The following day, after a perfect and uninterrupted rest that washed away the exhaustion of the trials, the students returned once more to the sanctuary grounds to discover their fate. This time, they stood not on the field of battle or illusion, but on the grand marble podium—elevated and in full view—where university representatives had gathered, poised to offer admission to those they deemed worthy of their banners.
Amongst the various students, two names dominated every whispered conversation, every greedy glance. Aaron and Alice. They were the coveted prizes—hotcakes, as the slang went—being courted by every university present, each one desperate, almost ravenous, to secure their allegiance.
Alice, the enigma—untouchable and serene—a lady walking the clear path to godhood, her destiny seemingly carved by the universe itself.
And Aaron—the wildcard. The unpredictable element. The anomaly none of them could quite calculate or contain.
