POV Narrator:
Monday 11 May 2020, Luna Nova
The long journey was coming to an end, the WTE week was starting, it will be two weeks of practical and also theoretical exams deepening everything the girls learned at the witchcraft school, it's the exam that separates the apprentice witches from a graduated witch, composed of several questions, Each day the students will have five hours to do each one of the theoretical tests that will deepen a lot in the subjects related to magic and reveal how well studied they are, each day will be about two subjects in the first week, where after will have the practical week, what the students are already anxiously prepared for this moment, some of them very tense.
POV Akko:
I woke up, another day of class, we are already one foot away from the summer, this only makes me more anxious, soon we will be able to graduate, it will be a dream come true, gee I studied like a convict for all this month that has passed since Diana's expulsion, I hope I don't disappoint and get a very good overall grade, I get up, going to the bathroom, after Sucy left, I look at myself in the mirror, seeing my face still a little sleepy.
"Today you can do it Akko" I tell myself.
I then start to do my personal hygiene, just as I'm getting ready to take the exam, now is the day.
I soon finish changing, go back to the room, get some food, take the opportunity to eat well before going to take the exam, after all I have to be with my head prepared, during the exam we won't even be able to eat, so it's good to have a breakfast here, these potatoes are really delicious.
"Are you already going to eat Akko?" Sucy asks.
"They say that eating is good before the test, besides that sweets can help with that, with the sugar in the blood, but anyway that's what Diana even recommended me to do, she told me about it yesterday, I want to have all the chances to pass in my favor" I answer my friend while eating.
I finish eating the potatoes, I also drink a can of coca cola, I eat chocolate, now I will have more sugar in my blood, if I get diabetic before the race that will be very tense, but I think not the important thing is to eat enough, today there will still be a lot ahead I imagine.
In the courtyard of Luna Nova all the third year students gather in rows for the headmistress to comeand give a speech...
Strange that now it's no longer in the classroom that we come, but here in the courtyard, that's just for the first day, I think the headmistress is going to tell us about how the WTE works, she will soon arrive with the teachers, now that's going to be tense, I hope I've managed to remember everything, the headmistress gets up on the stage and looks at us, then adjusts the microphone.
"Very well students of Luna Nova, you are one step away from putting on your gowns and taking your diplomas as graduated witches, but for that you will need to pass the Witch Trial Exam, or better known as WTE, the maximum test that a witch apprentice will have to do to be able to reach the rank of being a definitive witch, will be 500 questions in the theoretical tests in total, well deepened in each subject, you will have 100 questions each day, having 5 hours to finish each test, they will be alternative questions, remember to use only black pen and cover the answers correctly, cheating is expressly forbidden, so much so that we will go to a room specially made for the test, going to the bathroom may be authorized if you raise your hand and only one student at a time may do so, you cannot take anything into the room, just pens and nothing else, you will receive an answer booklet and you will give it to the teacher along with the answer sheet, each day there will be 50 questions from each of the ten subjects that we study here in Luna Nova, so don't forget anything, everything that you have learned in the first year, the second year and the third year will be put here, but in a random order, The most important thing is that you behave during the exam and keep quiet, in fact you can leave the room after two and a half hours, if you finish the exam in time, just to make it clear the use of magic is extremely forbidden during the theoretical tests" said the director and so we followed her to the exam room.
When we arrived at the board there were only the times of the exam, we were sitting in random places, we could see that the tables are very separated from each other, then a teacher was passing with a thermometer in front of us, as well as passing alcohol gel in our hands, Today the teacher Finnelan and Babcock will be in our class, you can see how tense it is with them passing right next to us, any slip could
make them think that I glued them, then the headmaster brought the huge notebooks of answers, as well as the answer sheet, it looks like a small book, distributing it on our tables bringing also a pen on our table.
"Very well, you have 15 minutes until we start counting, don't open the answer booklet yet, you can put your names, date of birth, signature and also which team you are part of, after that wait until the 15 minutes are up and we will start the tests" said the headmistress who was watching us.
The 15 minutes pass...
Now the exam can start, I counted every minute in my head, I had nothing to think about, I hope that didn't fry my head, then the teacher Finnelan crosses the first time that was on the board and it was 00:00.
"Very well students, you can start your exams, I will go to my office, I will come back here every 30 minutes to see if you are doing everything according to the rules" said the headmistress.
