They pushed through the bathroom door, and bam, just like that, something changed. The usual hum of the institute disappeared, swallowed up by an eerie silence that made the air feel thick. It was like stepping into a soundproof bubble.

  Nephara's skin prickled, her instincts kicking in for a split second before she shook it off. 'Probably just my imagination.'

  Surprisingly, the room was empty except for one person at the far sink. The pink-haired rich girl, Seraphina stood there, dabbing at her face with a makeup brush, her twin-tails perfectly bouncy despite the humidity.

  Nephara zeroed in on her immediately, eyes narrowing as she caught a glimpse of what looked like a faint shadow under the concealer Seraphina was blending in—high on her cheekbone, maybe a bruise? It was subtle, gone in a flash under the powder, but Nephara filed it away.

  Damaris nudged her forward, heading to the sinks with a casual wave. "Hey, Seraphina! We're your team for the test—I'm Damaris, this sticky mess is Nephara. We’re both glad to officialy meet you!"

  Seraphina turned, her blue eyes lighting up like she'd just won the lottery, a genuine smile spreading across her face that made her look annoyingly wholesome. She capped her concealer with a click, tucking it into a fancy little pouch.

  "Oh, hi! Damaris, right? And Nephara—awesome to meet you both! I've heard so much about you guys from the other students. This is gonna be fun!" Her voice was all sunshine and rainbows, zero sarcasm, like she was legit excited.

  Nephara crossed her arms, leaning against the sink as she turned on the water, scrubbing at the orange stains on her uniform. “Yeah, fun,” she muttered… “Heard you had a pretty smooth entry into Alpha. Good for you.”

  She didn’t look up, just kept rinsing fabric between her fingers.

  “Funny how timing works, though. There’s only one seat open, Clara’s out, and suddenly there you are, with the exact same points as her.” A faint shrug. “Guess some people just have better… logistics.”

  Damaris shot her a glare, elbowing her subtly in the side. "Nephara, chill—what'd we just talk about? Not everyone's an asshat. Sorry about her, Seraphina—she's hangry or something. We were just saying how pumped we are for the test."

  Seraphina didn't even flinch, her smile not budging an inch as she fluffed her hair in the mirror. "No worries at all! I get it—rumors suck, right? But hey, I'm just happy to be here and learn from pros like you two!" She bounced on her toes a bit, radiating that bundle-of-joy energy, turning to help Nephara by handing her a wad of paper towels without being asked. "Here, for the stains!"

  Nephara grumbled, taking the towels but feeling a tiny twinge of... something. Guilt? Nah, couldn't be. 'Whatever, she's too perky. I just know she’s faking it. I’ve met so, so many people just like her, and my intuition was never wrong.'

  "So, any idea what this test's gonna be about? Like, sparring? Strategy puzzles? Or something totally out there?" Seraphina asked.

  Nephara paused mid-scrub, water dripping from her sleeves as she shot a deadpan look over her shoulder. "Hell nah. They love keeping us in the dark."

  Damaris nodded along. "Yeah, I went around a bit earlier and asked some older students from the third and second year. None of them had any idea what I was even talking about. They said they didn’t ever have to do this surprise test, and that it must be unique to us."

  Now somewhat cleaned Nephara snorted, flicking water off her hands. "Of course you'd go sniffing around for a cheat sheet. Classic Damaris—can't win fair and square?"

  Damaris whipped around, eyes narrowing as she balled up a paper towel and chucked it at Nephara's head. "What the hell's wrong with ensuring we win, you ass? It's called preparation, not cheating! Or do you wanna charge in blind and get your flat butt handed to you?"

  Nephara dodged the next towel missile with a cackle, holding up her hands in mock surrender. "Sure... except that means you're a weakling who needs the edge. Hehehe."

  Seraphina burst out laughing. She clutched her side, tears pricking her eyes. "Oh my gosh, you two are hilarious! Like an old married couple bickering over groceries. I love it!"

  Nephara coughed, caught off guard by the outburst, her smirk faltering into something sheepish as she turned back to the mirror. "Alright. What can you do, anyway? Spill the deets on your kit. We gotta know how to use you."

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Seraphina straightened up, still giggling a bit, but her tone shifted to eager confidence. "Sure! I'm mostly support, so healing and buffs are my jam. Like, I can pull debuffs or poisons off you guys, boosting your resistances in the process. I also have this flash that blinds enemies while healing allies, though it dings my health a smidge to trigger my bonuses."

  Nephara nodded, now drying her hands. "Good to know. Sounds solid. Debuff cleanses and blinds could save our asses in a pinch." She tossed the soggy paper towels into the bin. "Me? I'm a brawler/tank—up close and personal. Fists, grapples, the works. And Damaris right there?" She jerked a thumb at her friend, smirking. "She's just utterly broken. "

  Seraphina tilted her head, eyes wide with genuine curiosity. "How so? Spill!"

