Alec isn't one to dread the morning sun, if anything he looks forward to a new day. A new day of possibilities. However, June the seventh, is a day that he does not look forward to. As his pillow vibrates, alarming him to wake up, Alec wishes for anything to happen that will let him skip the day.

It's the day for the next round of The Revealing, and Alec is not ready for it. He barely managed a wink of sleep, trying to figure out what form of torture the group of old psychopaths had planned for the candidates today. What will it be? he wonders, fighting a snake? Or something even better such as trying to survive in a Mediterranean desert with no legs and arms.

"Come on Alec, we don't have much time," Orion says, moving Alec's legs as he shuffles past between their beds.

Alec grunts, rolling over so he was lying on the bed with his back on it and his eyes on the white ceiling above.

"Is it my turn to use the bathroom next?"

Terence Belikov freezes, his hands halfway in the movement of putting his towel over his shoulder and glances at Alec.

"I'm next. You can go after me. Orion is done, Day's in there right now. I don't think the other guy will be waking up anytime soon," Terence says, gesturing to Scorpius Low, still snoring away.

Alec raises his head, taking in his sleeping roommate. His head falls back onto his pillow, and he wonders if Scorpius does anything other than sleep. Better than their forever absent roommate, Dennis White. Alec waits for the day that the Seer witch is kicked out for all the recreational drugs he takes.

Alec fights the urge to shudder at the thought of the Witching Magistraits locking him up for illegal substances. After all, doing drugs was just putting a temporary lock on your magic. Which was never a good idea, unless you fancied the idea of going insane.

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

"Did I mention that I don't like the ocean?" Lucas mutters, leaning over to Sierra and Noah.

Noah furrows his eyebrows. "Aren't you from Florida?"

"Yes, and I still don't like the ocean very much."

"Well, you're fucked." Amisha snickers, stepping up into the line the candidates had made, as they look ahead at what awaits them. The sea stretches out in front of them, with rows of seats stretching over the waters, watching every inch and every ripple. A line of 'something' is lined up, with a large fabric veiling it from watching eyes.

"What do you think is going to happen?" Aarush Bhatia asks, his eyes darting between everything his eyes can find.

"Maybe they're putting us in cages and then throwing us into the ocean for the sharks," Orion interjects, not noticing Lucas's skin turning paler than before.

"Sharks?" Raylene repeats, not looking excited at all.

Alec adds, "Doll, you're in magic territory. Sharks are the creatures you should be least worried about."

"We're in for a great day," Amisha concludes.

"Witches, I gather your attention," Principal Cashore says, stepping forward from underneath the shelter that stood facing the sea. "Today, we are gathered to witness the second challenge that our candidates will face."

With a swish of her hand, Principal Cashore unveils the fabric. Eleven glass boxes sit alongside the sea.

"Each candidate will be placed in a box, with enough oxygen to last you for eight minutes. The box will sink, after eight minutes, you are expected to use your knowledge and skills to break the box open and to find your way to the surface. The boxes are charmed to only sink to a certain extent. As the candidates resurface, they'll be awarded points in accordance to the order they resurface in. May the best candidates be selected."

Professor Bane moves from his position on the ground, and steps towards the glass squares.

"Day Blackwood, please step forward." Day moves out of the line and walks ahead. He ducks inside the square, bending his knees so he can fit. After a few seconds of standing awkwardly, he gives in and sits down. The audience laughs, and for a deluded second, the candidates relax.

"Sierra Kingsley." Sierra takes her place, and slowly each candidate finds themselves in their boxes, some sitting, some standing.

Before Lucas can comprehend it, the boxes are rising in the air, and Lucas's palms press against the glass, trying not to slip out of the end that is left open.

Raylene screeches, nearly slipping forward and out of her square. Once the boxes have been levitated into a line over the waters, the glass square is sealed. Before the candidates can inhale another breath, they're dropping into the water, and sinking lower than they can imagine.

The water floats around the glass, and though the situation is terrifying, Sierra can't help but marvel at it. Her brain aims to focus not on the horrifying possibilities, but simply on breathing. She knows what's going to happen, her brain is going to go on overdrive, and panic, and fuck her over. So, she concentrates on breathing, on appreciating the nature around her.

Once Noah feels that his box has stopped sinking, he moves his arms, and raises his head. He glances around him, he can just see the purple of Raylene's dress in her square. She throws her arm ahead and somehow bounces back into the glass wall behind her. Ouch. As Noah turns his head, he can just manage to see a figure on the other side of him. Though he can't manage to figure out who it is. Noah stands up, shaking his arms and legs. Most of his training was spent on controlling Earth and Air, two elements that he was always surrounded by. The earth was a little too far away from his glass, and a little too far away being a major understatement. And there was hardly enough air to waste.

So, his first attempt is spent on the classic blowing up spell. "Etus conlisidam."

As his spell hits the glass, Noah's back bounces on the glass behind him. Well, that explained the spell that Raylene had tried. Noah takes a deep breath in and releases it. As another bulb lights up, Noah raises both his hands.

"Aqueous moventus." As his hands move up, the water around his cage moves. The glass square shakes unstably, as the water swirls around it. Noah continues chanting the spell, focusing his energy on pushing the water against the glass. Just when he thinks it's not working out for him, the glass cracks. Slowly, then all at once.

The glass shatters, and the sea water floods in. The broken bits float away from him. As the water moves around him, he swims upwards. In the corner of his eyes, he spots something swimming towards him. Something inhumane. Instinctively, his hands and mouth move in sync, using the water to shield himself as he continues swimming. Before his head breaks the surface of the water, his last thought is about the broken pieces adding to pollution.

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Day watches in envy as Noah Woods controls the water so it carries him upwards. All the while, he tries to maintain his concentration, to force the glass apart. After his first few attempts, he knows the simple shatter spells wouldn't work. So, he focuses his energy on the spells that push the glass walls apart. Before he knows it, the glass walls float in the water, steady and in the same shape as a cube, but not close enough to him. His body relaxes for a brief moment, a second too deadly. The water rushes in, and the force topples him and the glass walls over.

Deep breaths, he reminds himself. He palms the glass and pushes up. His hands push the water, and he swims. He opens his mouth, forming bubbles. His hands move faster, until they freeze with a newfound realization. The bubbles aren't going the right way. With wide eyes, he fights the water and turns around. Swimming in the opposite direction. The water lightens, and before he knows it, his head is above the water, and his hair is sticking to his forehead.

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Raylene knows that Noah Woods bent the water to his will. The idea that she isn't strong enough to do the same despite being a bender witch frustrates her. The idea of not making it up to the surface, frustrates her even more. So, she ditches her identity as a bender witch, and forces herself to think back on their training sessions. If cracking the walls wouldn't help, then maybe she had to mould it to her will.

Her fingers move along the glass, and her lips move in sync.

"Reformus. Reformus. Reformus."

The glass changes its shape, bending to her will. The side wall separates from the top glass, and water starts falling in. Raylene moves faster, trying to make a bigger gap while not letting too much water in. Once the gap is big enough, the water rushes in. Her hands push up against the water.

She chants, "Aqueous moventus."

The water moves slightly, and she pushes up. Her purple top flowing around her. Never has she been so grateful to be so skinny.

And finally, she sees the light.