I breathe relieved, I realize that today is numerology and history, now that it's fucked, one is full of text and the other is full of math, although I have studied a lot these days, almost all that was possible to study, I certainly think I can do well, but remembering fifty questions will still be complicated, I don't have a memory like that, I open the test, I start to see the first questions and it's history.
"1) The Luna Nova witchcraft academy has 15 centuries of history from its foundation in 420AD to the present day, with much tradition, there were many of the reforms that happened in the place and periods that it has been adapting to different eras, knowing this what are the eras of each of the three main reforms that happened the witchcraft academy"
A) 420AD Foundation/ 1517 Medieval reform/ 1900 Restoration of the great witch Jennifer B) 420AD Foundation/ 1743 Medieval reform/ 1900
C) 420AD Foundation/ 1017 Medieval reform/ 1743 Rest
D) 420AD Foundation/ 1517 Medieval reform/ 1743 Restoration of the great witch Jennifer E) 420AD Foundation/ 1017 Medieval reform/ 1900
Oh, this first question is easy at least, we had a class about this not so long ago, it was when Diana was still studying here, I know that the year of Jennifer's restoration is 1743, the reform is for sure in 1017, it was when they borrowed money from Fafnir, 1517 was when The Council invaded and Luna Nova burned down and I honestly don't even know what 1900 does here, it was 10 years before Holbrook became the director here.
The test is not that hard, I think I can get a good grade, these things are really fresh in my mind, I won't forget it that easy, but I want to see what it will be, since this is a first year question, I'll mark a C in this first question and go to the next one, lucky that my pen was working.
"2) During 1517 to 1743 there was a period when Luna Nova was closed due to the witch-hunts that took place during that time forcing them to go into hiding, but what was the main event that caused Luna Nova to be closed for 200 years?
A) Fire
B) Lack of funds
C) The director died D) Invasion by hunters E) The church ban
Almost all of them are right in this one, but for sure the right answer will be A, it's another first year question, if they are all like this I'll get 100% in this test, I thought it would be more difficult, but it's just a matter of reading what's in the question and remembering what I studied, well let's continue here, because there's still a lot to do.
A few good questions later...
The history part I'm managing to do with ease, I think at least so far I haven't made a mistake, Diana's help in these days in call helping me to study was also essential, at least one subject I'll have a better chance of passing, I hope so, there were 27 questions so far, from all the years really, the ones from the third year are the most fresh in my memory, the most complicated ones are from the first year.
I see that the headmaster appears in the classroom and the teacher scratches the time of 00:30, it was already the first half hour of exam, I think I can easily finish it in less than 5 hours, so far the history part is very fresh in my mind, numerology that will complicate it.
"Whoever wants to go to the toilet just raise their hand and I will accompany them there" said the director and nobody had raised their hand, I went before coming here, I drank half a litre of coke, so the desire would be intense.
"28) Period in the history of magic that lasted from 1743 to the height of the industrial revolution, where the decadence of the academies of witchcraft around the world began, and was after the dark period of Luna Nova, where it remained for over 200 years in the shadows after the events of 1517, it was a time considered by many witches to be one of the best and made magic reach its apex"
A) Renaissance of magic B) End of the medieval era C) Age of Jennifer
D) Magical revolution E) Golden age of magic
Another first year question, this one is easily E, although I didn't really think it was such a golden time, mainly because of what Victoria lived at that time, but the way the witches here speak it's undoubtedly E, well I think in history I'll pass, this test is quite easy, they throw all the pressure on us, but in the end all the study I did was worth it.
On the magic numerology part...
Now it's really hard, but even so it's not a big deal, I think I can do this math, I studied a lot with Diana about it, she really saved me this whole month, if it wasn't for her I wouldn't even get here, I'll be able to surprise her I'm sure, well that's D, from what my account result pointed out, I hope she's right.
"One hour of exams already, you have four more hours to finish your exams" said teacher Finnelan scratching on the board.
I went back to concentrating on the next question, these long statements really are just here to fuck with me, but I think I can handle it, I need to read carefully to maximise any chance I might have of passing the year.
Two hours later...
My brain feels like it's going to evaporate, I've already been here for three hours, but I've done everything, I get the answer sheet and now it's time to start paying attention when it's time to mark the alternatives on the paper, or else I might end up marking everything wrong, but I'm sure I'll manage not to mess everything up, I'll even do it carefully and attentively.
"There are two hours to go before the end of the exams, don't forget to fill in your answers correctly," said Professor Babcock.