  Nephara sighed, leaning back against the sink like explaining Damaris was a chore she'd done a hundred times. "You'll see. Trust me, it's better as a surprise."

  'No point spoiling the fun. Damaris loves the dramatic reveal anyway.'

  She crossed her arms, glancing at the watch on her wrist. "I think the test'll probably be a Gate dive or a spar against a third-year student."

  Then, out of nowhere, a male voice cut through the prediction, exaggerated and dripping with amusement. "Ohh, an interesting theory, hero. Cute guesses, but you're all so busy yapping, you didn't even notice the 'surroundings' shifting. Sloppy~"

  They all whipped around. There, leaning casually against the doorframe like he'd been there the whole time, was a masked man in overly big robes that swallowed his frame, the hood pulled so low his face was just an utter void of darkness. No features, no eyes, just black.

  Damaris tensed, stepping forward instinctively. "Who the hell—?"

  But Nephara was already moving, shoving past the sinks to plant herself at the front, bouncing on her toes like a boxer warming up in the ring. She flexed her fingers, quickly wrapping her hand straps tight, her knuckles cracking as she settled into a guard stance. "Stay sharp," she muttered over her shoulder. “This guy is really strong.”

  Damaris nodded, grabbing Seraphina's arm and shoving her behind her own body, positioning the rich girl out of immediate line of fire.

  [Analysis]

  Her face paled a shade, and she swallowed hard. "Yeah, your instincts are again on the spot—this guy's stronger than any third-year I saw today. That scan just... bounced off him.”

  Seraphina's perky vibe cracked for the first time, her eyes darting to the door—or where the door should be, but the guy's frame was currently blocking it. "Should we alert someone? Or get help? There must be tons of students all over the campus—teachers too!"

  Nephara laughed. "Isn't it obvious? Security right now is the highest it's ever been. No way this is another intruder sneaking in. Meaning..." She cracked her knuckles, wind starting to swirl around her. "This is the test they promised! Surprise motherfucker!"

  [Tempest Combo]

  The air hummed with sudden energy as Nephara activated her skill, her body blurring forward in a gust of wind that whipped everyone's hair. She closed the gap instantly, appearing right in front of the hooded man like she'd teleported. Her leg snapped up in a vicious kick to his midsection followed by two rapid punches to the chest and jaw, each hit landing with a crack that should've echoed like thunder. But instead of crumpling, the guy didn't budge. Nephara twisted mid-air, somersaulting back with acrobatic flair, landing lightly in front of the other two girls, fists still raised. 'What the—?'

  Meanwhile, Damaris didn't waste the opening. She slapped her hands together in a sharp clap.

  [Venomous Prayer]

  A swirling purple cloud erupted from her palms, coiling like a snake and dashing straight at the enemy, exploding into a thick fog that masked his vision, or at least, that's what it should've done, billowing around him in a hazy shroud.

  Damaris smirked, pumping a fist. But Nephara's eyes widened, her playful energy vanishing in a flash. "Run!" she barked, spinning on her heel and smashing her fist straight through the bathroom wall like it was made of cardboard.

  Chunks of tile and plaster exploded outward, daylight flooding in as they burst into the garden outside. The three girls tumbled out onto the grass, rolling to their feet and whipping around to stare back at the jagged hole leading to the bathroom.

  Seraphina gasped, brushing dirt off her skirt. "Why? What happened? We had him on the ropes!"

  Nephara panted, fists clenched, staring at the dark opening where the purple cloud still swirled. "When I hit him... I didn't touch him. My fists went right through—like he was a ghost."

  Damaris didn't miss a beat, her eyes flicking to the bathroom.

  [Divine Miasma]

  She snapped, thrusting her palm forward. "He must be some kind of illusionary caster then, or might be immune to physical attacks." A massive surge of poison mist erupted from her hand, roaring straight through the jagged opening like a toxic storm, flooding the bathroom in a choking haze that should've melted anything breathing inside.

  Not done yet, she bit down on her wrist hard enough to draw a trickle of blood, hissing through gritted teeth.

  [Eucharist of Venom]

  The blood shimmered purple, and in a flash, a snake-skinned barrier materialized around the trio, enclosing them in a protective dome.

  Seraphina's eyes went wide, starstruck as hell, her mouth hanging open in awe. "You're amazing! That was so badass!"

  Nephara smiled despite the tension, glancing sidelong at Damaris with a mix of exasperation and fondness. "See? This is why I hate fighting Damaris. Girl's got too many cheesy strats up her sleeve, and half her skills are just for sustain. Infinite bullshit generator over here."

  Damaris flipped her off with a grin, but her eyes stayed locked on the hole. "Flattery won't save you next spar, sticky."

  Damaris scanned around, but her smirk faded quick. No system pings, no floating numbers, nothing. "No DMG notifications popping up," she muttered, voice low and urgent. "Don't celebrate shit yet. That mist should've tagged him if he was really there."

  Then, again, from behind them, inside the barrier, the same lazy, exaggerated voice drawled out. "Did you get him?"