Sharing Jin Li's bed was definitely more an ordeal that Leon could have imagined before. Not even the first time sneaking in his bed seeking warmth was no nerve wracking. Leon lie stiffly as Jin Li moved to lie next to him beneath the sheets. At first, as Jin Li's breath seemed to steady and Sun began to softly snore from the other bed, he thought Jin Li had failed to notice his nervous state.
Swallowing the lump within his throat, he shuffled carefully, turning over so he could observe the handsome man while he slept and sort through his emotions. Alas, he wasn't given the chance. His eyes met Jin Li's narrowed ones, he did not need his glasses nor light to see that they were open given their closeness.
"What are you doing?" Jin Li asked, keeping his voice low.
"N-n-n-n-no...I'm n-not d-doing anything!" Leon felt his face aflame as he quickly turned back over.
Behind his rigid frame, Jin Li was also contemplating things like why he had wasted points on the youth lying next to him, all for a pointless herbal bath. Why had he been pleased to see than Leon had gained weight? And why did his hair smell so pleasant this evening?
When the morning came, all Sun could think of was why did the pair have deep circles about their eyes?
*****
The third and final round, before the individual battles the following day commenced, was a solo event. A physical illusion was cast about twenty-five students as they stood in the arena, where they would face illusionary beasts. These beasts, based on common and well known beasts within reality also took on the traits of their counterparts. For example, if a student came across a nibblet in the illusion, it would do as much 'damage' and be as 'tricky' as a normal nibblet. If a student fought something much stronger, like a Coeurl, a scaled feline with the agility of a feline but strong hide of a lizard, they would find it as hard to fight, just as if they met one in reality.
For each beast they fought and won against, they would gain points based on the 'level' of that beast, the level being what practitioners considered the beasts bloodlines and abilities to make them overall. For example, a nibblet was most definitely a level one and would give a student one point. A level two creature such as a large carnivorous animal would provide five points. A level three such as a dire wolf would be ten points, a level four twenty points and a level five would provide fifty points. The mages were not so cruel to add beasts of higher levels than this as none of the students would likely last a few seconds against one of those.
Pain was illusionary as were wounds, but they would feel and be weakened by them just as if they were battling for real. If a student was about to 'die' in the illusion, they would be transported out of it and would have to settle with whatever points they received. Time was also a factor. The students had just one hour to defeat as many illusionary beasts as possible and the points for their successes were recorded on their bracelets. The groups were not random, they were based on the previous year's standings, from lowest to highest. But before them, those who'd been first years the previous year were sent to experience the illusion first.
The girl Carina was amongst this group for the inner school. She stood still in amongst the others as the illusion engulfed them. And then small bubbles dropped from the sky to float about the arena.
"If you look closely," Pike said, "you can see those who are within the illusion inside the bubble. Of course, it's best to know who you wish to see, otherwise the bubbles simply show people at random."
Sure enough the bubble closest to the five youths skittered through many faces, although each youth saw someone different each time. Leon only knew of Carina, so focused on her in his mind and sure enough her image appeared in the bubble. She was currently walking through forest growth. It was dark and dense, she didn't appear to be able to see too far ahead. Her eyes skittered from left to right, her head and body turning in the illusion. She briefly met up with another first year, but after speaking with him, the pair moved away from each other.
"The other thing is," Pike mentioned as he also happened to see this, having had a good first impression of the girl and brief teammate, "students can group together, though points will be split amongst them. A few years ago, they could also attack and steal others points, but there was much complaint after one student backstabbed five in a row, but couldn't defeat one lousy dire rat and still came out in the top ten!"
"I bet there would have been less complaints if he had been a noble," Bowyer mentioned, but not with bitterness. Pike shrugged and continued to watch as Carina finally met with and fought a normal looking tiger. Leon, at first, wondered why a tiger could only be considered a level two beast... until he saw a sabertooth of the same type fighting another first year. It was larger, more vicious. It's eyes glowed red as razor sharp claws sliced the chest of the first year, who failed to move from its reach. Somehow, the youth managed to defeat the creature, but also 'died' in the attempt and was transported out of the illusion.
In the end, Carina gained thirty six points through steady battles, she came over to let Pike know. The older man congratulated her and it did not fail to be noticed by anyone but perhaps Pike himself how she absorbed readily his praise.
As the seniors already on the Standings began their own battles, Leon watched alliances form and falter, watched students triumphant and fallen and was able to realise that the average points being won was gradually rising. When Pike and Bowyer entered the fray much later that day, the highest points Leon had heard had been scored were one hundred and seventeen.