Raff had heard the person coming through the woods towards them. When the sounds of nature were everywhere, it was easy to pick up on something that was not part of it. With one eye, he peeked at Asper, who was trying overly hard to copy Raff's breathing with his eyes closed. He knew it was best to observe before acting.

Though they were close to the arch on the wall, the heavily treed area provided plenty of cover when needed, and there was always one place that few people looked when something was obviously in front of them. Silently and quickly, Raff stood up and walked to the nearest tree and began to climb. He let his calloused hands and feet grip the bark as he pulled himself up smoothly one arm's length at a time. Being up high was almost as good as being out of sight.

He watched from his perch as the green-clad woman moved mostly silently into the area near the gate. She smoothly took out her bow, nocked an arrow, and pressed the point gently into Asper's nose. "You aren't a Three. You jump areas or someone trying to sneak you into this year's class without going through the trials? Should be hours before one of those Zeros makes it past the arch. Answer me!" She barked into the boy's face.

There were many options that Raff was thinking about, including doing nothing and just watching. If he jumped down there at the wrong time, Asper might accidentally get shot. That could lead to knowledge of what is allowed at school and what punishments are carried out. The risk to himself was negligible, but Asper had helped him out. Raff pushed off from the tree and towards the girl. He could hear Asper's inarticulate reply of, "Um."

He struck out with his hand as he landed, gripping the shaft of the arrow. Disturbed leaves and twigs flew up at the force of his landing. Both Asper and the girl yelped in surprise. She did let go of the arrow, but Raff's grip kept it in place.

"Sorry for the intrusion. I just want to assure you that Asper and I are part of the new class. We just made it here first."

Raff watched the girl in green take a step back, drop her bow, and slide into a fighting stance. It was smooth and practiced as he'd seen among the professionals he'd faced. "I don't believe you. No one comes out of the third ring until it starts to get dark."

Raff contemplated what it would take to incapacitate the girl. She barely looked older than he was. It was harder to take down trained people without causing harm than amateurs. Then he heard a noise.

At the gate, the girl with the cap and baggy clothes had stumbled through. She let out a groan and then gagged a few times before letting out a long and loud, "Fuuuuuuccck!"

The interruption broke the tension. "Looks like our class is full of early arrivers." Raff said with a smirk.

Rian let her eyes focus now that she was shaken out of her nightmares. That force that moved her. She had known it had to be a person. It drove her forward. Ahead she would not be alone no matter how empty she had felt.

Three people were in front of her staring with wide eyes. It immediately gave her a rush of relief. "What? Do I have something in my teeth?" She asked them.

"How did you?" The blond woman wearing green blurted out before she cleared her throat. "As part of the new class, do you recognize either of these two?"

Rian wondered if she lied, would that be enough to get rid of Raff. That boy was too much of a puzzle for her. Jon would surely be out soon, and it would be best not to be caught a liar. "That's Raff." She said gesturing to the mostly naked boy. "The other one I've never seen before, but there are a lot of applicants who I wouldn't recognize."

The woman in green relaxed. "I'm Felicia, a level three. It was my job to greet the new class as they arrived then escort the group to get their level zero status read."

"You're doing a great job greeting." Announced the boy in the back who was rubbing his nose with a sour look on his face.

Rian reflected on the fact that sourpuss with the sore nose there looked like the type of mark which she could con all his savings out of and have him coming back to give her more. The dull, dreamy kind of fool. Yet, he has made it here before her. "I'm Rian." She spoke, changing her gaze as such she was introducing herself to Felicia and the new boy.

"Asper." She memorized that name, promising to look for it once the infamous school rankings get posted.

Felicia exhaled a long sigh. "I guess we can wait together for the rest of the class and the closing of the arch before heading to the heart of the academy."

Rian looked back at the arch to the third ring and fought from shivering. That fear of being alone had nearly cost her everything. As odd as the people around her were she let herself draw strength from their presence. "I'm sure the rest of them won't be far behind."

Asper stopped himself from mentioning that most of those who he passed on the way out were still trapped in their nightmares just past the door from the second ring to the third. He didn't want to have to go through what others went through if they decided to put him through that process again because it didn't work on him this time. He watched as Raff shrugged, sat down, and closed his eyes to work on breathing.

He looked at the two girls. He had no interest in talking to Felicia after she poked him and nearly shot him in surprise. Rian just kept on looking at him like she wanted something. He remembered Josie, who had him running around town doing errands under the guise of suggestions for building skills, she always gave him the same look that Rian was giving him. Giving up on the idea of being social, he sat down too to focus on his breathing. There was something about it; he could feel like he could almost grasp. Of course, that felt true for anything he tried.

He could hear that Rian had started up a conversation with Felicia, mostly attempts to pump her for information, which Felicia avoided answering. It distracted him from his own work but became easy to ignore as he realized that he would learn nothing new. He tried some more to copy Raff, as he could see something beneficial in how the skilled young man focused. Eventually, he gave up and started trying to work on the deals of making it work his own way. A few moments, he did feel more competent, but when he tried to grasp the specifics of why it was like grabbing smoke.

It took over an hour for the next couple of new students to stumble out through the arch. Felicia's greeting to them broke Asper out of his struggles. "Congratulations! You've made it into Pricore Academy. Once everyone is gathered, we'll head to the center to get your status and into the rolls for this year's incoming class." She sounded pleasant, which just made Asper feel salty about his pointed greeting.

Raff and Rian were already congratulating the new arrivals, so Asper unfolded his stiff legs and got up to do the same. By the time he was standing, more started to show up, and it was a steady stream of recovering and relieved classmates. Asper felt like all of their names were getting blurred together and that he wouldn't remember anyone.

"Rian!" Yelled a sweaty, drained, young man in armor. "I was so worried about you!" He then gave her a big hug. Asper felt a twinge of jealousy that he knew made no sense. He'd barely interacted with the girl himself, and now her boyfriend showed up.

Hundreds now crowded about the woods. Asper felt almost forced into the core welcoming crew, Felicia leading the way and Raff and Rian staying with the duty as part of the first ones to show up. Asper did pay close attention to the fact they both of them didn't have any problems remembering everyone's names.

Then the archway folded inward until a simple smooth wall was left in the place of where it was. Felicia's voice loudly projected through the woods. "Listen up, everybody! You are to follow me. No wandering about. You'll get your status, and we'll get you squared away into student housing as soon as we can!"

Asper couldn't help but smile. He was finally going to get his status and a vision of his future. The crowd parted and then surged after the green-clad blonde girl as she made her way through, and Asper joined them just as eager as most of them were.

The crowded field made their way through the woods. Asper couldn't see the wall until he left the woods. There were many gasps as they stepped out from the trees. A large stadium awaited and the line moved forward into it. "Go up into the seats." Felicia directed them. "There will be food and drink. Your name will be called when it is time to head down and get your status."

Asper's stomach growled as it reminded him that the last time he had eaten was before he had started out the day hacking at thorn bushes. The smell of warm bread and meat drew everyone to where they were supposed to go. It was only after having a few mouthfuls of his own platter after sitting down that his brain focused on what was in front of him.

At the center of the arena was a pedestal, and on that pedestal was a large red gem, big as a man's head, or maybe bigger if Asper was judging the size wrong. Three chairs sat next to it, each held a person waiting comfortably. A strong note of a horn interrupted most people's feasting, and the three people stood up as the crowd of new students was slowly silenced. A man's deep voice spoke. "Welcome to Pricore Academy. The moment of your status has arrived!"