"What are guys doing?" Ermand asked Timothy, whose hands were sunk in the pink sand.

"Where were you both?"

"We just took a while to leave the room. What is all this?"

"There are two-hundred students in the whole first year Defense department and there are equal crystals that are differently coloured. These are deeply sunk in this sand. The first crystal that we get is our possession and cannot be replaced. Professor Chisel said this will be needed for our coming challenging tests."

"What's the point of these crystals?"

"Don't know, but he said the crystals aren't actually sunk in the sand rather in some deep void but the crystal gets attracted to its true owner. We're given an early chance compared to those who come from their home. You're lucky on your first day in the dorm. Let's find out now."

Ermand slowly and doubtfully sunk his hands in the pile of pink sand. He felt difficult to move his hands around.

"I can't move my hands," He whispered to Charlie, who was near him. His hands were nearing the tip of the sand dune.

"You're a dullard. You don't even have to push both of your hands deep into the sand or sink your hand until your elbow, mate. Look at me."

Ermand carefully watched Timothy's slow movements with his hand that was sunk only till his wrist.

"Alright," Ermand said, pulling out his arms until his wrist.

"Gotcha little fellow!" Charlie cried of joy.

A purple coloured crystal with eleven faces that fit perfectly in his palm shone as a beam of light struck against one of its surfaces.

"We'll, I don't know what that colour means. It's pretty good-looking though," he shrugged and slowly headed back to the mess hall.

"I've got this pale yellow coloured. Looks like onyx," Timothy said, opening his palm.

"I'll see what I'll get."

Ermand tried wriggling his hands inside the sand dune. Finally, some sharp object fitted inside his palms. He immediately pulled out his hand and opened his palm. A colourless crystal shone brilliantly in his palms.

"Wow! It looks amazing," Edwin gasped.

"It does," Ermand told himself. He expected some coloured crystal but that's what he got.

What could this mean about me?

After dinner, Ermand slowly sunk in his bed, his eyes casted on the ceiling.

"Hey, Edwin. You didn't even introduce yourself to us," Charlie slanted from his bed, his torso against the soft quilt.

"I-I'm a Scettrian."

"Wow! A Scettrian? We're all from Tawarn and New Tawarn, that's relatively the same place. It must be cool there, right?" Timothy also slanted from his bed.

"No. It isn't. It's torture everywhere..."

"Torture?" Ermand spoke through the silence.

"All of the people belonging to the low clans and those people belonging to the forsaken clan are considered equal to carrions. Scettre may be known for the beauty of the land but the lives of the people living there aren't that beautiful. It's a hideous, horrible and helpless life there." His tuft of chocolate hair hid his wet eyes because of his drooping head.

"It's the same everywhere..." Ermand mumbled, turning his glance away from his friends.

"When will all of this end?" Charlie rested his head against the wall.

"It's not going to change," Emile muttered, closing the thick book of Spells and Enchantments before him. He slowly removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

"I'm sorry guys. My dad is helpless to take a decision," Timothy stated in a low voice.

Since the time the clanship system was established all over Iyerth, nothing has become the same for all the people belonging to low conditions and poor occupation.

"We know. Nothing will change. It's our fate that we're born low. It's our fault and we should repent all our lives because of that." Charlie laid his head on his pillow.

"There can be a ray of hope," Ermand whispered. The four boys' heads turned at him immediately, their eyes bulging out in horror.

"In our dreams..." Edwin wiped his tears, making sure nobody saw it.

"Let's go to sleep now. It's useless thinking about this anyway. Tomorrow we're having Spells and Enchantments first, right?" Emile asked, decluttering the desk.

Ermand slowly closed his eyes as Emile raised a spark toward the large and flat button like surface that emitted light. It suddenly turned dim. Everything around Ermand was already dim. Nothing was getting right.

The classes went with the same velocity it went. He tried catching up with the class along with Emile's help but he felt as if he was involuntarily deviating from his path. Every night, he would try imprinting the spells into his mind and centering all of his attention in casting the spells. A few worked for him while a few failed nastily.

In the meantime, one of the students in their class gained his Aslehm. After all the efforts he put down to, Ermand still felt as if he was stuck in an endless labyrinth.

When Ermand was barely eating his bowl of chickpea soup, Charlie hastened into the mess hall and toward the bench where he was seated.

"You won't believe it. Our first Defender challenge will be held next period! The test will be conducted in the Trainor's hall which is two walls left to the Grottin's hall."

His arched eyebrows signified his excitement. He noticed that Emile suddenly gobbled his food without even stealing a glance around him just as he heard Charlie.

"First year Defenders, assemble in the Trainor's hall immediately before the second chime. Carry your crystals with you," an instructor announced in the mess hall.

Emile jumped from his bench and hurried into their dorm.

"He's out of our bounds," Charlie said in a low voice, relaxing on the bench.

After finishing their meal, Ermand and Charlie joined Emile to the Trainor's hall. They were informed early by Timothy that he and Edwin will be there. When the three boys entered the Trainor's hall, they were astounded to find all of the first year Defenders in the hall. Unlike Charlie and Ermand, most of their faces looked excited and confident while Emile was busy memorising a few spells.

"I hope all of the first year Defenders are all here. Is there anybody that's missing?" Professor Qorder said.

Since no sound escaped from the part of the students, the door to the hall shut itself by the order of him. Some students knew the reason for the assembly but all of them anticipated what the Professors had in their mind.

"This is the first DCT or Defender's Challenge Test. In this test, your skills and knowledge will be tested accurately than any other forms of examination. You will have three chances to surpass this," Professor Qorder's hands were tied behind his back as he strolled across the hall. "The ten Professors here, including myself, will be giving each of you points out of ten that'll count to hundred in total. Your score will depend on how you perform during the test, if you complete it or not which is the main thing, and a lot of other criteria that tests your valour and spirit."

Ermand recalled all of the spells he had been trying to learn every night. His puffy eyes were enough to describe his hard work.

"I don't think that this test would ever be a surprise for any of you. The commencement of this test was announced in all of the Defense classes a week before," Professor Hughasilda Rauffin proclaimed after clearing her throat.

"Hunon Halchalc," one of the Professor's announced.

A timid-appearing short boy slowly walked toward the line of Professors. His limbs were shaking uncontrollably.

"Come," Professor Derek Chestnut murmured to the boy. He pointed to a wide, deep and dark hole at one corner of the hall. "You see that huge ditch over there. Jump in."

The students gasped at the Professor's words.