I woke to the sound of bells tolling across the academy grounds. The ceiling above my bed had shifted from night sky to dawn, with soft pinks and oranges bleeding across the artificial horizon.
Today was exam day.
I sat up, rubbing sleep from my eyes. My shadow stirred restlessly at my feet, sensing my anxiety. The exams weren't just a formality—they determined everything from class placement to resource allocation.
"Let's see if reality matches what I wrote," I muttered, swinging my legs over the side of the bed.
In my novel, I'd designed the entrance exams as a three-part challenge: a written assessment of magical theory, a practical demonstration of combat ability, and finally, a simulated mission scenario. I'd written it as a brutal gauntlet that weeded out the weak and elevated the strong.
But I'd been lazy with the details. The written portion was just "difficult questions about magic." The combat demonstration was simply "fighting against simulated enemies." And the mission scenario? I'd handwaved it as "a test of teamwork and problem-solving."
My past self hadn't bothered to flesh out the specifics because they weren't important to Kael's story. He'd breezed through them with his protagonist powers.
I, on the other hand, had no such advantage.
I dressed quickly in the uniform that had been delivered to my room overnight—a deep blue tunic with silver trim, paired with black pants and boots. The material felt strange against my skin, almost alive with subtle enchantments.
The insignia Lux had branded me with tingled on the back of my hand. I glanced down at it—a simple golden eye that seemed to watch me with curious intensity.
"At least I have one advantage," I said, flexing my fingers. The eye blinked once, then returned to its static state.
"…That's not supposed to do that," I gaped.
However, I didn't have time to linger on that thought — maybe that was why it chose that moment to… blink. Or did it wink?
I wasn't sure.
Anyways.
I left my room and joined the stream of first-years heading toward the examination grounds. The air buzzed with nervous energy and the occasional spark of uncontrolled magic from the more anxious students.
I scanned the crowd for familiar faces, spotting Kael's distinctive silver hair about twenty paces ahead. He moved with the easy confidence I'd written for him, shoulders relaxed despite the tension hanging over everyone else.
Next to him walked a girl with fiery red hair—Lyra Emberheart, his eventual love interest and fellow protagonist.
"Shit," I muttered. "She's not supposed to be here yet."
My presence was warping the timeline faster than I'd anticipated. Characters were appearing out of sequence, plot points accelerating.
The butterfly effect of my existence was rippling through the narrative structure I'd created.
A tall boy bumped into me, nearly knocking me over.
"Watch it," the boy sneered, disdain clearly in his gaze.
I bit back a retort.
Getting into a fight before the exams would be monumentally stupid. Besides, I'd written this prejudice into the world—the strong disdained the weak.
—And I was weak, no doubt about it.
The examination grounds opened before us. Just as I saw earlier, it was a massive circular arena with tiered seating surrounding a central platform.
Faculty members sat in a special section, their elaborate robes marking their status. I spotted Varric Irrescent's shock of blue hair among them, and beside him, the imposing figure of Avida Lux, her presence dominating the space.
"First-years, gather in the center," boomed a voice, magically amplified to reach every corner of the arena.
We shuffled forward, a sea of blue uniforms converging on the platform. I kept to the edges, trying to blend in despite my nature. My shadow clung close, almost hiding beneath my feet.
It was still naturally terrified of the light.
"Welcome to your Entrance Examination," announced a stern-faced woman I recognized as Professor Thalia Brhaisse, the Combat Instructor. "Today will determine your path at Shyveon Academy."
She gestured, and the ground beneath us shimmered, revealing intricate runic patterns.
"The first test begins now."
* * *
The ground beneath our feet trembled as the runes activated, and suddenly the entire platform shifted. The students around me gasped as we were separated—the floor splitting into hundreds of individual hexagonal platforms that rose to different heights.
I found myself standing on a platform about ten feet in the air, surrounded by empty space. Looking around, I saw every student similarly isolated.
"This isn't right," I muttered.
In my novel, the first test had been a simple written exam—boring but straightforward. This was something else entirely.
Professor Brhaisse's voice echoed across the arena. "The first test evaluates your magical aptitude and adaptability. Each platform contains a unique puzzle that must be solved using your innate abilities. You have thirty minutes. Those who fail to solve their puzzle will be eliminated."
My stomach dropped. I'd never written this. The test had morphed into something more complex, more dangerous.
The hexagon beneath my feet glowed, and symbols appeared—ancient runes forming a complex pattern. I recognized some from my imagination when I was writing, but others were completely foreign.
"Begin!" Brhaisse commanded.
Around me, students immediately set to work. Some platforms required elemental manipulation, others demanded precise control of mana flow. One student was already conjuring intricate ice structures, while another wove light into complex patterns.
I stared at my puzzle. The runes seemed to shift and change as I looked at them, refusing to settle into a recognizable pattern.
"Shadow Demons," I whispered to myself. "What would a Shadow Demon do?"
My shadow stirred at my feet, sensing my intent. I knelt down, examining the runes more closely. They weren't just changing randomly.
—Gasp.
They were responding to the light.
As a shadow passed over one section, cast by a student's fire spell several platforms away, the runes briefly stabilized.
Understanding dawned on me. This puzzle wasn't meant to be solved with light magic or elemental manipulation.
It required darkness. Was Lux testing me?
I glanced at the Headmaster's insignia on my hand. It remained still, offering no guidance. This was my test alone.
"True Shadow," I whispered, activating my racial trait out in the open.