• "Welcome graduates!" Minirai yelled out over the teens milling about. We were all packed together in a smaller space than necessary. Most the training grounds were taken up, they said, but it didn't look like that.

    "I do hope you're all ready for today!"

    "Ouch, Luce! stop elbowing me!" I hissed.

    "Shut it, Bangs." Bangs?

    "Well! Since I explained what would be examined yesterday, today, I'll explain how it will be examined. First," He held up a finger. "is ability. You will be put through a course with many surprises. To get through this, you'll have to know what to look out for and look past the obvious. Expect the unexpected. Make sure you're extra careful on your feet!" He smiled casually and shrugged. "At the moment, that's all I'll explain. If you get through the course, you will find out the next one!"

    A few people shifted uncomfortably at the word if. Minirai kept smiling cheerfully, as if no one was tense at all.

    "The first exam is right over there. Good luck!" He said finally, and walked away. Everyone looked around. There were five small buildings nearby, and everyone walked there.

    "These exams sure are nice and organized." I said.

    "You got that right..." Cammy replied. We were at the back of the crowd with about one hundred-or-so kids in front of us -- not exaggerating. I sighed.

    "Looks like we'll havta wait a bit longer, eh, Lucy?" Cammy said to me. I looked at her.

    "Yeah." I felt eyes on my back and looked around. Luce was glaring at me. "What?" I asked in alarm.

    "Why d'you havta hang 'round us all the time?" He asked.

    "What! If you don't like me, go away yourself! Go find some guys to hang around, or whatever!"

    "Maybe I will! It'll be a lot better than listening to you girls ramble on and on! Yah know, I'm sick o' girls! Why are yah always so--"

    "Look who's rambling!" I retorted. He was talking an awful lot....

    "Ah! Shut up!"

    "Why don't you--!" I stopped when I heard snickering. I looked around. Cammy was covering her mouth and practically dying.

    "Ha ha, Luce, you sure are starting to like Lucy, aren't yah?" She began to laugh again.

    "L-like?" I asked. These people are going to drive me insane....


    * * *

    We were finally to the front. Only me, Cammy, Luce, and a few other teens were left. I swallowed and tried to keep my cool. Cammy and Luce walked to the other buildings and we exchanged glances with each other. We all knew what it meant. Good luck. The man sitting by my door had slicked back blond hair and green sunglasses. He wore neat clothes and sat in a dignified manner. Though I was hiding it as best as I could, he saw how nervous I was and smirked.

    "Go ahead." He said in an amused, silky smooth voice. We met eyes, then I advanced into the open darkness. The door closed behind me, and it was pitch black. It didn't bother me because I haven't been scared of the dark since I started in the academy. Five seconds later, lights flickered on. I was startled. All it seemed to be was a hallway. I looked down at the tile flooring. I didn't realize they'd make it so... plain. I knew there would still be traps, though. I observed my surroundings as best I could, but I couldn't find any clues as to where the traps were. I cautiously took a step. Nothing happened. I took another. Still nothing. There was no sign of any change. I kept walking as cautiously as I started. It was not too long into my pleasant walk that something finally happened. Startled, I looked down.

    The tiles below my feet were disappearing quickly. For some odd reason, there was a dark abyss below. I forgot about the oddity and ran down the hall before I fell in. I felt the last tile fall below my foot, but I made it. The challenge was finally on. Darts shot out from holes that appeared in the wall. I dodged every one of them, gracefully leaping into complicated flips and ducking into rolls. When I was past that, lasers appeared before me. I slipped through them and ran forward, ready for anything. I kept running forward and stopped when I heard a rumbling. The floor below me was moving again,but now it was splitting apart. I got on one side and sprinted to the end.

    I remembered what Minirai had said. "Make sure you're extra careful on your feet!" So was this supposed to be a test on how talented your feet are? I quickly leaped across a gap, using a horizontal bar so propel myself further. I landed on the balls of my feet and crouched for a moment. Everything had become dead silent. All was still in the hallway. I was more than halfway through, now. I began walking again. The only sound in the hall was the small tap of my shoes on the tile.

    Suddenly, I was falling. I gasped and grabbed the edge of the floor, quickly pulling myself up. I looked around, shocked. The floor was completely normal. I got up and looked down. Cautiously, I stuck my foot out and tapped the floor. It swung open on a hinge, like a fake wall that spins around when you touch it; one you can only really see in old horror films with haunted houses. I looked forward and thought, This is probably the last obstacle. The door's right there!

    I tapped the trap door with my foot again. When it had settled into it's starting position, I focused and leaped through the air. I landed in the exact middle of it -- just barely. It was wobbly, but more-or-less kept my balance. Then, I let it tip forward just the slightest bit and launched myself off. I rolled and looked at the door confidently. I reached for the handle, a smug look on my face. My hand swiped the metal cylinder and the ground under my feet disappeared again. I rolled my eyes and sighed in exasperation. I avoided the drop by grabbing the door handle and hanging. The ground swung back into place about ten seconds later. I turned the handle and walked out into the sun. The lights turned off behind me and loud sounds came on while the traps reset themselves.

    I looked around. About half the kids made it out. I rubbed my temples. All that caution gave me a headache! I sat down on a nearby rock and closed my eyes, relaxing a little. I heaved a sigh and looked up. The sun was much lower than when we first started. I hoped momentarily that the next two exams would go more quickly due to the small loss of kids. I looked over at the building next to mine as the door opened and Cammy jumped out, breathing a little more heavily than normal. I smiled, happy that she made it through. A couple of darts stuck out of her arm, but she was otherwise unharmed. I walked over to help her.

    "H-hey!" She said at my approach. "Glad yah made it out alright! Ow ow ow!" She grabbed her arm.

    "Here..." I grabbed the darts and yanked them out. She grimaced in pain and guhed. I pulled a couple of band-aids out of my pocket and put them on her arm, then pulled her sleeve down again.

    "You sure came prepared!" She said, probably incredulous that I brought band-aids to the Exams. I shrugged. "Well! It helps!"

    We looked up as Luce sprung out of the door beside us. He collapsed to the ground in exhaustion. The end of his scarf was burnt and ripped, and quite a few darts stuck out of his arms and side. I sighed.

    "Honestly," I said to Cammy, but just loud enough so he could hear. "it wasn't that hard. Don't you agree? I mean, even the darts were fairly easy to evade." I smiled innocently. "Of course, just getting a couple in your arm is okay." Luce climbed to his feet, his face, or what was visible of it, began to redden.

    "Are you saying I suck?" He yelled. I looked over, a smug smirk on my face.

    "You catch on quick." I said innocently.