"Haa... Adam, do you realise what you’ve done?"
Adam gulped at the ominous words. He had his own suspicions, but with the way his father was acting, the problem seemed bigger than he could currently see.
He shook his head and waited for his father to clarify. Jonathan pinched the bridge of his nose and returned to his seat. Adam followed and took the one next to him.
The office space looked spacious, but minimally decorated. It had high windows overlooking the spacious receiving hall of the admission block. Besides the sleek desk and guest chairs, only a shelf decorated with a few books and ornaments spoke of its opulence.
For several seconds, Jonathan did not speak, seemingly considering something. As Adam waited on his father, his own thoughts spiralled.
’I might have really gone overboard,’ the thought came autonomously. ’Those three must have come from very powerful families. Slapping them the way I did might have really triggered those families.’
He glanced at his father, tension gripping his whole body. The office suddenly felt like a detention centre meant to stop them from leaving.
’This is bad...’
"Adam..." Jonathan spoke, snapping his son out of his racing thoughts. "You did well out there. You made a few questionable decisions, but overall, you did amazing."
Jon turned to look at Adam with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. The man seemed to have aged a few years within the span of 24-hours. For several heartbeats, Adam did not know what to make of his father’s words.
"Sadly..."
At that word, Adam gulped, preparing himself mentally.
"...what you did to those three has put a mark on you. Those three aren’t so simple, Adam. They have history dating back centuries, ties to the Federation council, its military and this very academy."
Adam’s expression darkened as the realization hit him like a slap. His heart raced, his breath hitching. He had no idea he had thoroughly shot himself in the foot!
"Do you understand what I’m saying?" Jon glanced at Adam, who gave a stiff nod in return.
"And the trial being stopped so early had nothing to do with any unforeseen issues and everything to do with what you did to those three."
"!"
Adam clenched the armrests of his seat, exhaling loudly. No wonder the timing felt off to him. A part of him had suspected as much, but he killed that thought before it gained substance. He was not arrogant enough to have believed his actions forced the academy to end the trial.
But that had been exactly what happened. He was royally screwed.
"S-So what happens now?" Adam finally asked after several agonising seconds of silence.
"I don’t know," Jon shook his head. "But I believe that is why we’re here. We’ll find out soon enough."
"So my admission could be withdrawn, right?"
"Maybe..." the reply lacked any confidence. Jon had no way of knowing. He never thought the academy would be this biased towards the elites.
He was already having second thoughts about letting Adam attend. Perhaps their best bet would be to try one of the academies back in their city. They might not be in the same league as the North Star Academy, but Adam would be closer to home.
Jonathan was more than prepared to force his way out depending on the situation. Perhaps he was overthinking it, but his worried state of mind could not come up with anything else.
The door clicked open once more, drawing their gazes over. Father and son rose to their feet as they watched the vice-principal walk in with confident steps. In his right hand was a folder that drew their gazes.
The duo wondered what could be contained within it, but kept their expressions as calm as possible. The vice-principal met their gaze with a casual smile.
His presence was calm, but they weren’t deceived. Behind that welcoming smile was a man far stronger than Jonathan. There was this subtle pressure around him that could not be dismissed even if the man tried.
"Please, sit." He gestured as he made his way over to his desk.
Only after the vice-principal took his seat did they sit as well. The man’s gaze naturally drifted to Adam, scrutinising him with a smile on his face.
"I hope I didn’t keep you two waiting too long," the vice-principal said as he turned to look at Jon.
"Quite the contrary, Mr Princeton. This is a comfortable office you have here." Jonathan replied smoothly, not too keen on offending the man.
"That’s good to hear." Asher’s smile grew.
"Here."
He pushed the file towards Jon, adding. "This is Adam’s detailed score sheet. Take your time."
Jonathan looked at the file and then at the man before he picked it up. As he read the report, his expression shifted slightly. He glanced at Adam for a moment, the look in his eyes speaking volumes of his awe.
Adam wondered what it entailed, though he already knew his overall score and ranking. The silence stretched a couple more seconds before Jon passed the file to Adam.
Taking the file, Adam wanted no time reading the content. He skimmed through the minor details about his name, ID and photo, focusing on the scores themselves.
[Written Test: 496/500 points]
[Remark: Exceptional]
[Rank: 1st place]
[Survival Trial]
[Decision Making: A]
[Adaptability: A+]
[Observation: A]
[Teamwork: B]
[Combat: S]
[Resourcefulness: A]
[Potential Ranking: A+]
[Survival Score: 471/500 points]
[Remark: Excellent]
[Rank: 1st place]
[Total Overall: 967/1000 points]
[Rank Overall: 1st place]
’Th-this is my result?’
Adam could not believe his eyes. He knew he came in first overall, but he never thought he would be in first place for both assessments. The written test score surprised him the most, as he had scored almost all the marks.
A week ago, Adam would have never imagined himself being in this position. Yet here he was, overtaking every single person in the evaluation. A strange feeling rose in his chest, a feeling he couldn’t quite describe.
It felt like he was scared and impressed in equal measure. He swallowed imperceptibly and raised his head to meet a smiling vice-principal. That smile of his had been bothering him since earlier, but now, he wasn’t so sure.
"Congratulations, Adam Highstein. You’re our academy’s top-performing applicant this year." Asher said calmly. "The talents you’ve demonstrated are exactly what this academy and the Federation hope to nurture. Welcome to the North Star Academy."
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