As the next girl touches the sphere, it turns blue, eliminating her from this round too. The sphere continues to travel through the rest of the line, with most getting yellow, a few blue and white, and only a handful of blacks. The second line goes more or less the same, and it looks like there will not be too many people participating in the second test. Around two to three people per line get the black level. The most common level is yellow, which means they have a good level, but they aren't quite there. Still, with enough training, they will be able to return as blacks in the future.

The sphere passes from hand to hand until our row is next.

Wyn is still tense from her interaction with the high priestess, her expression a mix of confidence and rebellion. And when the sphere floats into her hands, she grips it tightly, her eyes fixed on it. Mine are too, my heart beating loudly in my chest as I hope she'll get black to pass to the next round.

Seconds trickle by.

The white matter inside the sphere vibrates, and we all wait with bated breath to see what color it will change into. Light shines from deep within, and at first, the color changes to a deep yellow. But the yellow quickly loses its intensity until a powerful beam of light erupts from the nucleus of the sphere, the color becoming the purest, brightest red.

Silence blankets the courtyard.

I sneak a glance at the high priestess, who for one moment has a naked expression of disbelief on her face, which she quickly masks with one of indifference. Pushing her chin in the air, she clicks her tongue against the roof of her mouth as she assesses Wyn with narrowed eyes.

"Very well, Arwyn," she murmurs. "You have proven yourself."

Wyn's lips fight to stay in a neutral position, twitching at the corners.

"Congratulations," I whisper to her.

"But you will understand why I find it hard to believe that a mere three-thousand-year-old child would get the red level on her first attempt. I will need to ensure that no rules have been broken," she intones, making her skepticism known.

"Of course." Wyn inclines her head out of respect, but she is not pleased with the high priestess's words. Yet it was to be expected, wasn't it? After ridiculing Wyn for her confidence and stating how rare it was to get a red level, she must find a way to save face.

"You can pass the sphere to the person next to you," the high priestess mentions, her tone biting.

I inhale deeply as I open my palms to receive the sphere.