The day of the first Monthly Ranking Test of the second semester had officially arrived.
Aegis woke up before dawn, her stomach doing backflips like an Olympic gymnast with anxiety issues. She lay there for a moment, staring at the ceiling, mentally cataloging everything that could go wrong.
[Combat test: could die. Magic test: could explode. Art test: could embarrass myself so badly I spontaneously combust.]
Lune was already awake, sitting by the window with a cup of tea. She'd changed into her formal uniform, the one with all the House Solana crests that made her look like a very small, very serious noble.
"Good morning."
"Morning," Aegis yawned. Lune glanced her way for a moment. For once, she wasn't painting.
[Is she nervous? Or, maybe she finally got bored?]
"Nervous?" Lune asked, and for a second Aegis wondered if she could read her mind.
"Terrified."
"I hear that's good. Fear apparently keeps you sharp."
"Who told you that?"
"Scarlett."
[Sounds like her.]
