The mention of Ariana Merdin’s name did not draw the same kind of stunned reaction that had followed Erica Roswell’s rise or Lucian Kellor’s continued presence in the top ten. The hall did not break into murmurs, nor did many students turn with visible surprise toward the auburn-haired girl standing among them.

But that lack of reaction was not because they thought little of her, not anymore. Months ago, some might have looked at Ariana and seen only a delicate girl with glasses, gentle smiles, and a mind far more suited to books than battle.

Some might have assumed her high position had come from theory, magic aptitude, or the novelty of being a Primordial rather than anything she could actually prove when left alone.

Now, after the past months and especially after Nalim, that assumption had become harder to hold. Ariana had not risen in rank, but remaining within the top ten after an assessment like this was not something anyone could dismiss lightly.

Ariana herself stood near Sheila and several others, her training attire torn at the edge of one sleeve and dirtied from days of movement through ruins and forest.

One side of her glasses had a visible crack across the lens, though she still wore them as if refusing to let such a small inconvenience bother her.

Her auburn hair was tied more messily than usual, with loose strands clinging to her cheeks, and although exhaustion sat heavily in her eyes, there was a steadiness there that had not existed at the beginning of the academy year.

When her image appeared on the large magical screen, showing her moving through a broken ruin in Nalim with careful eyes and quiet focus, she swallowed softly but did not look away.

Sir Kaelen stepped forward again, his gaze settling briefly on the screen before shifting toward Ariana within the crowd. "Ariana Merdin," he began, his voice calm but firm, "you have come a long way, both magically and physically."

The screen showed Ariana crouching behind a half-collapsed stone wall while two Horror-class demons moved through the ruined structure ahead of her. She did not attack immediately.

Instead, she observed the angle of their movement, the direction of the wind, and the layout of broken pillars around them. Then she raised one hand and released a controlled thread of magic that shifted the loose stones beneath one demon’s feet, causing it to stumble directly into the second. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Before either creature could properly regain balance, Ariana used another affinity to collapse part of the wall between them, separating the two long enough for her to eliminate one quickly and retreat from the other without wasting unnecessary Myst.

"Compared to the reports from your first year, your physical improvement is very noticeable," Kaelen continued. "Not to the untrained eye, perhaps. Many would still look at you and assume you are physically weaker than most of your peers. However, your movement, endurance, and ability to maintain composure under pressure have improved. Even compared to what I observed during the one-month training period before academic studies resumed, there is clear growth."

Ariana’s fingers tightened slightly around the strap of the small pouch at her side.

Kaelen continued without rushing.

"You did not rise in rank, nor did you fall. But what you have done from the evaluation test months ago until now is prove that you are not simply a small, delicate student who cares only about magic theory and requires others to move forward. You have shown that you can survive independently, judge independently, and make decisions for yourself under pressure."

The hall remained quiet, and this time, many students seemed to understand the importance of those words.

Ariana had always been intelligent. That part had never been seriously questioned by anyone who spent enough time around her. But intelligence in the classroom and survival within Nalim were very different things. Kaelen’s praise made it clear that what Ariana had shown during the assessment went beyond knowledge.

It was application. Judgment. Self-preservation.

"To be frank," Kaelen said, his stern expression unchanged, "this assessment brought to light something even I did not fully expect from you."

On the screen, another highlight played. Ariana moved through dense fog in a section of Nalim where visibility was clearly poor.

Instead of panicking or relying on large spells, she used small controlled bursts of magic to test airflow, detect obstacles, and misdirect a stalking demon away from her path. She never fought the creature directly. She did not need to. She guided it toward an unstable ruin, triggered a collapse behind her, and moved away while the demon was trapped beneath falling stone.

"Your survival instincts and judgment are not perfect," Kaelen said. "They are not yet as sharp as some students who have spent more time in direct combat or hostile terrain. However, they were far better than expected. Your zone was not the deadliest among those assigned, but that does not diminish what you accomplished. You made excellent decisions for yourself. You preserved your Myst. You avoided unnecessary combat. You recognized when engagement would benefit you and when retreat was the smarter option."

Ariana lowered her gaze for a second, not in shame, but as if absorbing the words quietly.

"And when you did engage in combat," Kaelen added, "you made sure the encounters ended quickly. Your battle instinct is not the best among your peers, and there are moments where hesitation still appears in your movements. But your mind works exceptionally well no matter the situation. You compensate for what you lack in aggressive combat sense by using terrain, timing, and layered spell control."

The screen shifted again, showing Ariana facing a wounded Horror-class demon in a narrow corridor of broken stone. The demon charged her, and Ariana did not attempt to overpower it. Instead, she used one spell to slow its feet against the ground, another to redirect loose debris into its side, and a third to expose its core for a precise finishing strike. The entire exchange lasted only seconds.

"Your control over your affinities has also grown more refined," Kaelen said. "Months ago, you already demonstrated impressive magical control, especially for someone your age. Now, that control has become more practical. Less display. More function. More efficiency."

A faint murmur of approval moved through some of the instructors seated behind him.

Kaelen looked directly at Ariana. "I am not a mage who wields four affinities. Moreover, I will never claim to fully understand the way true multi-affinity mages like you process battle. Your method of approaching combat is fundamentally different from mine. However, I can say this much with confidence. Continue improving exactly as you have been. Prove every worthless voice that doubted you wrong. Show them why you are the only Primordial of your generation."

Those final words settled over the hall with more force than anything else said about Ariana. Sheila, standing near her, glanced toward her with a soft smile. Ariana’s own expression trembled slightly for a moment, not from weakness, but from the emotion she carefully held back before giving Kaelen a small, respectful nod.

The screen lingered on her final highlight, showing Ariana sitting alone in the ruins at dawn, exhausted but alive, her gaze fixed outward while her hands rested over her knees in quiet recovery. Then the image faded.

Lucia looked back down at her clipboard and tapped it once more. The screen changed, and this time the image that appeared caused a few students to turn instinctively toward the blond boy standing near Liam and Charlotte.

"Rank seven, Dylan Wellington," Lucia announced.

Dylan chuckled weakly when his name was mentioned, though the sound barely carried past those closest to him. He stood with one hand resting against his side, his bow strapped over his shoulder, and his entire body looking as if it had been dragged through every possible inconvenience Nalim could offer.

His blond hair was still messy, his green eyes were tired, and the grin he wore lacked some of its usual energy, though not its humor. "Yeah," he muttered under his breath. "Expected that drop."

Charlotte glanced at him with mild amusement. Liam looked toward the screen quietly.

The highlights began to play. Dylan appeared in a dense forest section of Nalim, standing on a high branch with his bow already drawn while several Horror-class demons moved below. His eyes followed their movements, and then he fired three arrows in rapid succession, each one striking a different point in the terrain rather than the demons themselves.

One arrow snapped a hanging vine, dropping a dead branch into the path of the first demon. Another struck a weak section of bark, causing a swarm of small stinging insects to burst from the tree and scatter the pack formation. The third embedded itself in the ground and released a metallic shimmer that drew the demons’ attention just long enough for Dylan to reposition.