Chapter 6 Rune #4
Phantom pain lingered around my ribs where the warlock’s spell had torn through me. My skin was unbroken and healed, but I still remembered the burn. The simulation was a little too realistic, though that was the entire point.
Tibby had told me after the first-year, the simulations could actually kill us.
Aura stood beside me, her fingers ghosting over the bruises on her throat that were no longer there. Her eyes were wide with tears that weren’t falling.
Eleanor was crying softly. Her hands trembled at her sides, her chin tucked low, hair veiling her face like she wanted to disappear. Her empathy was strong, and that was a good trait, but she needed to learn that, sometimes, empathy would not help.
Zuko was smirking faintly, but there was a tension in his jaw.
Slater stood casually with Snakey half-manifested around his shoulders, the spectral serpent flickering faintly. He was back to normal size now, though I could appreciate what an advantage it was to have that power.
Koa crossed his arms and stood beside Zuko with his lips pressed into a hard line.
Coralynn was quiet, her hands clasped neatly in front of her.
Dimitri stood directly beside me. His posture was military-straight, but his dark eyes softened for half a second when they met mine.
The silence stretched, thick and echoing. The only sound was the gentle hum of the room’s warded barriers.
At the center of the chamber, next to the control panel, Jesper stood with his arms crossed. “Well,” he said dryly. “No one died. That’s always a promising start.”
Zuko gave a weak fist pump to the air. “Yay for no deaths!”
Slater threw up an even weaker thumbs-up. “We had a fantastic mission, right?”
Jesper didn’t smile. He tapped the glowing panel, the sound sharp against the dead silence, and sighed. “Let’s talk through the point criteria, shall we?”
We all straightened. My pulse thundered in my ears, so loud I swore it echoed in the simulator.
Jesper’s eyes scanned over all of us. “Creative use of magic and role alignment?” He flicked a glance toward Koa. “Your healer used his special healing power with control under pressure, despite…less-than-ideal vocal responses from one patient.”
Koa flushed scarlet, and I looked away quickly. The memory of my reaction burned in me hotter than his magic ever could.
Jesper’s gaze shifted. “Aura.”
She straightened, shoulders pulled back.
“You used ingenuity under pressure,” he said. “Constructed a stable crystal amplifier from unstable components. Without it, the purification ritual would’ve failed.”
Aura’s lips parted in surprise, but she only nodded.
“Slater.”
Slater gave a cute two-finger salute.
“Chaos magic can turn a situation unpredictable. You kept it restrained. Broke the summoning circle without triggering a backlash. Protected your spy without destabilizing the objective. Your instincts were efficient and lethal. Though, your arcane knowledge was lacking.”
Slater’s grin was wide as he nodded. “That’s why I’m here. To learn.”
“Dimitri.” Jesper’s tone didn’t change, but there was something solid in it. “Clear leadership. You shielded your teammate. Maintained formation even when emotions and magic were running high. You didn’t allow sentiment to cloud your judgment.”
Dimitri’s jaw flexed once. He didn’t respond.
Jesper’s eyes found mine next. “Rune.”
My throat went dry. I looked up to meet his gaze, steady and unreadable.
“You reported what you knew when you knew it. You didn’t run off for personal glory or sabotage your role. You took a hit for your squadmate, and when you eliminated the warlock, you ensured it was done with ethics.”
I swallowed, then gave a respectful nod.
“Coralynn,” Jesper continued, shifting focus. “Arcane understanding was solid. You contributed knowledge that clarified the ritual. You didn’t demand the spotlight, but you were precise when it counted.”
Coralynn inclined her head in acknowledgement.
Jesper’s mouth twitched as his eyes found Zuko next. “You did not get to torture anyone.”
Zuko spread his hands in mock innocence. “Disappointing for all of us.”
Jesper ignored it. “However, you protected Aura. You used venom strategically to disarm. That was a team-motivated move. Not all squad roles will be utilized on every mission.”
Zuko dropped his hands and nodded.
Jesper’s attention moved last to Eleanor.
She was already trembling again, but she didn’t look away from him.
“Attempted de-escalation,” Jesper said. “You pursued empathy when it could’ve been easier to turn to anger. You failed to contain the threat, but you held to your values and didn’t hinder the team. The Fates do not ask for perfection. They ask for intention.”
Eleanor bowed her head, blinking rapidly. Her lips were tight, but she didn’t break.
Jesper tapped the panel again, and the air above us shimmered.
Eight glowing words pulsed into existence:
PASS.
The tension in my spine finally released.
Jesper let the moment stretch, the glow of the verdict hovering over us like it was carved from the sun.
“You were not meant to be flawless. You were meant to think. To adapt. To improvise when you had to, and above all…” His gaze swept across us like a blade, sharp and certain. “Your job was not to fall apart or sabotage each other when it mattered. You did that.”
Jesper turned back to the panel, the glowing interface folding away into darkness with a hum.
“Dismissed,” he said, walking us out of the simulator. “Interrogation rounds begin shortly. Grab something to eat if you can stomach it. You’ll need it.”
“Ah, Jesper!” I stepped in front of him with an innocent smile on my lips. “Can I have my dagger back?”
He paused, lips pursing as if he had to think about it. “I’m not permitted to give any confiscated weapons back during the exam.”
“Please?” I pouted my bottom lip and took a step closer.
He stepped back, almost tripping over his own foot before rushing past me. He paused next to me briefly. “If you pass, I’ll give it back.”
Then, he walked faster away from me.
Looks like I had another reason to pass.
The dagger wasn’t that special, but it was the principle of the matter.
Zuko grabbed my wrist and pulled me close just as we exited the simulator. “Are you still thinking about my venom?”
I bit down on my bottom lip as I stared into his dark orange eyes. “Definitely.”
Slater huffed, waving his arms. “Snakey also has venom. And he’s cooler. Obviously. You enjoyed his venom, too.”
“I did,” I agreed.
“You’ll enjoy mine more,” Zuko promised before he turned to Slater. “What’s his real name, by the way? You can’t honestly tell me you named him at four and kept it that.”
Slater grinned. “Snakey is his name. We don’t question it.”
“I think it’s cute,” Koa told Slater kindly.
“Aw, thanks, brother-mate,” he cheered.
“I thought I was your brother-mate?” Zuko pouted.
“You both are,” Slater explained easily. “I have a feeling Rune’s going to have a few mates.”
Fates help me.