gareth's jaw tensed. "Even if she is better, it's just a little bit. It's not like it matters much."
Miss Flecine, who had been standing between the two of them with growing impatience, finally stepped in. "Enough," she said in a voice that was sharper than usual. "Can you both stop and let me do my job?"
The two men exchanged a glance but said nothing more, retreating a step to let her speak.
Miss Flecine turned to the Fae girl, her tone regaining its professional calm. "Race: Fae. High potential. Congratulations. I hope you will work hard, and not assume that your high potential means you no longer need to push yourself. Work to realize your highest abilities."
The girl dipped her head respectfully. "Thank you, Miss Flecine."
She then returned to her seat with the same poise she had shown earlier, though her eyes flicked once toward the teachers, perhaps still wary of Mr Bertain's earlier outburst.
Aiden, still seated among the remaining untested students, noticed something in Miss Flecine's expression as the girl walked away. There was pride there, certainly, but also a faint shadow of disappointment. Her gaze drifted over the rows of chairs toward the group still waiting — twenty-eight of them now.
It clicked for Aiden almost instantly. So far, a Fae with high potential had emerged. A werewolf with high potential as well. But not a single witch had reached that level yet. Miss Flecine's eyes held a quiet hope as they lingered on the students left, as though she were silently wishing for one more standout — this time from her own race.
The tests continued.
One by one, more names were called. The process was the same each time: a prick of the finger, a drop of blood vanishing into the globe, and Miss Flecine announcing the result. Out of the next twenty students, three were revealed to have medium potential. Fifteen more fell into the low-potential category.
Then came the unexpected results.
Two students stepped up in turn and pricked their fingers, but the globe's three colored sections — white, red, and black — remained dim. Instead, a faint shimmer appeared at its base, marking them as something other than wolf, witch, or Fae.
Whispers rippled through the hall at those results. It was well known that students who didn't belong to one of the three races couldn't stay at Skyline Academy for long. These two would be gone before the semester truly began.
Aiden's mind turned inward as he watched them walk back to their seats. He wasn't sure which outcome he wanted for himself.
If his blood showed he wasn't part of the three races, he would leave this place — leave behind its tension, its strange rules, and the constant weight of eyes judging him. A part of him found that idea tempting.
But another part… another part wanted the opposite. If he turned out to be a witch, a wolf, or even a Fae, then he would have a place here. And more importantly, he would have the chance to see Ryker again. Just once, to thank him properly for saving his life.