"Whoever finishes the exam and hands it in is already cleared to leave" Principal Holbrook said.
I fill each little ball with the utmost care, without fear of making a mistake, I even look to see if it's correct, this first day I certainly think I can leave with at least 90% of the test, I could remember most of them, only some numerology questions that I had to kick, with the account getting close to the result I did, but that's the least, the majority I still managed to finish with great tranquility, I'm sure I'll pass this first test.
I finish circular everything, what already I raise the hand
"There are already people in the bathroom Miss Kagari" said teacher Finnelan.
"I'm done" I tell her and they all get astonished looks on their faces.
"You? You were the first to finish the test? Remembering that the answer sheet is final, what you fill in will count for a lot" said Miss Babcock and I shrugged.
She came to my desk handing me an attendance sheet, where I signed and then she took my exam and pen, which I could breathe a little relieved, gee I finished the exam finally, in three hours I answered everything, it's my chance to pass.
"Well all filled up, you were the first to finish the first WTE theoretical test, you can leave the room" Said the teacher who then took my temperature.
I get up, leave the room, relieved I go walking to the outside when I leave the room I am shocked, there is blood here, the room was closed, I go walking and seeing messages, "The Council is coming soon", "Be ready for massacre", "There will be more witch blood in these walls", "The real test will begin" the messages written with blood, I go running, to some employee, worst of all I can't even complain to the director, she is in the room watching everyone.
"Anyone?" I ask for someone in the corridor, but no one appears.
I think I will run to the second and first year classrooms, I go up the stairs, knock on the door of the first year and teacher Lukic welcomes me, kind of looking at me with a frown, I already get a bit desperate.
"Professor, someone has filled the corridors with blood" I tell her half despair.
"Stop making things up Miss Kagari, you just finished your exam and came here to bother my room, go to your room" she said, then shut the door in my face.
I rush to the second year door, no way they're just going to ignore me, the one who answers me is Chariot's substitute teacher, teacher Lina, she's a bit new here but I think she can help me, she doesn't look down on me.
"What is it Miss Kagari, has something happened? You are early from your exam" she said.
"Professor Lina, the corridors on the ground floor, they are covered in blood, with messages and threats, someone has broken in here, The Council" I tell her with a tone of desperation.
"Oh, that sounds like something quite fabricated to be honest, the other teachers warned me that you're not someone who can be trusted with these things, so I'll pass it by, next time use a better tactic to interrupt my class" she said as she went to close the door in my face, but a magic wraps itself around her stopping her in place.
"Wait! Akko must be right!" Said Hellene and whew she's around.
"Thank you Hellene" I say relieved.
"Miss McLaren you are one of Miss Kagari's friends, that sounds like pretty skewed evidence" said the teacher.
"Akko wouldn't fabricate something like dat, she was three hours doing a test, she had no way of leaving de room and doing something like dat, I believe 'er, it must be something of seriousness, dey vandalised de school, you won't call?" McLaren said.
"I sincerely don't believe it, that you stay with your stories, if you insist on this I'll ask you to leave Miss McLaren" said the teacher and soon Hellene released the spell and I could see that she was with a more downcast face, I saw that she even asked forgiveness from me, but now I have to fix this.
I go running to my room, I think I'll get my mobile phone and take the pictures, that's what I'm going to do, I can't be misheard, I get to my room, I get my mobile phone keychain and running I go to the corridor, I go down the stairs by the shortcut, When I get there I start walking and filming, luckily no student appeared leaving the corridor, the good thing is that the bathroom is on the other side, they will think that I set this up, but it's not like that, with the pictures taken I think it's time to go up the stairs.
"There, now they'll know I'm not lying" although I can't even show the evidence without having my mobile confiscated, but I can send it to Rosemary Morris, the agent comes here and clears it all up.
I walk up the stairs and back to my room, so far no one has finished the evidence in that time, I go about starting to type and text Agent Morris, asking her to come here, just like the video and photo evidence, hopefully she will actually come.
[Me: Officer Morris, I have just taken the first WTE exam, and I came across this, please come here to have a good look into it is a very suspicious activity and I believe it is a crime as well, The Council has come to intimidate us] 11:15
After that I just wait for the truth, I look at my mobile phone, I take the opportunity to talk to Diana, seeing her messages, she must have given me strength, she really did, she kept talking about every part of the test sending messages every half hour wishing good luck.
