The sun had barely risen, but the courtyard outside Ravenwood Academy was already buzzing with nervous energy.
Today was the final day of the placement exams—the day of the combat exams.
Students milled about, all dressed in the standard attire for physical education classes.
The outfits were a complete departure from the usual academy uniforms: fitted shirts and pants designed for flexibility and movement, in various shades of navy and grey.
Most of the students looked uncomfortable, tugging at their clothes or fidgeting nervously.
Noah stood among them, yawning as he stretched his arms.
His body felt tense from yesterday's grueling written exams, and his mood wasn't much better.
Around him, the chatter of students filled the air.
"I swear I'm screwed," one student groaned nearby.
"Those written exams were impossible.
Did you see that last question on magical convergence theory?"
"Don't remind me!" another whined, clutching his head.
"I feel like my brain melted halfway through it.
What even is a temporal rift collapse?"
"Sounds like you're both dead meat," a girl chimed in, her voice smug.
"The exams were easy. I'm confident I'll pass with flying colors."
"You would say that," the first student grumbled.
"Bet you were studying all semester while the rest of us were actually living."
As Noah listened to the back-and-forth, he couldn't help but smirk.
At least he wasn't the only one feeling like those exams had been crafted by a sadistic genius.
But then, his smirk faded as he remembered what was at stake today.
The combat exams.
His last shot at making it into Class B or C.
He rubbed the back of his neck, still feeling the phantom weight of the ridiculously long hair the system had cursed him with.
After a solid hour of cutting, trimming, and yelling at the mirror, he had finally managed to get it back to its normal length.
But the memory still irritated him.
As he stood there, deep in thought, a commotion broke out to his left.
Noah turned just in time to see a student sway dangerously on his feet before collapsing to the ground.
"Bro, wake up!" his friend yelled, kneeling beside him.
"He's dead!"
Unlike Xander, Amy wasn't even pretending to be interested in the conversation happening around her.
She stood there, arms crossed, her expression neutral as the noble girls fawned over her.
"Your hair is so beautiful, Lady Amy," one girl said in awe.
"The way it glistens in the sunlight is just... breathtaking!"
Amy glanced at the girl, clearly disinterested, but she forced a small smile.
"Thank you," she said politely, though her eyes were clearly elsewhere.
Noah's eyes scanned the courtyard again until they landed on a familiar face—Ariana. She was standing with Livia, her eyes moving around as if searching for someone.
It wasn't long before she spotted him.
Noah scratched his cheek nervously, oblivious to Ariana's stare.
He was still brooding over the disaster that had been his written exams.
If today didn't go well, he was done for.
But even as he ruminated, Ariana's eyes twinkled when she noticed how the physical education uniform fit Noah.
Unlike Xander, Noah wasn't overly muscular, but to her, he looked... well, just fine.
"Ooh, when did Noah get a cut?" Livia teased, nudging Ariana with a grin.
Ariana's eyes widened in panic, and she quickly shoved Livia away, whispering harshly.
"Shut up! He'll hear you!"
She pushed Livia toward another part of the courtyard, trying to escape before Noah could notice her staring.
Noah, still oblivious, sighed heavily.
The hair situation yesterday had been a nightmare, and even though he'd managed to fix it, he was still furious at the system for scamming him.
Now, all that frustration was focused on the exams ahead.
He had to make it through the combat trials. He had no choice.
"This is it," Noah muttered to himself, clenching his fists.
"My last shot. I'll have to make it count."
The conversations and laughter around him faded into the background as Noah mentally prepared himself for what was to come.
The combat exams were his final chance.
He didn't need to be the best; he just needed to be good enough to survive.
And with any luck, that might be enough to get him into Class B or C.
But deep down, he knew the odds were stacked against him.
'No pressure,' he thought dryly.
'No pressure at all.'