The announcement came on a Wednesday morning.
It wasn't loud or dramatic — just a notice projected across every dorm terminal and classroom screen at the same time, the kind that made students stop mid-conversation.
[Academy Directive: Mid-Term Practical Examination – Dungeon Assessment. Attendance is mandatory. Failure to participate will result in disciplinary action or expulsion.]
Arios stared at the notification for several seconds before finally lowering his cup of tea. Liza leaned over his shoulder, reading aloud with a slow, unimpressed tone.
"'Failure to participate will result in expulsion.' They really know how to motivate us."
Lucy, sitting on the edge of his desk, crossed her arms. "Dungeon practical... that means they're sending us into the actual underground network beneath the training wards, right?"
Arios nodded. "That's what it sounds like."
