The sun rose pale and uncertain over Chitungwiza, the sky streaked with pink as if even the heavens were anxious. I woke before my alarm, heart pounding in my chest like a drum. Today was the day. The first paper of the O Level exams.
The medal from the Olympiad still hung on my desk, but I barely glanced at it. This wasn't about medals anymore. This was war.
In the kitchen, Mama was already awake, stirring a pot of porridge. She looked up when I entered, her tired eyes softening.
"Eat, my child," she said, sliding a steaming bowl across the table. "You'll need strength today."
I picked up the spoon, hands trembling. My stomach twisted, rejecting food, but I forced the porridge down. Mama watched me in silence, humming softly like she always did when she was worried.
Clifton stumbled in, hair sticking up, dragging Leratho behind him. "Good luck, genius," he muttered, rubbing his eyes. "Don't embarrass us."
I smacked his arm lightly, trying not to smile. "Thanks, Clifton. I'll do my best."
Leratho toddled up, wrapping her tiny arms around my waist. "Win again, Shelly!" she chirped.
My throat tightened. "This isn't about winning, Leratho. But I'll try."
---
As I walked out, school bag heavy with pens, rulers, and ID cards, the system flickered awake:
> [Main Quest: O Level Examinations – Day 1]
[Subject: English Language – Paper 1]
[Objective: Secure Distinction-level performance]
[Reward: ZWD 1,000 | +2 Focus Points]
[Penalty: Confidence Loss –5%]
I inhaled deeply, the weight of the words pressing down. Distinction. Not just passing. The system demanded excellence.
---
At Speciss College, the atmosphere was electric. Students in neatly pressed uniforms clustered in nervous groups, whispering, reciting last-minute notes, or pacing the courtyard. The air reeked of chalk dust and nerves.
"Shelly!"
I turned to see Ropa jogging toward me, her braids bouncing. She hugged me tightly, whispering, "Ignore them, okay? People will talk, but you just focus. Today we fight."
I clung to her words like a lifeline. "Thanks, Ropa. I needed that."
But the whispers still reached me.
"That's her, the Olympiad girl…"
"Let's see if she can actually write without her system."
"She probably cheated."
I forced myself to breathe. One step at a time.
---
Inside the exam hall, rows of wooden desks stretched endlessly, each one holding a candidate's future. Invigilators moved about with stern faces, eyes sharp, clipboards in hand. The silence was suffocating.
I slid into my seat, hands clammy, heart racing. The system pulsed faintly:
> [Exam Mode Activated: Limited Assistance Only]
[Focus Boost: +15%]
[Warning: Over-reliance on system guidance may reduce retention.]
A sheet of crisp white paper and a sealed envelope were placed before me.
"Do not open until instructed," the invigilator barked.
I stared at the envelope, the silence in the hall pressing on my ears. My pulse throbbed in my neck.
Then—
"You may begin."
The rustle of papers filled the room. I tore the seal, eyes scanning the questions. Comprehension. Summary. Composition.
The words blurred for a second, panic rising. What if I blanked? What if the rumors were right—that I was nothing without the system?
The system pulsed gently, almost like a hand on my shoulder:
> [Calm. Breathe. You have prepared. Begin.]
I closed my eyes, inhaled deeply, and began to write.
---
Minutes turned to hours. My pen scratched furiously across the page, sentences flowing as if drawn from some deep reservoir of memory. The system didn't feed me answers—it didn't need to. It simply sharpened my focus, reminding me of techniques I had practiced over sleepless nights: how to structure an argument, how to condense a passage, how to add emotional weight to a narrative.
Around me, students coughed, shuffled, muttered prayers under their breath. Sweat dripped down my back, my fingers ached, but the words kept coming.
Halfway through, doubt struck again. Was this enough? Was I writing well, or just scribbling under pressure?
The system answered:
> [Progress: 78%]
[Encouragement: You are exceeding average candidate performance.]
I almost laughed. My system gave pep talks now.
---
When the final bell rang, pens dropped, chairs scraped, and the invigilator's voice boomed: "Stop writing."
I laid my pen down, hands trembling. My script was filled, every line of space covered.
Walking out into the courtyard, the sun was blazing, students spilling into groups again. Some groaned, some laughed nervously, others already speculated about what they wrote.
Ropa found me, grabbing my hand. "How was it?"
I exhaled shakily. "I think… I did okay."
Her eyes searched mine. "No. You did great. I can tell."
Tears stung my eyes, but I blinked them away. Around us, I still heard whispers, still felt eyes on me. But for the first time, I didn't care.
The battle wasn't over—six more days waited for me. But I had survived the first.
The system flickered one last time before fading:
> [Quest Complete: English Paper 1]
[Reward: ZWD 1,000 | +2 Focus Points]
[Encouragement: One step closer to victory.]
And for the first time in a long time, I believed it.