Ember Academy
Before Sera could answer, Renna's voice rang out across the courtyard, calling the first name, and the trial began in earnest.
She watched the others go ahead of her, one by one, tested against a rotation of obstacles built to measure control rather than raw power, a wind gauntlet, a water maze, a frost wall meant to be melted with precision instead of brute heat. Some students passed with the easy confidence of people who'd been training since childhood. Others faltered, magic flickering wild under pressure, and Renna's voice would call a clipped, unforgiving verdict, insufficient control, return next season.