[I: I managed to be the first to finish the test here at school, I did everything in three hours, thanks to your help I wasn't so floored, I'm confident I can at least get more than 90% right, only some numerology questions I ended up kicking a bit, but in history I'm sure I got it] 11:15
[Diana: That's wonderful my love, I'm happy that you managed to finish the test and do well, I'm really happy, but it's only the first challenge, there's still more tomorrow, but I'm sure you'll pass, WTE is generous with grades, even if it's more complicated with you] 11:16
[Me: Tomorrow it will be Herbology and potions, this one I don't know if I'll do so well because we don't go that deep into it, but I'm sure I can get enough to pass] 11:16
[Diana: I'm absolutely sure you'll go very far yet love, we don't study so much because they're not as complex as the others, but I think you can handle it, and there's Sucy there, how much you must not have studied there] 11:16
Shouts begin to echo through the corridors, it seems someone else finished the race and discovered the blood in the corridors, no one listened to me at first, but they will listen to the others, I don't doubt it at all, I think I will talk to Diana about this blood too.
[Me: But now on a more serious note, love look at this, just as I was leaving the exam I came across more things written in blood and The Council has reappeared] 11:17
[Images] [Video] 11:17
[Diana: Come on, that's bullshit, haven't they done anything about it? Have you tried talking to any teachers? Have you called Officer Morris, she might be here soon and fix it] 11:18
[Me: And how I tried, but no teacher listened to me, they thought I was making up stories, but now I think they'll believe me when another student comes to complain about it, I've heard screams coming from downstairs] 11:18
I even look around, because honestly, I'm afraid that they think it's my fault, I was the first student to finish the test, I'm not well seen by the administrative body here, there's no way they won't use this as a weapon, when I see the message from Agent Morris I get a little discouraged, she said she can't send any agent here, because Ley's lines are closed and there's the Covid restriction, which can get in the way.
A while later some people appear knocking on Kagari's door...
Lotte and Sucy kind of look at me and I look at them, I take a deep breath and go to the door and when I open it just as the teacher Finnelan hands me a mop, as the rest of the teachers and students look at me with a frown, I am pulled by the arm to the outside.
"Hey what are you doing?" I tell them.
"What have you done Miss Kagari" said Professor Babcock.
"What do you mean? I didn't do anything!" I say trying to get loose and they lead me up the stairs to the floor with the corridor where we did the test.
"How about that? Do you think it's nice to scare other students with paint? This kind of prank is not funny" said teacher Finnelan.
"That's not paint, that's blood" I tell them.
"Ah so you used blood, to make matters worse, now you will clean up the mess you made in this corridor or you will not be able to take the exam tomorrow" said teacher Anne.
"What? And you have a way to prove that it was me? Look at the things that were written down, I wouldn't have time to do that, I left the room and I already had all this written down" I tell her.
"Miss Kagari, you can't prove otherwise, it's your word against ours, now clean the corridors, or else you won't do the exams tomorrow, the mess was made and you were the first to finish the exam" said the headmistress and soon the teachers handed me the mop and also a bucket with water.
They came out and left me there alone having to clean everything, I feel like screaming of rage, the bastards came to cause and only fucked me even more, honestly I did nothing and I'm paying the duck for these bastards from The Council, now I'll have to clean the whole corridor, it's not enough my wrist hurting at the time of doing the test and now this? By the nine witches, I hope I finish on time, this will surely destroy my head all this.
"What the fuck! You guys do the shit and I get fucked" I say furiously starting to mop the floor.
I'm doing what I can, but the tricky thing is to clean up the blood after it dries, it was there for a good few hours, I hope they don't do it again, I don't want to and I don't like having to clean the corridors of this place, so my head gets busy and my body aches for tomorrow.
Hours later...
Fucking blood stains! This shit won't come out for nothing, I've already passed three times in this corridor and there's still one or another, fuck if I'm going to use magic to get it out, nobody will know, I'll start to use it, but my body is very tired, I'm already sore, I've wiped even the ceiling, until I see that Hellene appears.
"What de fuck, de person who set you up has to pay, dis is only hindering your studies Akko" McLaren said.
"So, they want to destroy my body, they know I won't go that far, but even so I'm going to put an end to this and show everyone that even my difficulties will overcome any they put on me, I'm going to tell everyone to go fuck themselves and I'm going to go through" I say confidently.
"I know you will, how was de test today?" she asks.
"I think at least 90% of it I got right, hopefully tomorrow I'll get something like that for real" I tell her.
