73. Ahmina
AHMINA
The first years had risen before sunrise, anxious and impatient. Lennox had come to her dorm to greet her, coffee in hand, before walking with her down to the mess hall.
“You’re going to kick ass today Mina,” he had said, wrapping one arm around her and giving her a gentle squeeze. “Don’t forget that. You got this.”
Ahmina couldn’t eat breakfast. She felt determined, ready to tackle whatever the final assessment threw at her. She’d done all she could to prepare. Now all that was left was to get it over with. Still, her stomach remained in knots.
Even Rory was nervous, and while no one else admitted it, the rest of her friends—Loveleena, Kumani, Emerson, and Artie—all seemed on edge.
They collected at the bottom of the ladder to the Hydra enclosure with the rest of the first years, waiting for the assessment to begin. When the sun finally emerged, radiating down on them, Ahmina soaked it up, letting it warm her skin and calm her nerves.
Ahmina looked around to see if she could spot Zeina hiding in the bushes.
She didn’t know if Zeina would come to watch.
Maybe some small part of her wished she would.
It might calm her to see her sister there, close by.
Although she knew that even if she had come, it was unlikely she’d find her.
At least she had Rory, Loveleena, and her friends.
The fact that she wasn’t doing it alone comforted her.
“Welcome to your final assessment. Each student will climb the wall and descend into the Hydra chamber.” Headmaster Adeyemi stood in front of them with some of the faculty to their right.
“When I said they would throw us to the Hydra, I didn’t think they’d actually, literally, throw us in with the Hydra,” Rory said, brows furrowed.
“To pass the assessment, each student must make it out of the chamber alive. Whether that is through a clever escape, or a battle to the death, is the student’s choice. But keep in mind you will be assessed on your decision, so choose wisely.”
“I heard a rumor that they do this every year,” Artie cut in.
“Lennox couldn’t have warned you about this?” Rory scowled at Ahmina, as if it were her fault.
Once again, it was Kumani who was the voice of reason. “He couldn’t have. This is the first year they’ve done this.”
“How do you know?” Artie challenged.
“Because I spent time figuring it out, as all of you should have done. The third years started that rumor to help us. To warn us. You would know that if you paid attention.”
The older students were strictly prohibited from speaking of their past assessment experiences. And this year, everything was intensified. She suddenly wished she had taken the time to ask Lennox in the privacy of her dorm. He would have told her, regardless of the rules.
“The first student to be assessed is…” Adeyemi looked down, checking their paper, sending a hush through the anxious students.
“Loveleena Alva.”
Every first year swiveled to face Loveleena. Ahmina’s stomach dropped for her sister, but honestly, she was grateful it wasn’t her.
“Pray to the Moon Goddess I make it out of there, or I’m coming back to haunt all your asses,” Loveleena said to them before striding up to the ladder.
She faltered, only for a moment, but Ahmina noticed it.
She noticed a lot more about her sister now than she had before.
And she sensed that Loveleena had a moment of hesitation—a moment of pure survival instinct telling her to turn back.
But to her credit, she didn’t. One foot in front of the other, she kept her gaze forward as she made the lengthy climb to the top.
Ahmina prayed that she made it out alive.
They all held their breath as she ascended, the silence making every second feel impossibly long. Finally, once she arrived at the top, she peered down into the chamber, strands of hair fallen from her ponytail whipping in the wind.
“It’s empty!” Her face scrunched in confusion as she yelled down to the crowd below.
The Hydras were gone.