"Your first evaluation will be keeping them alive."
Hazel's smile made those words sound less reassuring than they should have. The thirty-six students stared at the eggs, waiting for additional instructions.
The professor placed three cases beside the crates. Each contained a crystal thermometer, record sheets, gloves, and several strips capable of detecting changes in mana.
"You will not attempt to accelerate the hatching," she warned. "You will also not use spells to warm them or introduce energy into the shell. During this week, you will only observe, care for, and record."
Gaelira pulled back the hand that had started moving toward the gray egg. After breaking a sword by forcing too much mana into it, she did not need to discover what would happen inside a shell.
Hazel divided the area using three barriers of light. Moonveil moved its crate to the left while Stormwing occupied the opposite end.
The twelve Thornheart students remained around the gray egg. Octavia opened the case, but a tall boy stepped forward before she could distribute the instruments.
Gaelira recognized him by the red insignia attached to his uniform. She had seen that pin during house meetings, although she had not yet spoken to the person wearing it.
"I'm Ronan Reed, first-year captain," he introduced himself. His brown hair was carefully combed and he held a notebook containing the names of his classmates. "Hazel will evaluate the entire house, so we need clear responsibilities."
He did not ask whether they agreed. He did not raise his voice either. He simply began assigning roles with the confidence of someone accustomed to having his instructions followed.
Two students would check the heat runes, others would prepare the place where the egg would remain, and four would organize watch shifts. Octavia received the record sheets because of her neat handwriting.
A thin boy standing beside Ronan repeated every instruction while marking names on another list. He had blond hair combed back and a satisfied expression every time someone obeyed.
"Percy Pike," he introduced himself when he noticed Gaelira watching him. "I'm the captain's assistant."
"Is that an official position?" Gaelira asked.
Percy adjusted the nonexistent insignia on his chest. "Every responsible person needs someone capable of making sure their instructions are followed."
Gaelira decided not to ask who had determined that person should be him.
Ronan finally reached her name. "Veyr, you'll help with the initial observation and then take one of the shifts."
"She shouldn't go near the egg."
The interruption came from a girl with black hair cut at jaw length. The sleeves of her uniform had been repaired with dark thread, although every stitch was careful enough to go unnoticed from a distance.
Mara Mercer held Gaelira's gaze without trying to soften her expression. "She abandoned all her tutors, skipped her training, and couldn't even activate a crystal three days ago. Now you want to trust her with something alive."
The other students fell silent. Gaelira felt Octavia tense beside her, but raised a hand before she could intervene.
"That's a reasonable concern," Gaelira admitted. "I have no experience caring for magical creatures. I can limit myself to recording what the people who do have experience observe."
Mara seemed surprised by the lack of an argument, although her expression hardened again.
"That doesn't change the fact that you're here because of your family's money and surname."
"Mercer," Ronan stopped her. His tone was not harsh, but it was enough to make her look away from Gaelira. "Hazel will evaluate all twelve of us. Veyr will participate as long as she follows instructions."
Percy looked at Gaelira before making a mark beside her name. He did not seem satisfied with the decision, although he did not contradict the captain.
Ronan told them to begin. The students opened the case and gathered around the crate while Octavia recorded the time of the first observation.
Gaelira remained slightly apart. The egg still showed the same golden spots, but the warmth she had felt at the end of Hazel's explanation seemed to be fading.
A rune near the base of the crate had changed from orange to yellow. Gaelira looked at the thermometer and noticed that the glowing column was slowly dropping.
"The temperature is falling," she warned.
One of the students assigned to the runes checked the instrument. "The crate is still producing heat."
"Then the crate isn't the problem," Gaelira replied.
Mara crossed her arms. "And you've already figured out the answer just by looking at it?"
Gaelira ignored the provocation and examined the area. All twelve students were leaning around the egg, mixing their voices, movements, and mana currents inside a space that was too small.
She remembered how Bristle had backed away after encountering an unfamiliar affinity. Hazel had explained that creatures perceived more than they could recognize.
Percy gave a short laugh. "It's an egg. It can't feel uncomfortable."
"We can test that," Ronan intervened.
The captain ordered six students to move away from the crate. Percy obeyed with visible skepticism and led the group toward the yellow line.
Nothing happened during the first few seconds. Then the heat rune slowly returned to orange and the thermometer's column began rising.
Octavia recorded the change. "Two degrees since they stepped away."
Ronan asked another three students to move back. The egg made such a small movement that Gaelira would have thought she imagined it if the golden spots had not grown brighter.
Hazel appeared beside them and reviewed the records. "Good observation. Some creatures reduce their functions when they detect too many magical presences. It's a way of hiding until the danger disappears."
Mara looked at the egg and then at Gaelira, but said nothing.
Ronan reorganized the tasks. Only two people would remain nearby during each watch, while the others reviewed the records from another table.
"Veyr will take the first shift," he decided. "She detected the reaction and already knows the proper distance."
"One observation doesn't prove she's responsible," Mara protested.
"No," Ronan acknowledged. "That's why she'll have the opportunity to prove it."
The class ended once each house had prepared a care plan. Thornheart would move the egg to a prepared room inside its tower and begin the watch that same afternoon.
Gaelira placed a copy of the schedule inside her bag. When she tried to join Octavia, Mara stepped into her path.
"I'm not angry because you were right," she clarified. Her hands remained closed at her sides. "But I won't let some noble who only recently became interested in studying take away the only chance I have."
"I need that scholarship too."
Mara looked at Gaelira's perfectly fitted uniform and the bag sent by her family. There was no envy in her expression, only the certainty of someone for whom losing meant something completely different.
"If you fail, you go back to a mansion. If I fail, I go back to a factory."
'And if I fail, I'll lose my chance to return to my world.'