- You can do it Akko, you're de most impressive witch I know, just don't let my sister hear dis, but I consider you de best, you've been through a lot of dings to put you down and hit it head on, what you've been through can't compare at all to my sister, sorry for saying dat about 'er, But de truth is that she had de privilege when she was a child with several books at 'er disposal, but you never 'ad dat, you arrived 'ere with nothing and today you are one of de best, without Diana around, no doubt you are de best" McLaren said and I got a little smile.
"Now I have to finish here, but thank you for dropping by Hellene, not for nothing Diana has the best sister of all, I think I would love to be your sister too" I tell her.
"Good luck with de exams, I know you'll pass de year, for sure dis is de boss's trick to delay you, to put you down and prevent you from passing de year, just like when she tried to infect you with covid, dis could be another tactic of 'ers to destroy your head, de most important thing is dat you don't let yourself be intimidated by 'er" said Hellene who turned around and walked out of there.
This gave me a little more energy, I even look at the bucket and start to make a better mixture, who knows this way all the blood will go away, it is quite unnecessary what they did here, I will spend hours leaving this corridor shining, I hope it does not happen again, seriously, I am really dedicating myself here to my best to pass and they want to get in the way in every way.
An hour later...
I am really exhausted, my body can't take it anymore, only I managed to finish cleaning the corridor, the headmaster appears with the teachers and they look at me sitting on the floor tired leaning me on the wall, where they touch my shoulder giving a slight fright.
"What are you doing there? To work, let's go!" Said teacher Finnelan.
"Don't you want to take tomorrow's exam?" said Miss Babcock.
"I've already finished, you can see, the corridor is even shining so clean" I say tiredly pointing to the corridor to them.
And the three of them start trying to find a minimum defect and they won't find it, I cleaned even under the carpets, they won't find even a drop of my blood, it's easier to find mine, because I honestly just needed to bleed so much that I had to work really hard, my hands are already with aching fingers from doing the same movement, this is almost a slave work.
"Very well Miss Kagari, I see that at least in this you always excel, the headmistress should consider hiring you as a caretaker of this school, you do a better job than the lazy minotaurs and girls here" said teacher Anne and that is an exaggeration, they are the ones who work the hardest here.
"This is too much Anne, a mundane working as a cleaner here in the corridors, it takes away all the magic of Luna Nova, but we can't take the credit, you did a good cleaning, you could earn a living with this for sure, anyway, I hope you don't do it again" said the director to me.
"I didn't do it, they set me up, how would I have time to do something like that?" I tell them they don't believe in my innocence.
"It is not so believable coming from your words, you wanted to make a joke and now you will pay for it, just because you could not stand it here for three years, that does not give you the right to be vandalizing the school, try any joke and we will make you work and pay for it, as you have done now, I think it is good that you keep behaved if you want to pass the year" said teacher Babcock.
"Why are you doing this to me? Why me? What have I done that you always make me a target?" They still shrug their shoulders without giving a damn.
"You are a mundane, a stain on us witches, you don't even stop at being behaved, don't try to justify your mistakes with emotional blackmail, we know you do these things to get attention" said Professor Babcock.
"Look Atsuko, honestly I think you could give it up and pursue the career you are really suited to, you could earn a living as the best cleaner in all of England, you would earn very well to live in a decent flat here, or even be a Cavendish maid when they return to glory" said Professor Finnelan.
"And you could give up being such a hypocrite Anne, you keep begging for attention from Hellene and then you say these atrocities to my face, she will never forgive you and right now she won't" I tell her who even gets quiet.
"Anne, don't say things like that to Miss Kagari, she has already paid for what she did and she knows she won't do it again" said the headmistress who then turned her back with the teachers to me.
I know what you want with me, I am starting to feel a strange energy from these witches here, the boss is not someone from outside, it is someone from Luna Nova, this is very obvious with the intention they have with me, they do not want me to pass because I am different, but I will pass anyway.
POV Narrator:
The first day of WTE started, with a test that Akko was showing to be very full of knowledge, managing to perform showing even ease, for being the first of the class to manage to finish doing the test, but they are arming her so that she can not in any way have any merit of getting approved at any time, but Kagari will not give up, She is determined to show that she is beyond what they say she is, even with all the barriers they put she goes over and shows that with determination can go far and win the long-dreamed graduation, which are all her friends also believing and sending energy, but still the next few days will be very complicated for the Japanese.
See you, exam witches...