The next morning, Ermand handed over his crystal to Odin before heading to their class. The Professors kept on reminding them about their finals and to the students who had not gained their Aslehm, that the finals would begin on the last of the month. Edwin and Ermand were worried since they were accompanied with a few students who are yet to gain their Aslehm.

During lunch, most of the students had started being quieter than usual. Everybody seemed to be worried about their finals. Their seniors had told me that the first year final exams are the most difficult exams after the final and third year. But it seemed that Damien was the exception.

He, along with his high-grade bullies, walked toward the table where Ermand and his friends were having their dinner.

"Well, well, well. It seems that the Lapel had made a number of friends," he cooed.

But none of the boys did bother to hear him, they pretended as if Damien was not there, which infuriated him.

"Inflammo reigna," he snapped his fingers and at that instant of time, Edwin's bread burned with dull green flame. He immediately threw the burning bread on the floor.

"What are you doing, Damien?" Timothy stood up from his bench.

"So now you rusty buckets hear me," he snapped back more ferociously.

"We're not in for a fight Damien," Charlie muttered, audible enough for Damien to hear.

"Oh yeah?" He slammed his hands on the table causing the goblets on the table clink with each other.

"What wrong did I do?" Edwin asked, standing up along with Timothy.

"So Lapel had learned to be arrogant like his hubristic friends?"

"You're the one who's hubristic," Ermand criticized.

Damien glared at him for a while.

"Don't you remember the knocketer you received several months back?" He said, gritting his teeth.

"And you, Lapel. You dare to talk against me. The national election is just a month away and my father will rule here. You don't want to disobey me, do you?" He walked closer to Edwin like a lion surrounding its prey.

"Who are you to ask me to obey? You're not my master, nobody's my master!" Edwin snapped.

For the first time, the students witnessed the timid Edwin standing for himself against Damien Qorder, the same boy who was bullied by Damien when the classes had just begun months ago. Charlie gulped and glanced at Damien's face. He sure doesn't look calm, he wouldn't of course.

"What did you say? Your tongue has grown too much over the time," he said, fury filled his tone. "Time has come to slash it before it grows any further!"

He dragged Edwin's collar and pushed him to the floor but Edwin fought him back by gripping his hands on Damien's collar. Edwin's friends jumped from their benches and tried to pull the aggressive Qorder back from beating Edwin to death. All of the students in the mess hall except for the Trainors gathered around them, watching the boys fight. Many were the supporters of Damien who cheered for him while the rest bluntly watched the show.

"Stop, stop!" Timothy shouted at the top of his voice but neither of them were willing to give up. They were fighting like ferocious wild beasts.

Emile immediately pushed through the crowds to call the Professors but one of Damien's friends pulled him from behind and held both of his hands on his back and played with his glasses.

"Give it back," he struggled.

The crowd of students were cheering Damien to punch the Lapel to a condition he could never recover from.

"Go, Damien, go. Go, go!" They cheered.

"Enough!" A loud voice shook the hall. The cheering immediately stopped and so did the boys' fight. The grip on Emile's hands by Damien's friends loosened. Emile pushed them and grabbed his glasses from their grasp. He was delighted to see the High Professor accompanied with Professor Chestnut behind him.

Professor Zaugustus Lewcent looked exceptionally angry. He walked toward both the boys with heavy steps while the students melted away from the place in no time.

"Being a Defender doesn't mean you are to fight with each other!" He shouted, glaring at Damien who was on his feet and Edwin who was on his knees. Both of them had dark bruises and small patches of blood on their faces.

"How ashamed I am to be the High Professor of such mannerless and substandard students! And Damien, your father being a politician will have no value in my college. We give priority to produce students worthy to the society and not those who boast and babble about their privileges!"

Damien pouted his mouth in anger. He wiped the blood off his lips.

"Edwin Lapel... congratulations that you have gained your Aslehm," he said, calming his tone.

After all the fight that had occured, no one noticed the silver rapier that shone gloriously beside him. The handle was adorned with a sapphire gem in the middle. Edwin stared at with astonishment flourishing on his face. He later smiled at the rapier.

"Who started the fight?" The Professor asked.

"Damien," Timothy told the Professor. Damien turned at Timothy, giving him a deadly stare.

"In my office, Damien Qorder. I'll be sending your father a knocketer on your misbehaviour," he informed before turning his back at them and walking out of the mess hall.

"Follow us, Damien," Professor Derek Chestnut instructed him and followed the High Professor.

"You'll see," Damien whispered to Edwin, gritting his teeth, before following Professor Chestnut.

After all the tension has gotten loose, the boys and some of the other students congratulated Edwin for his bravery.

"It's your confidence that helped you gain your Aslehm," Emile said, patting on his back.

Edwin nodded. However, he was feeling nervous about what would be behind Damien's you'll see.

Only the six friends knew who had called the Professors, it was Odin.

The classes had gone smooth thereafter and before a week to their finals, the time table was provided. Ermand felt difficult to push everyday. He was unsure of what he had lost in him or what he should overcome in order to obtain his Aslehm. Odin told that his mother was getting better with the potion the Healer had given him.

Everybody was in the hustle of the finals ahead except for Ermand. If he hadn't gained his Aslehm, he won't have the opportunity to attend the finals and henceforth, he will be expelled along with some students who also had failed to achieve their Aslehm. The Chisels' had sent him a knocketer stating their hopes about him with a very little description on what was happening in Uphill. He didn't reply to it and had ignored Jack countless times when he called after Ermand. He didn't know how to face him. His friends were encouraging him and giving tips and inspiration on gaining his Aslehm but he was sure no miracle could happen before the finals that was just seven days afar.

It didn't take long for the seven days to pass. The first exam, Advanced Elemental magic, had come. Edwin and Emile were busy discussing important points with each other while Charlie and Timothy were finishing their last bit of cheating papers.

Everybody was in the hustle of their exam except for Ermand. He had to stay back and pack his stuff and leave the dorm before the last exam of the finals.

It was the end. The end of his rocky but beauty journey in Agledon.