The old man who had been addressing the students earlier did not rush to speak. Instead, he stood silently, his black eyes sweeping across the gathered candidates as he carefully observed their expressions.
He saw their joy, their arrogance, their despair, and their hope, all of it reflected in a thousand different faces. Happiness shone in some, sadness clung stubbornly to others, while pride and superiority radiated from a few, only to collapse into shock moments later.
Through it all, he remained a quiet witness. Not a word left his lips, not even a murmur of acknowledgment. To many of these students, this day marked a fall, the abrupt crumbling of their pride. To others, it was the dawning of their rise, the first step into a future brighter than anything they had imagined.
And yet, to some, the results seemed trivial, as though they already knew life itself would always keep them ahead of the pack, regardless of an exam.
