Two weeks earlier.

The students from all the sets were finally informed.

This was a day before the test anyway.

They still didn’t know of the role Roe had to play.

They all just knew it was going down soon.

This was the day before the grand test.

Solomon and the other teachers were not permitted to tell them what would happen should they lose or underperform.

Cleansing.

They didn’t really know Merlin himself would be doing the selection.

They were all prevented from actually training.

Today was meant for rest and conversation.

It could be the last time some of them would see each other.

It had to count.

Somehow, it just had to.

Gwen and some of the others didn’t quite like the idea.

They wanted to keep training until the last minute.

"We should be training, you know. Taking up our staffs. Strategizing and stuff," she said.

John agreed with her.

He just knew there was nothing they could do.

Solomon said this was how things had always been done in this realm.

This was the will of Merlin.

There was no way the likes of them would actually be capable of changing a tradition that had been upheld for what seemed like decades.

They were all on the tower’s top floor.

The breeze felt different today.

It wasn’t actually.

This was just the first time they had bothered to get a feel for it.

It was intense and cool, yet warm and subtle at the same time.

They were all forced to be in the moment.

"So what happens when some of us don’t make it?" Roe asked.

He had a lot on his mind.

He figured he might as well just let it all out right now.

No one responded.

No one responded at first.

Eventually, he got his response.

They were all thinking it.

It’s just that no one actually had it in them to ask.

Now the floor was really open for discussion.

"If any of us here doesn’t make the cut, then I guess that person wasn’t good enough," Ursula said.

"What if the tests aren’t conventional? What if it’s some kind of unconscious skill being tested and not raw talent?" Gwen asked.

She didn’t really need an answer.

It was just the moment getting the better of her.

John held her.

He could tell she needed the support.

Ursula looked at her and simply repeated,

"Same thing."

The others were having a hard time saying anything, really.

They were sort of confident they’d do well.

"There’s others out there, right?" Julian asked.

"Yes, and so?" Max responded.

"Well, we shouldn’t bother as much," Julian continued.

"Solomon’s Merlin’s best student."

"Our teacher was Solomon."

"We practically learned from the best."

"We’ve got this," Julian added.

Gwen smiled.

"We’ve got this, yeah," she said.

Roe wanted to pivot.

He noticed the question had gotten some of them on edge.

He just didn’t know how.

"So what’ll we do when we get to the outside world?" Verdona asked.

She realized they needed to pivot.

This was the only option she could think of.

"Ha."

Max laughed.

He looked at her and laughed again.

He knew what she was doing.

He simply smiled back at her and silently thanked her.

"I’m going to make myself known as one of the greats."

"Can you imagine being acknowledged by not just Merlin, should we pass, but the Wise Men as well?"

"That would be insane," Verdona continued.

"’Should we pass,’" Gwen quoted.

"There’s no should in that, dear."

"It’s a when as far as I’m concerned."

The others nodded in unison.

"The Wise Men? Well, that’s a lofty goal, don’t you think?" Jack asked.

"And so what?" Verdona responded.

"The Wise Men have only ever acknowledged less than twenty mages ever, and about half of them are dead," Julian added.

"And so?"

Verdona shrugged.

"I’m still not getting your point."

"You’re crazy, all right," Jack and Julian said simultaneously.

All three of them laughed.

Verdona meant it.

It’s true the Wise Men didn’t recognize just any mage.

That didn’t mean they hadn’t recognized lesser mages before.

It had happened before.

So what was stopping it from happening again?

Ranks weren’t the only thing the Wise Men acknowledged.

It’s the reason they didn’t take it up with Vlad.

He’s still not acknowledged.

Merlin as well.

Character went a long way.

Solomon came by.

He didn’t say anything about the arena being set.

He didn’t come to tell them that.

In fact, he didn’t come to tell them anything at all.

He simply wanted to drop off drinks and food.

He wanted them to party, as he felt this was something they had collectively earned.

It had been a strenuous couple of days.

"Eat up, guys."

He disappeared immediately after.

---

Solomon and Lot found themselves in a room with eight other colleagues.

The teachers of the ten sets.

They were being addressed.

Not by Merlin.

But by the selected proctor of the exam’s final phase.

Roe.

He was the one doing the addressing.

Lot didn’t like it one bit.

Not one second of it.

Make no mistake.

Roe was, in fact, still present with the others.

Clone.

Projection.

Whatever it was.

It was a result of Roe’s dedication and training these past couple of days.

---

"Ha!"

Jack laughed.

"You’re actually kind of funny, Verdona."

"I’m not," she replied, clear irritation in her voice.

At some point, Ursula isolated herself from the others.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to have conversations or anything.

She just needed some alone time.

Roe knew this was his chance.

No one else could talk to her.

They were partners after all.

He walked over, and they began to talk.

"I know things started out rough," he said.

"Well, they’re not anymore..."

He continued.

---

"Zach, pass the salad," Sigman said.

"Zach. The salad."

He reinforced his earlier statement.

"Where’s Zach?"

He turned and realized Zach was no longer present.

"Modred, where’s the little guy?" he asked.

Modred thought Zach wouldn’t make it out for the celebration.

’He’s probably still in his room.’

"That’s not possible," Sigman said.

"Him and I left to get here together."

Modred’s expression changed.

His eyes widened.

They urged the others to continue.

The two of them made their way toward the chambers.

Zach wasn’t there.

"Zach?"

"Zach?"

---

"Let’s retire for the night."

"Sure. Tomorrow’s a big day after all."