When the last pair of eyelids closed, the night drifted by.  Some students, weary from the day's activities, slept happily in the comfort of a job well done and new comrades.  A few tossed and turned in their sleep, though gently so as to avoid stressing their injuries, and dreamed fitfully.  For some, no dreams came—just a quiet, serene emptiness, void of even memory.  Outside their windows, the wind picked up before a brief nighttime shower, leveling a steady series of taps against the panes.  Some slumbered the better for the peaceful, natural noise; some, kept restless by their troubles, despised it for its incessant beat.  Only the beacon, shining grand and green at the zenith of the academy, remained constant.

The first rays of sunlight smiled over moist soil and dewy grass, nosily peering into windows whose owners had neglected to raise the blinds.  At precisely 7 o' clock, the room alarms rang.  For now, they were all simply buzzes that increased in volume the longer they were ignored, but they could be personalized later.  A message flashed across the desk clock: everyone had one hour to eat breakfast, warm up a little, shower, and otherwise prepare themselves.  Out of all of these team JRVR was by far the most active, jogging through the halls while most of the other new students roused themselves from sleep.  In their hunt for Victor's missing prosthetic arm they came across a teacher taking an early morning walk as well: Solomon Agensander, who managed to be good-natured enough to help them locate the lost limb among the spare-parts collection of Marcus Goldstein.

At the exact second that 7:59 became 8:00, each and every scroll was simultaneously messaged, and the peal of a bell resounded through the campus.  The first official day of school had begun, and the first class on the list of teams SIVI, RPGD, SASG, MODA, JRVR, and GJGM was combat.

-=-=-

As the students filed into her class in small groups, the teacher stood stock-still, her arms crossed.  Her poise was, naturally, perfect, and while only her eyes moved around to observe each face as it arrived, she gave off a vibe of propriety and discipline almost militaristic in feel.  Her riding crop completed the picture, making Glynda Goodwitch look every inch a drill sergeant -albeit an oddly-clothed one- as much as a teacher.  Each student, for lack of their school uniform, was garbed in their standard gear, which suited Goodwitch just fine.

As she stood, awaiting the last few arrivals, a young woman entered from a sidedoor to stand by her side.  Though garbed in bright colors, she managed a passably imposing look thanks to the scabbard hefted over her shoulder.  Despite her best efforts, she couldn't make herself appear as severe as the austere Mrs. Goodwitch, though it was obvious given her position and age that there was something special about her.

Finally, the instructor raised her void, cutting off any chatter.  “Good morning!  My name is Mrs. Goodwitch, but you all may refer to me as 'Ma'am'.  My assistant here is miss Sarina Tala Dei.”  She began to pace, holding the riding crop tucked under her arm.  “Yesterday you became students.  Today, I start you on the path to becoming a hunter.  Over the course of this semester you will all learn to battle like real hunters and huntresses, but before we can begin fine-tuning your training, we must first conduct a little test.”

Behind her, the lecture room wall parted ways with a metallic heave, revealing a huge orange-tinted room greatly resembling an arena.  Good witch took several steps before jumping down into it, whereupon she turned and addressed the students in a raised voice.  “I can't very well tell you what you're doing wrong until I see you doing it.  That is why we are going to hold twelve sparring matches within the next hour, each no more than five minutes in length.  Miss Dei and I will be monitoring your aura level as you fight to ensure nobody is hurt.  If your aura is reduced to red, you lose, but as long as it's evident that you seriously tried you'll receive a full participation grade.  Now, Sarina, please read off the randomized pairings from your scroll.”