Chapter Thirty-One #3
Joshua was moving before she even realized she’d stopped breathing.
He was on the floor in front of her in an instant, crouching between her knees, his presence solid and grounding.
His hands came to rest on the side of her thighs, big, warm palms rubbing slow, steady movements, anchoring her back into her body.
“Ani,” he said firmly but gently. “Look at me.”
She did, eyes glassy.
“You’re going to be fine,” he continued, voice low and unwavering. “Okay? You hear me?”
Her throat worked as she swallowed. “What if that’s me?” she whispered. “What if I failed? What happens if I fail?”
“You won’t,” he said without hesitation. “And even if...if...something didn’t go right, we’d handle it. But you need to trust yourself. The way we trust you.”
His certainty steadied her just enough to breathe.
“Oh my gods,” Polly suddenly said, staring at her phone. Agatha leaned in beside her. “We both passed. Thank goodness.” They looked up at Anabelle then, excitement fading into something softer, more careful. “Do you want us to check for you?” Agatha asked gently.
Anabelle shook her head quickly. “No...no, it’s okay. I’ll do it.”
Her hands trembled slightly as she unlocked her phone and logged in.
The cafeteria seemed to fade away, the world narrowing to the glow of the screen.
She scrolled. Once. Twice. Everyone around her had gone still.
Even Joshua had paused his movements, his hands resting warm and steady against her legs. Her eyes widened.
Week One Examination Results:
Status: PASSED
“Oh my god,” she breathed.
Joshua didn’t move from the floor, but his head snapped up. “What?” he demanded, already bracing.
She didn’t answer, couldn’t, just stared.
He reached up gently, taking the phone from her hands. His gaze dropped to the screen. His eyes widened. Then he looked up at her, and broke into the biggest, most radiant smile she’d ever seen on him.
“I knew you could do it,” he said, pride practically vibrating through every word. “And look at that fucking score. Ani, you did it.”
Before she could even process it, he surged to his feet and pulled her into a hug, arms wrapping tight around her. She clutched him just as fiercely, laughing and shaking all at once, relief crashing over her in a dizzying wave.
She had passed. She’d really passed.
Rian leaned in over Joshua’s shoulder, barely containing himself. “Okay, okay, move... let me see.”
Joshua huffed but shifted just enough for Rian to peek at the screen.
Rian froze mid-lean. “…What the hell,” he breathed. Then louder, disbelief clear in his voice, “Ani.”
She looked up at him, still half stuck in Joshua’s arms. “What?”
Rian’s mouth twitched, pride blazing in his eyes. “You didn’t just pass.”
Dominik was already reaching out. “Let me see.”
Joshua relinquished the phone at last, passing it back to Anabelle, but Cameron intercepted it smoothly before it reached her hands.
“Hold on,” Cameron said, scanning the screen. Then his eyes widened. Like...really widened. “Gods above,” he muttered, blinking once as if the number might change if he looked again. He lifted his gaze to her slowly. “Ani… this is your score.”
He turned the phone slightly so they could all see, tapping the number with his thumb.
Week One Examination Results:
Status: PASSED
Marks: 357/400
Final Score: 90%
“See that number right there?” he said softly, reverently. “That’s ninety."
Silence. Absolute, stunned silence.
“…I got a what?” Anabelle whispered.
“You got a ninety,” Cameron repeated, awe bleeding into his voice. “On your first exam. With no prior knowledge. No background. No preparation beyond five days.”
Rian let out a low whistle. “Holy shit.”
Dominik’s lips parted, something raw and proud flashing across his face before he schooled it. “That’s… incredible.”
Joshua laughed under his breath, shaking his head as if he still didn’t believe it. “You were worried about sixty,” he said softly, squeezing her again. “Ani, you obliterated it.”
Her chest tightened suddenly, emotion swelling fast and sharp. “I...I wasn’t expecting that,” she said, voice wavering. “I thought… maybe I’d scraped by. Or...Gods...I don’t know.”
Polly clapped her hands together. “Ninety? Babe, that’s insane.”
Agatha nodded enthusiastically. “People who grew up in this world don’t even get scores like that.”
Anabelle stared at the phone again, the number refusing to change. “I really did it,” she murmured. “I didn’t just survive it. I actually...”
“You owned it,” Rian cut in, grinning at her. “That essay alone must have been flawless.”
Cameron handed the phone back gently. “You should be proud of yourself,” he said, quieter now. “This isn’t just a good score. It tells the board something.”
She looked up at him. “What?”
“That you’re not just capable,” he said. “You understand this. Deeply.”
Joshua rested his forehead briefly against her hair, voice low and steady. “Told you,” he murmured. “You were always going to shine.”
Anabelle laughed then, breathy, disbelieving, a little overwhelmed—and wiped at her eyes. “Okay,” she said. “Okay. I might cry. But like… happy crying.”
Rian snorted. “We’ll allow it.”
And for the first time since this whole impossible journey had begun, she let herself believe, maybe, just maybe, she was exactly where she was meant to be.