A tall woman in academy robes stepped forward, crystal pendant swinging at her neck. She moved down the line of candidates, holding the crystal near each person's forehead. The pendant glowed with different colors - blue for those within acceptable age limits, red for those too young or old.
"Magic doesn't lie." Her voice carried across the courtyard. "This crystal reveals your true age, regardless of what your documents claim."
Leo stood still as she approached, the pendant hovering inches from his skin. The crystal pulsed blue, and she moved on without comment. He released a quiet breath - his elven nature remained hidden behind his magical artifacts.
A commotion broke out several spots down the line. The pendant flashed angry red as it passed over a muscular youth who had claimed sixteen summers.
"Twenty." The woman's voice cut through his protests. "Guards, escort him out."
Two uniformed men led the struggling youth away. His face flushed with shame as whispers rippled through the crowd.
Similar scenes played out across the courtyard. A girl with carefully styled hair and expensive clothes burst into tears when the crystal revealed her eleven years. Her father rushed down from the gallery, demanding exceptions be made for their noble house. The guards removed both of them.
The pendant glowed blue for Elly, who kept her expression neutral despite the relief in her eyes.
"Nineteen." The woman stopped before a thin boy trying to shrink into himself. "Too old."
He walked out with slumped shoulders, not waiting for the guards.
When the age verification finished, nearly thirty candidates had been removed. Most were older students attempting to slip in past the cutoff, though a handful of ambitious parents had tried entering children too young to qualify.
The commander surveyed the remaining candidates. "Age restrictions exist for good reason. Your bodies and minds must be ready for the training ahead. Those who attempted deception today learned that truth reveals itself, always."
The commander gestured to a table laden with clear crystals. "Those who claimed magic affinity, step forward."
Leo and Elly joined the small group approaching the crystals. Each candidate picked one up - the stones remained dormant in most hands, but Leo's blazed with brown light the moment his fingers touched it. Elly's crystal pulsed with blue radiance.
"Earth and water." The commander marked her scroll. "Next."
One by one, each self-proclaimed mage proved their claims true. Their crystals lit up with various elemental colors - red for fire, white for wind, yellow for lightning, brown for earth and blue for water.
"Now the rest." The commander waved the remaining candidates forward.
The larger group shuffled up, many looking uncertain. Most crystals stayed dark, but gasps erupted when two began to glow.
"Impossible!" A stocky boy stared at the red light in his palm. "I never knew-"
"Magic often hides until tested properly." The commander made additional notes. "You and the girl with the white crystal, join the mage group."
The successful candidates moved to a separate area where an elderly man in elaborate robes waited. He held up a complex crystal formation that caught the sunlight.
The elderly mage held up the crystalline formation, its facets casting rainbow patterns across the courtyard stones. "Step forward, one at a time. This will measure both your elemental and magical affinities."
A fire mage apprentice went first. The crystal structure pulsed dimly with red light, barely visible in the morning sun.
"Low affinity for both fire and magic." The elderly mage nodded. "As expected. This is normal for humans - don't be discouraged."
Student after student showed similar results. Some crystals flickered so faintly the light could barely be seen. The instructors explained how rare high affinities were, reassuring the disappointed faces before them.
Elly stepped forward, hands steady as she reached for the crystal formation. Blue light flickered within its depths, weak but steady.
"Low affinity for both water and magic." The elderly mage's assessment matched her expectations.
She nodded and stepped back, no disappointment visible on her face. Her family had prepared her for this outcome - most human mages showed minimal affinities.
Leo approached next, his movements fluid and confident. The moment his fingers brushed the crystal structure, brown light exploded through its facets. The glow intensified until it rivalled the morning sun, forcing several observers to shield their eyes.
The elderly mage stumbled backward. "Impossible! Both affinities at the highest level-"
Whispers erupted across the courtyard. Students pointed and stared while instructors huddled together, speaking in urgent tones.
"Check the crystal again," one instructor demanded. "It must be malfunctioning."
The elderly mage shook his head. "These artifacts don't malfunction. The boy has the highest recorded affinities I've seen in fifty years of testing."
"But he's just a child!" Another instructor pushed forward. "How can a human possess such power?"
The commander raised her hand for silence. "Bring the backup testing crystal."
A guard hurried forward with a second crystal formation. Leo touched it without hesitation. The same brilliant brown light filled the courtyard.
"By the gods," the elderly mage whispered. "It's genuine."
Students pressed closer, trying to get a better look at Leo. Some faces showed awe, others fear, and more than a few displayed naked envy.
"This changes everything," the commander declared. "We'll need to adjust the entire training program."
Leo maintained his calm expression throughout the commotion, though Elly noticed his fingers drumming against his leg - his only tell when under stress.
The commander held up a black orb marked with glowing runes. "This measures raw magical power. To qualify as a first-level apprentice, you need a reading of one hundred units. Most untrained individuals register at one unit."
She placed the orb on a stone pedestal. "Touch the orb. The number will appear above it."
The first student approached, his hand trembling as he reached for the sphere. A faint "1" flickered in the air.
"Standard for an untrained human," the commander noted. "Next."
Student after student produced similar results. A few registered two or three units, drawing impressed murmurs from the instructors.