"Wait a minute!" she cried out, her voice trembling with horror. "What am I supposed to do in this test? Oh my god, I have no preparation other than studying!" Rose screamed hysterically, her hands pulling at her own hair as if trying to uproot it. Her legs kicked at thin air, creating a comical dance of panic.
In that instant, like the parting of waters, the crowd around Rose split apart. The other test participants moved away with impressive speed, creating an empty circle around the unfortunate girl. The atmosphere that had been a cacophony of noise suddenly fell into an eerie silence, as if someone had just pressed the 'mute' button on life itself.
Some people even covered their ears tightly, their faces contorting as if they had just heard the most painful sound in the world. Rose's scream, which resembled more the howl of a wolf caught in a door than a human voice, made the other participants, who usually wore stoic expressions, now look as if they had just bitten into a sour lemon.
Realizing the powerful effect of her action, Rose slowly returned to her senses. She looked left and right, her eyes blinking in confusion like a newly hatched bird. "Ah, that..." she stammered, an awkward smile tugging at her lips.
"Sorry, that was just me warming up," Rose tried to explain, her voice now barely above a whisper of embarrassment. She flashed her pearly whites in a smile that looked more like a grimace, as if hoping to atone for her sins with the gleam of her tooth enamel.
The next second, Rose felt like she wanted to sink into the earth. Her face turned as red as a boiled lobster, and she lowered her head so deeply that her chin touched her chest. The overwhelming sense of shame made her want to disappear right then and there, or at least possess the ability to disguise herself as the nearest trash can.

Meanwhile, the other participants could only stare with a mix of pity, amusement, and a touch of horror, silently wondering if this strange girl was really a candidate for their prestigious school.

"Participant 777, please enter the field."

"Huh?" Rose's heart instantly started racing. "What should I do?" she asked, still rooted to the spot.

"Participant seven-seven-seven," an official called out again from inside the field.

With what little determination she had left, Rose finally forced her stiff legs to move. Her steps were unsteady, as if she were walking on quicksand, towards the intimidating field entrance five meters ahead.

The old iron door opened with a pitiful 'creak,' as if complaining about having to open for this unusual participant. Rose swallowed hard, her courage waning with each small step she took into the vast, pitch-black field.

"Geez, it's so quiet," she whispered to herself. "And dark too! I'm getting goosebumps." Rose hugged herself, trying to ward off the sudden chill.

"Welcome!"

A booming voice from the corner of the room shattered the silence, making Rose jump. Her heart seemed to leap into her throat, and she nearly toppled backward.

CLANG!

In a flash, the room was filled with blinding light. Rose instinctively closed her eyes, her hands raised to shield herself from the sudden flood of brightness. She blinked rapidly, trying to adjust to this drastic change.

"Welcome, participant number seven-seven-seven!" The man's voice boomed again, this time louder and more enthusiastic.

Rose, still half-dazzled and half-startled, slowly lowered her hands. Her eyes widened, her mouth slightly open in an expression of awe mixed with horror. Before her now stretched a scene she had never imagined before, an arena that looked like a cross between a circus stage and a military training ground.

"What the heck is this?" she thought, caught between amazement and fear. "Looks like I've just stepped into a completely different world."

But that wasn't what caught her attention. Instead, it was a long curved table splitting the room, with twelve luxurious chairs resembling thrones arranged along it. Each chair was occupied by a figure radiating an aura of intimidation.

Rose's gaze swept from one end of the table to the other. Six women and six men, all elderly, sat with ramrod-straight posture. The wrinkles on their faces told of long life experiences, while their sharp gazes seemed to pierce right into Rose's soul.

'This isn't a school entrance exam,' Rose thought to herself, cold sweat beginning to bead on her forehead. 'This is a competition arena!'

However, her shock wasn't over yet. In the middle of the panel of judges sat a middle-aged man whose appearance was so striking that it left Rose gaping. The man smiled widely while wearing... Joker makeup!

Not just any imitation, but a Joker that exceeded expectations. His lips were painted red, forming an exaggerated smile that contrasted sharply with his pale white face. But what made Rose shudder was his wild, frizzy hair sticking out in all directions, creating a figure more terrifying than any Joker she had ever seen on screen.

Imagine the Joker meeting Einstein, then exaggerated tenfold.
Among the other judges in their formal and neat attire, this man was like an abstract painting misplaced in a gallery of classical portraits.

Unconsciously, Rose's gaze remained fixed on the frizzy-haired Joker before her, as if hypnotized. Slowly, she began to observe the details of the eccentric old man's face. He might have been in his sixties, but there was something unique about his features - an interesting blend of East and West.

The old man's eyes were slightly slanted, giving a gentle Asian impression. However, his prominent nose, typical of Italians, created a striking contrast. Rose felt like she was staring at a living work of art, an unexpected cross-cultural result.

Without realizing it, her eyes drifted to the nameplate in front of the old man. "Denaro Severino," she murmured softly. She sensed something familiar about that name.

Suddenly, as if struck by lightning, Rose jolted. "Severino? Isn't that the name of the director and owner of this school?!" Her mind screamed, utterly shocked.