"Riiiiing-"
A shrill bell suddenly rang through the cavernous underground examination hall, like a blade slicing through the frozen air.
The sound was piercing and urgent, bouncing between the gray concrete walls and echoing long afterward.
Every note seemed to strike at the examinees' hearts, making those still furiously writing shudder.
"The exam is over! All examinees must put down their pens immediately!"
The voice from the loudspeaker was cold and mechanical, leaving no room for argument.
Several proctors entered through the front and rear doors at once, their movements swift and precise, like falcons swooping on prey.
Without a word, they began collecting the papers, working forward from the last row.
Inuzuka Hana's pen hand hung in midair, the tip still touching her scratch paper, yet she could not write another word.
Fine beads of sweat covered her forehead, and the back of her clothes was soaked through, clinging to her skin.
She looked down at her exam paper-densely packed handwriting, corrections everywhere, and even spots where dripping sweat had blurred the ink.
She did not know whether her answers were right, but she had done her best. Only after handing in her paper did she realize her fingers were trembling so badly she could barely hold her pen.
The examinees poured out of the various examination rooms like a tide, converging on the central underground platform.
Footsteps, sighs, and whispers intertwined, echoing above the spacious platform and swelling into a sea of noise.
Some looked unruffled, even wearing faint, confident smiles, clearly quite satisfied with their answers.
Others frowned deeply, still discussing the questions with their teammates in low voices, trying to find some comfort in their answers.
Even more sighed in despair, their faces ashen, as though they had just endured a nightmare.
"Ugh, I'm done for.