Jacob stood up and smirked at the attention his semblance had garnered him, satisfied that not all eyes were on the aura dragon anymore. "What, you didn't expect me to just leave it like that, did you?"
At that moment, Crystal burst into the room, fuming with anger even she struggled to contain. "Honestly, I take twenty minutes to get my documents in order before the initiation starts and already they start with the property damage! Who is responsible?" Her keen eyes scanned the environment but saw no disturbance in the room itself. All she could do was pick on the one student who was standing away from the rest. She narrowed her eyes at Jacob. "You. I know you had something to do with that crashing sound. What did you do?"
"I don't know what you mean, ma'am. Nothing seems amiss to me!" Jacob spoke with confidence that only frustrated Crystal further.
However, with no proof of his wrongdoing, she had no choice but to relent. Lamely, she replied, "...Just behave yourself. That goes for all of you!"
Crystal sighed as she regained her composure, pushing a stray hair behind her ear and adjusting her glasses neatly. "I suppose I may as well get on with the event. We have much to cover, so you had best all get comfortable." Her speech was dignified but forced, as if she was holding back a deeper sigh. "The task at hand is rather simple. Achieving this task, as well as what it will mean for your future at this academy, is less so. You will all be dropped into the forest of Forever Fall and asked to locate one of several items littered throughout the forest. These objects could be anywhere, but you have a couple of hints to get you started. The first is that the objects will not be scattered randomly amongst the branches, or merely on the ground somewhere. The locations in which the academy has hidden the objects all have some significance, like a hidden cave for example. The second hint is that the objects in question emit a dim green glow that contrasts with the red of the forest. If you do not see this glow, you are looking in the wrong place.
"You may notice that there are only half as many artifacts in the forest as there are students in your group. This is by design, not by mistake. No student will be permitted to return their artifact until they find themselves a partner. How you wish to partner up is entirely up to you. However, bear in mind that just as the artifacts themselves are limited, so too are prospective partners. It is recommended that you each partner up sooner rather than later to avoid wandering the forest alone. Groups of more than two will not be accepted; at the moment of mission completion, there must be one artifact for every pair of students."
Crystal took a short pause to let the rules sink in before getting to the part that she suspected would cause a stir. "As soon as I give the signal, the doors of this airship will open and you are free to jump or to stay aboard a while longer. However, ten minutes after the doors open, they will close again. Any students left on board at the moment the doors close will forfeit their spot at Beacon Academy this year. Should this rule leave an odd number of students in the field, you will be notified and one student will be allowed to return their artifact solo, on a first-come first-serve basis.
"Your landing strategy is up to you, but do try to avoid sustaining any major injuries. Any student who is incapacitated during the event will also forfeit their position. Finally, once the doors close, the airship will move to its final position. Until all of the artifacts have been returned, the airship will hover over the clearing to which you are to bring your artifacts. Use it as guidance."
While most rookie teachers would be afraid they missed something at this point, Crystal cracked a smug smile in satisfaction, knowing she couldn't have forgotten anything important. Just as a formality, though, she still had to ask, "Any questions?"